DOI Artikel:
Mukhiddinov, Ikromiddin: Spade digging by means of andzhan traction in the West Pamirs: in the 19th and early 20th centuries
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49000#0259
SPADE DIGGING BY MEANS OF
ANDZHAN TRACTION
IN THE WEST PAMIRS
IN THE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES
By
Ikromiddin Mukhiddinov
As stony soils prevail in the West Pamirs, the
tillers established a long-standing tradition
o£ digging the ground with the spade by
andzhan (aH/pKan) traction. In the Shug-
nan-Rushan dialect andzhan means a rope
made of willow shoots. Trees producing no
fruit, particularly the willow, provided the
main material for making such rope. Some-
times the branches of birch, bvuzh (6py>K),
and mulberry, tudiyyA), were also used, but to
a lesser extent. In the West Pamirs the willow
tree grows on the mountain slopes, in numer-
ous ravines, and on the banks of mountain
tributaries of the Pyandz-river.
In the cold season, particularly in Decem-
ber and January, the frozen shoots become
brittle and are of no use for working. In
warmer seasons only the biennial or triennial
shoots were cut. The shoots were buried in the
moist ground and seasoned for two or three
weeks and then they were dipped into a reser-
voir for the same time in order to give the
shoots greater elasticity. However, if the
shoots were required urgently, they were not
dipped into the reservoir, but were tempered a
little with fire to give them resilience and elas-
ticity so that during twisting they did not
break.
One or sometimes two or three men were
involved in making the andzhan. The best
way of making it, however, was when only
two men helped. It took them 15-20 minutes
to make the andzhan if the material had been
provided beforehand.
The andzhan making. Andzhan making in-
volved two stages: twisting a shoot and mak-
ing a noose. The upper part of the cut shoot
was held with the right hand, the other end on
the ground was pressed down with the left
foot. While twisting, in order not to let the
shoot slip out from the right hand, it was
gripped fast with the lefthand 10-15 cm l°wer
than the right hand. The shoot was twisted
clockwise. During twisting, the left hand was
lowered and the thin branches of the shoot
were pulled out from under the left foot.
Twisting of the shoot therefore took place
between the gripping points of the right and
left hands. In this way well-twisted, separate,
elastic and solid fibres were made.
In making a noose, the second (or some-
times a third) man was involved. The
thin-branched ends of the two twisted shoots
of 1,5-2 m in length were spliced, bent and
then the noose was made. Making a noose is a
very difficult job, and therefore it was always
performed by a more experienced man. He
held the noose, and a second man (sometimes
a third) twisted the shoots from the opposite
ANDZHAN TRACTION
IN THE WEST PAMIRS
IN THE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES
By
Ikromiddin Mukhiddinov
As stony soils prevail in the West Pamirs, the
tillers established a long-standing tradition
o£ digging the ground with the spade by
andzhan (aH/pKan) traction. In the Shug-
nan-Rushan dialect andzhan means a rope
made of willow shoots. Trees producing no
fruit, particularly the willow, provided the
main material for making such rope. Some-
times the branches of birch, bvuzh (6py>K),
and mulberry, tudiyyA), were also used, but to
a lesser extent. In the West Pamirs the willow
tree grows on the mountain slopes, in numer-
ous ravines, and on the banks of mountain
tributaries of the Pyandz-river.
In the cold season, particularly in Decem-
ber and January, the frozen shoots become
brittle and are of no use for working. In
warmer seasons only the biennial or triennial
shoots were cut. The shoots were buried in the
moist ground and seasoned for two or three
weeks and then they were dipped into a reser-
voir for the same time in order to give the
shoots greater elasticity. However, if the
shoots were required urgently, they were not
dipped into the reservoir, but were tempered a
little with fire to give them resilience and elas-
ticity so that during twisting they did not
break.
One or sometimes two or three men were
involved in making the andzhan. The best
way of making it, however, was when only
two men helped. It took them 15-20 minutes
to make the andzhan if the material had been
provided beforehand.
The andzhan making. Andzhan making in-
volved two stages: twisting a shoot and mak-
ing a noose. The upper part of the cut shoot
was held with the right hand, the other end on
the ground was pressed down with the left
foot. While twisting, in order not to let the
shoot slip out from the right hand, it was
gripped fast with the lefthand 10-15 cm l°wer
than the right hand. The shoot was twisted
clockwise. During twisting, the left hand was
lowered and the thin branches of the shoot
were pulled out from under the left foot.
Twisting of the shoot therefore took place
between the gripping points of the right and
left hands. In this way well-twisted, separate,
elastic and solid fibres were made.
In making a noose, the second (or some-
times a third) man was involved. The
thin-branched ends of the two twisted shoots
of 1,5-2 m in length were spliced, bent and
then the noose was made. Making a noose is a
very difficult job, and therefore it was always
performed by a more experienced man. He
held the noose, and a second man (sometimes
a third) twisted the shoots from the opposite