117
language
”. The aim was to incorporate the new Central Asian socialist republics into
the system of Soviet Union.
309
In order to create more depended nations to the
Soviet regime through the reorganization, the Soviets particularly focused on
philology. Each ethnic group’s philological feature was the most significant
reference for the division of Central Asian ethnic communities into national states.
After the definition of every ethnic group through ethnic groups’ specific languages
such as Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen and Kyrgyz; Russian language was imposed as the
upper level language by the Soviets to the region for Central Asian Muslims to both
use among themselves and to maintain and develop their relations with Russia. In
other words, the national republics were obliged to obey this policy. In 1939, the
Cyrillic Alphabet was necessitated for non-Russian nations inside the Soviet Union.
In addition, in both whole Central Asia but also especially in Uzbekistan, the Soviet
regime focused on religion and religiosity which was one of the most important
concepts that was keeping different ethnic groups together for centuries.
Both unity
of religion and unity of religious school, Sunnite in majority was the most important
element for natural formation of Sart identity. This identity was erased and disused
after 1925.
310
Before passing to the Cyrillic Alphabet in 1939, firstly Arabic
Alphabet used for centuries was erased and Latin alphabet was replaced in the late
1920s. “The elimination of Arabic Alphabet had, in this respect,
an essentially
political significance. Harsh measures were taken against Islam, a unifying factor,
because the problem was particularly grave in most of Central Asia”.
311
Even,
softening the status of the Shariat and the rights of waqfs by the Soviets in the 1920s
309
Hayit, Baymirza
, Islam and Turkestan under Russian Rule
, (Istanbul: Can Matbaa, 1987), 263-264.
310
Northrop, Douglas Taylor,
Veiled Empire: Gender and Power in Stalinist Central Asia
,(New York:
Cornel University Press, 2004), 50.
311
Allworth, Edward et al.,
Central Asia: A Century of Russian Rule
, ed. Edward Allworth,(New
York:
Columbia University Press, 1967), 257.
118
disappeared in the 1930s owing to the harsh measures of the Sovietizing policy in the
Stalin era.
The reorganization of national republics in the region and the creation of
separate Uzbekistan and Tajikistan republics according to linguistic differences
although both of two ethnic groups Uzbeks and Tajiks were bilingual and it was so
difficult to distinct them from each other. On the other side, the policy of distinction
of Turkic communities was implemented and the basic criterion was Islamic
practices of ethnic groups. This was the most convenient method to differentiate
Uzbeks, Turkmen, Kazakhs and others.
312
On the other hand, it was very difficult to
make distinction between Kyrgyz and Kazakh communities because they were so
like each other. Both of two were steppe communities. It
was also very difficult to
create different nations from these peoples having adapted to the steppe life. Even,
Kazakhstan SSR was called as Kyrgyzstan SSR in the beginning and Kyrgyzstan
SSR was called as Kara Kyrgyzstan SSR. In addition, the similar difficulty for
separating nations was valid for Uzbeks and Turkmen in the region. “Uzbeks and
Turkmen had never before lived in separate, ethnically defined states. Kirgiz and
Kazakhs had not always been distinguished as separate
nations and had previously
been known by different names: Kara Kirgiz and Kirgiz, respectively”.
313
Not only
philological features, religious practices but also customs, traditions and life styles
were taken into consideration to identify and build nations. For example, for
distinguishing the nations, the women’s dress styles were taken into consideration. In
Turkmen regions, Uzbeks were distinguished through the women’s dressing
paranji
,
also known as
burqa
, because the Uzbek community
was far more religious, their
312
Northrop, Douglas Taylor,
Veiled Empire: Gender and Power in Stalinist Central Asia
, (New
York: Cornel University Press, 2004), 50.
313
Ibid, 48-50.
119
women were wearing burqa while Turkmen women were wearing yashmak that only
covered some parts of face and slighter than burqa. In addition, the same methods
were tried for Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in border areas of
Osh city and for Uzbeks and
Kazakhs in southern areas of the Steppe.
314
After putting the separation policy in terms of linguistics into practice, the
other unifying elements were taken into consideration by the Soviets, because the
Soviets pursued policies which shattered the unity and independence understanding
of Central Asian Muslims. “The Leninist approach was to build socialism while
encouraging indigenous development and national differentiation.”
315
On the other
hand, the Soviet view was certainly against the harmful ideologies backed by outside
powers such as Pan-Islamism and Pan-Turanism. It
was attempted to erase the
symbols and bonds in social-political and cultural realms. For example, the religion
was an important element for the unity of Central Asian Muslims.
“The elimination
of the Arabic alphabet had, in this respect, an essentially political significance. Harsh
measures were taken against Islam, a unifying factor, because the problem was
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