The Shajara-ye Turk as an Important Source on the History of Relations between Khiva and Its Neighbors

Abstract

This article examines the relations between Khiva and its neighbors, specifically the Safavids and the Shaybanids, in the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth century. It draws substantially on the Shajara-ye Turk, which has hitherto not been analysed in order to illustrate the relations between Khiva and other regional powers in its immediate reach. Using a comparative approach, we argue that, contrary to the prevailing notion of isolation found in the secondary literature, Khiva maintained manifold ties with its neighbors and was well embedded within the framework of regional states. Contrary to the arguments in the secondary literature, the article concludes that the Sunni-Shi‘i conflict had a more political rather than religious character, and did not create any impediment between dynasties of different religious backgrounds.