Ancient Noronshasht

Noronshasht (Moksha: νορονςαςτ, romanized: Noronshasht, lit. 'IPA ['noronʲʃɑʃtʲ]', Arabic:كبير IPA ['ka.biːr])[4]) was the large trade hub on the Silk Road and capital city of Moxel in 1230-1237. It was the administrative center of Murunza and one of the centres of coinage. In 1237 century the city was taken over by Batu Khan and became the capital of the Golden Horde. The ruins (buildings of stone, fortifications, Pagan cemetery) are in Penza Oblast near the modern town of Narovchat in the confluence of Sheldais and Moksha River.

This article is about the historical city. For Russian Fort Narovchat, see Narovchat, Narovchatsky District, Penza Oblast.
Noronshasht
νορονσαστ, Noronshasht IPA [,noronʲ'ʃɑʃtʲ]
Kabeer on Al-Idrisi World map 804/1154 A.D.
Ancient Noronshasht is located in Penza Oblast
Ancient Noronshasht
Location of the site within Russia
Ancient Noronshasht is located in European Russia
Ancient Noronshasht
Ancient Noronshasht (European Russia)
Alternative nameArabic:كبير IPA ['ka.biːr][1]
LocationPenza Oblast, Russia
RegionMoxel
Coordinates53.8493°N 43.7374°E / 53.8493; 43.7374[2][3]
TypeCultural
Length2000
Width900
History
Materialstone
Foundedbefore 7th c AD
Abandoned1600s
PeriodsEarly Middle Ages
CulturesSaltovo-Mayaki
Satellite ofKhazar Khaganate (since 8th c.)
EventsMongol Takeover in 1237
Site notes
Excavation dates1923-1927
ArchaeologistsAleksandr Krotkov
ConditionIn ruins
ManagementPenza Oblast Authority
Websitemuseum-nar.penz.muzkult.ru
Moxel capital city in Moxel in 13th c.

Foundation and etymology

The city foundation date is unknown. The archeological findings confirmed the first city population was Moksha.[5] According to Iosif Cherapkin the ancient name of the city was Noronshasht in Middle Moksha means 'former bog place covered with grass'.[6] The city lay in a lowland on a former bog place. First mention of the city is al-Idrisi's map under the name Kabir (Great) in early version of 1154.[7] After 13th c he city was often referred to as Mukhsha or Mukhshi which in fact was the name of the ulus Mukhsha of the Golden Horde (after the name of Mokshaland), the official city name used in the Mongol period was Nurinjat [lower-alpha 1].[8][9]

History

Noronshasht was the capital of Medieval Moksha kingdom Murunza.[10] Russian Laurentian Codex mentions the name of its king Puresh.[11] Noronshasht was conquered by Batu Khan in 1237. In ancient period attested private and public baths, running water, sewerage, underfloor heating. The streets were paved with stones, there were fountains with drinking water, inns, royal palace, houses of stone. There were potteries with ancient forges. There was an artisan quarter with numerous workshops. Residential quarters partly lay nowadays under the rural locality Narovchat. Northwest of Narovchat lays the gravefield (Pagan cemetery)[12][13]

Coinage
Main article: Mordovka

Yarmaq still means money in contemporary Moksha language[14] and shelegs might be minted in Noronshasht as well.[15]

Pax Khazarica sheleg coin minted between 830 and 840 AD
Erzya silver shelik probably minted in Noronshasht

Other coins names were valf[lower-alpha 2], oka (gold), variaftom ([lower-alpha 3], variavne [lower-alpha 4], and sere/serene[lower-alpha 5].[16]

Architecture
Animal style mask found in Sernya. Saltovo-Mayaki culture. Gold-finished bronze. ca. 2nd century AD
"Mokshan lions" in inner decor of Cathedral of Saint Demetrius, Vladimir

Moksha lions

Ethnologists and historians state that there is a connection between Mokshaland animal style archeological findings and early Russian reliefs especially so called "smiling lions" in inner decor of Cathedral of Saint Demetrius in Vladimir. They believe similar "Mokshan lions" might have preserved in Ancient Noronshasht and Sernya stone buildings if the cities had not been destroyed in Middle ages. The animal style dates back to Scythian art and prominent for Saltovo-Mayaki culture. Schapov explains this by the fact that brother of Andrew the Pious Vsevolod the Big Nest had married to Russian: ясыня, romanized: yasinya, lit. 'Alanian' princess Maria (Shvarnovna). Artisans who performed this unique for Russia style came together with her and they were Alans who share Animal style with Mokshas[17][18] Larionov also mentions animal style in Church of the Intercession on the Nerl of Andrew the Pious and Cathedral of the Nativity in Suzdal.[19]

Discovery and Excavations

The Medieval city ruins were discovered by Russian archeologist Aleksandr Krotkov in 1915.

See also

References
  1. Madurov 2012
  2. Lebedev 1958, pp. 11, 16, 19
  3. Ikonnikov & Baisheva 2018
  4. Lebedev 1957
  5. Lebedev 1957
  6. Krotkov 1923
  7. Madurov 2012
  8. Lebedev 1957
  9. Lebedev 1958
  10. Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского: в 12 томах. — СПб.: Тип. Н. Греча, 1816—1829
  11. Laurentian Codex, 1377, Russian National Library, Saint-Petersburg
  12. Krotkov 1923
  13. Ikonnikov & Baisheva 2018
  14. Serebrenikov, Feoktistov & Polyakov 1998
  15. Golubev 2020
  16. Cherapkin 1929, p. 14
  17. Schapov 2013, pp. 16–17
  18. Larionov 2019
  19. Larionov 2019.

Footnotes
  1. Turki ﻥﺭﻥﺝﺍﻁ, Nurinjat IPA [nurinˈdʒɑt]
  2. later equal to Russian rouble
  3. lit.: 'not holed'
  4. lit.: 'holed', probably later equal to Russian kopeck, more cheap
  5. copper coin

Sources
  • Krotkov, Aleksandr (1923), In Search Of Mukhshi. Saratov University History, Archeology and Ethnography Society (in Russian), Saratov{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Lebedev, Vitaly (1957), Mysterious City Mokhshi (in Russian), Penza{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Lebedev, Vitaly (1958), Excavations Description. Archeologist Vitaly Lebedev's works (in Russian), Penza{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Ikonnikov, Dmitry; Baisheva, Marina (2018), "Golden Horde City Mokhshi Topography in 13-14th Centuries", Вестник Пензенского Государственного Университета (in Russian), Penza State University Review, 1 (21): 82–90
  • Madurov, Dmitry (2012), "Great City" Localization In The Light Of 1184 Events Reconstruction. Statehood Of East Bulghars between 9th and 13th centuries (in Russian), Cheboksary: Taus
  • Schapov, V.A. (2013), Clan Symbol (in Russian), Penza{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Larionov, Vladimir (2019). From The Second Jerusalem To The Third Rome. Sacred Tstardom Symbols. Ideocratic Paradigm Genesis In Russian Culture in between 11th and 13th centuries (in Russian). Litres. ISBN 978-5041862824.
  • Serebrenikov, B.A.; Feoktistov, A.P.; Polyakov, O.Y., eds. (1998) [First published 1998]. Moksha-Russian Dictionary (in Russian). Digora. ISBN 5-200-02012-3.
  • Golubev, O.V. (2020), Mokhshi Coinage (in Russian), Penza: Sokolov Publishing
  • Kamola, Stefan (2019). Making Mongol History: Rashid al-Din and the Jamiʿ al-Tawarikh (Edinburgh Studies in Classical Islamic History and Culture). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-1474421423.
  • Cherapkin, Iosif (1929). "Mokshoks Yarmak Lepne [Currency terms in Mokshan]". Valda Yan (in Moksha). Saransk.

See also
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