Post-Soviet Central Asia
Published on 31. December 1998
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-86064-327-9 (ISBN)
Description
Because of its geographical location, central Asia has been a cultural crossroads since the dawn of history. The great ancient civilizations of China, Iran, India and the Turkic peoples of the northern steppes have all shaped its historical development. During 70 years of Soviet rule, however, serious attempts were made to suppress aspects of local culture, including religion and any separatist sense of ethnic identity. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independent republics of central Asia enjoy a greater degree of autonomy, but they are faced with a range of complex social, political and economic problems. This book addresses not only these problems, but also aspects of the region's history and culture, including questions of contemporary nationalism and ethnic identity, the recent political role of the literati, the role of oil in the economies of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, the foreign-policy dilemmas of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the other republics, and Iran's aspirations in the region.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-86064-327-9 (9781860643279)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Touraj Atabaki is Associate Professor of Iranian and Central Asian Studies at the University of Utrecht. John O'Kane is a writer and translator.
Content
Social and political reorganization in Central Asia - transition from pre-colonial to post-colonial society, Shirin Akiner; the impediments to the development of civil societies in Central Asia, Touraj Atabaki; Russia and former Soviet Central Asia - the attitude towards regional integrity, Vyacheslav Ya Belokrenitsky; foreign policy perspectives of the Central Asian states, Tatian Shaumian; Iran and Central Asia, Tchangiz Pahlevan; Turkish policy in Central Asia, Gareth M. Winrow; towards better mutual comprehension among Turkic-speakers, Edward Tryjarski; the politics of oil and the quest for stability - the Caspian Sea, Tadeusz Swietochowski; literature and the nation in contemporary Uzbekistan, Roberta M. Micallef; the assertion of Uzbek national identity - nativization or state-building process? Victoria Koroteyeva, Ekaterina Makarova; language and culture in transition in Uzbekistan, Cay Dollerup; Turmenistan's place in Central Asia and the world, Rainer Freitag-Wirminghaus; the Hazara of Afghanistan - the thorny path towards political unity, 1978-1002, Kristian Berg Harpviken; ethnic identity versus nationalism - the Uzbeks of northeastern Afghanistan and the Afghan state, Gabriele Rasuly-Paleczek; Nawruz in Tajikistan - ritual or politics? Ali Attar; the early 20th century Kazakh intelligentsia - in search of national identity, Gulnar Kendirbaeva; ethnic religious resurgence in Xinjiang, Kulbhushan Warikoo; a Central Asian-Chinese ethnic melting pot - the case of the Gansu corridor, Sabira Stalberg; nations transgressing nation-state - constructing Dungan, Uygur and Kazakh identities across China, Central Asia and Turkey, Dru C. Gladney; past and present of a Manchu tribe - the Sibe, Liliya Gorelova; the Tuvans in China - ethnic identity and language, Mariana Mongush; Central asia in the minds of the Mughals, Richard Foltz; Russian slaves in 17th century Bukhara, Audrey Burton; the royal clan of the Turks and the problem of its designation, Sergey, G. Kljyashtorny; burial sites in Hexi, Susanne Juhl.