عنوان

From the Steppes to Uzbekistan: Tracing the Geographical and Cultural Origins of the Modern Uzbek

Number

TL52637

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

From the Steppes to Uzbekistan: Tracing the Geographical and Cultural Origins of the Modern Uzbek

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Azimova, Feruza Dilmuratovna

Subsequent Statement of Responsibility

Rosenthal, Regine

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Dartmouth College

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2020

Text of Note

129 p.

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

M.A.L.S.

Body granting the degree

Dartmouth College

Text preceding or following the note

2020

Text of Note

This thesis chronicles the historical events and figures that led to the formation of the modern Uzbek nation-state, from 6000 B.C.E. to the present day, and gives a new perspective on the origins of Uzbek people's ethnic and cultural heritage, and national identity. The research focuses on the geographical and physical elements of the Central Asian region and how its early inhabitants lived and formed societies. It also focuses on the history of the linguistic and cultural components and ethnic makeup of the Central Asians, whose descendants today make up the populations of the five Central Asian countries. Through historical research and interviews with a small sample of Uzbeks in Uzbekistan and in the U.S., this thesis finds the fundamentals of Uzbek identity and characteristics of contemporary Uzbek people. The findings were that the current major markers of Uzbek identity are the people's linguistic heritage, cultural heritage (which includes an Islamic history) and social hierarchy based on prehistoric clan/tribal relations. However, these findings take into consideration that Uzbekistan as a nation-state has existed for less than thirty years and that it will be a long time before the Uzbek people identify with markers of identity that establish both distinctness from and similarity within the overall Central Asian history and heritage. The personal experiences of my interviewees, a majority of whom immigrated to the U.S., give a picture of the complexities and the various issues surrounding identity. Along with the history of Central Asia, interviewee perspectives provide a representation of how movements of people and formation of societies help establish a national narrative and a national identity.

Subject Term

Ancient history

Subject Term

Ethnic studies

Subject Term

History

Azimova, Feruza Dilmuratovna

Rosenthal, Regine

Dartmouth College

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y