Country in a Box: Republic of O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Ўзбекистон Республикаси

Registan Square in Samarkand; The second biggest city in Uzbekistan and one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world

A Teacher’s Guide Compiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University http://ceres.georgetown.edu

1

Uzbekistan in a Box: Table of Contents

Facts at a Glance 3-6

History of Uzbekistan 7-9

Timeline of Major Events in Uzbekistan’s History 10

Uzbekistan’s Culture 11-13

Folklore: Navoi and the Builder 14

Additional Resources 15

Inside the Mausoleum of Sayid Alauddin in Khiva 2

Uzbekistan: Facts at a Glance ______Text and map taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Uzbekistan. Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html

Country Name: Uzbekistan

Capital: Tashkent

Background: Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of " gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country has lessened its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. However, longserving septuagenarian President Islom KARIMOV, who rose through the ranks of the Soviet-era State Planning Committee (Gosplan), remains wedded to the concepts of a command economy, creating a challenging environment for foreign investment. Current concerns include post-KARIMOV succession, terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.

Location: , north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan

Area: Total: 447,400 sq km Country comparison to the world: 57 Land: 425,400 sq km Water: 22,000 sq km

Area - Comparative: Slightly larger than California

Terrain: mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Sariqamish Kuli -12 m Highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m 3

Natural Resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Environment - Current Issues: shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Population: 28,929,716 (July 2014 est.); Country comparison to the world: 45

Urbanization: Urban population: 36.2% of total population (2011)

Life Expectancy at Birth: Total population: 73.29 Country comparison to the world: 125 Male: 70.25 years Female: 76.52 years (2014 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Government Type: republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Independence: 1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union) The of Uzbekistan: Blue is the color of the Turkic peoples and of the sky, Legal System: civil law system white signifies peace and the striving for purity in thoughts and deeds, while represents nature and is Executive Branch: Chief of state: President the color of Islam; the red stripes are Islom Karimov (since 24 March 1990, when the vital force of all living organisms he was elected president by the then Supreme that links good and pure ideas with Soviet; elected president of independent the eternal sky and with deeds on earth; the crescent represents Islam Uzbekistan in 1991; Head of Government: and the 12 stars the months and Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev (since 11 constellations of the Uzbek calendar. December 2003)

Legislative Branch: Bicameral Supreme Assembly or consists of an upper house or Senate (100 seats; 84 members elected by

4 regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; members to serve five-year terms) and a lower house or Legislative Chamber (150 seats; 135 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, while 15 spots reserved for the new Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan)

Judicial Branch: Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly)

Political Parties and Leaders: Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Narimon Umarov]; Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan [Boriy Alixonov, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or LDPU [Sodigion Turdiyev]; People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Hotamion Ketmonov]

National Anthem: Name: "O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan); Lyrics/music: Abdulla Aripov/Mutal Burhanov; Note: adopted 1992; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet Republic but adopted new lyrics.

Economy - Overview: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country; 11% of the land is intensely cultivated, in irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of the population lives in densely populated rural communities. Export of hydrocarbons, primarily natural gas, provides a significant share of foreign exchange earnings. Other major export earners include gold and cotton. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify crops, Uzbekistani agriculture remains largely centered around cotton, although production has dropped by 35% since 1991. Uzbekistan is now the world's fifth largest cotton exporter and sixth largest producer. The country is addressing international criticism for the use of child labor in its cotton harvest. Following independence in Uzbekistani Som September 1991, the government sought to (http://www.cbu.uz/uz_lat/notes_coins.htm) prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. While aware of the need to improve the investment climate, the government still sponsors measures that often increase, not decrease, its control over business decisions. A sharp increase in the inequality of income distribution has hurt the lower ranks of society since independence. In 2003, the government accepted Article VIII obligations under the IMF, providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often delays or restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods. Uzbekistan's growth has been

5 driven primarily by state-led investments and a favorable export environment. In the past Uzbekistani authorities have accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbekistani laws and have frozen and even seized their assets. At the same time, the Uzbekistani Government has actively courted several major US and international corporations, offering financing and tax advantages. A major US automaker opened a powertrain manufacturing facility in Tashkent in November 2011, but there have been no sizable US investments since then. Diminishing foreign investment and difficulties transporting goods across borders further challenge the economy of Uzbekistan.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $112.6 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 70 GDP - Real Growth Rate: 7% (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 23 GDP - Per Capita (PPP): $3,800 (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 171

GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 19.1%, Industry: 32.2%; Services: 48.7% (2013 est.)

Labor Force: 16.99 million (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 37

Agriculture - Products: Cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Industries: Textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, gold, petroleum, natural gas, chemicals.

Current Account Balance: $1.801 billion (2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 43

Exports - Commodities: Energy products, cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous metals, textiles, food products, machinery, automobiles

Exports - Partners: China 21.2%, Kazakhstan 15.9%, Turkey 15.8%, Russia 14.7%, Bangladesh 9.5%, Kyrgyzstan 4% (2012)

Imports - Partners: Russia 20.7%, China 16.6%, South Korea 16.4%, Kazakhstan 12.5%, Germany 4.6%, Turkey 4.2%, Ukraine 4% (2012)

Debt - External: $8.773 billion (31 December 2013 est.); Country comparison to the world: 103

Exchange Rates: Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 2,082.3 (2013 est.)

Military Service Age and Obligation: 19-26 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation; male registration required at age 16 (2009)

Military expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2007 est.); Country comparison to the world: 119.

6

History of Uzbekistan ______Text taken directly from Library of Congress Website: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/uztoc.html and http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Uzbekistan.pdf

In the first millennium B.C., Iranian nomads established irrigation systems along the rivers of Central Asia and built towns at Bukhoro and Samarqand. These places became extremely wealthy points of transit on what became known as the Silk Road between China and Europe. In the seventh century A.D., the Soghdian Iranians, who profited most visibly from this trade, saw their province of Mawarannahr overwhelmed by Arabs, who spread Islam throughout the region. Under the

Female statuette, Bactria, beginning of Arab Abbasid Caliphate, the eighth and ninth centuries the 2nd millenium BC. were a golden age of learning and culture in Origins: The first people who occupied Mawarannahr. As Turks began entering the region from Central Asia were Iranians in the first the north, they established new states. After a th millennium B.C. By the 5 century B.C., succession of states dominated the region, in the twelfth the Bactrian, Soghdian, and Tokharian states dominated the region. Later, thanks century Mawarannahr was united in a single state with to the Silk Road, Bukhara and Iran and the region of Khorazm, south of the Aral Sea Samarkand became one of the most by Seljuq Turks. In the early thirteenth century, that influential and powerful Persian state then was invaded by Mongols led by Genghis provinces of antiquity. Alexander the Khan. During those few centuries Turkish replaced Great conquered the region in 328 B.C., bringing it briefly under the control of his Iranian as the dominant culture of the region. Under Macedonian Empire. Until the first Timur (Tamerlane), the last great Mongolian nomadic centuries after Christ, the dominant leader (ruled 1370–1405), Mawarannahr began its last religion in the region was cultural flowering, centered in Samarqand. After Timur Zoroastrianism. After the Arab conquest the state began to split, and by 1510 Uzbek tribes had of the region and during the height of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and the 9th conquered all of Central Asia. centuries, Central Asia experienced a truly golden age. Bukhoro became one of In the sixteenth century, the Uzbeks established two the leading centers of learning, culture, strong rival khanates, Bukhoro and Khorazm. In this and art in the Muslim world. As the period, the Silk Road cities began to decline as ocean Abbasid Caliphate began to weaken the Persian language began to regain its trade flourished. The khanates were isolated by wars preeminent role in the region. The rulers with Iran and weakened by attacks from northern of the eastern section of Iran and of nomads. In the early nineteenth century, three Uzbek Mawarannahr were Persians. Under the khanates—Bukhoro, Khiva, and Quqon (Kokand)—had Samanids and the Buyids, the rich culture a brief period of recovery. However, in the mid- of the region continued to flourish. (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/uztoc.html) nineteenth century Russia, attracted to the region’s commercial potential and especially to its cotton, began the full military conquest of Central Asia. By 1876 Russia had incorporated all three khanates (hence all of present-day Uzbekistan) into its empire, granting the khanates limited autonomy. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the Russian population of Uzbekistan grew and some industrialization occurred.

7

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Jadadist movement of educated Central Asians, centered in present- day Uzbekistan, began to advocate overthrowing Russian rule. In 1916 violent opposition broke out in Uzbekistan and elsewhere, in response to the conscription of Central Asians into the Russian army fighting World War I. When the tsar was overthrown in 1917, Jadadists established a short-lived autonomous state at Quqon. After the Bolshevik Party gained Timur (Tamerlane): Timur was a member of the Turkicized Mongol power in Moscow, the Jadadists split between supporters of Barlas tribe, in current day Russian communism and supporters of a widespread uprising Uzbekistan. Around 1370, Timur that became known as the Basmachi Rebellion. As that revolt proclaimed himself sovereign of the was being crushed in the early 1920s, local communist Chagatai line of khans and restorer leaders such as Faizulla Khojayev gained power in of the Mongol empire. For the next Uzbekistan. In 1924 the Soviet Union established the Uzbek 10 years Timur fought against the Soviet Socialist Republic, which included present-day khans of Jatah and Khwārezm, finally occupying Kashgar in 1380. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Tajikistan became a separate In 1380 – 1405 he expanded its republic in 1929. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, large- empire to include India, Persia, parts scale agricultural collectivization resulted in widespread of Turkey and Russia. In doing so he famine in Central Asia. In the late 1930s, Khojayev and the destroyed numerous states and dealt entire leadership of the Uzbek Republic were purged and heavy blows to the Golden Horde and executed by Soviet leader Joseph V. Stalin (in power 1927– Ottoman Empires which led to the 53) and replaced by Russian officials. The Russification of eventual fall of the former. He died in 1405 while preparing for his last political and economic life in Uzbekistan that began in the grand expedition to Ming China. 1930s continued through the 1970s. During World War II, Timur’s most lasting Stalin exiled entire national groups from the Caucasus and the memorials are architectural Crimea to Uzbekistan to prevent “subversive” activity against monuments of Samarkand. His the war effort. mausoleum is one of the gems of Islamic art. His dynasty survived in Central Asia for a century and Moscow’s control over Uzbekistan weakened in the 1970s as Samarkand became a centre of Uzbek party leader Sharaf Rashidov brought many cronies scholarship and science. It was here and relatives into positions of power. In the mid-1980s, that Ulūgh Beg, his grandson, set up Moscow attempted to regain control by again purging the an observatory and drew up the entire Uzbek party leadership. However, this move increased astronomical tables that were later Uzbek nationalism, which had long resented Soviet policies used by the English royal such as the imposition of cotton monoculture and the astronomer in the 17th century. During the Timurid renaissance of suppression of Islamic traditions. In the late 1980s, the the 15th century, Herāt became the liberalized atmosphere of the Soviet Union under Mikhail S. home of the brilliant school of Gorbachev (in power 1985–91) fostered political opposition Persian miniaturists. When the groups and open (albeit limited) opposition to Soviet policy in dynasty ended in Central Asia, his Uzbekistan. In 1989 a series of violent ethnic clashes descendant Bābur conquered Delhi, involving Uzbeks brought the appointment of ethnic Uzbek to found the Muslim line of Indian outsider as Communist Party chief. When the emperors known as the Great Mughals. (Edited text from Supreme Soviet of Uzbekistan reluctantly approved http://www.britannica.com/EBchecke independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Karimov d/topic/596358/Timur) became president of the Republic of Uzbekistan

8

In 1992 Uzbekistan adopted a new constitution, but the main opposition party, Birlik, was banned, and a pattern of media suppression began. In 1995 a national referendum extended Karimov’s term of office from 1997 to 2000. A series of violent incidents in eastern Uzbekistan in 1998 and 1999 intensified government activity against Islamic extremist groups, other forms of opposition, and minorities. In 2000 Karimov was reelected overwhelmingly in an election whose procedures received international criticism. Later that year, Uzbekistan began laying mines along the Tajikistan border, creating a serious new regional issue and intensifying Uzbekistan’s image as a regional hegemon. In the early 2000s, tensions also developed with neighboring states Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Uzbekistan provided logistical

Islam Karimov: Born in Samarkand in 1938, support to the U.S. antiterrorist campaign in Islam Karimov studied engineering and Afghanistan. This move continued a rapprochement economics. He became the Communist Party's that began in the late 1990s. However, in 2004 the First Secretary in Uzbekistan in 1989, and was United States cut non-humanitarian aid to then elected president of independent Uzbekistan in December 1991, in what Uzbekistan, citing recurrent human rights Human Rights Watch termed a "seriously violations. In mid-2005 brutal suppression of riots marred" poll. in Andijon brought severe criticism from the United He extended his term further by a referendum States and the European Union (EU). Under in 1995. He was re-elected in January 2000, pressure from the Karimov regime, the United and again the international community raised serious concerns about the poll's fairness. States vacated its air base at Karshi-Khanabad, and The OSCE refused to send observers after sanctions by the EU and the United States followed. deciding that there was no possibility of a fair In the same period, a mutual defense treaty contest. The situation was no better in substantially enhanced relations between Russia parliamentary elections in December 2004, in and Uzbekistan. Tension with Kyrgyzstan increased which Mr Karimov banned opposition parties from taking part. in 2006 when Uzbekistan demanded extradition of Mr Karimov has been keen to track down hundreds of refugees who had fled from Andijon those he views as Muslim extremists, intent on into Kyrgyzstan after the riots. A series of border taking over the country. Whatever the real incidents also inflamed tensions with neighboring extent of the Islamic threat, Mr Karimov has Tajikistan. In 2006 Karimov continued arbitrary used it to crack down on any form of opposition. It is estimated that thousands of dismissals and shifts of subordinates in the ordinary Muslims are in jail, accused of government, including one deputy prime minister. plotting against the government. The state also maintains tight control of the media, and criticism of the president and his policies is not allowed. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia- pacific/4554997.stm)

9

Timeline of Major Events in Uzbekistan’s History ______Text taken directly from BBC News. Timeline: Uzbekistan. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1295881.stm

1st cc BC - Central Asia forms an important part of the Silk Road.

7th-8th cc - Arabs conquer the area and convert its inhabitants to Islam.

9th-10th cc - As Persian Samanid dynasty declines, Turkic people compete to fill the vacuum.

14th century - Mongol-Turkic ruler Tamerlane establishes empire with Samarkand as its capital.

18th-19th centuries Rise of independent khanates of Bukhara, Kokand and Samarkand.

1865-76 - Russian conquest of Central Asia.

1921-24 - Creation of Uzbekistan and its neighbors in

1950s-80s - Cotton production boosted by major irrigation projects which, however, contribute to the drying up of the Aral Sea.

1991 - Uzbekistan declares independence and joins the Commonwealth of Independent States. Former First Secretary Karimov elected as president.

1996 - Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan agree to create a single economic market.

2001 - Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan launch Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

2001 October - Uzbekistan allows US to use its air bases for action in Afghanistan.

2005 Events in Andijon centered in the city’s prison. Eyewitnesses report deaths of hundreds of protesters. Government puts overall toll at 190.

2005 August - Upper house of parliament evicts US forces from air base at Khanabad used for the campaign in Afghanistan.

2007 December - Islam Karimov gains another term following presidential elections condemned as a sham by opponents and impartial observers.

2008 March - Uzbekistan allows US limited use of its southern Termez air base for operations in Afghanistan, partially reversing its decision to expel US forces from the Khanabad base in 2005.

2009 August - Uzbekistan criticises Russian plans to set up a base in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, saying it could destabilise the region.

10

Uzbekistan’s Culture Text taken from http://www.orexca.com/cuisine.shtml

One particularly distinctive and well-developed aspect of Uzbek culture is its cuisine. Uzbek dishes are not hot and fiery, though certainly flavorful. Some of their principle spices are black cumin, red and black peppers, barberries, coriander, and sesame seeds. The more common herbs are cilantro (fresh coriander), dill, parsley, celeriac, and basil. Other seasonings include wine vinegar, liberally applied to salads and marinades, and fermented milk products. The wide array of breads, leavened and unleavened, is a staple for the majority of the population. Flat bread, or Uzbek plov "non", "lepyoshka" is usually baked in tandoor ovens and served with tea at every meal.

Central Asia has a reputation for the richness and delicacy of its fermented dairy products. The most predominant are katyk, or yogurt made from sour milk, and suzma, strained clotted milk which are eaten plain, in salads, or added to soups and main dishes.

Plov or Osh, the Uzbek version of "pilaff" ("pilav"), is the flagship of Uzbek cookery. It consists mainly of fried and boiled meat, onions, carrots and rice; with raisins, barberries, chickpeas, or fruit added for variation. Uzbek men pride themselves on their ability to prepare the most unique and sumptuous plov. The oshpaz, or master chef, often cooks plov over an open flame, sometimes serving up to 1000 people from a Single cauldron on holidays or occasions such as weddings. It certainly takes years of practice with no room for failure to prepare a dish, at times, containing up to 100 kilograms of rice.

Tea is revered in the finest of oriental traditions. It is offered first to any guest and there exists a whole subset of mores surrounding the preparation, offering and consumption of tea. Green tea is the drink of hospitality and predominates. Black tea is preferred in Tashkent, though both teas are seldom taken with milk or sugar. An entire portion of their food culture is dedicated solely to tea drinking. Some of these include samsa, bread, halva, and various fried foods.

The "chaykhana" (teahouse) is a cornerstone of traditional Uzbek society. Always shaded, preferably situated near a cool stream, it is a gathering place for social interaction and

Tandoor kebab – Mutton prepared in fraternity. Robed Uzbek men congregate around low tables tandoor oven centered on beds adorned with ancient carpets, enjoying delicious plov, kebab and endless cups of green tea.

11

Uzbek Music Text taken from http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page .basic/country/content.country/uzbekistan_624

Uzbekistan, with a population of some 27 million people, is Central Asia's most populous and most musically diverse country. Classical art song (maqâm) flourished in the great Silk Road cities of Bukhara and Samarkand. Not far away from Bukhara and Samarkand, in the hilly steppe lands that range Uzbeks playin karnay in a wedding south toward the border of Afghanistan, bardic ceremony singers practice an ancient art of epic recitation and extemporized oral poetry. Women's music and dance traditions are highly developed in the towns and rural settlements of the Ferghana Valley, in eastern Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, in the capital city of Tashkent, young musicians search for innovative ways to express Uzbekistan's musical heritage in contemporary musical languages. In recent years, singers such as Yulduz Usmanova and Sevara Nazarkhan have brought Uzbek music to global audiences by fusing traditional melodies and vocal timbres with pop rhythms and instrumentation. Contemporary composers such as Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky and Artem Kim have created their own musical fusions by using the sounds and colors of traditional Uzbek instruments as elements of chamber music compositions.

The rich variety of Uzbek musical instruments reflects the diversity of musical styles performed on them. Small ensembles of mixed instruments are at the heart of the classical maqâm tradition. Characteristic instruments in such ensembles include long-necked fretted lutes (tanbur, dutar, tar, rubab, sato), spike fiddle (ghijak), side-blown flute (nay), struck zither (chang), frame drum (dayra) and a small clarinetlike instrument made from reed (qoshnay). Another typical ensemble consists of long trumpets (karnai), loud oboes (surnai) and, sometimes, kettledrums (naghora), which are an obligatory presence at festive and ceremonial occasions. In rural regions, epic singers accompany themselves on a short fretless lute (dombra), while amateur musicians may play the Jew's harp (chang- kobuz) or a simple variety of spike fiddle (kiak).

The most salient characteristic of social life in Uzbekistan is the penchant for festivity and celebration. Music has traditionally occupied a central role in festive and ceremonial events, generically called toi (celebration). Before Russia colonized Central Asia and began to introduce European customs, Islamic tradition Dutor a traditional overwhelmingly dictated both the type of occasion appropriate for a instrument used in Iran and Central toi. Men and women traditionally celebrated separately, and each Asia group's festivities were served by musicians of their own gender.

12

Literature: Text taken from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/621057/Uzbek- literature

Uzbek literature’s classical period lasted from the 9th to the second half of the 19th century. During that period numerous literary works were produced, often under the patronage of Turkic emperors, kings, sultans, and emirs. Although its roots stretch as far back as the 9th century, modern Uzbek Alī Shīr Navā’ī: (born1441, Herāt, literature traces its origins in large part to Chagatai literature, Timurid Afghanistan—died Jan. 3, a body of works written in the Turkic literary language of 1501, Herāt), Turkish/Turkic poet Chagatai. The earliest works of Chagatai literature date from and scholar who was the greatest the 14th century but remain easily accessible to readers of representative of Chagatai literature. After his school the modern .The tsarist colonial period in the companion, the sultan Ḥusayn Uzbek khanates marked a dark, tragic era for indigenous Bayqarah, succeeded to the throne, literature. From the beginning of the military invasion and Navā’ī held a number of offices at occupation Russians tried to make use of literature to further court. He was also a member of the their interests. Uzbek writers such as Muqīmī, Furqat, Zavqi, Naqshbandī dervish order, and Dilshad, Anbar Atin, and Nazimakhanum were forced to under his master, the renowned praise Russian culture and society in their works. Persian poet Jāmī, he read and studied the works of the great mystics. As a philanthropist, he In the first decades of the 20th century the Jadid reform was responsible for much movement, gained influence in Uzbekistan and throughout construction in the city. His other Central Asia. Jadidists were among those writers who at the interests included miniature turn of the 20th century helped to introduce plays, novels, painting, music, architecture, and and short stories to the Uzbek people. After the Soviets calligraphy. Navā’ī devoted the crushed the revolts of the Uzbek people and took full control latter part of his life to poetry and scholarship, writing first in Persian of Turkistan, they increasingly suppressed native literature, and then in Chagatai, an eastern culture, and education. In spite of these difficulties, Uzbek Turkic dialect. He left four great literature was able to maintain its spirit. The Soviet Union’s divans, or collections of poems, collapse and Uzbekistan’s independence transformed the belonging to different phases of his Uzbek literary landscape. The literature written but banned life. He wrote five masnawis (series by the Soviets became available. Most of the best work of rhymed couplets), collected in his published in the postindependence period was in prose. Khamseh, that are based on conventional themes in Islamic Toghay Murad’s lyrical novel Otamdam qolgan dalalar literature. One of Navā’ī’s most (1994; “Fields Which Remained from My Father”) describes important prose works is Majālis-i the 19th-century Russian invasion of Central Asia. Tohir nefa’īs (1491; “The Exquisite Malik’s novel Shaytanat (1992–96; “Devilry”) was read by Assemblies”), literary dictionary Uzbeks with great interest, because many saw their local that contains autobiographical political leaders (so-called “new Uzbeks”), whom they information about the lives of Turkish poets. He also wrote a thought to be behaving like criminals, as the “heroes” of this treatise on Turkish prosody. novel. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchec ked/topic/406788/Ali-Shir-Navai)

13

Folklore: Navoi and the Builder ______From: http://www.orexca.com/legends_navoi.shtml

Once there was a young man who earned his living as a builder. He was a very kind young man, and each day on his way to work he would settle arguments between people in the street, and if someone had some kind of difficulty he would always help them. Alisher Navoi, the great distinguished poet, seeing that the young man had such a character, would always try to greet him first, which is a sign of great respect and honor in this land. The young man was surprised that Navoi had such a kind attitude toward him.

One day the builder thought, "I always help people to settle their arguments, and I always help them pull their wagons out of the mud, but I've never prayed five times each day, and I have never kept the fast, why is it that such a fine citizen as Alisher Navoi always shows me so much respect? There is no reason for it by the way I spend my life." Then, in order to be worthy of so great an honor, he said to himself, "I have no family, why do I need the world?" So he raised his hands to God, and became a believer. Every day, he would sit in the mosque and pray, never speaking to anyone as they passed.

One day, as the young builder was holding the prayer beads, Navoi was passing by the mosque with a young follower, and the builder thought, "Oh, Navoi can see the future. He knew that one day I would become a religious man". And, thinking of this, he stood up, bowed, and greeted Navoi, but Navoi didn't look at him, and, indeed

Uzbeks men in traditional costumes, seemed not even to notice him. The young man excused Khiva, Uzbekistan this. He thought, perhaps, it was because the poet was talking to his young companion, that he paid no attention. After several days, Navoi passed by the mosque again. The young man again stood up and greeted him with a low bow, but again the poet paid no attention. After several days, Navoi passed by the mosque again. The young man again stood up and greeted him with a low bow, but again the poet paid no attention.

The young man was surprised and asked, "Oh, my Lord, you always greeted me before, when I was not praying - when I was always among the people. But now when I am praying from morning to night, and I greet you, you simply ignore me. What is the reason?" "Oh, my son," said Navoi, "when you were among the people, you helped them, but now from morning to night you are only living from the alms of the people. This is the reason I pay no attention to you." His words went to the heart of the young builder, who again took up his former life.

14

Select Bibliography of Sources on Uzbekistan

Akbarzadeh, Shahram. Uzbekistan and the United States: Authoritarianism, Islamism and Washington’s security agenda. London; New York: Zed Books, 2005.

Bohr, Annette. Uzbekistan: Politics and foreign policy. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs, Russia and Eurasia Programme; Washington DC: Brookings Institution, 1998

Golden, Peter B.. Central Asia in world history. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Golombek, Lisa and Maria Subtelny. Timurid art and culture: Iran and Central Asia in the fifteenth century. Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill, 1992.

Hiro, Dilip. Inside Central Asia: A political and cultural history of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kygyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Iran. New York: Overlook Duckworth, 2009.

Knobloch, Edgar. Monuments of Central Asia: A guide to the archeology, art and architecture of Turkestan. London; New York: I.B. Tauris.

Kalter, Johannes and Margarita Pavaloi(eds.). Uzbekistan: Heirs to the Silk Road. London; New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

Kamp, Marianne. The new : Islam, modernity, and unveiling under communism. Seattle: University of Washington Press, c2006.

Levin, Theodore. The hundred thousand fools of God: Musical travels in Central Asia (and Queens, New York). Bloomington: Indiana University press, c1996.

Melvin, Neil J.. Uzbekistan: Transition to authoritarianism on the Silk Road. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic, c2000

Saray, Mehmet. The Russian, British, Chinese and Ottoman rivalry in Turkestan: Four studies on the history of Central Asia. Ankara: Turkish Historical Society Printing house, 2003.

Sengupta, Anita. The formation of the Uzbek nation-state: A study in transition. Lanham: Lexington Books, c2003.

Szajkowski, Bogdan. The rebirth of Uzbekistan: Politics, economy and society in the post-Soviet era. Reading, UK: Ithaca Press, c2002.

Rasanagayam, Johan. Islam in post-Soviet Uzbekistan: The morality of experience. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Visson, Lynn. The art of Uzbek cooking. New York: Hippocore Books, c1999.

15