Focusing predominantly on the period from the Russian capture of Tashkent in 1865 until the death of Stalin in 1953, we will explore the formative century in the making of modern Central Asia, a region understood to be the five ‘stans’ of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. This is a history of how a complex variety of states, societies and communities evolved and coalesced under the rule firstly of the Russian tsars and later of the Soviet Union. In doing so, our journey will take us from the vibrant cities of Samarkand and Tashkent, to the deserts of the Hungry Steppe, the valleys and foothills of the Hindu Kush and the Tian Shan mountains, and beyond. Along the way, we will consider the imposition of Russian imperialism, the reactions of settled and nomadic societies, the ‘Great Game’, and the dramatic anti-colonial rebellion of 1916.
In the second half of the course, we will consider new ideas of gender, faith and nationality under the emerging Soviet leadership, culminating in Stalin’s project to forge modern territories and citizens in the region, a scheme that involved amongst other things, mass collectivisation, gigantic infrastructure projects, wartime deportations, and the gulag. Lectures in this course are supplemented by discussion of primary sources, including petitions, government records, film clips and photographs.
Learning outcomes
- To show a good awareness of the broad contours of Russian imperialism and Soviet rule in modern Central Asia;
- To examine in detail the ways in which settled and nomadic communities, societies and states were impacted by Russian rule;
- To demonstrate a critical awareness of the continuities and differences between the tsarist and Soviet periods in Central Asia.
