SUMMARY
The Uzbeks are a sub-group of the Turk ethnic group with large populations across many countries in Central Asia, Western China and Russia. They form the majority of the population in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Prior to 1991, the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was part of the Soviet Union. Uzbeks have been predominantly Sunni Muslims for centuries. Due to Soviet influence, the religious practice among Uzbeks has been more liberal in the countries that were part of the Soviet Union when compared Uzbek communities living e.g. in Afghanistan. However, since independence in 1991, Uzbekistan has witnessed an Islamic revival, including some radical tendencies in parts of the population.
The Uzbeks have inhabited the area of present-day Uzbekistan at least since the early 16th century. During the 19th century, Russia forcibly brought the region under its control and by 1876, all of present-day Uzbekistan was incorporated into the Russian Empire. Under Russian and later Soviet rule, the term Uzbek was used to include much more than the historical Uzbek identity. When the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was created in 1924, the term Uzbek was used for all Turkic speaking communities and many Persian speaking groups living in Uzbekistan. Under Soviet rule, Uzbekistan became increasingly multi-ethnic as populations from other parts of the Soviet Union, e.g. the Caucasus, were moved or deported to the Central Asian Soviet republics.
From the 1970s onwards, Uzbek nationalism was growing in response to suppressive policies of the Soviet leadership against Islamic traditions and the economic policy. As a result of the Soviet Union’s economic policy for Uzbekistan and the neighbouring Central Asian republics Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, the countries’ economies mainly relied on large monocultures of cotton. The consequences of this economic policy, which is only sustainable under conditions of political suppression, were devastating for the traditional way of life of rural farmers and relied on the exploitation of workers below market price. Also, it led to economic stagnation and enormous environmental degradation, amongst others because of extensive irrigation. Like in many other republics of the Soviet Union and as a consequence of the Glasnost policy of Mikhail Gorbachev, the nationalist tendencies and opposition towards Moscow became more outspoken in the 1980s. In 1989, the nationalist tendencies eventually escalated into violence against minorities such as the Meskhetian Turks.
The Uzbeks have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
