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UZBEKISTAN: HISTORY, IDENTITY, AND ECONOMY

It somehow seems appropriate that Uzbekistan is the only former Soviet Central Asian republic that shares borders with all the others and Afghanistan. Uzbekistan is arguably the most significant and potentially most influential country in the region. It is the most densely populated of the five former Soviet republics and the capital city, Tashkent, is the most cosmopolitan in Central Asia. Its people are "the most self-confident... historically settled, pious and community-minded". Some of the world's oldest towns are located in the Republic, and within its borders are some of the most audacious buildings in the Islamic world.

Sixty two percent of the country's 25.6 million inhabitants (July 2002 estimate) live in rural areas, and ninety percent of the population are Sunni Muslim. Eighty percent of the population is identified as Uzbek, and the remaining twenty percent is a mix of Russians (5%), Tajiks[1] (5%), Kazaks (3%), Tatars (2%), Karakalpaks (2%), Kyrgyzs (1%), Koreans (1%) and others.

Located between the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers, Uzbekistan has the distinction of being one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, the other being Liechtenstein. Roughly the size of California at 447,400 square kilometers, two-thirds of the country is steppe and desert plains, while one-third of the country is covered with foothills and mountains. The Ferghana Valley, in the eastern part of Uzbekistan, is a fertile flood plain of the Syr Darya and is the most densely populated region in Central Asia. The land is rich with natural resources, including significant reserves of oil and natural gas.

HISTORY

The Uzbek people can be traced back to the 14th century, when out of the tribes settled in what is now known as Northern Kazakhstan and Russia, arose the greatest khan, Ozbeg or Uzbek, who ruled from 1313 to 1330. These tribes were descendants of Genghis Khan?s grandson, Shayban, and they started moving south east in the 15th century, encountering Turkic tribes along the way and adopting their language. Under Genghis Khan?s great-great grandson, Mohammed Shaybani, these tribes then overthrew the rule of Tamerlane, a brutal and ambitious nomad who had conquered the land from modern-day India to Russia. By 1505, Khorezm, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Tashkent had fallen to Shaybani; by 1510, all the land from the Amu-Darya river to the Syr-Darya river belonged to the Uzbeks. In the early 18th century, rumors of gold brought Peter the Great to the Amu-Darya and then, in a steady stream, tsar after tsar sent their armies. In the 19th century, the land was finally conquered by the Russians - Tashkent first in 1865, then Samarkand and Bukhara in 1868, Khiva in 1873, and finally Kokand in 1875.

SOVIET RULE AND INFLUENCE: IDENTITY

Soviet rule created and defined both Uzbekistan's identity and economy; indeed, their policies continue to affect Uzbekistan today[2]. When the Russians first arrived, the land was a melting pot of city-states and khanates known as Turkistan, occupied by peoples speaking Uzbek, Turkmen, Kazakh, Tajik, and Karakalpak. The distinctions between the languages, and similarly, between the people who spoke them, were not remarkable, and the relationship between language and ethnicity was not significant (e.g. many "Uzbeks" spoke Tajik while many "Kazakhs" spoke Uzbek). Both Stalin and Lenin believed that these peoples needed to be subdued and ruled and that "divide and conquer" was the best strategy. Thus, Turkistan was divided into the countries of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Over the years, the borders of Uzbekistan would expand and contract as the Soviets willed, but by the end of this great "strategy" to secure power, the Soviets had "invented" the Uzbeks and had given them their own land, identity and language.

However, the strategy also required stripping away existing parts of their identity. The Soviets wanted the Uzbeks to bow to Lenin and communism, not the Koran and Mohammed, so they banned the hajj to Mecca, ownership of the Koran, and the use of Arabic. Mosques were destroyed and mullahs were deprived of their income. As a result, Islam went underground and only re-emerged briefly after Karimov was installed as President in 1991. However, by the mid-1990s, the Uzbek government, fearful of the growing and potentially dangerous influence of Islam, started legislating penalties for "llegal religious activity". They cancelled the morning call to prayer and wiretapped every mosque. In February 1999, car bombings in Tashkent killed 16 people, and the Uzbek police blamed the outlawed Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, whose leaders sheltered with the Taliban. After the bombings, Karimov, who had been sworn in as President with one hand on the Q'uran, proclaimed that he would tear the heads off young revolutionary Muslims.

SOVIET RULE AND INFLUENCE: UZBEK ECONOMY

The Soviets also created the basis of the Uzbekistan's economy through aggressive and ruinous cotton production. In an arid and semi-arid area like Uzbekistan where less than ten percent of the land is arable, it is truly a miracle that cotton could even be grown - and it has been at the expense of the Aral Sea and all that rely on it. In order to feed the thirsty, ecologically demanding cotton plans which became Russia's agricultural base, Soviet planners diverted the two rivers which fed the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.

By 1960, the two rivers were already supporting an estimated 50,000 square kilometers without doing much damage to the sea. However, the new cotton fields, created on poorer quality soil, demanded more water; between 1960 and 1980, the irrigrated area grew by only 20% but usage doubled. The decimation of the Aral Sea has routinely been called one of the greatest ecological disasters in history. The sea, which in 1960 was still the fourth-largest inland body of water in the world (roughly equal to the volume of Lake Michigan), is expected to disappear completely by 2010 or 2015. The sea split into two in 1987 and the level of the sea is dropping 1 meter each year. A comparison of the sea's size and volume between 1960 and 1992 reflect the devastating effects of the cultivation of these crops of "white gold":

1960 1992

Level 175.2 feet 121.2 feet

Area 26,012 miles2 12,852 miles2

Volume 1092.4 km3 290 km3

In the 1950s, the sea held enough fish to support a large fishing industry in two cities - Moynaq and Aralsk. Now neither city is even near its shores and the land surrounding the cities is littered with fishing boats stuck in what used to be the sea floor. Animal and plant life has all but disappeared, and salt-dust sandstorms blow salt, sand, and dust from the exposed sea bed, along with chemicals from the cultivated land. Winters in the area are now longer and colder, summers are hotter, and the air is generally drier. Expectedly, the degradation of the land has caused the degradation of the health of those who live in the area. Infant mortality rates are high (1 in 10 vs. 1 in 100 in Britain and the US), virtually all pregnant women are anemic, and tuberculosis is common in the formerly thriving seaport town of Aralsk. What used to be home to 178 animal species, two dozen species of fish, diverse species of fauna and flora, and unique ecosystems is now, what the Lonely Planet calls "one of the saddest places on the planet".

The grey is the Aral Sea in 1960. The blue area shows the size of the Sea in 2000.

UZBEKISTAN TODAY: IDENTITY AND ECONOMY

Although Uzbekistan has been an independent country for more than 10 years, Soviet influence remains strong in both identity and economy. The systemic religious persecution imposed by the Soviets continues today. Karimov's terrible human rights record and liberal use of the death penalty has attracted attention from Amnesty International. More than 6,000 people are in prison for their religious beliefs. However, these abuses have been overshadowed by Karimov's willingness to house US troops recently as a partner in the "war on terrorism" and has given him special "status" in the eyes of the US government and President Bush. This "status" has afforded him more and more financial aid from the US and a blind eye towards his oppressive ways. Ironically, Karimov's zeal to keep his country secular continues to drive Islam and groups like the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan; they offer the only opportunities to express discontent over Karimov's policies. Robert Templer of The New Republic warns: "Uzbekistan's mix of political and economic repression; underground Islamic movements; and a youthful, disillusioned, and unemployed population could prove fertile ground for terrorist recruits".

Thus, though on paper a secular, democratic presidential republic, Uzbekistan is ruled by Karimov who controls everything from municipal gardeners' salaries to gold production quotas. He is elected to a five year term and may serve at most two consecutive terms (Karimov is currently on his second term). The highest legislative body has 150 members who are also elected to a five year term. The President can dissolve this body, called the Oily Majilis, at any time with the approval of the Constitutional Court. Administratively, the country is divided into 12 viloyati (provinces), Tashkent shari (city), and the separate Republic of Karakalpakstan.

Furthermore, the government ensures social control over the country by requiring malhalla committees to take note of residents who attend mosques, wear Islamic garb, or cultivate beards. Neighborhoods are organized into mahallas (urban districts) and are ruled by elders called aksakal, or "white beard". In order to buy a house, divorce one's wife, open a business or borrow money, one must appeal to the elder and ask for permission.

Economically, Uzbekistan is slowly trying to cure its addiction to cotton production, a difficult task since it is still the world's second largest exporter of cotton. It is also the seventh largest producer of gold. The Ferghana Valley's rich soil grows fruit and rice - and is also the main center for silkworm cultivation. Despite all of these resources, several factors inhibit its growth into a truly economically viable country. As a landlocked country with little infrastructure to support transport of goods, Uzbekistan faces great difficulties in getting its products to hard currency markets. Furthermore, the country remains largely a producer of more raw materials than finished goods. Finally, the non-convertible currency (the Uzbek sum) and the restrictions against exporting hard currency discourage foreign investments.

UZBEKISTAN: FOOD, ARCHITECTURE, AND PLAYING WITH A DEAD GOAT

FOOD & HOSPITALITY

Even though life is difficult for many Uzbeks, they are well-known for their hospitality; guests enjoy revered status in Uzbek homes. An extensive greeting ceremony ensues when a visitor arrives for lunch or dinner, and an inventory of common Uzbek questions, often declared without the expectation of answers, is recited by the host and guest, back and forth: "How is your father/mother/sister/brother/wife?" "How is your health?" "How is your work?"

Finally, the question "have you tried our national dish?" is a common expression of genuine Uzbek hospitality and a "no" would result in a presentation of buttery rice, carrot, and mutton mixed together in a pile for all to share. There are a hundred variations of this dish. Other traditional Uzbek foods include shaslik, mutton or beef kebabs cooked over charcoal and served on the skewer in batches of four or five. Raw onion and bread accompany these "skewers of life". Next to the guest in status is nan, round unleavened bread with one side patterned and seeded. Nan is never placed face-down, left on the ground, or thrown away in public. In addition, fruit appears in abundance during the summer and autumn, particularly peaches, apricots, plums, apples, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, mulberries, persimmon, pears, grapes, pomegranetes, and figs. The region's melons and watermelons are famous and were packed in ice for export as delicacies over 1,000 years ago. And finally, drinking tea, particularly chai in a chaikhana, is a national pasttime.

ARCHITECTURE

The greatest lasting symbols of Uzbekistan's Islamic background are the striking religious buildings found in the cities of Bukhara, Khiva, and Samarkand. Mosques, medressas (Islamic colleges), mausolea, and minarets (towers used to broadcast the call of prayer) all glitter with tilework in colors that were made especially bright to stand out in the desert sun. And different colors dominate each of the cities - khaki in Bukhara, green in Khiva, and blue in Samarkand. Since Islam prohibits the representation of living creatures, decoration is limited to abstract geometric, floral or calligraphical designs. However, on the Shir-Dar medrassa, pictured to the left, tigers adorn the entryway. Legend held that the artist responsible for this heresy was executed.

CLIMATE

Every year in Uzbekistan brings 300 days of sunshine and less than 300 millimeters (12 inches) of rain. Temperatures vary widely from 104F in Tashkent to 122F in southern Uzbekistan in midsummer to winter temperatures ranging from -22F to 14F. Spring (April - June) and autumn (September and October) are the most pleasant times of year.

FESTIVALS

Navrus (("new day") is the biggest public holiday in Uzbekistan, celebrated on March 21st with two days of singing, dancing, and eating. All foods prepared during this time begin with the letter "s" including sumalkah, wheat bran pudding. One interesting game played during this festival is buzkashi or baiga (pictured below), which is basically polo played with a dead, headless goat carcass. Ramadan is also observed, though not strictly; the dates depend on the cycle of the moon (in 2004, Ramadan will be from October 15th to November 14th). Uzbekistan's first constitution is celebrated on December 8th, and September 1st is Uzbekistan's Independence Day.

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[1] Many Tajiks are forced to identify themselves as Uzbeks, even though they are technically a separate ethnicity. According to one website (www.oocities.org/ethnics_of_central_asia), the more accurate percentage is: Uzbek (31%), Tajik (50%), Russian (8.5%), Kazakh (3%), Karakalpak (2.5%), Tatar (1.5%), and others (3%). The majority of Tajiks, in fact, live outside the border of what is known as Tajikistan, withUzbekistan housing the largest number. "Creative" Soviet border-making excluded two important centers of Tajik Culture - Bukhara and Samarkand - from Tajikistan itself.

[2]Even though Communism is officially "dead" in Uzbekistan, it "live on" in Karimov, who was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan (CPUz) before being "elected" President.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS AND ARTICLES

Macleod, Calum and Bradley Mayhew. Uzbekistan: The Golden Road to Samarkand. Hong Kong: Odyssey Publications, 1999.

Lonely Planet. Central Asia. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, Inc, 2000.

Bissell, Tom. Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia. New York: Pantheon Books, 2003.

Khan, Aisha. A Historical Atlas of Uzbekistan. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, 2003.

Templer, Robert. "Steppe Back", The New Republic 18 August 2003: 1-3. www.tnr.com.

WEBSITES

(sources of information and pictures)

www2.naytov.com/~tourorient/navroz.html

http://www2.gol.com/users/rtm/uzbekistan/uzbekistan.html

http://user.tninet.se/%7Ejaj451j/ozbek.html

www.uzbekistanembassy.uk.net

www.oocities.org/ethnics_of_central_asia

www.meta.metro.ru/tashkent

www.britishcouncil.org/uzbekistan

www.countdown.org/end/famine_99.html

www.silkroadtours.co.uk/khiva.html

www.belasia.be/Nederlands/Uzbekistan/ tourism_mainframe.htm

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