Mughalistan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2006)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Mughalistan was the name given to the Eastern Chaghatai Khanate by the Islamized society of Western Chaghatai Khanate and other Islamic societies. It is a Persian word meaning the Land of the Mughals, i.e. Mongols.

The region was roughly coextensive with modern day Xinjiang province of China, Kirghizstan and parts of Kazakhstan, and included Tarim Basin. In contrast, western Chaghatai Khanate lay between Amu and Syr rivers, in a region called Ma-wara'un-Nahr by its inhabitants, now more commonly known as Transoxania.

Historically, a schism always existed between eastern and western halves of the Chagatai Khanate. Ethnically considered, western half was basically Turk/Tajik while the eastern half was dominated by Mongols. Religiously seen, western part was predominantly Islamic and eastern part was Shamanist/Buddhist. Finally the way of life was primarily nomadic in the east and sedentary in the west. These difference ultimately led to the split of the Chagatai Khanate into eastern and western divisions.