Narshakhi

(Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Nar-shakhi). Born 899 in the village of Narshakha, 30 km north of Bukhara; died 959. A Middle Asian historian.

In 943–944 (according to some data, 948–949), Narshakhi wrote the History of Bukhara in Arabic. In 1128 the history was translated into Tadzhik by Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Muhammad Qubavi, who shortened it but added events up to his own time. Within just another half-century Muhammad ibn Zufar further abridged Narshakhi’s work, while an anonymous 13th-century author supplemented the history by including events up to 1220. The History of Bukhara has been preserved in this edition.

Narshakhi’s work is a useful source on the history and topography of Bukhara and the oasis in the lower Zeravshan River from the seventh to the 12th century. Of particular interest is the elucidation of the history of the Arab conquest of Middle Asia and descriptions of the Abrui and Mukanna uprisings and the replacement of Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Christianity by Islam.