Ancient Noronshasht

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.
Location of the site within Russia Ancient Noronshasht (European Russia)
Alternative name	IPA ['ka.biːr]
Location	Penza Oblast, Russia
Region	Moxel
Coordinates	53.8493°N 43.7374°E / 53.8493; 43.7374 Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed.
Type	Cultural
Length	2000
Width	900
History
Material	stone
Founded	before 7th c AD
Abandoned	1600s
Periods	Early Middle Ages
Cultures	Saltovo-Mayaki
Satellite of	Khazar Khaganate (since 8th c.)
Events	Mongol Takeover in 1237
Site notes
Excavation dates	1923-1927
Archaeologists	Aleksandr Krotkov
Condition	In ruins
Management	Penza Oblast Authority
Website	museum-nar.penz.muzkult.ru

Moxel capital city in Moxel in 13th c.

Noronshasht (, IPA ['ka.biːr])) was a large trade hub on the Silk Road and the capital city of Moxel in 1230-1237. It was the administrative center of Murunza and one of its centres of coinage. In 1237 the city was taken over by Batu Khan and became the capital of the Golden Horde. The ruins, which include stone buildings, fortifications, and a pagan cemetery, are in Penza Oblast near the modern town of Narovchat at the confluence of the Sheldais and Moksha Rivers.

Foundation and etymology

The city's foundation date is unknown. The archeological findings confirmed the first city population was Moksha. According to Iosif Cherapkin the ancient name of the city was Noronshasht, which in Middle Moksha means "former bog place covered with grass". The city lay in a lowland on a former bog. The first mention of the city was in al-Idrisi's map in 1154, under the name Kabir (Great). After the 13th century, the city was often referred to as Mukhsha or Mukhshi, which 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.

History

Noronshasht was the capital of the medieval Moksha kingdom Murunza. The Russian Laurentian Codex mentions the name of its king, Puresh. Noronshasht was conquered by Batu Khan in 1237. In the ancient period, the city had private and public baths, running water, sewerage, and underfloor heating. The streets were paved with stone, and there were inns, a royal palace, stone houses, and fountains with drinking water. There were potteries with ancient forges, and an artisan quarter with numerous workshops. Residential quarters partly lay under what is nowadays the rural locality of Narovchat. Northwest of Narovchat is the pagan cemetery.

Coinage

Main article: Mordovka

Yarmaq still means "money" in the contemporary Moksha language, and shelegs might have been minted in Noronshasht as well.

Pax Khazarica sheleg coin minted between 830 and 840 AD

Erzya silver shelik probably minted in Noronshasht

Other coins were called valf, oka (gold), variaftom, variavne, and sere or serene.Template:Which lang

Architecture

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Animal style mask found in Sernya. Saltovo-Mayaki culture. Gold-finished bronze. ca. 2nd century AD

File:Cathedral of Saint Demetrius in Vladimir (inner decor).jpg

"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 the so-called "smiling lions" in the inner decor of Cathedral of Saint Demetrius in Vladimir. They believe similar "Mokshan lions" might have been preserved in the stone buildings of Ancient Noronshasht and Sernya if the cities had not been destroyed in the Middle Ages. The animal style dates back to Scythian art, having been prominent in the Saltovo-Mayaki culture. Schapov explains this by the fact that Vsevolod the Big Nest, brother of Andrew the Pious, married () princess Maria Shvarnovna. Artisans in this unique Russian style came together with her and they were Alans who share Animal style with Mokshas. Larionov also mentions animal style in Church of the Intercession on the Nerl of Andrew the Pious and Cathedral of the Nativity in Suzdal.

Discovery and excavations

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

See also

• Mokshas
• Moxel
• Mokshaland History
• Burtas
• Khazar Khaganate
• Alania
• Gardariki
• Bjarmaland
• sheleg

Sources

• Krotkov, Aleksandr (1923), In Search Of Mukhshi. Saratov University History, Archeology and Ethnography Society (in русский), Saratov
• Lebedev, Vitaly (1957), Mysterious City Mokhshi (in русский), Penza
• Lebedev, Vitaly (1958), Excavations Description. Archeologist Vitaly Lebedev's works (in русский), Penza
• Ikonnikov, Dmitry; Baisheva, Marina (2018), "Golden Horde City Mokhshi Topography in 13-14th Centuries", Вестник Пензенского Государственного Университета (in русский), 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 русский), Cheboksary: Taus
• Schapov, V.A. (2013), Clan Symbol (in русский), Penza
• 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 русский). Litres. ISBN 978-5-04-186282-4. Search this book on
• Serebrenikov, B.A.; Feoktistov, A.P.; Polyakov, O.Y., eds. (1998). Moksha-Russian Dictionary (in русский). Digora. ISBN 5-200-02012-3. Search this book on
• Golubev, O.V. (2020), Mokhshi Coinage (in русский), 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 978-1-4744-2142-3. Search this book on
• Cherapkin, Iosif (1929). "Mokshoks Yarmak Lepne [Currency terms in Mokshan]". Valda Yan (in мокшень). Saransk.

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