The first Hungarian traveler to arrive in Central Asia was Arminius Vambery. As he writes in his diaries, the reason for his arrival in this region was the study of the living conditions, language and dialects of the Turkic peoples, and the collection of more information about the Turkic-speaking peoples. He became convinced of the connection of the Hungarian language with Turkic languages, in particular, with the Turkic languages of Central Asia.
Vambery's journey was not only unusual, but also dangerous at that time. Firstly, it was difficult, and moreover, Vambery's physical capabilities were limited, and secondly, it was crystal clear that in the mid-19th century, Central Asian states did not particularly welcome European guests. Realizing that the path leading there was dangerous for a European traveler, Vambery decided to travel under the guise of a dervish.
Vambery prepares for this dangerous journey with extreme caution. While living in Istanbul, he began to make every effort to learn the languages of the Turkic peoples of the region. Studying the manuscripts here, he frequently visited the places where Sufis of the Naqshbandi order lived and tried to master the spoken language. Here, he was taught by a mullah named Kholmurod, who lived as a dervish. It was with his help that Vambery managed not only to study languages but also to collect valuable information about local customs.
In March 1863, Vambery set out to march through the lands of the Turkmen Yomut tribes and then through the desert towards Khiva, and then towards Bukhara. With the help of Shukrullobek, the former ambassador of the Khan of Khiva to the Ottoman court, whom he met in Istanbul, he arrived in Khiva in June of the same year. Here he is personally received by the Khan himself.
After staying in the khanate for about a month, he departed for Bukhara. He will stay in this city for eighteen days. The next destination of Vambery's journey was Samarkand, where he was personally met by the Emir himself. From here, the traveler decided to return to the West through Karshi, Herat, Mashhad, and Tehran. At this time of his journey, he became friends with a young Uzbek from Khiva. This young man's name was Mulla Is’haq, and he followed Vambery to Hungary.
Following Vambery...
The arrival and residence of Mulla Is’haq in Hungary was an extraordinary event. In June 1864, newspapers reported that Vambery had brought it to his homeland as "a living proof of the genetic link between the Hungarian language and the languages of the East." Mulla Is’haq attracted the attention of the masses. Initially, he lived in the house of Joseph Budens, a friend of Is’haq Vambery, and helped him conduct linguistic research, as well as develop his knowledge of the Central Asian Turkic language. In the first months of his stay in the country, he received financial support from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In July 1864, Mulla Is’haq fell seriously ill - he was diagnosed with dracunculiasis. Fortunately, this rare European dracunculiasis infection is successfully treated by experienced physician Gustav Lang.
According to brief reports published in journals, Mulla Is’haq soon began to wear Hungarian clothing and learned Hungarian so well that he began translating the poem of the Academy's secretary, the famous poet Janos Arani, into his own language.
According to brief information in local newspapers, by 1871, Mulla Is’haq married the daughter of a Hungarian carpenter in Nadkaniji and had two children named Iskandar and Fatima.
Perhaps this Khivan, longing for his homeland, even considered returning home. However, due to various unfavorable circumstances, he will never be able to fulfill this dream. In brief reports from 1874, it is stated that Mulla Is’haq was unable to go to his hometown - Khiva due to the war and was forced to return. The reports also stated that he never abandoned the idea of returning to his homeland, traveled throughout Russia, and was accompanied on this journey by his wife and son Iskandar.
In March 1892, Mulla Is’haq was hospitalized with a diagnosis of heart disease. A few weeks later, the news reported that he had recovered and been sent home. After this, Ishaq went to rest in the village of the same name, located 50 kilometers south of Budapest, on the shore of Lake Valenciennes. He died in the same village on May 10, 1892, and was buried there. The death of the famous scientist was reported in many daily newspapers. The funeral and funeral prayers were led by an imam serving in Budapest.
Mulla Is’haq was an invaluable and reliable source of knowledge for the Hungarians about various aspects of Central Asian life, the way of life, agriculture, language, and customs of this country. He was said to have started writing himself, but the book about Hungary remained unfinished. Vambery's written legacy briefly describes how and why Mulla Is’haq joined him and why he decided to leave his homeland.
You can learn more about this in the book-album "The cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the collection of the Hungarian Academy of sciences" (Volume XLII) from the series "Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the world collections".