Editing Uzbeks (section)

=== Early Islamic period ===
The [[Muslim conquest of Transoxiana|conquest of Central Asia]] by [[Muslim]] [[Arabs]], which was completed in the 8th century AD, brought to the region a new religion that continues to be dominant. The Arabs first invaded Mawarannahr in the middle of the 7th century through sporadic raids during their conquest of Persia. Available sources on the Arab conquest suggest that the Soghdians and other Iranian peoples of Central Asia were unable to defend their land against the Arabs because of internal divisions and the lack of strong indigenous leadership. The Arabs, on the other hand, were led by a brilliant general, [[Qutaybah ibn Muslim]], and were also highly motivated by the desire to spread their new faith, [[Islam]], the official beginning of which was in AD 622. Because of these factors, the population of Mawarannahr was easily subdued. The new religion brought by the Arabs spread gradually into the region. The native religious identities, which in some respects were already being displaced by Persian influences before the Arabs arrived, were further displaced in the ensuing centuries. Nevertheless, the destiny of Central Asia as an Islamic region was firmly established by the Arab victory over the Chinese armies in 750 in a [[Battle of Talas|battle]] at the [[Talas River]].<ref name=eip>Lubin, Nancy. "Early Islamic period". In Curtis.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Despite brief Arab rule, Central Asia successfully retained much of its Iranian characteristic, remaining an important center of culture and trade for centuries after the adoption of the new religion. Mawarannahr continued to be an important political player in regional affairs, as it had been under various Persian dynasties. In fact, the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], which ruled the Arab world for five centuries beginning in 750, was established thanks in great part to assistance from Central Asian supporters in their struggle against the then-ruling [[Umayyad Caliphate]].<ref name=eip/>

During the height of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and 9th centuries, Central Asia and Mawarannahr experienced a truly golden age. Bukhara became one of the leading centers of learning, culture, and art in the Muslim world, its magnificence rivaling contemporaneous cultural centers such as [[Baghdad]], [[Cairo]], and [[Córdoba, Spain|Cordoba]]. Some of the greatest historians, scientists, and geographers in the history of Islamic culture were natives of the region.<ref name=eip/>

As the Abbasid Caliphate began to weaken and local Islamic Iranian states emerged as the rulers of Iran and Central Asia, the [[Persian language]] continued its preeminent role in the region as the language of literature and government. The rulers of the eastern section of Iran and of Mawarannahr were Persians. Under the [[Samanids]] and the [[Buyids]], the rich Perso-Islamic culture of Mawarannahr continued to flourish.<ref name=eip/>