Alphabet Transition in Uzbekistan: Political Implications and Influences on Uzbek Identity
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CAP Paper No. 231 Alphabet Transition in Uzbekistan: Political Implications and Influences on Uzbek Identity Ryan Michael Schweitzer Following its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan sought to create an Uzbek identity that would distance itself from the Soviet colonial past and differentiate itself from its neighbors. One of the major policies during this process of identity formation was the reinvention of the Uzbek alphabet, which is still ongoing and heavily debated today. Uzbek scholars and politicians regularly critique and question the policy, and the issue arose again during the 2019 elections. Frequently mentioned questions include, “should the state and its people use the Arabic script found in early literature,” “should Cyrillic be used because of its Telegram campaign advertisement, “Milliy Tiklanish,” historical impact,” or rather, “should a Latin- Tashkent, Cyrillic. based Uzbek writing style be used?” impact individuals’ daily lives and personal All of these are valid questions for identities. Following this, I investigate the Uzbek politicians to ask, but the potential rationale behind the ruling Uzbek elite’s societal impact of these alphabets would be decisions to change the alphabet throughout drastically different. No matter the decision, history in order to explain the interactions and any change in the alphabet will influence mutual influence of culture, politics, and society, and these changes must be identity in Uzbek society. In the final section, I concomitantly examined with the reasoning make policy suggestions for the Uzbek behind the decision. The culture of a society government and intelligentsia pertaining to a shapes the language which, in turn, continues smoother alphabet transition in order to limit to change or support that same culture and its impacts on Uzbek society. Failing to society. implement the alphabet transition throughout In this paper I explore how changes in all social sectors and regions of Uzbekistan will the alphabet helped create Uzbek identity and limit Uzbek identity formation, leave how Latinization is currently developing and generational and class-based gaps in society, influencing Uzbek identity. I examine the and admit further external influence in the opinions of residents of Uzbekistan about the Uzbek nation-building process. alphabet and how changes to the alphabet 1 CAP Paper No. 231 Methodology dynamics not only to the language, but also to the society. Kanchan Chandra defines “identity” as the Uzbek identity may be a modern categories that an individual chooses and of creation, but modern Uzbek language has its which he or she is eligible to be a member.1 roots in Chagatai. From the 14th century until These ‘categories’ are religion, sexuality, race, the late 1920s, Chagatai/Uzbek was written in origins, ethnicity, and language. Such personal Arabic script. Then, the Baku Turkological identifications allow for an individual to be a Congress of 1926 set forth a path to part of larger cultural and societal groupings. Latinization, and by 1928, the initial stages of In this paper, I base my conception of identity this process were in effect.2 News articles and on Chandra’s definition. The terms “individual journals began using the new Latin alphabet; identity” or “national identity” will refer to that same year, secondary schools began how individuals choose and relate to their conducting lessons using Latin. Until the late origins, ethnicity, and language, and how 1920s, there was neither a large desire by the governmental bodies influence these choices. government to use nor a significant demand In order to understand how citizens of from the people for the Latin alphabet. Before Uzbekistan relate to and interact with the this time, the political elites were religiously Uzbek language and its alphabets (Cyrillic or minded conservatives; therefore, writing Latin), I conducted 130 personal interviews Uzbek in the Arabic script complemented their with individuals between the ages of 18 and Islamic beliefs. 90 years old and from all twelve regions (and Writing in the Arabic script oriented one semi-autonomous region) of Uzbekistan. them towards other Muslim nations, united The interviews consisted of eight questions their shared histories, and was a convenient (see Appendix 1). In order to understand the way for religious scholars and the general dynamics of Uzbek alphabet transitions population to read and study the Koran. throughout history, I utilized state and However, by the late 1920s, the conservative national archival and library documents. elite was defeated and left the political scene. Finally, to gauge the level of political influence As with all reforms in Uzbekistan, the alphabet on Uzbek alphabet transitions and to switch that followed this development was a understand the role that political elites play in top-to-bottom approach. The motivations identity formation in Uzbekistan, I conducted behind the new political elites’ decision were in-depth interviews with government officials more aligned with those of other Turkic and analyzed various public news media nations already using the Latin alphabet and outlets (newspapers, online articles, Twitter, with those of Soviet leaders in Moscow. As and Telegram channels). one leader of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan mentioned: History We know that the Arabic alphabet and Identity in Uzbekistan has taken many forms Arabic writing were difficult – and so we as a consequence of the multi-ethnic state, a discarded them; but we discarded them history of conquests, and the rise and fall of not only because they were difficult. This is only one of the main reasons. They had to the communist regime. The Uzbek language is be discarded because if we had not unique because it has radically changed its discarded them once and for all, we would alphabet four times during the twentieth not be able to free ourselves very easily century. Uzbek is one of the only languages to from noxious Muslim philosophy and from have undergone these many transitions, and Arabic scholasticism (Vsesoiuznyi 1932: 7). 3 each new alphabet has brought different new 2 CAP Paper No. 231 For many common citizens, the first change to independent Uzbek government wanted to the alphabet was relatively beneficial. During build a state and society for Uzbeks that were this early Soviet period, the literacy rate was differentiated from those of its former Soviet approximately 3.7 percent. Thus, the shift to connections and neighbors. These formative the Latin alphabet immediately increased the processes were important for protecting literacy rate, as people believed that it was a independent Uzbekistan from possible much easier alphabet to teach in the then encroachment by Russia or another foreign rising Soviet educational systems. Uzbek country. In order to achieve a unified Uzbek culture and traditions were also impacted. By society, the government relied on creating using the Latin alphabet, the Uzbek language national myths and a unique history that were created a cultural shift towards a Soviet, more set apart from those of other Central Asian secular, framework of thinking. nations, renamed buildings and streets, and By the late 1930s, Latinization of the decided to change the Uzbek alphabet once Uzbek language had ended in favor of again. Cyrillization, which was completed in 1940. In 1993, a new alphabet law came into For Stalin and others among the USSR’s effect requiring a switch from the Cyrillic political elite and intelligentsia, the process of alphabet to the Latin alphabet by 2000.5 The Latinization had met most of its intended new law also required secondary schools to goals (especially in its fight against Islamism), begin learning the new alphabet within the but it had not fully united the Russian and next year. However, this 2000 deadline would non-Russian peoples living within the USSR. be extended several more times, and as of The switch to the Cyrillic alphabet would bring 2020, is still unrealized. The motivation behind greater harmony amongst these groups under this change to a Latin alphabet was twofold: it the leadership of the Russi4 In addition, having was part of a desire to de-Russify Uzbek the Russian alphabet and the native languages culture and history in order to ensure greater written in the same alphabet would allow for independence in the future, and it was a an easier language-learning experience in response to modern technology. Computers, schools and universities. phones, and the Internet are more accessible, In the personal interviews that I more efficient, and easier to program using conducted, many individuals mentioned that Latin characters. For this reason, the Uzbek using the Cyrillic alphabet allowed them to leadership thought that the use of the Latin read more about Soviet/Russian history and alphabet would be an effective way to close allowed Soviet culture to expand in society the Russian/Soviet chapter of Uzbek history and into their personal identities. As one and adapt the country’s culture, identity, and individual described to me in the city of technology to modern times. However, there Nukus, using the Cyrillic alphabet “helped were and still are many challenges for this bring a unified Soviet spirit to the region, latest adaptation of the alphabet: foreign which made [him feel he] had actively countries, for example, continue to influence, participated in the political transformation.” not only the actual alphabet, but also its The Cyrillic alphabet naturally increased the implementation process. I examine that ease of learning the Russian language and influence below. allowed it to expand across the country and become the language of business, The Choice of Alphabet and Karimov’s Foreign government, and daily life. Policy The collapse of the Soviet Union brought with it a renewed commitment from Under the rule of former President Islam Uzbekistan’s political elite to nation building Karimov, Uzbekistan remained largely isolated and Uzbek identity formation. The newly from the foreign powers that tried to 3 CAP Paper No.