EthnicIdentity

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Soviet Rule and Ethnic Identity in Central Asia: 

Soviet Rule and Ethnic Identity in Central Asia

Overview: 

Overview Soviet Union a multinational state largely coterminous with Russian Empire Russian Empire not a Russian nation-state Russian Empire encompassed many ethnic and nat’l groups

Slide3: 

Treatment of nat’l and religious groups varied Persecution of groups varied – Jews usually treated the worst

“Peoples of the USSR”: 

“Peoples of the USSR” During Soviet period common to speak of “peoples of USSR” Later, “Soviet people” used to designate all citizens of USSR Unity emphasized over nat’l differences

What did Soviet people share?: 

What did Soviet people share? Allegiance to Marxism-Leninism as world view Allegiance to Communist Party, to State Shared historical experience of building socialism and communism Defeat of Nazis

Bolsheviks: 

Bolsheviks Decreed national equality Non-Russians equal to Russian “Russian” only one of several constituent parts of the USSR

Central Asia 1917: 

Central Asia 1917 Islam – a unifying element but not served fully as basis of unity AND at times the cause of disunity CA home to ethnically diverse population

Slide8: 

Turko-Mongol Kazakhs similar to Kyrgyz – mutually intelligible language, intermarriage not uncommon, but Kazakh and Kyrgyz maintained distinct tribal structures In CA have strong sense of ethnic uniqueness

Slide9: 

Turkmen live in desert, their language closer to Turkic speakers in Azerbaijan Turkmen rarely intermarried had distinct tribal system

Slide10: 

Uzbek possess complicated ethnic development Descend from Turkic nomads Over time Uzbeks settled, intermarried with Iranian speakers

Slide11: 

Tajiks – Iranian speakers Original Iranian stock diluted by Turkic blood

Slide12: 

In addition to the large nationality groups, have many smaller groups – Karakalpaks, Tatars, Jews, Uygurs and other smaller groups

Slide13: 

History of CA – history of rival indigenous states and foreign powers competing for control

Slide14: 

Russian rule introduced new tensions Administrative subdivision did not correspond with ethnic ones Russian administrators often did not know who they ruled

Slide15: 

Turkmen called Turkmen but Russians called Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Kyrgyz, “Kara-Kyrgyz” Colonial rule upset economic balance of region Trad. subsistence-based ag. economy displaced by intro of large-scale cotton

Slide16: 

Nomadism discouraged (deemed “irrational”) Kazakhs kicked off land, land given to Russians WWI introduced war-time economy

Slide17: 

Bolsheviks in charge – locals not sure where to look for governance/leadership Traditional elite desired Khan Some intellectuals supported reform efforts of Jadids Others supported Bolsheviks

Slide18: 

Bolsheviks initially tried to enlist support of local population Designed tolerant policies for traditional practices Left religion somewhat alone (initially) BUT……………………

Slide19: 

Moscow used structure of Soviet State to increase ethnic differentiation 1924 – 5 separate nat’l units established in C.A Movement from multiethnic republics to national republics Separate literary languages created Languages grew more distinct with lang. and alphabet reform

Slide20: 

National literature(s) dev. – drawn on folklore Nat’l reformist intellectuals worked for Bolsheviks But – by 1930 only most obsequious survived

Slide21: 

Introduction of planned economy and collectivization

Political Dev. In Central Asia: 

Political Dev. In Central Asia Under Stalin, Russians dominated local communist party though cadres drawn from rural areas to Party Russians in key roles in state institutions and ministries; Russians over-represented in party and state organizations

Slide23: 

Pattern established late Stalin years: 1st Secretaries from indigenous nat’l group 2nd Secretaries Russian. 2nd secretaries oversaw personnel issues – etc – had more power

Slide24: 

Russians especially over represented in Kazakhstan K-stan/major grain producer 1954-59, Khrushchev sent senior Party officials (most with ag. Backgrounds) to K-stan as 1st and 2nd secretaries in Kazak Communist Party (Brezhnev one of them)

Slide25: 

Brezhnev – party elites of nationalities increase Years of stability in C.A. Party secretaries long tenure Rashidov (Uzb.) able to parlay influence in Moscow/Rashidov a candidate member of politburo- but never full member)

Slide26: 

Nat’l represented more in Party but C.A. did not fare well in all-Union Less than 10% of all Party members from CA BUT…..First secretaries in Republics locally powerful – had power to reward and punish

Slide27: 

C.A. way of doing business rarely coincided with official policy The gains made under Brezhnev, lost in post-Brezhnev years. Post-Brezhnev reformers attacked C.A. officials at every level

Slide28: 

Andropov (1982-85) initiated reform movement Advocated responsible governance Condemned traditional practices/cronyism Singled out national republics Big turnover in party personnel in C.A.

Slide29: 

Gorbachev implements more systematic approach to cleaning up things (1985) Singled out Uzbekistan as corrupt New Party Secretaries in 1985 as result of purges there Cotton scandal revealed republic-wide fraud in production and sale of cotton

Demographic, Soc., Econ. Trends: 

Demographic, Soc., Econ. Trends Indigenous nat’l higher population growth Growth primarily in rural areas C.A. fastest growing region in USSR – shifts in favor of nationalities Since 1960, demographic “bulge” in CA

Slide31: 

1979 – average family size: Tajiks -6.5 (highest) Kazakhs – 5.5 (lowest) Russians – 3.2 Growth worrisome for Russians

Slide32: 

Growth worrisome: How to absorb increasing CA population Only half of C.A. claim fluency in Russian Lack of language skills mean inability to do certain jobs/complete absorption into economy European population declining CA trained in skills for which no demand

Slide33: 

Unemployed youth Inadequate schools, healthcare facilities in CA – especially in rural areas Ecological problems Water shortage Moscow recognizes problems and outlines major development project plans for CA

Disontent/Opposition CA: 

Disontent/Opposition CA 1986 – beginning of popular discontent Almaty riots – nationalist upheaval – protest the appt. of a Russian, Genadii Kolbin, as 1st secretary 1987 Tatars protest publicly in Moscow and Tashkent – claim unfair treatment and demand the return of Crimea to their control

Slide35: 

Protests brought up issues of ethnicity CA groups did not have the organizational skills and political sophistication of European counterparts Agenda of Russians and CA in conflict (except in K-stan where Russians and Kazakhs have long history together)

Slide36: 

Islam source of unity and disunity All CA proud of Islamic heritage Urban intellectuals call for increased Arabic-language instruction and provision of religious education – these same intellectuals have little in common with poor rural groups and new Islamic fringe groups cropping up in region

Slide37: 

1989 Meskhetian Turks (deported to region in 1944) riot against unfair practices of Uzbeks Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan riot against Kyrgyz citing unfair housing practices

Slide38: 

Stalin – CA under firm control of Moscow Khrushchev – local nat’l gained control of day-to-day lives in republics Brezhnev – distance between Moscow and Republics widened By Gorbachev, CA locals built up power in region and controlled vast personal networks. Could and did block economic change

Slide39: 

By end of Soviet period, nationalist sentiments on the rise……………