From the ancient Silk Route onwards, Central Asia has played a pivotal role in human history, yet is a little-known part of the globe. This course explores familiar themes - imperial expansion; rebellion and revolution; shifting ideas about religious, ethnic and national identity and modern state building - from a new vantage point in the heart of Eurasia.
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
The learning outcomes for this course are:
- 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
Classes
1. Conquering a colony
2. Building an empire
3. Rebellion and revolution, 1916-1924
4. Becoming Soviet?
5. High Stalinism in Central Asia
Required reading (any one of the following):
Keller, S., Russia and Central Asia: Coexistence, conquest, convergence, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2019 (especially chapters 3-7)
Khalid, A., Central Asia: A new history from the imperial conquests to the present, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021
Soucek, S., A history of inner Asia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000 (especially chapters 15-17)
Typical week: Monday to Friday
For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.
c.8.00am-9.00am |
Breakfast in College (for residents) |
9.00am-10.30am |
Am Course |
11.15am-12.30pm |
Plenary Lecture |
12.30pm-1.45pm |
Lunch |
1.45pm-3.15pm |
Pm Course |
4.00pm-5.15pm |
Plenary Lecture |
c.6.00/6.15pm-7.15/7.30pm |
Dinner in College (for residents) |
c.7.30pm onwards |
Evening talk/event |
Evaluation and Academic Credit
If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.
Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.
For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.
Certificate of attendance
A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.