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In our community there were many leaders whose activity causes respect and admiration. One of bright representatives of this cohort is the famous and esteemed person, the former head of community of Samarkand Moshe Kalontar.
Recently communal newspapers and magazines of Israel and the USA have published a series of materials about separate significant events, dates of life and Moshe Kalontar’s activity. In particular, the Menora newspaper has printed the article of Markiel Fazylov “Ten legends of Moshe Kalontare” to which group of authors headed by professor Iosif Kalontarov (all descendants of Moshe Kalontar) the article “Legends and Truth of Moshe Kalontar” published also in magazines and newspapers has responded.
In assessment of the separate dates and events connected with Moshe Kalontar’s activity between authors the discussion was developed. It is quite clear. It is known that the considerable chronological remoteness of events doesn’t give guarantees of an objective research. In books about Moshe Kalontare approximately same facts from his biography wander, and everyone comments on them moderately the knowledge. Therefore, the fact of such discussion begun by M. Fazylov should be welcomed as in books by authors and family legends there are many not verified facts.
In this article I would like to stop only on one of the facts connected with that period which is an important event in the history of Jews of Samarkand: to purchase of land by Jews of Samarkand for arrangement of own quarter. About it the archival document on which commented in the works professor M. Abramov in due time (The Bukhara Jews in Samarkand has remained, 1993), scientist from St. Petersburg L. Gurevich (Household and sacral space of a makhallaa яхудиен Bukhara and Samarkand, 1995) and M. Fazylov (About what it is written in the main document, 2014). This event sheds light on some features of accommodation of Jews in the Bukhara emirate more than 170 years ago.
It is quite real that during transaction of “The bill of sale of fortress” Moshe Kalontar (in 1843 28 years were Moshe) acted as Samarkand, binding between community of the Bukhara Jews, and the deputy’s confidant – parvonachi Ibrogimdzhon (Parvonachi a court rank – was engaged in delivery of firman (decrees) of the Emir, official documents to their performers and responsible persons). Such conclusion can be drawn proceeding from the fact that the elder (head) of community of Samarkand Avezbadalboy who has sheltered family of fugitives of Shakhrisabz was Moshe Kalontar’s patron. Then he has involved Moshe in the work of the collector of a tax. Most likely, with the consent of all persons specified in “The bill of sale of fortress” (35 people), Moshe made contacts and conducted office-work on purchase of land as he was a competent and young man.
It is known that those years in this territory life proceeded according to laws of fundamental Islam where the list of 21 Omar of laws included the strict ban on sale of land to gentiles. And, perhaps, it is too naive to assume that in the state education, where hundreds of years people who do not profess Islam were treated as second-rate, suddenly changed the attitude. What was the cause of violations of fundamental tenets, and why the land was sold to the Jews, that is “wrong” (kopiram) in 1843? And what was the purpose of the representatives of the titular nation, such as parvonachi Ibrahimjon and others? Undoubtedly, were close to the Emir, and the clergy, without which the Council has not done this transaction. This is evidenced by four state seals of various departments in the”Merchant fortress”.
The explanation for this extraordinary act on the part of the authorities can be found in the political situation that developed on the border of the Emirate of Bukhara with Russia and wars of Emir Nasrullah of Bahadurgarh with the neighbouring khanates, to expand their possessions. At that time, the Emir of Nasrallah began a campaign to the Kokand khanate and captured the neighboring territories: Ura-tube, Zaamin, Yom and Khodjent.
It is known that in those years for domination in South and Central Asia there was a struggle between the two empires of the British and Russian. Each of them sought to achieve strategic privileges in the region. For Britain, it was important as a path to global hegemony, as a necessary living space to strengthen its role in world politics; the British elite was concerned about the problem of defense of India under the command.
The Russian Empire wanted to use this region as an Outpost to protect the southern borders from a potential aggressor. Its expansion to the South was motivated by the desire to stop the raids of local peoples on its possessions, gaining access to Central Asian goods, especially cotton. Given the buffer position of Central Asia between Russian and British possessions, each Empire sought to achieve strategic privileges in the area. This rivalry lasted for about a hundred years from 1813 to 1907 and was called in politics “the Great game”.
Every year this struggle became more and more intense. In those years, the existing scant list of Newspapers and magazines hardly reached this region, and the information was transmitted mainly through the “word of mouth”. The transmission link was the trading people, and primarily merchants who shared with each other about the events in different parts of the world. Jewish merchants and other persons specified in the “Merchant of the fortress” for the sale of land to Samarkand Jews were also included in this number, and they knew that the war was on the threshold of the Emirate. Understand it and the Emir of Bukhara and his entourage. Only it was not clear who and when will the first hostilities England or Russia?
To reflect impending aggression to the Emir there was an urgent need to increase the size of the army and equip it properly. Accordingly, needed the money to replenish the Treasury. He had to raise funds from his subjects, among whom were many rich people from among the local nobility.
The Emirate of Bukhara was a land of lawlessness, despotism and lawlessness, and the Emir had unlimited power. For excessive cruelty Emir Nasrallah received the nickname “Kasab” (butcher). The rich knew that if they did not voluntarily collect the required amount, the Emir would take them by force. This is evidenced by Russian travelers. In his book “Sketches of trade of Russia with Central Asia “(1856), Russian ethnographer, historian And economist PI Nebolsin, who visited this region in the first half of the 19th century, wrote: “officials of the Emir, collecting taxes from real estate and goods, make levies from merchants, from individual rulers, from rich people and in General from all those whom the Emir wants to free from unnecessary, not necessary for a simple citizen of capital. The fear of every capitalist to find out the real state of his chests makes every prudent Bukharian to cling, pretend to be a poor man, to turn the works of his land into cash capital, not to trade for large sums and to split the funds allocated for trade into the most petty cash”.
This is also evidenced by the magazine. “Economist “in the article” on the ways of communication of Russia with Central Asia”, (author D. Dolinsky, 1859): “Sufficient Asian hides his property, pretends to be a beggar, hides even decent clothes for fear that it will select the owner to meet any of their own political goals or whims. The slightest objection threatens to hang.” Accordingly, the environment of the Emir tried to use any opportunity to raise funds for the army, while maintaining their capital. In such a situation, they, quite reasonably, could contribute to the implementation of profitable contracts and” turn a blind eye ” to the violation of some of the known dogmatic tenets of Islam. One of them is a deal to sell land to Jews in Samarkand in 1843. The sum of ten thousand silver tangas were not very large even by the standards of the time, but still accounted for a certain proportion of the costs for the preparation to repel aggression.
Based on the current situation on the border with Russia at the end of the first half of the 19th century, it can be concluded that although the sale of land to Jews did not agree with the postulates of fundamental Islam, it was beneficial to the powers that be. As a result of this transaction, the Treasury received money to cover a certain share of the army, and the rich Muslims to some extent retained their capital. The Jews were also the winners. After all, for the first time they became owners of their own land for the construction of mahali. Separate residence of Jews reduced the frequency of possible clashes with neighbors, which often ended in forcing the transition to Islam.
Historians point out another important reason for the sale of land to Jews. This deal allowed the Muslims to protect themselves from the wrong Jews, to which the zealots of the purity of their subjects, emirs and clergy have always sought. Let us recall at least the complaints against Jews and Armenians who sold alcoholic beverages to Muslims (Sharia prohibits the use of alcoholic beverages to Muslims).
The acquisition of land by Jews in the Emirate of Bukhara was an unprecedented event and served as the starting point for the sale of land to the Gentiles, as can be seen from the available historical facts. Of course, these acts were not of a mass nature, but with the favorable location of the Emir and the need for urgent replenishment of the Treasury, they took place.
AMNUN KIMYAGAROV, candidate of technical Sciences, associate Professor, President of the American branch of the International Academy for the development of technology, Inventor of the USSR, member of the Union of writers of Israel, member of the “International Association of creative intelligentsia”
