Karotegin is the historic name of the Rasht Valley and a historic political region in pre-
Soviet Central Asia that is today part of
Tajikistan. The Karotegin region was also named
Garm, though Garm is also the name of a city and a regional group of
Garmi Tajiks. Karotegin frequently appears in its alternative spellings, Qaratagin, Qarategin, Qaratigin, Karategin, Karatigin and Karateghin, The Karotegin consisted of a highland district bounded on the north by
Samarkand and
Kokand, on the east by
Ferghana, on the south by
Darvaz and on the west by
Hissar and other Bokharian provinces. Traditionally rough woolen cloth and mohair were woven by the natives, who also made excellent firearms and other weapons. Gold was mined in various places and there were salt-pits in the mountains. The chief town,
Garm, situated on a hill on the right bank of the
Vakhsh River, was a place of some 2,000 inhabitants, . The population was about 60,000 in 1911; five-sixths were composed of
Tajiks while the remainder were
Kyrgyz, who reside in what is today the
Jirgatol district of Tajikistan. Historically it was difficult for the people of the Karotegin to communicate with neighboring lands except between the months of May and September.
Karategin-Kyrgyz Confederation The
Karategin-Kyrgyz Confederation is a Kyrgyz-led tribal alliance established in the Karategin province of Tajikistan. Twelve thousand Kyrgyz families previously living in the
Karakurum and
Kerulen regions of
Mongolia had come to the Karategin region in the 16th century.
Background On January 12, 1636, a group of twelve Kyrgyz
pagan members of the Karategin biy tribe tried to settle in
Balkh, in north
Afghanistan. Shortly after, they attempted to return to their lands because the city was shaped deeply
Islamic. The
Khan of the
Khanate of Bukhara,
Nadr Muhammad Khan, sent the governor of
Fergana (
Haji Atalik) to the region to seize Karategin. In this way, Karategin became an integral part of the Bukhara Khanate and the Kyrgyz pilgrims were allowed to settle. These Kyrgyz later accepted Islam as their faith. Later on, the Kyrgyz tribal members attacked the city of
Kulob. During that time
Dormon Uzbeks lived in the city, but they lost the war and fled to
Balkh, Afghanistan. The Kyrgyzs have expanded their territory far into the northern boundaries of Afghanistan. == References ==