ANCIENT CLOTHES AND JEWELRIES OF SURKHANDARYA

MY VALUES – MY NATIONAL PRIDE 

We should proudly mention that people who lived

In Surkhandarya region faced such a great history,

and such a wonderful culture they possessed –

it’s a pride they give us.

I. Karimov

   The area of ancient Surkhandarya region is considered to be a place which, from ancient times up to now, has been carefully saving all the immortal treasures of its material and spiritual life. Thanks to our independence, we gained the opportunity to understand ourselves and our existence, to learn about ancient traditions and to gather more information about the clothes that were worn by our ancestors. Due to my interests towards the way how the people of Surkhandarya region used to dress up, I decided to start my own research in this matter. As our president I.Karimov stated, “If we don’t have people who can think independently, if we don’t restore the history of our country, our people and our nation, if we don’t write about the things unselfishly and neutrally, someone will write about it in a wrong way. It would be alright if they were satisfied with only writing it wrong, they try to guide not only our young growing generation, but also even our outstanding scholars in their own direction; you should create the true history of our nation so that it could be spiritual power for our people, and the pride of our nation could wake up”. For this reason, based on this thoughtful advice addressed to us – youth of our country, I decided to inform my readers about the ancient clothing and jewelries, the dresses worn in rituals and the names of those clothes in Surkhandarya area.

   Ethnography – is a broad field of science which gives precise information about the past and the future of a person. The term Ethnography, which is the combination of two Greek words – “ethnos” (people) and “grapho” (to write, to describe), formed into a science totally in 19^th century. The founder of this term is a German writer Iogann Zummer who first published a scientific article called “Ethnography” in 1808. The word ethnography was suggested by a French scholar in natural sciences and physics Jan Jak Ampere.

   Among famous scholars-ethnographers we know T.Khojayev, K.Shoniyozov, I.Jabborov, A.Mukhammadjonov, B.Karmisheva and many others who created their own works and textbooks in this field. The material and spiritual life of nations of Central Asia is unrepeatable, and its traditional humanistic sides are being preserved up to now. The clothes of these nations have been formed for centuries, and they developed from the time a nation was founded, and throughout its social and economic conditions; and it passed a long historical path this way.

  Certainly, each nation and nationality’s clothing possesses particular national and local signs, and all the traditional clothes are follows one single and common base. The clothes of Surkhandarya area people are different and colorful. The clothes that were saved up to our times were those belonging to the end of 19^th and the beginning of 20^th centuries, and the clothes belonging to ancient times were not saved up to now. The reason for that is that clothes, materials and jewelries were always in use as a material heritage.

  It is known that Uzbek nation dresses up especially for their national rituals and different holidays. The clothes are divided into the clothes of bride or groom at a wedding ceremony, or clothes of a boy in ceremony of circumcision, clothes of a person at a funeral; besides, there are clothes worn at weddings, holidays, and the clothes that are worn every day, etc. In addition, clothes are categorized according to the gender of a person who is wearing them: Men, women and children’s clothes.  There is another classification of clothes in which the age of a person is taken to consideration: Clothes of children, teenagers and youngsters, middle aged people and the elderly.

   These facts about clothes are real and they didn’t come to our time so easily – they have passed a long way up to here. When talking about ancient clothes of Surkhandarya, we should also consider passing the information we have about it to young generation and we should explain them the meaning of the clothes that were passed through generations by our ancestors. It is our duty to value the beliefs and traditions that we inherited from our ancestors. After Uzbekistan gained its independence, our national values which were almost forgotten and left out – were restored. We started to be interested in how our ancient clothes were called and how they were used in real life. We started to learn about the sides we know and the sides we still don’t have any idea. Clothes reflect a person’s social status, the place and the time that he/she lived in, and even a happy day or a grief. My main purpose is to show the young generation like us who we really are, to inform them about traditional, unrepeatable clothes that were saved through centuries up to now, and to identify the differences between regions, districts and villages.

THE AUTHOR

Durdona Eshmurodova

ANCIENT CLOTHES AND JEWELRIES OF SURKHANDARYA

MY VALUES – MY NATIONAL PRIDE

   Abreast with clothes and jewelries of Central Asian nations, ancient clothes and jewelries of Surkhandarya have a very long history, as well. The clothes and jewels worn between the end of 19^th and the beginning of 20^th centuries are being investigated at the very moment. After our republic gained its independence, lots of changes have happened in our spiritual life.

   We found out that we had values to be proud of; we started to realize what a precious heritage our ancestors left for us. Each nation starts to feel respect towards its values when they start to realize who they really are.

   What is the actual meaning and the concept of the word “value”?

     “Value – is moral principles, ideas, instructions and evaluating standards and ways reflected in aims which show the negative or positive role of people or things around us for the community. Value includes universal values, particular moral limits, modern, civilized cultural heritages.”

   As each nation’s value is its pride and treasure of the community, the values that belong to us also have that power.

   One can identify a person’s character, behavior and inner world with the help of clothes he/she is wearing. No matter where and how a person is dressed, he/she attracts other people with those clothes.

   “So, what role do clothes have in our life? It provides us with heat in cold weather, and keeps us cool in hot weather. Some people can say that besides supplying us with heat or cool air, clothes can add beauty to our bodies and faces. It is true! Someone could say that clothes can reflect our mood in joyful or sad days. And it’s again true. However, first of all, clothes demonstrate their owners’ inner worlds, how smart or honest they really are. Another truth is that clothes determine in which part of the world a person lives. Yes, our clothes should reflect to what nation or nationality we belong to”, writes a writer D.Saidova.

   As Surkhandarya is the hottest southern part of Uzbekistan, it is known for its very hot summers. Taking into consideration the natural climate conditions, the people of this region wore their clothes adapting them to the weather and climate. The bright colors and the unique embroideries of clothes demonstrate the high fashion taste of the population. Different nations and nationalities have been living in Surkhandarya over centuries. Only even the clothes of Baysun, Jarkurgan, Kumkurgan and Shurchi have their own particular features. When Baysun demonstrates its Kashta do’ppi (embroidered skull caps) and dresses, in Jarkurgan, Kumkurgan and Shurchi head covers called “kiygich” and “head” belonged to Kungirat people culture. “Bosh” (head) was a special head-cloth which couldn’t be found in other places, performed several functions:

     It protected women’s heads from cold. Women kept necessary household objects like needles, ropes, combs, pins and even precious objects in them.

   Surkhandarya women liked red and cherry colored materials. They chose striped and embroidered fabrics for their clothes. Kashta for clothes weren’t done only for aesthetic beauty, but it was also done to protect women and children from bad luck. Neck of a woman’s dress was cut vertically, and flower line was knit to the whole length. In Surkhandarya, ribbons, they were called “jiyak” were knit in round shapes. Salla (head cloth made from soft materials) was also common head cover for women at those times. Head covers of our region differ a lot from other places’ clothes. According to an old tradition, a woman could wear “bosh” after she had her first baby. Over the years, most women gave up the traditional head covers, and started to wear different colored head-cloths.

   Surkhandarya women couldn’t imagine their clothes without jewelries and golden ornaments. Golden ornaments like clothes were inseparable part of that ethnic culture, and had its own particular features.

   So, when did those jewelries appear?

   Where are the roots of jewelry?

   A beautiful product made by a jeweler master wouldn’t miss the attention of any woman. Golden objects made by the hands of these beauty creating people have thousands years of history.

   Pictures found from Bolaliktepa ruins around Termez city show the similarities of earrings, rings, bracelets between the jewelries worn by modern Uzbek women. According to historians, in Uzbekistan, in 3^rd Millenium A.D. a little after tribes engaged in peasantry, people started to find ways to use copper.  Rings, bracelets and earrings were especially made from copper. There is a famous saying: “Even if there is one woman in the world, the job of a jeweler will not die”.

 In the period of Timurids dynasty wonderful jewelry complexes were created for high status women of those times.  In Uzbekistan the blossom of jewelry art comes to 19^th century.

   So, from ancient times our grandmothers felt that women’s world would be more wonderful and beautiful with jewelries and ornaments. Even the jewels they wore weren’t so precious or expensive; they take us to an amazing and legendary world. In villages of the region necklaces which were made of different colored small ornaments were wide-spread. These fashionable necklaces among women were worn in lots of combinations by female population at those times. Women even didn’t forget put objects that could protect their newborn babies from black eye on their arms and necks. They believed that if their children wore “ko’zmunchoq” they would be protected from bad eye and they were safe that way.

Forehead ornaments made from silver were called “sinsila”. Women’s earrings were different from one another. Rings worn in noses were called “letiba” and “natti”. Surkhandarya women wore such kinds of jewelries with pleasure. Bracelets on their arms were especially made from silver.  Bracelets served to highlight the beauty of women’s arms. Bracelets were decorated with plant-like embroideries and there was a flower shaped ornaments in the centre. Two sides of bracelets were made with dot-like lines. And at the top masters made different shapes. Emerald, diamonds and such kinds of precious metals and glasses were used to decorate the bracelets. In a museum in Baysun, jewelries are put into the exhibition along with the clothes and the like. Each jewel had its own order of wearing. For example, a girl in one family is getting married. On the wedding day the bride was supposed to wear lots of different jewelries. So, her necks would be decorated with “zebigardon”, “sinsila”, “Chimmarjon”, two arms with “qo’l kiftakcha”, hair with “sochpopuk”, head with “tillaqosh” or “peshonaband”, ears with “besh pochali sirg’a” or “aroba sirg’a”, hand with rings, and wrists with bracelets.

     Jewelries matching ancient clothes were saved up to our times. But restoration of clothes caused some loss for most of the jewels. In this matter, we should mention that jewels which were worn by women served not only for highlighting their beauty, but they also played an important role in their domestic lives. Strong wrists would mean to be connected with woman’s beauty and getting the attention of their husbands. That’s why, they had strong family relations, and lived happily for generations.

  Women’s traditional clothes included inner, outer and the cloth parts. With inner part of the clothes we understand upper waist, below waist parts’ cloths, and “lozim” (pants). Outer part included a jacket, a light robe, and a sleeveless jacket.

   Head covers were worn according to which part of Surkhandarya the person was from. For example: in Baysun people wore “do’ppi”s ornamented with kashta, a bubo, and such kinds of decors, “kungirat” Uzbeks wore “bosh”. Each tripe had its wn clothes and each cloth had its own name. In Baysun girls didn’t wear head cloths, they wore kashta do’ppis. Middle aged women, instead, wore kashta do’ppi and a head cloth.

   Kungirat uzbek women wore two kinds of “bosh and “kiychik” and head cloth over it. Over “bosh” women wore from 7 to 15 cotton head covers. The bottom part of “bosh” was decorated with embroidered ribbons “cheroz”. These ornaments were not just decors; they were supposed to show the emblem of each tribe. “Bosh” was 25-30 centimeters high, and 7 to 15 head cloths were worn according to a person’s status. When “bosh” was ready it was covered with large cotton head cloth, and “olacha jelak” (a kind of robe) over it. These measures were taken to protect women both from heat and cold, and also from a stranger’s eyes.

   At the end of 20^th century, materials like “chit”, “atlas”, “adras”, “xonatlas”, “banoras”, “parpasha”, “nimshoyi” 9semi-silk), “beqasam” and many others were brought to Surkhandarya from Fergana valley.  Hand –made adras, “xonatlas”, “banoras”, “parpasha”, “nimshoyi” 9semi-silk), “beqasam”, and bright colored fabrics were used to make clothes. Dresses with high collars came into fashion.

  Below I will describe some of these materials.

  “Beqasam” – striped fabric which was used to make every day clothes for men, women and children.

   “Banoras” – colors were different from “beqasam”, it was used to make “paranji” for women.

    “Parpasha” – fabric thicker than “beqasam”, it was used to make “chopons” and “paranji”.

     “Adras” – half-silk material decorated with embroidered flowers.

    Besides, materials such as “kimxob” and “duxoba” also came into fashion.

   Women didn’t wear clothes made of blue and black materials. These kinds of fabrics were worn by women whose close relatives had died.

   People of Surkhandarya didn’t live in one place, they used to constantly move from one place to another. People used to adapt each place’s clothing style, and over time these styles combined and made one single style which is now being used.

   In old times, women of the region wore one dress on others. Sleeves totally covered their hands. Width of the sleeves was 30-35 cm, 10-15 cm of the tip of the sleeves was decorated with kashta. Women wore a sleeveless jacket “kurtacha” over their dresses, and that jacket was decorated with kashta and bubos.

   Women from aristocratic families wore 4 to 6 dresses when they went somewhere. As colors were chosen according to the status of a woman, the number of clothes meant how many clothes the woman really had. According to their level, they wore “makhsi”, “kovush” and “no’g’oy” on their legs.

Ornamented jewels were made from silver and “munchoq”. “Khapamat” “tugun munchoq” meant to protect a person’s soul from outside grief. “Gulband” was made from silver, and its sides were decorated with buttons, “munchoq”, seashells and coins. “Tomoqlov” was used to cover the throat part of the neck. “Urniya” – “munchoq. All of these jewels served to cover the breasts of women.

   Earrings were “besh oyoq” (five legged), “olti oyoq” (six legged), “yeti poya” (seven leaves). These earrings were also worn according to the level and status of a woman. On their noses they wore “latiba” which was made from silver.

   According to our grandmothers, before young girls’ clothes were different from those of brides’. We would love to have those differences now. We would love to make our girls more attentive when they are wearing lots of jewels, and bright colored flashy clothes.

  As Guljahon Mardonova stated, “Girls who put their own national values above all will be faithful to traditions.  And faith in nation will create faith in family, children and husband.

   I should mention that contests such as “Tashabbus” and “Woman of the year” which are held every year, let us see the handmade clothes and jewelries created by our talented craftswomen. Our girls are participating in contests which are held among youth with their national crafts, and showing how talented and unique they are.

   Clothes of Uzbek men included especially outer shirt, pants, “chopon”, “belbog’” (belt) and do’ppi. In ancient times men’s clothes were usually made in the same color – white, and women’s clothes, instead, were different with their colorfulness. Men walked proudly wearing national cloth of Uzbeks “chopon”. “Chopon” was made open collared, with or without “astar”, and from cotton.

  “Salla bosh” was especially yellow, blue, black and white. Men aged over 60 wore white “salla bosh”. In Jarkurgan, Kumkurgan and Shurchi even now some elderly men wear “salla bosh”.  They wore “makhsi” “kalish” on their legs.

    The fact that not only girls, but also some guys are trying to make contribution in investigation of Surkhandarya clothes really amazed me. I went to have a conversation with craftsman Dmitriy Inyushev who lives in Jarkurgan in order to get more information about our traditional clothes. D.Inyushev restores our traditional clothes and jewelries and collects them. He demonstrates his great exhibition to people on big holidays, and also tells them the histories of the objects creating great interest among his listeners.

  According to professor Jondor Tulenov “Our national values that were kept over millenniums combine with new cultural-spiritual treasures and speed up our development, and provide us with spiritual freshening. That’s why, it plays an important role in each man’s life and a society’s development to protect, save and help to develop those values.”

  When I first appeared on the stage in our national clothes in a contest called “Do you know the history?”, I felt great interest towards our national clothing style. This interest and curiosity helped me to find out about these national dresses and jewels. I will define some of the head covers that were worn by our grandmothers.

   “Oq qiyma (salla)” (white head cover) – made from gauze. Half of the gauze is covered around the head with the forehead. The rest covers the breast of a woman. Gauze was made from cotton, and that’s why it didn’t bother a woman from breathing.

   “Kapach” – was made from red or green silk, or satin. It was divided into two parts. Head part is round. Shoulder part is 25 cm wide, 75 cm high. Usually “kapach” was worn by women after they had had 2 or 3 children till the end of their lives. In some kungirat villages of our region “kapach” is still kept and worn by women.

   “Jelak” (kurta) (robe) – made from handmade “olacha” material. This head cloth consists of three parts – head part, front part, back part. “Jelak” is a short form of “paranji”. “Jelak” was worn by women after they had 2 or 3 children till their deaths.  Jelaks had long holes which served as pockets.

  “Toyto’ri ro’mol” – large, white, cotton head cloth. It was 8 quartered, 11 quartered. Flowers on head cloths were bright, especially in red color. Our grandmother wore these head cloths from their bride hoods till the end of their lives.

   “Qorashol ro’mol” – large, black, its flowers were turbid. This head cloth was needed for women in their elderly times, or at funerals.

   “Gardi ro’mol” – red colored, with white flowers, very large head cloth. It was made from pure cotton. It was worn by young brides. Some turbid ones were worn by elderly women.

   “Universal concept of Uzbek culture, restoration of spiritual values and realization of self esteem – created a base of the unity”, - states our president I.Karimov.

  Some youngsters look indifferently at the clothes worn by our ancestors. Some people think that only modern highly fashionable clothes can be worn in public. However, these ideas are not right.

  I would like to mention Jaloliddin Rumi’s lines here, “Either appear as you are, or be as you appear!”

  Our girls wear atlas, adras and other national materials only in Navruz. Uzbek guys wear do’ppi only at funerals. I mean, what is that? We should not let that happen. In old times people used to know from what kind of family a girl came from the number and variety of atlas and adras they put in her dowry. I would like if those atlas and adras materials put by our grandmothers in our dowries weren’t left in there forever. I would tell our guys to wear their do’ppi not only at funerals, but also on holidays and weddings.

   Nowadays, clothes are a mixture of traditions and modern European style. Another side of it is that our national clothes match our lifestyle and climate. And also, clothes made of cotton serve well for a person’s health. That’s why, in far villagesmen and women still wear traditional clothes inside their houses.

  Specialists recommend choosing and wearing clothes not according to fashion trends, but according to inner and outer world, body-building, and character of a person.

  There is a saying in Khadis: “If a person wears clothes and tries to be similar to some other culture, he/she will become a part of that culture”.

   We should mention that if there are no people and humanity, there is no value in anything. Each nation that highly values its self esteem, its historical heritages, will be interested in preserving its spiritual values. They can be regarded as an echo of each nation’s looks and beliefs, they will grow as national values.

   We hope that national clothes of Surkhandarya will live for centuries, and will help our nation to realize their self-esteem, their history like Japan’s kimono, Indian sari, Arabs’ kabo, Azerbaydjan’s arkhali and all other traditional clothes.

Durdona Eshmurodova

USED LITERATURE

1.     I.A.Karimov “High spirituality – invincible power”

2.     I.A.Karimov “Uzbekistan in the dawn of 21^st century”

3.     Jondor Tulenov “Philosophy of values”

4.     Sayfullo Tursunov “Toponims of Surkhandarya region”

5.     Iso Jabborov “Uzbeks”

6.     Guljahon Mardonova “House full of light”

7.     Data was collected based on unique expo objects of Surkhandarya regional museum of Country studies.