Uzbekistan is the most populous of the five former Soviet Central Asian republics, which won independence as a result of the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Uzbekistan is bordered on the south by Afghanistan, and on the east, north, and west by the other former Central Asian republics—Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Uzbekistan has a long and rich history. It was at the center of the great empire of Tamerlane, whose magnificent tomb stands in the city of Samarkand. The Silk
Road, the main caravan route that once brought silk and other precious goods from China to the West, passed through Uzbekistan, bringing great wealth to the early
states of the region.
The People.
The Uzbeks, who make up more than 70 percent of the population, are a Turkic people whose language is related to Turkish. Some 1.5 million Uzbeks also live
across the border in Afghanistan. The two largest minorities are Russians, who settled in Uzbekistan during the 125 years of Russian and Soviet rule; and Tajiks,
the dominant people of neighboring Tajikistan, who speak an Iranian language. The Uzbeks and Tajiks are Muslims. The Russians are Eastern Orthodox Christians.
Tashkent, the capital, is the largest city in Central Asia, with more than 2 million inhabitants.
In character and outlook, the Uzbeks are very family-oriented and hospitable. They tend to be attracted more to the arts than to science and are better in trade
and agriculture than in occupations having to do with manufacturing. They are moderately religious and are generally nonaggressive in nature, unless caught up
in the hostile mood of a crowd.
The Land and Economy.
Uzbekistan’s unevenly shaped territory stretches from the Afghan border in the south to the Aral Sea in the north, and from the Kara Kum desert in the west to
the Kyzyl Kum desert in the east. The bulk of the land is waterless desert, but a fertile wedge protrudes into the center, reaching the edges of the mountains
of the Tien Shan. The Fergana Valley in the east is the heart of the country’s cotton growing region. The major rivers are the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.
The climate is continental, marked by hot summers and cold winters. Rainfall is limited, except in the mountain foothills, and there is a constant need for irrigation.
Cotton is Uzbekistan’s main crop and chief export. Rice, vegetables, grapes, and melons are also grown, and cattle and sheep are raised as livestock.
Manufactured goods include chemicals and fertilizers, electric motors, and textile machinery. Natural gas, petroleum, and coal are the major minerals.
Early History.
Three key events marked the early history of Uzbekistan: the invasions of Turkic peoples, from the A.D. 400’s to 600’s, which gave it its
major ethnic stock and language; Arab penetration in the 700’s, which brought the Muslim religion; and the Mongol conquest of the 1200’s, which led to the creation
of the early states. These were at first ruled by the descendants of the Mongol conquerer Genghis Khan, and then by the heirs of Tamerlane. By the 1700’s, three
such states existed—Bukhara, Khiva, and Kokand.
Russian and Soviet Rule.
Between 1865 and 1875, the region came under the domination of Russia. The overthrow of the Russian Empire in 1917 led to a struggle between the Soviets, successors
to Imperial Russia, and a Muslim Uzbek government, which was finally decided by Soviet troops. The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was established as a separate
republic of the Soviet Union in 1925.
Independence.
Uzbeks suffered severely under the economic and political changes wrought by the Soviet Communist government and from religious persecution as well. Reforms begun
by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980’s led to the rise of Uzbek nationalism and religious feeling. After the failed attempt by Communists opposed
to reform to overthrow the Soviet government in August 1991, Uzbekistan followed the example of other Soviet republics by declaring its independence. However,
the old Communist Party leaders, by stressing nationalism, managed to keep control of the government.
Under the 1992 Constitution, the country is headed by a president, elected for a 5-year term. The legislative body, the Oly Majlis (Supreme Assembly), is also
elected for five years. In 1994 legislative elections, the first held since independence, a majority of seats were won by the Democratic Party, made up of former
Communists.
Michael Rywkin
City University of New York, City College
Author, Moscow’s Muslim Challenge: Soviet Central Asia
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