Until the 1st of September of the year 1991, Uzbekistan was a territory of the Soviet Union. The history of Uzbekistan is very wide and equally interesting in measure(Lonely Planet 1). It has a rich heritage and culture. For many years, decades, and centuries, Uzbekistan has been at the center of the rise and the fall of several empires in this wide world we live in. the Macedonians, the Sogdians, the Mongolians, the Huns, the Timurids, the khanates, as well as the Seljuks have all played a part in the rediscovery and the reshaping course of the history of Uzbekistan. The history of Uzbekistan is very wide and can only be best understood if divided into four main phases: The earliest history of the country that dates back to the 2nd millennium BC up to the 8th century, the medieval history dating back from the 8th century on towards the 16th century, the History of the Russian occupation of the country beginning from the 17th century up to the 18th century, and the emergence and creation of the Uzbek Republic.
In this paper we look at the Russian occupation part of the History of the Republic of Uzbekistan. This is the period Russians colonized the country. This is the main turning point in the history of Uzbekistan… Russia occupied Uzbekistan in 1865. This resulted to the development and creation of the Uzbek Socialist Republic. During this time; the time of the Soviets, Uzbekistan became famous for cotton farming in the whole world. Economically, Uzbekistan was rich in natural resources. The colonization came when, in the 19th century, the Russians had made up their mind to spread and expand their empire further across into Central Asia(BBC News 1). However, on several occasions, the Russian occupation was often interrupted by the British colonialists who were also streaming into the country with the intention to colonize it. This culminated into ‘The Great Game’, as the period Russia and Britain were fighting over the control and colonization of Uzbekistan came to be referred to in history.
As late as the 19th century, many areas and regions of the Uzbek country were unknown to the Russia administrators. This included such cities as Bukhara, Merv, Kokand, and Khiva. However, at the onset of the 20th century, Russia gained control of the territories, as well as many other regions of Central Asia. When Russia fell under the control of the Bolsheviks, many countries in Central Asia, Uzbekistan included, were taken into be part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Russian occupation of the Uzbek republic or territories really affected the relationship the two countries had back then. The foreign policies of Uzbekistan, as a result, widely fluctuated with time, which aggravated the internal problem s Russia was having with Uzbekistan like the right to having dual citizenship that the Russian government was offering the Russians who lived in Uzbekistan. Despite these dark times during the Russian occupation of Uzbekistan, the country has since been in good terms with its former colonizer ever since the fall of the Soviet Union. Uzbekistan is also in good terms and relations with the former member countries of the Soviet Union; and has even gone to the step of signing of many economic treaties with some of the countries. These treaties and trade relations have helped to ensure Uzbek national security.
During the period of the occupation of the Russians, about 13% of the population of Uzbekistan was composed of ethnic Russians. However, since the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the number has since decreased because of economic reasons. The majority of the population of Uzbekistan is composed of Uzbeks; they form about 80% of the population.
The Uzbeks mainly speak the Uzbek language. However during the period of the Russian occupation up to the time of the fall of the Soviet Union, there was widespread use of the Russian language. Another reason why the country was diverse ethnically is because Stalin moved some Koreans from the Far East and resettled them into the country. Most of them live in the Uzbek capital today. The Uzbek language has been very dominant since 1991; the time of independence from the Russian federation.
Today, the Republic of Uzbekistan is one of the major producers of cotton in the world. The country is very rich in natural resources as well. The resources include gas, gold, and oil. Nonetheless, the rate at which the economy is growing has been very slow; and unemployment and poverty are still very widespread.
When America was attacked by terrorists in September 11th 2001, the country offered the United States to set its forces’ base on its soil. This really won it favor with the world super power. This allowed American forces entry into Afghanistan through its borders. Over time, human rights activists and groups worldwide made accusations on the country by reporting that there were human rights violations in the country.
Works Cited
BBC News. “Uzbekistan country profile.” 14 December 2011. BBC News. 22 February 2012 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1238242.stm>.
Iankulova, Ina. UZBEKISTAN’S OMBUDSMAN REPORTS ON 2002 RESULTS . Daily News. Tashkent: Uzbekistan Daily Digest, 2003.
Lonely Planet. “Introducing Uzbekistan.” 24 March 2009. Lonely Planet. 22 February 2012 <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/uzbekistan>.
MacLeod, Calum. Uzbekistan:The Golden Road to Samarkand. Samarkland: Passport Books, 1997.
Svante, Cornell. “European Security.” Uzbekistan: A Regional Player in Eurasian Geopolitics? (200): 115.
