History of Chagatay
Chagatay is a Turkic language that got its name from Chingiz Khan's second son, Chagatay. Chingiz Khan divided the Mongolian Empire between his sons, and Chagatay took over the Ili Valley, an area called the Chagatay Khanate after its ruler. The language already spoken and written in this region was called Hakaniya Turkish, but the name, like that of the region, was changed to Chagatay Turkish as another way of reflecting the ruler's control.1 When Chagatay died, his grandson founded the Chagatay Ulus Empire, which later came under the rule of Tamerlane at the end of the 14th century, but through the power shift Chagatay remained an important language, especially to the elites.2 The language is now extinct, but was widely spoken in central Asia from the 13th century until the early 20th century.2 In its heyday, Chagatay was the official language of the state, literature, and diplomacy in the Turkic states of central Asia and in eastern Turkestan.2 It lost influence when the Chinese and Russian empires invaded central Asia, and was soon replaced by regional dialects; the modern languages Uzbek and Uighur are most similar to Chagatay.1 Though it is nearly impossible to uncover a Chagatay translation of the Qu'ran, there are several Uzbek translations, which are most similar to Chagatay. Here is a sample of the Qu'ran, written in Uzbek.
Chagatay was spoken in the Mongol Empire beginning in the 13th century. Here is a map of the Mongol Empire from 1200-1279, a time period when Chagatay was definitely spoken.
Chagatay was spoken in the Mongol Empire beginning in the 13th century. Here is a map of the Mongol Empire from 1200-1279, a time period when Chagatay was definitely spoken.
Photo used from <http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/map_center/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/MapCenter-Mongols-2med.png>. Accessed 1 Dec 2014.