Prehistory Bronze Age and
Iron Age finds support the probability of advanced civilizations in the area including finds associated with a society known to scholars as the
Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC) – near the modern city of
Mary, and at the
Jeitun and
Gonur Tepe archeological sites.
Founding of Merv Alexander the Great conquered the territory in the 4th century BC on his way to South Asia. In 330 BC, Alexander marched northward into Central Asia and founded the city of Alexandria Margiana (
Merv) near the
Murghab River. A busy
Silk Road caravan route, connecting
Tang dynasty China and the city of
Baghdad (in modern Iraq), passed through Merv. The city of Merv was occupied by the lieutenants of the caliph
Uthman ibn Affan, and was constituted as the capital of Khorasan. Using this city as their base, the Arabs, led by their commander
Qutayba ibn Muslim, brought under subjection
Balkh,
Bokhara,
Fergana and
Kashgaria, and penetrated into China as far as the province of
Gansu early in the 8th century. Merv achieved some political spotlight in February 748 when
Abu Muslim (d. 750) declared a new
Abbasid dynasty at Merv, and set out from the city to conquer Iran and Iraq and establish a new capital at Baghdad. The goldsmith of Merv famously challenged Abu Muslim to do the right thing and not make war on fellow Muslims. The goldsmith was put to death. In the latter part of the 8th century, Merv became obnoxious to Islam as the centre of heretical propaganda preached by al-Muqanna "The Veiled Prophet of Khorasan". Present Turkmenistan was ruled by
Tahirids between 821 and 873. In 873, Arab rule in Central Asia came to an end due to the
Saffarid conquest. During their dominion, Merv, like
Samarkand and Bokhara, was one of the great schools of learning, and the celebrated historian
Yaqut studied in its libraries. Merv produced several scholars in various branches of knowledge, such as Islamic law,
Hadith, history, literature, and the like.
Arrival of the Turkmen In 1055 Seljuk forces entered
Baghdad, becoming masters of the Islamic heartlands and important patrons of Islamic institutions. Until these revolts, Turkmen tribesmen were an integral part of the Seljuk military forces. Turkmen migrated with their families and possessions on Seljuk campaigns into Azerbaijan and Anatolia, which began the Turkification of these areas. During this time, Turkmen also began to settle the area of present-day Turkmenistan. Prior to the Turkmen habitation, most of this desert had been uninhabited, while the more habitable areas along the Caspian Sea,
Kopet Dag Mountains,
Amu Darya, and
Murghab River () were populated predominantly by Iranians. The city-state of
Merv was an especially large sedentary and agricultural area, important as both a regional economic-cultural center and a transit hub on the
Silk Road. The last powerful Seljuk ruler, Sultan
Sanjar (d. 1157), witnessed the fragmentation and destruction of the empire because of attacks by Turkmen and other tribes. O'Donovan also asserted that as of 1881 : The Turkomans of Merv have only been twenty-six years in the oasis. They formerly inhabited the district around
Sarakhs on the upper part of the
Tejend river. They were driven from there twenty-seven years ago by the Persians, who objected to the neighbourhood of persons so disagreeable as to insist in carrying off Persian men, their wives, and daughters, and selling them at 5
L per head in Bokhara. ==References==