American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN (E): 2832-8019 Volume 33, | February - 2025 P a g e | 10 www.americanjournal.org KOKAND PAPERMAKING PRODUCED DURING THE KOKAND KHANATE IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH Begmatov Khurshid Isanalievich Assistant Professor of Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov A B S T R A C T K E Y W O R D S After gaining independence, the revival of our national heritage made it possible to objectively study the history of Kokand papermaking produced during the Kokand historical period. As we know, the emergence of papermaking in Kokand has its own historical conditions. Due to the political crisis and turmoil that occurred in the Central Asian states in the 18th and 19th centuries, the entire cultural life of Central Asia and its specific part, papermaking, fell into decline. This is also evidenced by the fact that the samples of paper created during this period absolutely do not reach the quality of the papers produced in previous periods. Introduction After gaining independence, the revival of our national heritage made it possible to objectively study the history of Kokand papermaking produced during the Kokand historical period. As we know, the emergence of papermaking in Kokand has its own historical conditions. Due to the political crisis and turmoil that occurred in the Central Asian states in the 18th and 19th centuries, the entire cultural life of Central Asia and its specific part, papermaking, fell into decline. This is also evidenced by the fact that the samples of paper created during this period absolutely do not reach the quality of the papers produced in previous periods. For example, when reviewing the list of Oriental manuscripts at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, it was found that among the manuscripts of the 18th and 19th centuries, there were no manuscripts written on Samarkand paper. In the registers of manuscripts of the second half of the 18th century and the 19th century, it is indicated that most of them were written on Kokand paper. So, it is clear that the cessation of Samarkand paper production was caused by various wars, uprisings, conflicts between khanates, and looting. Papermakers began to look for quieter corners in order to save their lives and restore their craft workshops. The emergence of workshops for the production of writing paper in Kokand was associated with the migration of craftsmen from Samarkand. Thus, paper production in Samarkand workshops was discontinued, and gradually Kokand workshops began to own the paper supply throughout Central Asia, that is, in Russian Turkestan from the Aral Sea to the American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 33 February - 2025 P a g e | 11 www.americanjournal.org borders of China. It is known that Kokand paper was also exported to Kashgar and northern Afghanistan. During this period, paper was also produced in other cities of Turkestan, but the paper created by Kokand craftsmen stood out among them with its quality and was clearly visible. That is why many historical, artistic, and scientific works created during this period were written on Kokand paper. Kokand paper was also used for the correspondence of the khanates, decrees, documents, and letters. Kokand paper, which received special attention, especially in the last years of the First World War (1914-1918), became scarce. Even in the main administration of the Turkestan region, due to the lack of paper, court officials used Kokand paper. As a result, documents written on Kokand paper reached the St. Petersburg court. According to A. A. Semyonov, “Kokand paper became more popular than expected. Because the writing of the administration’s typewriters turned out very beautifully on it. When writing by hand with ink that resembled a dream, it was enough to simply sign with a steel pen. At that time, the courts of the St. Petersburg court were suffering from a shortage of paper, so they became interested in Kokand paper. The demand for this paper grew. Here we are talking only about Kokand paper. Because it is known that the Siberian Cossack Maximov, who was in these places at that time, reported on the existence of paper workshops in Tashkent and Kokand. However, P.I. Pashinin doubts that there was a paper workshop in Tashkent. However, this fact has been established. Tashkent was one of the cultural centers of the Kokand Khanate at that time, and the fact that there was such a workshop here is also confirmed by the words of the Siberian Cossack Maksimov. Today, more than a hundred years have passed since the paper factory in Tashkent, which operates on scrap wood and rags, was built. In our opinion, this enterprise must have been launched on the site of a paper workshop that once existed here. The size of Kokand paper is 58×50 cm. 240 sheets were considered one bag. One bag of paper before the First World War cost 5 sums for the first grade, 4 sums for the second grade, and 3 sums for the third grade. It cost the owner of the paper workshop twice as much. In scientific research on paper production in Kokand, whether papermakers used silk paper or not, there is no mention of this, but the scientist A. A. Semyonov, who is well acquainted with the methods of local paper production, answers this question in the affirmative. According to him, in the funds of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan there is a manuscript work from the Fergana Valley dating back to 1873. According to its content, it is a work on Arabic linguistics, written on very fine yellow English postal paper, and excellent Kokand silk paper was selected to match its color. Then A. Semyonov continues his opinion as follows: “Kokand craftsmen knew how to make silk paper well, they went to Bukhara and demonstrated it to the local craftsmen. This opinion was also confirmed by the orientalist scholar Ibrohim Odilov. A man named Usta Yodgor told him that silk paper had been brought from Kokand long ago. "The traveler A. P. Fedchenko, who wrote about papermaking in the city of Kokand in the 1970s, wrote that Kokand paper is made from yarn without any admixture of non-fibrous materials." However, G. V. Grigoriev, the author of the book "Artisanal Methods of Papermaking in Uzbekistan", published in 1940, while discussing the method of making Kokand paper, does not mention silk paper anywhere. As mentioned above, Kokand paper has changed over time. Masters have invented various types of paper using new raw materials. The increasing role of paper in the economic and cultural life of the country has also led to the emergence of certain types of paper. Kokand paper became famous all over the world for its high quality. Therefore, it is known that this paper, which was known as far American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 33 February - 2025 P a g e | 12 www.americanjournal.org as Egypt, was used by the Bukhara Emirate in the circulation of paper money. There is also a good scientific article about it in the magazine "Farhangi Birut" published in Afghanistan. Kokand paper is considered to be the most transparent and elegant paper in the world. Its elegance is that when a word is written, the letters can be easily read from the back. Moreover, it does not wash off in water, and when pulled, it stretches instead of tearing. When folded (folded), it can withstand a certain load. That is why this paper was used for hats. It was comparable to Chinese paper in terms of quality, durability, and elegance. According to experts, there were about ten types of Kokand paper: Abribahor (a type of paper with a cloud image of different colors), Abri Sham. A certain breakthrough was made in this regard by T. Zufarov, a researcher at the Institute of Manuscripts of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. On August 25, 1983, he gave a scientific report “On Abri Paper”, and then published his article. Not long after that, another article appeared in the press. Anyone who has read this article will know that T. Zufarov has collected enough material on the preparation of abri paper, he has given a very good analysis of the history and description of abri paper in the Uzbek language. In conclusion, papermaking was revived as a craft during the years of independence. Samarkand paper and Kokand paper were revived. Samarkand and Bukhara paper operate as tourist attractions, and Kokand paper is on the verge of being revived as a tourist attraction. In the future, Kokand paper art will make a significant contribution to the development of the city's economy. References 1.Нозим Хабибуллаев “Ўрта Осиёда қоғоз ишлаб чиқариш тарихидан” Т.: 1992. 5-18б. 2.Материалы исторической географи Самаркандской области Справочная книжка Самаркандской области. Вып. VII Самарқанд, 1902, с.22 3.Путешествие по Средней Азии СПб 1855.с.211 4.Бумага и древнейшие бумажные мельницы Московском государстве 5.Записки имп. Русского археологического обшества т.н. 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