Uzbekistan - the forgotten country of Central Asia
The Uzbeks are the main ethnic group in Uzbekistan, accounting for about 80% of the total population. They belong to the Altaic language family of the Turkic ethnic group and are a mixed Eurasian race
Everyone should know more or less The name of the Israeli "Uzi" (Uzi) . As one of the best-performing submachine guns in the world, the success of the Uzi submachine gun has made the word " Uzi " (named after its inventor Uzi Gale) famous around the world.
The Uzi submachine gun was developed by Israeli weapons expert Uzi Gale in 1951. It is famous all over the world for its ultra-high rate of fire and easy operability.
But there is more than one "Uzi" in the world, and people's names can be called "Uzi" ", the name of the gun can be called "Uzi", and the name of the country can also be called "Uzi". There is really a "Uzbekistan" on the map, that is "Uzbekistan" (Uzbekistan). This "Uzi" is not the other "Uzi", which is a homophone. In fact, the two have nothing to do with each other.
In 1960, at an outpost on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel, an Israeli female soldier held an Uzi submachine gun and was on guard (Israel implemented an all-military service system)
As one of the five Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan has always had relations with our country, both historically and now. close.
Schematic diagram of the five Central Asian countries
But compared to Kazakhstan , which is "the largest in Central Asia" and Kyrgyzstan , which is in constant turmoil, the world knows very little about Uzbekistan. Some people even do not know this country at all. is just wishful thinking. It is believed that the "Uzi submachine gun" was born in "Uzbekistan", hence the name "Uzi". This is why I made a "homophonic" joke at the beginning.
Due to historical and geographical reasons, Russians are also widely distributed in Central Asia. Among them, Kazakhstan has the largest share, accounting for about 20%, while Uzbekistan also has 5%
In today's interconnected world, this is the era of economic globalization. The prosperity of a country largely depends on how it finds its place in the world economy. For example, the West controls core technologies, while East Asia dominates the manufacturing process. Whether is close to the sea or not is very important. Coastal areas are always easier to develop than inland areas.
Map of Zheng He's voyages to the West. Some historians believe that Zheng He's voyages to the West may have been the only opportunity for China to transform into a maritime empire.
Currently, there are 224 countries or regions in the world, of which 42 are landlocked states (landlocked states refer to countries without coastlines) . The geographical location of is not close to the sea, but it really makes these countries suffer unspeakably. National activities such as import and export of goods, state exchanges, etc. all need to go through other countries. What does this look like?
The red part is a landlocked country
Just imagine, every time you go out, you need to pass through other people's yards, and sometimes you even have to pay tolls.
Uzbekistan is the only "double landlocked country" in the world
But Uzbekistan is even more unfortunate. It is one of the only two "double landlocked countries" in the world (the other is Liechtenstein). This so-called "double landlocked country" What's more, it means that not only you are a landlocked country, but also your neighbors are landlocked countries. They are basically completely blocked. The day when you "face the sea" is basically hopeless.
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan
In Central Asia, which has social unrest, a dilapidated economy, and backward infrastructure, the situation in Uzbekistan is not too bad, and its economic level ranks second. But this country is still an agricultural and animal husbandry country, with more than 60% of the population being farmers and herdsmen. It is a "low-middle-income country" certified by the United Nations.
A dishware craftsman in Tashkent.The handicraft industry in Uzbekistan is very developed, and there are many small workshops that make a living.
The Central Asian 1966 Great Earthquake Memorial Sculpture located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
is better than the previous one, but it is far different from us, but its economic level is second only to Russia among the CIS countries. , Ukraine , Kazakhstan and Belarus .
The so-called CIS countries are the "Commonwealth of Independent States", which is an international organization used to maintain cooperative relations among the former Soviet Union countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But Uzbekistan's presence is indeed too low. In fact, it is still The most populous country in Central Asia. The total population of the five Central Asian countries is about 75 million, while Uzbekistan alone accounts for 45%, with about 33 million people. This country is most famous for its cotton, which is mixed-race women with delicate faces and tall figures (Uzbekistan is a country in Central Asia) The country with the largest number of mixed ethnic groups).
A mixed-race woman from Uzbekistan (mixed Russian and Uzbek)
As a country with complex history and ethnicity, Uzbekistan is inextricably linked with Russia (Soviet Union), China, Mongolia and other countries. So this time, I will talk to you about this "forgotten" Central Asian country .
Uzbekistan military parade, all Russian equipment. Due to historical reasons, Central Asian countries are generally greatly influenced by Russia, and Uzbekistan is no exception.
Uzbekistan - The crossroads of Eurasia
Uzbekistan is located in the southern part of Central Asia, looking to Russia to the north, China to the east, and oil and gas to the west. The resource-rich Caspian Sea , while to the south is the chaotic Afghanistan . In terms of geographical location, Uzbekistan is known as the "crossroads of Eurasia". Such a place has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times.
The administrative division of Uzbekistan
covers an area of about 447,000, ranking third in Central Asia and 56th in the world. It has a population of about 33 million, ranking first in Central Asia. The main ethnic group is Uzbek. Someone once joked that Uzbekistan’s “specialty” is mixed-race beauties. .
The Uzbeks have Mongolian, Turkic and even Iranian genes in their ancestry
Uzbekistan’s economy is highly dependent on cotton planting and oil and gas exports. GDP is about 55 billion US dollars. It is considered a leader in Central Asia, but in the world, It is still at the level of "poor students", and the per capita GDP is only more than 1,600 US dollars.
Central Asia is the world's largest cotton-producing region and is famous for its production of high-quality long-staple cotton.
Among them, cotton is an absolute flagship product, with its output accounting for 60% of the total cotton output in Central Asia. 65% of the country's water is used for cotton irrigation. Please note that this is a country with extreme water shortage, which shows the importance of cotton to Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan, cotton is regarded as valuable as gold and is known as "white gold".
National costumes of Uzbekistan
After briefly understanding the geographical, economic and social conditions of Uzbekistan, let's talk about the history.
The origin of the Uzbek people is very confusing. At present, it is generally believed that they are a Central Asian ethnic group mixed with Persian , Mongolian and Turkic ancestry. Unlike other regions in Central Asia, which are mountainous and fragmented, Uzbekistan's 80% land is plains . Therefore, in addition to the nomadic life of "living for water and grass", Uzbeks have also developed a relatively developed agriculture , there were records of cotton cultivation as early as more than 2,000 years ago.
People in Uzbekistan are harvesting cotton
Uzbekistan is really blessed by God. Not only is its geographical location good, but its natural conditions are also good . With melting water from snow-capped mountains and abundant river irrigation, coupled with the favorable climate of the Fergana Basin, it is no wonder that Uzbekistan has a much larger population than other Central Asian regions.
Uzbekistan topographic map
Such a good place will certainly not be "lonely".
Since 1000 BC, Uzbekistan has been continuously invaded by surrounding ethnic groups. Persians, Huns, Kazakhs, Sogdians and many nomadic peoples from Xinjiang, China have all come here. , and was even conquered by the Greeks, which is why its ethnic origins are diverse.
The Alexander Empire was a large empire that spanned Europe, Asia and Africa established by the Macedonian King Alexander the Great. It once expanded to the Indus River Basin.
In fact, the Uzbeks are not aborigines. They are just a nation that immigrated later. They only gradually Reproduce and occupy the dominant position. In any case, the most prosperous areas in Central Asia at that time were the Transoxiana region of Uzbekistan and the Fergana Basin. Nomadic tribes, farming settlements and even a large number of towns developed here, which were the only places where the Silk Road would pass.
Uzbekistan once monopolized the Silk Road in Central Asia and became a trade center with several large cities.
The Transoxiana region and the Fergana Basin are two of the areas with the best natural conditions in Central Asia.
In ancient times, Central Asia has always been our sphere of influence. The people and political power here were dependent on the Central Plains dynasty, and Uzbekistan was also No exception, relying on commercial contacts with the Central Plains region, it once became the most powerful region in Central Asia. But the good times did not last long, and this subordinate relationship could not be maintained forever. After the 8th century, the Arab Empire from the West reached out.
Uzbekistan Glyyan Mosque
Of course, the battle itself does not matter who wins or loses. The Arab Empire stopped in Central Asia and could not continue to march eastward into mainland China, and the Central Plains dynasty could not continue to march westward. From then on , " "Thousand-mile Buddha Country is completely green" ( Most of Central Asia believed in Buddhism before), and Central Asia was freed from the control of the Central Plains dynasty.
Uzbekistan's specialty clay dolls
During the military conquests, commercial trade, and cultural exchanges between the Arabs and the Persians, the Uzbek region converted to Islam and initially developed national cohesion.
Uzbek mixed-race women
html From the 29th to the 12th century, after the decline of the Arab Empire, the Persian Empire rose again and invaded the fertile Transoxiana region. Uzbekistan became a province of Persia. At this time, a unified Uzbek people had not yet formed, so was regarded as the same The rule of the Muslim Persians did not arouse strong resistance from the locals.The territory of the Sasanian Empire of the Persian Empire (disputed)
At this time, Uzbekistan even had considerable commercial towns and developed agriculture. However, history always likes to joke. Just as it was flourishing, the invaders came again. Come unexpectedly.
Uzbeks
html In the 213th century, the Mongolian cavalry swept the world. In the process of conquering Central Asia, the Mongols barbaric practices of burning, killing, looting, and wanton massacre of cities caused a sharp decline in the population of Central Asia. A large number of cities were burned to the ground, and a large amount of fertile farmland was destroyed. Abandoned land has been turned into a racetrack, especially in Uzbekistan.The Four Mongolian Khanates
After the 15th century, the Mongols gradually declined, but they still had a strong control in Central Asia.In the long-term ethnic integration, a nation that combines Turkic, Sogdian, Mongolian, and Persian ancestry emerged. In 1370, the Uzbek noble Timur established a powerful empire in the midst of melee from all sides - the Timur Empire .
The Timurid Empire (1370-1507), a feudal empire established by the Uzbeks
This empire conquered a vast area including Central Asia, Iran, and since then the Uzbeks have officially entered the stage of history and ushered in their glorious period. Even though the Uzbeks have little sense of existence now, they were once the masters of Central Asia, and their ancestors were also rich. But the strange thing is that there are too many ethnic groups in this place and they are too mixed. Neither the Mongols nor the Turks obey the other. So what should we do? Let's start playing.
Shaibani Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan, a Turkic Mongolian nobleman in Uzbekistan, the founder of modern Uzbekistan
In the 15th century, the Timurid Empire fell into a warlord war. In 1428, The Uzbek Khanate was established, starting from here , the name "Uzbekistan" officially appeared. In 1500, Shaibani Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan, led a large number of Uzbek nomadic tribes to occupy the Tashkent region, further consolidating the dominant position of the Uzbeks.
Uzbek women
Since then, the Uzbeks have really gained a foothold in Central Asia.
Having his own country means he has confidence. More and more Uzbek nomadic tribes began to move in with their families after hearing the news of the establishment of the Uzbek Khanate. With the surge in population and the rapid shortage of natural resources, in order to survive, the Uzbeks began to transform into a farming and commercial nation, and the most important crop was cotton.
Cotton farmers in Uzbekistan
By the end of the 17th century, most of the Uzbeks had become farmers who worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, hard-working handicraftsmen or businessmen . The history of nomadism had gone far away. . Relying on trade with the Qing government and under the construction of the Uzbeks, Tashkent gradually became the largest and most prosperous city in Central Asia.
It is a miracle that a people who were born as nomads have perfectly completed the transformation into an agricultural people with "one third of an acre of land".
Tashkent, meaning "Stone City", is one of the oldest and prosperous cities in Central Asia.
The Uzbeks have a business tradition since ancient times. In the 17th to 19th centuries, order was restored in Central Asia, and a large number of Uzbek merchants began to There was trade between China's Xinjiang and Iran, and many people settled in China. This is the origin of the Uzbeks in China (about 18,000 people).
The Uzbek nobles at the end of the 19th century
The Uzbeks once ruled the entire southern region of Central Asia, and established the three khanates of Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand. They enjoyed a peaceful social order, a prosperous economy, and Good agricultural development allowed the Uzbek population to increase rapidly, and finally became the most populous ethnic group in Central Asia in the 19th century.
Catherine II in the Russian drama "Catherine the Great". She was one of the greatest monarchs in Russian history, and Russia reached its peak under her rule.
However, as mentioned earlier, "a battleground for military strategists" , any powerful empire that wants to take over Central Asia, and enterprising The Indian Ocean needs to pass through here, which means that Uzbekistan cannot live alone and live its own life. In the 19th century, the powerful Tsarist Russia occupied Siberia. The Russians were very thirsty for land, so they moved from the north to Central Asia. History changed since then.
"The Russian Army Attacks Kazakhstan" written by a Russian painter
Uzbekistan - the Land of Cotton, the Pearl of Central Asia
In 1822, the Russian army invaded Kazakhstan and soon penetrated deep into the hinterland of Central Asia, facing the long guns and artillery of the modern Russian army , the broadswords spears of the Central Asian aristocrats had no chance of winning. Although they restrained themselves under China's intervention, the Qing government, which was soon in turmoil, was unable to do anything. invaded northwest China in 1864 and signed a treaty with the Qing government, cutting off 440,000 square kilometers of land and dividing the Ili River into two.
Schematic diagram of the Qing government's land ceded by Tsarist Russia
By the 1860s, Tsarist Russia had almost controlled the entire Central Asia, and began to support local warlords in their attempts to control the entire Xinjiang. The Uzbek noble Agub was a typical example. In 1867, the British and Russians With the support, Agubai invaded Xinjiang and occupied a large area of land, but was immediately repelled by Zuo Zongtang , and was eventually swept into the "garbage heap of history."
Agub, known as the "Butcher of Central Asia", the founder of the so-called "Hongfu Khanate", was originally a general of the Kokand Khanate in Uzbekistan
Tsarist Russia saw that Agub was useless, so he simply kicked it out. In 1873, Tsarist Russia Invade and destroy Bukhara Khanate and directly incorporate Uzbekistan into its territory. Just like the conquest of Kazakhstan, the Russians are also pursuing a "Russianization" policy in Uzbekistan - popularizing the Russian language with , promoting with Russian , establishing Russian institutions, and relocating the population.
Old people in Uzbekistan
After the serfdom reform in Tsarist Russia in 1861, a large number of serfs regained their freedom. Under the organization of the government, about 1.63 million Russians moved to Central Asia by 1917, and Uzbekistan is a fertile land, so naturally it will not be neglect. In 1884, Tsarist Russia promoted cotton in Uzbekistan according to local conditions. Soon Uzbekistan became Russia's main cotton producing area.
Tashkent
In addition, the Russians also carried out social reforms and popularized education in Uzbekistan, and at the same time accelerated urban construction. Modernization happened almost overnight, and roads, factories, railways, and hospitals sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.
Lenin, the leader of Soviet Russia and the October Revolution, the great mentor of the international proletariat
In 1917, the decadent Tsarist Russia went to destruction, and the new Soviet regime took over everything. At this time, the feudal aristocracy in Uzbekistan revived and established a short-lived Khiva Khanate. Under the leadership of Lenin, Soviet Russia abolished the policy of national oppression and granted all ethnic groups the right to self-determination. The Uzbeks gained the right to autonomy and began to be treated equally.
In 1928, Russian teachers were teaching farmers in Uzbekistan.
In 1920, the Soviet Red Army liberated Uzbekistan. In 1922, the Soviet Union was established.
In the factories of Uzbekistan during the Soviet period, all workers were Russians.
From 1925 to 1936, under the strong demands of various ethnic groups in Central Asia (even threatening war), Stalin allowed Central Asia to be divided into administrative regions according to ethnic groups, Among them, the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was formally established in 1924 and became an official member of the Soviet Union.
Two Uzbek old men
The Soviet Union continued Tsarist Russia's cotton strategy and was committed to building Uzbekistan into a "world-class cotton base". It opened a large number of collective farms , introduced advanced technology, and called on talents from all over the country to rush to construction.
In 1960, an Uzbek girl was reading a Russian book
At that time, 2/3 of Uzbekistan’s funds were provided by the Soviet Central Committee, which provided money and technology to people, almost completely reborn.
In 1950, Soviet female college students went to Uzbekistan.
With such unremitting help, Uzbekistan discovered oil and established a sound industrial system based on it. Metallurgy, petroleum, natural gas, and machinery manufacturing industry developed rapidly. . At the same time, the cotton industry also achieved considerable development. By 1980, Uzbekistan produced 70% of the Soviet Union's cotton, and its exports accounted for 80% of its GDP.
Pictures from Earth Knowledge Bureau
How good was the Soviet Union to Uzbekistan? In 1966, a huge earthquake broke out in Uzbekistan and the capital Tashkent was completely destroyed. Without saying a word, the Central Committee of the Soviet Union directly allocated billions of rubles to rebuild Tashkent and make it look brand new.
The Tashkent TV Tower built during the Soviet period
Uzbekistan, which has a stable society and a prosperous economy, has a population that has increased from more than 4.1 million in 1939 to more than 14.5 million in 1990.
The streets of Tashkent in 1970
Without the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan would not have been able to develop so rapidly. Therefore, to this day, Uzbekistanis are grateful to the Soviet Union, but they are also resentful. Uzbekistan is the strategic window for the Soviet Union to open up South Asia and the Indian Ocean. It has long served as an exchange base between the Soviet Union and Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, , India and other places.
Uzbekistan is the window of the Soviet Union’s Indian Ocean strategy
The Soviet army invaded Afghanistan in 1979. The ten-year war was protracted. 1.3 million Afghans were killed and more than 5 million people were displaced. 1.5 million Soviet soldiers participated in the war, with more than 50,000 casualties. , with a military expenditure of 45 billion rubles, it defeated the Soviet Union and Afghanistan, ultimately hurting both sides. Uzbekistan is the first to bear the brunt of the crisis and is in a state of depression.
From 1979 to 1989, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan for ten years, which greatly depleted the Soviet Union's national power and accelerated its disintegration.
In 1985, Gorbachev came to power and implemented "liberal social reforms". As a result, the Soviet Union fell into turmoil overnight. . The Soviet Union, which was on the verge of collapse, also completely lost its authority in Uzbekistan, and a large number of confrontations broke out.
Uzbek military officers
Economic poverty has intensified the national sentiment of the Uzbeks. They regard Russians as "enemies of the state." It is a pity that these Russians who spent their youth in Central Asia ended up becoming "everyone shouts Beat up a street rat."
The Uzbekistan Hotel built during the Soviet period
In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, the Cold War ended, and Uzbekistan became independent. This new country fell into chaos overnight. Like all former Soviet Union countries, Uzbekistan also inevitably moved towards social unrest, economic collapse, and bureaucratic corruption. At that time, its inflation rate was even higher than that of Russia.
Waitress in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan lost the Soviet Union and could not stand on its own. Nothing has changed. The Communist Party of Ukraine transformed into a vest and became the ruling party again. The former leader Karimov was elected as the president. This guy is engaged in authoritarian politics and has been accused of fraud and corruption. Under such circumstances, Uzbekistan is not even as good as it was during the Soviet period.
Karimov, the first president of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Since 2000, under the influence of the color revolutions in the West, Uzbekistan has also fallen into long-term chaos and social unrest. Uzbekistan currently relies on cotton exports and oil development as its main economic pillars. This country's economy has lagged behind to the point where it can only rely on cotton.
But it is lucky, because without the Soviet Union, there is still us. China is one of Uzbekistan’s largest economic partners and investors, with accumulated investment in Uzbekistan reaching tens of billions of dollars. Uzbekistan has also benefited a lot from the One Belt and One Road strategy in recent years. Uzbeks once said enthusiastically: "China will always He is our good friend."
The national flags of China and Ukraine
But we cannot help them complete social changes. As for what the future will bring, that is their own historical task.
Uzbek soldiers
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