The Reformist Movement In Turkestan At The Beginning Of The 20Th Century

Abstract

The article examines the development of the ideology of the reformist movement in Turkestan at the beginning of the 20th century. On the basis of historical documents, it sets out the socio-political views of the Jadids, whose patriotic activity under the conditions of colonial Turkestan contributed to the intensification of the liberation movement and to the awakening of the national consciousness of the broad masses, and exerted a considerable influence on the formation of national-democratic organisations and societies among the indigenous population. Tashkent, as the administrative and cultural centre of the Central Asian region, became a gathering place of the reformists. The movement, led by Munavvar qori Abdurashidkhonov, Ubaydulla Khodjaev, Abdulla Avloni and Ismail Obidov in Tashkent, Mahmudkhodja Behbudi, Akobir Shomansur- zade and Saidahmadkhodja Siddiqi in Samarkand, Nosirkhon Tura in Namangan, and Obidjon Mahmudov, Ashurali Zohiri and Pulat Saliev in Kokand, spread widely among the urban population. The most important indicator of the intensification of socio- political life was a sharp revival of publishing activity, particularly of the press: the first newspaper of the Turkestan Jadids, “Taraqqiy” (“Progress”), appeared on 27 June 1906 and was followed by “Khurshid”, “Shuhrat”, “Tujjor”, “Osiyo”, “Samarqand”, “Sadoi Turkiston”, “Sadoi Farg‘ona”, “Oyna”, “Turon” and others. Most of them were short-lived, but they played an important role in the spread of reformist thought.