Impacts of Soviet Rule in Central Asia - Essay Example

Impacts of Soviet Rule in Central Asia Name Institution Tutor Date Introduction The Soviet rule in central Asia was without a doubt transformative. Just like in other colonial systems, change was bound to occur to the colonized society. Scholars argue that the Soviet Union rule in central Asia was quite unique. According to Cooley, (2012) the subject of understanding the Soviet rule is emotionally fraught and sensitive in the region, essentially when Western scholars compare Soviet Central Asia to other colonial systems such as that of Europe. In practice, a distinct mix of both state building practices and imperialism characterized the Soviet rule in the region. As a result, central Asia was greatly altered by this system. It can be stated Central Asia derived positive benefits from the Soviet rule. However, it is important to note that Soviet rule also led to several negative impacts in Central Asia that are ultimately felt even today. This paper explores the negative and positive impacts of Soviet rule in Central Asia. The scope of the analysis will also be grounded on examining the cultural, social and economic. Culturally, the Soviet rule had a negative impact on the Islamic culture in central Asia. The Russian empire tolerated Islamic culture during their tenet in Central Asia between 1860s and1917. Nevertheless, the start of Soviet rule following the subsequent civil wars and the Russian revolution of 1917 brought with it opposition to Islamic religion. During their rule in Central Asia, in early 1920s, the officials prioritized their goals and objectives by attempting to modernize culture, improving gender equality and building schools to solidify their rule over Central Asia. The Soviets cooperated with the Jadids who Muslims worked with in order to initiate various cultural and social reforms in the region (Exnerova, 2006). The key intention was to eliminate the Islamic religion. A case is in point is in 1926, the Soviet Union felt that it had taken over central Asia and shifted their policy from tolerating the Islamic religion to condemnation. As a result, the soviet government closed various religious schools and instituted state run schools. Later in 1928, the Soviet government started a campaign to close down all mosques in Central Asia. The process was poorly and violently conducted by various self-appointed officials. The officials destroyed buildings and arrested imams, denouncing Islamic culture as an enemy of communism. The Soviet Union officials also confiscated various church properties, harassed believers, ridiculed Islamic religion and propagated atheism in the schools. Despite the attempt by the Soviet Union to suppress the Islamic religion in the region, Islam still survived the oppression (Gorder, 2008). Dave (2007) suggests that the soviet policy regarding the Iranian and the Turkic languages in Central Asia shows clearly how the Soviet rule impacted the Central Asian culture. The government distracted local languages by altering their word meanings and scripts. Soviet Union proposed that all languages in Central Asia were to abandon Arabic script by the start of 1922 (Gleason, 1997). Arabic was used as the main language of communication and learning. The Arabic scripts were used in writing even though few individuals were able to write and read. Besides the use of Arabic scripts in the academic circles, classical Persian was also used. Most individuals used Iranian and Turkic languages before the advent of Soviet rule in the region. The proposal to abandon the central Asian languages was a way of isolating the Muslim in the Soviet region from writing in Turkey. In addition it was a way to stop the proliferation of the Islamic culture (Rorlich, 1991). Malashenko (1993) claims that several languages in the Soviet states such as in Central Asia were seen to be short in lexical domains and seen to be most significant in a communist society such as the political structure of Soviet, Marxism language, industrialization, science and technology. Hence, it was important to introduce new terms to the Central Asian languages. As a result, Soviet authorities possessed great control over languages in the region. Additionally, the policy hindered communication between Soviet Muslims, Iranians and Turkic speakers (Shahrani, 1994). In the begin of soviet rule in Central Asia, it was permissible to use various loan translations of different Russian words, this was to extend the meaning of Persian, Arabic oar Turkic words that were already being used. However, with time, the method was highly discouraged and Soviet Union favoured incorporation of international words into the lexicon. Certainly, most of the international words were Russian languages either in form or origin. The trend was emphasized by the continuous appearing of these Russian terms in various government presses. It is also fascinating to realize that international terms such as Hamlet are often spelled as Gamlet in Russia, even though all Cyrillic alphabets used in most of Central Asian languages have letter [h], Russia has no [h] sound (Fierman,1985). This process of subjecting Turkic languages to Russian morphological, phonological, lexical and syntactic influences resulted to the undermining of their systems, structures and lessened their social functions, hence creating various preconditions for the new languages to supersede them eventually (Bruchis,1984). Economically, although scholars argue that legacies of economic development were brought to Central Asia by the Soviet rule, what is evident is that serious economic implications were also ignited. Soviet Union did not solve key economic issues of central Asia; instead, the rule intensified the problem in the region. Several reports found out that siltation and soil erosion is worst in central Asia as compared to other continents. The region demanded serious attention essentially in resolving the erosion problem. After collectivization campaign by the Soviet Union in 1930s, various mechanized agricultural methods led to the destruction of Uzbek drainage and irrigation systems. The shift in Soviet government strategy delayed the construction of various drainage systems in the region. V.R. Vilyams who is a Soviet biologist suggested that practicing crop rotation by use of leguminous crops would help prevent salinization more effectively and maintain soil fertility than the drainage systems. However, Khrushchev denied the idea and the construction of the drainage systems was initiated at a slow pace with no commitment therefore resolving the erosion problem (Nato et al., 2008). Soviet Union launched large scale irrigation campaign that were aimed at obtaining independence in production of cotton in Central Asia. With the constant removal of water from Syr Darya and Amu Daryra there was a dramatic decline of accessible water resources. The increased irrigation which leads to extensive water loss through surface evaporation has resulted to relentless soil sanilization which is very difficult to restore. Additionally, increased surface irrigation led to soil desiccation that endangered agricultural productivity in Central Asia. These problems, specifically soil degradation and reduced water supply and their societal consequences greatly affected policy discussions in Central Asia regarding sustainable development. To obtain full economic development without violating the environment was the key question in Central Asia after the Soviet rule. The region did not want to go back to such problems and had to find out appropriate management practices and tools that can be used to mitigate such environmental problems with the varying climatic patterns in the region (Nato et al., 2008). Socially, the implication of the Soviet Union is that Central Asia become open for proliferation and transits of weapons of mass destruction. The region remains highly susceptible to the smuggling of various fissile weapons. During the period of Soviet rule, the region was the base of raw materials for the nuclear programme. After independence, Kazakhastan stopped its nuclear test and aimed at being a nuclear Free State. It signed the nuclear Non-proliferation treaty, but this did not stop it from becoming possible nuclear power. The third largest uranium deposits exist in Uzbekistan. Tajikistan also possesses reserves of uranium. At the same time, Kyrgyztan possess the highest level of nuclear waste left after the Soviet rule. Thus the region is at a high risk of production of dangerous weapons. This possess security risk to individuals living in the region (Rakowska, 1983). Another social impact is that Soviet rule also exposed Central Asia to drug trafficking and smuggling of various arms. In the recent years, the region has since become a precious place for narcotics trade. This is due to the opening of its borders with the new independent states. Central Asia is used as a region of drug shipment. Afghanistan produces seventy five percent heroins in the world (Rywkin, 1990). The rise of criminal activities and terrorism in the region signify that powerful criminal bodies are struggling to destabilize areas where trafficking is concentrated. The lucrative trade on drugs in the region poses a major threat to the stability of the nation at large. Poverty and economic instability make it more susceptible to this problem. In the lower part of Kyrgyzstan, close to four million people are moving, dealing, processing and growing of raw opium (Tazmini, 2001). In the political context, a crisis emerged in the political system and structural system of Central Asia. After the rule, most of the Central Asian States were not in a position of executing various administrative activities and accomplishing various social responsibilities in their public and educational domains. There was also extreme corruption and non-professionalism in the States after the collapse of the Soviet rule. The population is projected to rise in the near future, whereas the resources are limited in the region. Moreover, there was significant interruption in the educational sphere. Soviet rule led to the degradation of literacy, education and various requirements for workers in Central Asia (Shahrani, 1993). National delimitation by Soviet Union completely transformed Central Asian community, it destroyed their traditional organization. In the year 1924, Turkestan, Bukharan and akahorezm SSRs were dissolved by the Central Executive Committee. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan became union republics while Tajik was incorporated within Uzbek. However the borders that were established were not settled until 1936 when Kyrgyztan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were fully graded into full unions. The borders did not correspond well with linguistic or cultural boundaries and divided some nationalities making large minorities to be positioned outside their territories. Thus, National delimitation socially impacted central Asia through the establishment of various boundaries which divided individuals in the region (Khalid, 2008). Positive Impacts Economically, Soviet rule led to development of several industries in Central Asia. In 1917, there was no single industry in Central Asia. Since then, there have been dramatic improvements in leaving standards and productivity greater than that of the Soviet Union. Soviet Union governments have made considerable efforts to improve their growth by investing profoundly in Central Asia. For instance, Moscow invested more funds in Central Asia than it obtained. Hence, it defies the colonial precedents which states that, no colonial power should derive less than what it invests in a country. Moreover, such investments would also bring more returns if invested in other Soviet Union. Thus, the investment was put in Central Asia to progress the living standards of the citizens (Khalid, 2008). The link between Russia and Central Asia has brought significant Economic benefit to Central Asia. Raising the region to a higher level of prosperity that could not be attained by its own citizens, this is evident in the nearest independent countries such as Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan. No matter the index an individual uses, death rates, healthcare services, per capita income and electric power is high in the Soviet Muslim than in the Independent neighbours. This is true due to the stabilized government which exist in Central Asia. None of the Central Asia neighbours has had such a stable government since the year 1920; all of them have experienced turmoil in the past years (Haugen, 2003). Consequently, besides comparing positively with countries in the Middle East to its south, it also compares favourably with Soviet Union regions. Central Asia experienced smooth economic advancements under the Soviet Rule than other countries or regions. Apart from the disastrous collectivization attempts in 1930s, Central Asia has since avoided various economic reversals and excess that has adversely affected the economy. Central Asia received enough funds used in Agricultural investment, thus, it is the most agricultural region in Asia. Central Asia provides Russia with raw materials and imports various goods from Russia (Rumer, 1991) Culturally, Central Asia experienced several transformations in its cultural systems. Before 1917, the Tsarist government had not encouraged education system in the region, thus, the rate of literacy level in the region was minuscule. The advent of the Soviet Rule in Central Asia led to several improvements in the education system. Before the Soviet rule, education was mainly obtained through Mekteb and medressehs systems. However, even though many boys went to the mekteb, the mode of instruction was pre-developed and comprised of rote memorization of the content and the Qur’an. Thus, very few were capable of writing in these languages and even their native languages (Carrere, 1982). Only the advantaged minority were capable of studying in medresser where they were taught history, theology, mathematics, poetry and astronomy. Such individuals were able to obtain a degree and work in various government positions. Further than that, unless an individual wanted to take part in extensive trade or wanted to improve their social status, there was no need for the average persons to be knowledgeable. Women were more illiterate since they had no access to schools unless they were from affluent families. However, since Soviet rule took root, education sector has since taken a positive turn, currently; almost all individuals in the region are capable of reading (Sievers, 2013). The need for children to go to school was incepted due to the Soviet rule. Moreover, the Soviet leadership put emphasis in the growth of technical programs that prepare young people for various jobs. The implication is that more universities were established in the region to help provide university education to the youths. One of the educational reforms came from Jadid movement which started among the Tartars Turkic who stayed in Volga and were possibly the most Russianilized and westernized Muslims in Russia. Jaded was founded by Crimean Tatar Gaspirali. He recognized that most of the Muslims would need to maintain their religious and ethnic heritage without a considerable reform. He advocated for educational and religious reforms including encouragement of Turkic language (Dawisha and Parrott, 1994). These changes came into existence due to the profound emphasis by the Soviet rule on Education and the willingness of the Soviet Union government to invest more in education. These advancements in the education sector separated Central Asia from other colonies where the colonial power was unwilling to invest more funds in the education sector rendering the education sector poor and unimproved. In reality, several colonial powers desired uneducated colony that could not give them trouble in managing (Gleason, 1991). After several years, the cities of Central Asia have become elite centres in providing Islamic education across the world. The region has moulded many sons encompassing Al-Khwarizmi who is a sparkling mathematician who is also regarded as the ‘father of algebra’ (Manz, 2009). The region has also produced the great physician and philosopher Ibn Sina who is famous in the West as Avicenna. After several years, the literature of central Asia has undergone numerous developments in Persian, Arabic and Chagatay literacy language. However, notwithstanding significant accomplishments by various scholars in the region, most of individuals remained illiterate. In fact very few of them wanted to know how to read and write. Central Asia is still regarded as the hotbed of interesting epic poems across the world (Luong, 2002). The political, economic and public life of Central Asia depended entirely on Soviet Union. The present identity and ethnic chaos are as a result of Soviet era. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the countries in Central Asia decided to corporate for the first time with one another. However, their ties with one another remain fragmented (Dave, 2010). Central Asian states need to cooperate to resolve land and water disputes, internal migration and several concerns. Several studies suggest that the reletion among the Central Asian countries is flourishing. However, these collaborative efforts are overseen by top government officials while cultural and economic entities are not involved in the collaborative exercise. Thus, the cooperation has official concealment and it is concealed by top officials in the government. According to Tabyshaliena, most states in Central Asia are trying to become independent at a time when there exist several calamities that needs cooperation and integration in the region (Shorish, 1984). According to Tolmacheva (1993), Soviet rule in Central Asia also led to profound impact on shaping both the social relations and social expectations. Constantine (2007) claims that, the rule has attempted to improve the role of women in the society and enable them obtain equal opportunities like their male counter parts including access to employment and educational facilities, involvement in various decision making on whom to marry them. Thus Soviet Rule has greatly advance social roles in Central Asia and has given women several opportunities in their attempt to develop in one way or the other (Luong, 2014). Conclusion It is evident that Soviet rule in Central Asia led to numerous positive and negative impacts in the region. However, the negative impacts are far reaching and it is true to say that soviet rule brought more harm than good in Central Asia. The chronological legacy of the Soviet Rule in Central Asia, the devastating dominance of the rule in the region and the ecological propinquity together generate an enduring situation whereby the role of Soviet rule can be seen to have brought numerous advancements in the region. The region has benefitted from some of the policies of the Soviet Union since most of the children are now capable of obtaining proper education and women are able to obtain equality in the society. However, the negative impacts are also far reaching since the rule opened the borders of Central Asian states allowing for illegal trade and drug trafficking and several negative activities in the region. The government of Central Asia should develop various policies which can help the region overcome effects of post- soviet rule in the region. . References Bruchis, M. ,1984,. "The Effect of the Societ Language Policy on the National Languages of Its Turkic Population." In Yaacov Ro'i, ed., The USSR and the Muslim World: Issues in Domestic and Foreign Policy. London: George Allen and Unwin Carrere d’Encausse, H.1982, Decline of an Empire. The Soviet Socialist Republics in Revolt. New York:Newsweek Books, , pp. 232-248. 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