As the man explained, he bought a house in this village a few years ago and has been gradually renovating it. “I was tidying up the shed and, while sorting through the metal trash, I found a knife. It had a wooden handle, but it was almost rotted and fell off immediately. There was an inscription in Arabic on the blade, which we translated — it says ‘Shahr Khan,’” he shared.
Maxim Podgorny, a local historian from Kara-Balta, believes that the found knife represents significant historical value. “Judging by the inscription and the condition of the blade, this knife is at least 150 years old. It was likely made by Uzbek craftsmen in the mid or late 19th century,” he noted.
“Shahr Khan” is one of the names of Shahrukh Biya (1680-1721), who was the first ruler of the Kokand Khanate from the Uzbek Ming dynasty. He was known for his organizational skills and military talent, as well as being physically strong. Under his leadership, power extended over Kokand, Isfara, Chust, and Namangan. Shahrukh Biya was killed in 1721 as a result of conflicts between various emir factions. After his death, the governance of the state passed to his eldest son. Knives of this shape were often made by blacksmiths and knife makers from Chust and Namangan, and craftsmen often named them after famous warriors or batyrs, believing that this would transfer strength and luck to the knife and its owner.
In the 20th century, in the Soviet Central Asian republics, it was not customary to engrave Arabic inscriptions on knives made by local artisans. Instead, they would stamp “Chust” as a geographical designation,” the local historian added.
