RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL PROCESSES AND STATEHOOD IN THE KHOREZM OASIS DURING THE MIDDLE AGES

Abstract

This article examines the reconstruction of political processes and statehood in the Khorezm oasis during the Middle Ages. The study focuses on the historical continuity of political institutions, the role of irrigation and urban centres in state formation, the transformation of local dynasties after the Arab conquest, and the rise of the Khwarazmshahs as a major power in Central Asia. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between geography, trade routes, military organization, administrative traditions, and cultural identity. The article argues that medieval Khorezm should not be interpreted as a peripheral oasis polity, but as a dynamic political region that repeatedly produced forms of statehood adapted to both sedentary agriculture and steppe interaction.