شکل‌گیری، توسعه و فروپاشی شهر دوران اسلامی اوجان براساس مطالعۀ تطبیقی متون و کاوش باستان‌شناسی

اوجان، یکی از شهرهای معرف دورۀ اسلامی در منطقۀ آذربایجان با مساحت حدود 90 هکتار در فاصلۀ پنج کیلومتری شهر کنونی بستان آباد واقع است. ساختار اولیۀ این شهر متعلق به سده های4 تا 6 ه .ق. و مصادف با دورۀ حکومت سلجوقیان در ایران بوده و گسترش اولیۀ این شهر در سده های7 و 8 ه .ق. و اوج شکوفایی آن متعلق به اواسط دورۀ ایلخانی به بعد تا دورۀ صفوی بوده است. نابودی و انحطاط کامل این شهر در دورۀ قاجار روی داده است. در این مقاله با استفاده از رویکرد توصیفی تحلیلی و روش تحقیق تاریخی و با تکیه برمنظر باستانزیست بوم شناسی به مطالعۀ مولفه های موثر در شکل گیری شهر اسلامی اوجان و به دنبال آن پی بردن به عملکرد شهر و علت تشکیل آن و در نهایت به علل فروپاشی این شهر پرداخته شده است. پژوهش مورد نظرکه برپایۀ مطالعات کتابخانه ای و میدانی انجام شده است، مشخص می سازد، ساختمان شهر به واسطۀ موقعیت بین راهی آن به وجود آمده است و از این گذر عملکرد شهر نیز مشخص می شود. این شهر درمسیر شبکه های اصلی ارتباطی با سایر شهرهای عمده از جمله تبریز و زنجان ساخته شده و با توجه به موقعیت جغرافیایی از منابع طبیعی خوبی برخوردار بوده است و تا اواخر دورۀ صفوی پر رونق بود، اما با شروع دورۀ قاجار از اهمیت این شهر کاسته و درنهایت متروک شد. این مطالعۀ تاریخ سیاسی و اجتماعی شهر اوجان، آثار برجای مانده از شهر، شامل آثار: معماری، شهر سازی، آثار فرهنگی به جاماندۀ بخش های مختلف شهر شامل قبرستان، کهن دژ آشکار می سازد.

Formation, Development and Collapse of Ujan Islamic City, According to Comparative Studies on Sources and Archaeological Excavations

AbstractUjan covers about 90 hectare area, where locates 5 Km away from modern Bostan Abad. Earlier construction of the urban center dates to 46 AH centuries that coincides to Seljuqs era. It developed during 7 and 8 AH centuries and reached to summit during middle Ilkhanid to Safavid period. It collapsed and destroyed during Qajar period. Here, there is an attempt to study effective elements in formation of Ujan and its consequent function, using descriptiveanalytic view and historic research method, based on archaeologicalenvironmental landscape. Finally, it is involved in reasons of collapse of the city. Bibliographic and field studies indicate that construction of the city was for midway positioning. In addition, present paper presents subjects about political and social history, architectural remains, urbanization, cultural remains, and different districts of the city including cemetery and administrative center. Keywords: Ujan, Seljuqid, Ilkhanid, Bostan Abad, Urbanization.IntroductionDifferent factors involve and play significant role in formation of urban centers. Emergence and development of Iranian cities followed geographical, social, religious, defensive, administrative, and commercial conditions. Commercial routes and passages were effective and affected factors in formation of urbanization. Investigating such factors is effective in responding to location and reasons of emergence of a given city. Road networks were achievement of development during time, whereas dominated by various political, religious, security, and cultural elements. Reasons of abandonment and collapse of urban centers vary according to strategic and geographical position and function that divide to two natural and human factors. Generally, effective natural factors in abandonment of urban centers include earthquake, shift of rivers’ bed, landslide, drought, and lack of natural defensive barriers. Human factors could accelerate abandonment of an urban center that include remoteness from main routes or even side roads, warfare, disease, administrative policy, lack of enclosures and secure defensive ramparts. Cheap and low quality materials are among other factors that cause collapse of a city. Every urban center have especial function that suggests foundation of the area accordingly; among them are mining cities, ports, industrial cities, administrativepolitical cities, tourism cities, and etcetera. Understanding factors and elements of formation and development of cities are among the most important discussions since earlier times that attracted scholarships and resulted to different theories and models to analyze urbanization.   Features of cities during Islamic periodAmong features of Islamic urban centers were economic, social, military, and especially religious developments that played effective roles in formation and developments of urban centers even in earlier times. Islamic urbanization related to stability of government too, whereas emergence, development, and collapse of a city related to political circumstances. General studies on maps of Islamic cities indicate that many cities followed similar method and style of urbanization that shows probable common designer and architecture. Scholars also believe that designers and architectures planed maps before construction of buildings and constructed buildings and structures accordingly. In a miniature painting, dated to Babur reign, he points to a map in the hand of a man that designed it (Kiani 1365: 205). Islamic architectural thought in Islamic countries characteristically comprehended principles and generalities of civil programs then involved in details (Othman 1376: 27). In planning cities, there was emphasis on Jami and administrative buildings, where located public buildings in city center for public access. Tendency to privacy and peace in residential areas caused Iranian Islamic cities divide to two public and private parts, similar to pre Islamic urbanization. Bazar complex and extensions was pulses of urban life, where presented public and social activities. Residential area was private part of the city, where rest and peace dominated living atmosphere (Kheir Abadi 1376: 44). One can study urbanization according to different point of view. Scholar such as economists, politicians, historians, geographers, and philosophers investigate the subject from their point of view. There is not certain answer to relations between Islamic view and urbanization and their mutual effect. There are variations in effects on urban spaces and structural characteristics. According to Stern, urban life style followed earlier criteria after Islamic conquests, and it became Islamic in forms and generalities (Razavi 1387: 105112). Cities are the most genuine center of civilization and cultural treasures, what should be recognized to make possibility to investigate evolutionary history of human life. Therefore, investigating cities that remained from earlier times play significant role in understanding political, social, administrative, economic, and cultural structures of societies that created them (Karimian 1384: 111121).  Papoli Yazdi, quoting from Hufer, says that city is relation among six aspects: economic structure (variation of activity), social structure (social classes), body structure (public buildings), geographical position, law position, and political life (Papoli Yazdi and Rajabi Sanajerdi 1387: 50).Ujan, Formation, Flourish and Collapse According to Historic SourcesAccording to historic sources, Ujan was alive earlier than Ilkhanid period, especially during Seljuq era. It existed as a strategic and important urban center, following different events including earthquakes, and wars; it was only during Ilkhanid period that the city reached to summit and glory. Every given historic city or monument partially imply political, religious, and social conditions that consequently followed political evolution, therefore, emergence cities with architectural nature is among the most important social evolution of Ilkhanid period. Historic city of Ujan was among important Ilkhanid cities (summer residence) at south of modern Bostan Abad, eastern Azerbaijan, where reconstructed during Ghazan reign. Ujan is among the cities that constructed by Ilkhanid rulers, while their Iranian viziers Islamicated new urban centers. Endowed city of Ujan was the summit of flourish in construction of public, martial, and administrative structures, and throne of Ilkhanid princes. Investigating Formation, Development and Collapse of Ujan, According to Archaeological FindingsRecognizing location of Ujan was at 1392, according to archaeological surveys at Bostan Abad regions. Historic and geographical descriptions of Ujan, especially Metraghchi’s illustrations remarkably helped to recognize location of the lost city. Site of Qullar, Ashraf Abad village (part of ancient Ujan), at eastern Bank of Ujan Chai River locates at 464925 latitude and 373548 longitude, and 1787 m longitude. Site of Dali Dareh Si locates 1 km away from Qullar (fig. 3). Constructing railway divided the area to two parts, and irrecoverably damaged the site (Velaiati 1385, 1392).  ConclusionUrban centers at the routes of main commercial and connecting networks, while potentially interconnected to other major cities or cities that geographically have abundant water sources, have opportunities to develop and survive. Therefore, location of city at commercial roads was highly signified, because made them capable to meet their needs and export their surplus. Urbanization at main roads highly signified and caused to flourish and wealth. By the circumstances, old cities appropriately coped with commercial activities and caused to raise townships and commercial parks next to carvansarai and small residences at ways. Alternatively, new urban centers emerged; among them was Ujan as an important city during Islamic Middle Ages at northwestern Iran, Azerbijan.