American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN (E): 2832-8019 Volume 35, | April - 2025 P a g e | 122 www.americanjournal.org TRADE RELATIONS IN THE BUKHARA KHANATE DURING THE ASHTARKHANID RULE Ibrokhimov Nozimjon Ikhtiyorovich Teacher at Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute Urinboyeva Ruzigul Amrullayevna Student at Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute A B S T R A C T K E Y W O R D S This article discusses the political relations of the Ashtarkhanid dynasty, particularly with Russia, India, Iran, and Turkey, in the Bukhara Khanate from the early 17th century to the second half of the 18th century. During this period, the Bukhara Khanate maintained mutual economic, political, cultural, and diplomatic relations with neighboring states, including the exchange of ambassadors. This article focuses on the foreign relations of the Ashtarkhanid period. Imomqulixon, Khokhlov, A. Gribov, Odambiy F. Beneveni, Peter I, N. Nizomiddinov, Oltamish, Mirza Pulat, Khoja Ashraf Naqshbandi, Vaqqos Hoji, Tarbiyatxon, Mustafoxon Hoji, Rustambiy, Yakkatozxon, Nazarbiy, Aurangzeb, Murad IV, Suleiman III. Introduction During the reign of the Ashtarkhanids (1601-1753), the Bukhara Khanate maintained political and cultural relations with foreign countries. The Ashtarkhanids were active in foreign policy and established diplomatic ties with states such as Turkey, Russia, India, Iran, China, and Kashgar. The relations established by the Ashtarkhanids in pursuit of economic and political interests were later characterized, at the beginning of the 18th century, by Peter I's policy of exerting pressure on Bukhara and treating it as an unequal state. MAIN PART Relations between Central Asia and Russia in the 16th-17th centuries were based on mutual common interests. Initially, Russian rulers pursued a policy aimed at developing peaceful trade and economic relations with the khanates in their interactions with Central Asia. But from the 18th century, when the Russian state strengthened economically and politically, they began to pursue an aggressive policy in the southeast. This became especially noticeable during the reign of Peter I. During the reign of Imamkuli Khan, there was a certain development in diplomatic relations with Russia. For this purpose, the Khan sent Odambiy to the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich in 1620. In a reply letter from the Russian Tsar to Imamkuli Khan, Ivan Khokhlov, stating his diligent efforts to promote the flourishing of the age-old friendship, cultural, and trade relations established between American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 35 April - 2025 P a g e | 123 www.americanjournal.org the two sides, arrived in Central Asia as a reply ambassador with a decree approved on May 26, 1620. Khokhlov visited Samarkand in 1621, met with Imamkuli Khan, and on the instructions of the Russian Tsar, Ivan Khokhlov asked the Khan to release 27 Russian prisoners. During the reign of Abulfayz Khan in Bukhara, Emperor Peter I purposefully sent an embassy mission led by F. Beneveni on November 6, 1721. The Emperor entrusted F. Beneveni with collecting comprehensive information on the condition of the fortresses in the Bukhara Khanate, the structure of the army, the total number of troops, the method of state administration, and Bukhara's relations with Iran, Khiva, and Turkey, as well as identifying the existing opportunities for developing trade with Russia and collecting information on gold reserves. After fulfilling the tasks assigned to him, F. Beneveni returned to Petersburg in 1725. Relations between Bukhara and Russia have a long history, during which local embassies sent embassies to Moscow and Petersburg, and from Russia to Samarkand and Bukhara. Due to the reduction of duties and taxes, Central Asian merchants began to trade freely in Russian cities, and European goods began to enter Bukhara. In the 17th century, Bukharan-Iranian relations were not resolved among themselves, and conflicts arose over territories that were disputed by the parties. Despite the war, there were Bukharan merchants in Iran. This indicates that no difficulties could prevent the continuation of trade relations between the two countries. In turn, Bukhara-India relations were also good. In the 17th-18th centuries, the Mughal state was a southern neighbor of the Bukhara Khanate, and political and economic relations between these two states continued actively. Reflecting on this, I. Nizomiddinov notes that diplomatic relations between the two states occurred several times, stating that in 1572, Abdulla Khan's first envoy, Oltamish, was sent to India. The second envoy was also sent by Abdulla Khan II, headed by Abdurahmon. The following ambassadors arrived at Abdullah Khan's palace in 1579 with Indian ambassadors led by Mirza Polat, and many years later Akbar decided to send an ambassador to Bukhara. On May 17, 1597, an ambassador from India, led by Khoja Ashraf Naqshbandi, was sent to Bukhara. Thus, during the Shaybanid era, good trade relations were established with the Mughal Empire, benefiting both states. During the Ashtarkhanid period, there were also intensive diplomatic relations between the Bukhara Khanate and the Mughal Empire, from which ambassadors arrived in India in 1632 under the leadership of Vaqqos Hoji and Tarbiyatkhan in 1633 to Balkh, and long after, Khoja Ahmad Husayni from the Bukhara Khanate visited the Indian Shah on November 27, 1661. The Bukhara Khanate received the embassy of Mustafa Khan Hoji in July 1665. On May 11, 1669, ambassadors led by Rustambi arrived in India from Bukhara. In response, the embassy of Yakkatuzkhan from India arrived in 1670, followed by the embassy of Muhammad Sharif from Bukhara in 1671. It can be seen that such high-level diplomatic relations primarily provided for the interests of political, economic, and trade relations. It should be noted that in the economic and trade relations between the Bukhara Khanate and the Mughal Empire, the main commodities were medicines from India, various dyes, tea, and dried and fresh fruits from the Bukhara Khanate. Trade relations between the Bukhara Khanate and the Mughal Empire had three main forms: 1. private trade 2. trade conducted through the mediation of a special representative of the khanate. 3. the exchange of goods between kings by sending gifts and presents to each other. American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 35 April - 2025 P a g e | 124 www.americanjournal.org In another diplomatic exchange, in exchange for a ruby gift of 40,000 rupees sent by Abdulaziz Khan, Aurangzeb brought a saddle, a valuable sword, a shield, a quiver, an elephant, and various fabrics worth an equal amount of lakh and fifty thousand rupees to the palace of Ambassador Mustafa Khan Abdulaziz Khan. It can be seen that diplomatic relations and economic relations between the Bukhara Khanate and the Babur state were closely intertwined. It should be noted that Bukhara-Turkey relations were also quite good during the reign of the Ashtarkhanid ruler Imamquli Khan, to whom Murad IV sent an envoy in 1639 with a proposal to jointly act against Iran. At this time, Imamkuli Khan had good relations with Iran. In 1690, Subhanquli Khan (1681-1701) sent an envoy to Sultan Suleiman II (1687-1691) to develop friendly relations between the Ashtarkhanids and the Ottomans. Subsequently, the Ottoman Sultan Ahmad II (1691-1695) sent an envoy, Mustafa Chaush, to Subhanquli Khan. By the end of the 18th century, the Ottoman state was interested in cooperating with the Central Asian khanates. CONCLUSION In conclusion, during the reign of the Ashtarkhanid dynasty, the foreign policy and trade relations of the Bukhara Khanate developed consistently and took a firm place in the international arena. Especially the establishment of diplomatic relations with such large states as Russia, India, Iran, and Turkey, along with increasing the political influence of the khanate, created the basis for the expansion of trade and economic cooperation. Thanks to this article, the exchange of strategically important products was established. During this period, the Bukhara Khanate occupied an important place on regional and transcontinental trade routes and became a mediating center connecting Eastern and Western civilizations. In general, the diplomatic activity and foreign trade relations of the Ashtarkhanids were a decisive factor in the economic, political, and cultural development of the Bukhara Khanate. REFERENCES 1.A. Rasulov, A. Isoqboyev " Turkiston va Rossiya munosabatlari tarixi" Namangan -2011. 2. A. Zamonov " Buxoro xonligi tarixi" Toshkent - 2021. 3. R Alimova " qoʻshni davlatlar bilan diplomatik va savdo- iqtisodiy munosabatlari" Toshkent - 2017. 4. N. Joʻrayev, H. Sodiqov " oʻzbekiston tarixi" Toshkent - 2011. 5. A. Erqoʻziyev " Buxoro xonligi tarixi" Namangan - 2018. 6. Ibrokhimov, N. I. . (07.11.2023). TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EMIRATE OF BUKHARA AND INDIA IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY - THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY. Oriental Journal of History, Politics and Law, 3(06), – Р. 9–15. 7. 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