Namangan
Long time ago, on the northern border of the Fergana Valley, there was a small settlement Namak-kan, which in translation from Tajik language means, “Salt mines”. The settlement received such a name because it was located not far from the large lake Namangaysai, from which salt was mined. The first information found on Namak-kan dates from the end of the fourteenth century. It is known that at that time nomadic farmers and shepherds lived here.
According to official sources, in 1610, the city Namangan was founded on the site of the settlement. The main impetus to the construction of the city was a powerful earthquake in 1620, after which Ahsikent, the capital of the Fergana Valley, was completely destroyed. Namangan, located 20 km from Ahsikent, was a salvation for the surviving residents of the capital. And after a while, the small settlement turned into a big influential city "Mausi-i-Namangan", located at an altitude of 476 meters above sea level.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the lands of Namangan joined the Kokand Khanate. The young city was growing. Thanks to the construction of the Yangiarik Canal in 1818-1821, agriculture and gardening rose to a new level. Actively developed crafts such as sericulture, shoemaking, jewelry making, pottery and many others. Trade relations with China and neighboring countries have improved.
At the same time, the construction of iconic architectural objects began in Namangan: Mullah-Kirgiz Madrassah, Khoja Amin mausoleum, Ota Valikhon-Tura mosque, the Mavlon Buva complex and other cultural and historical masterpieces. But despite this, while Namangan was part of the Kokand Khanate, the city suffered constant civil wars, numerous raids, and the economy was undermined, which led to the poverty of people and the decline in living standards.
In 1875, Namangan became a hostage of an internal political conflict when a popular uprising took place against Khudoyarkhan, the last ruler of the Kokand khanate. Having fled to Tashkent, Khudoyarkhan requested armed support from Russia, as a result of which the war was provoked. A year later, the Kokand Khanate was defeated, and Central Asia became part of the Russian Empire.
After the joining of Namangan to Russia, the city recovery economic development started. Light industry and processing factories have been created. Banks, railways and institutes were built. A few years later, Namangan secured the status of the industrial center of Turkestan.