THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ROOTS OF THE JADID MOVEMENT IN THE LATE 19TH – EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Аннотация

This article examines the socio-economic foundations of the Jadid movement that emerged in Central Asia at the turn of the 20th century. The study explores the historical and economic context that gave rise to a group of intellectuals, educators, and reformers— collectively known as Jadids—who sought to modernize Muslim society in Turkestan. By analyzing colonial policies, economic stagnation, the impact of Russian imperialism, and traditional educational system failures, the research reveals how these factors contributed to the development of a reformist ideology grounded in enlightenment, national revival, and economic progress. Keywords: Jadidism, Central Asia, Russian colonialism, socio-economic history, modernization,education reform. The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century marked a turning point in the social and political history of Central Asia. Under the domination of the Russian Empire, traditional Muslim societies faced profound challenges in education, economy, governance, and cultural identity. In response to these changes, a group of reform-minded intellectuals emerged—known as the Jadids—who advocated for modernization through education, national consciousness, and economicself-sufficiency. The term "Jadid" (from Arabic usul-i jadid, meaning "new method") symbolized a break from traditional scholasticism and a movement toward rational, secular education and social progress. This paper investigates the historical and economic roots of the Jadid movement, arguing that it was not only a cultural or educational phenomenon but a response to deep structural economic andpoliticalshifts occurring intheregion. The emergence of the Jadid movement cannot be fully understood without placing it within the broader context of colonial subjugation and cultural contestation in Central Asia. The Russian conquest of Turkestan in the 1860s and subsequent administrative integration of the region disrupted long-standing economic structures and social hierarchies. Traditional elites, particularly religious authorities (ulama) and landowners (beks), found their influence diminished under thenew regime. Meanwhile, the influx of Russian settlers, the spread of railway systems, and the imposition of new taxation and land ownership laws reshaped the economic landscape. As the Muslim population experienced increasing marginalization and poverty, a generation of educated reformers began to question the effectiveness of traditional institutions in addressing the needs of their communities. These reformers, inspired by developments in the Ottoman Empire, Crimea, and the Russian Muslim Volga regions, began to advocate for new educational models, economicrevitalization, and social transformation. 397 INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL FOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SJIF2019:5.2222020:5.5522021:5.6372022:5.4792023:6.5632024:7,805 eISSN:2394-6334 https://www.ijmrd.in/index.php/imjrd Volume12,issue06(2025) Thus, Jadidism was not only a cultural movement but also a socio-economic response to a changing world—one that sought to preserve Islamic identity while embracing selective modernization. Understanding the roots of this movement requires attention to the lived realities ofcolonial rule, economic decline, and cultural negotiation. This study is based on a critical review of historical literature, archival documents, and contemporary accounts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Comparative-historical methodology was employed to examine:  Thesocio-economicconditions ofTurkestan under Russian colonial rule  Thetraditional educational institutions(maktabs andmadrasas) andtheirlimitations  The rise of Muslim reformist thought influenced by the Ottoman Empire, Crimea, and Tatar intellectuals  The role of trade, craft production, and the agrarian economy in shaping reformist attitudes Primary and secondary sources include works by Jadid thinkers such as Ismail Gasprinskiy, Munavvar Qori Abdurashidxonov, Mahmudxo‘ja Behbudi, and contemporary Russian colonial reports. Theresearch highlights thefollowing key factors behind theriseof Jadidism:  Colonial economic policies: The Russian Empire’s control over land, taxation, and trade routes led to economic marginalization oflocal Muslim populations. Indigenous elites lost economicpower, creating a demand for newpaths tosocio-economicmobility.  Educational stagnation: Traditional maktabs and madrasas focused on rote memorization of religious texts, offering no practical skills in science, economics, or languages. Jadids responded byestablishingnew method schools witha modern curriculum.  Urban merchant class growth: The increasing role of local traders and small industrialists in the cities (such as Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent) provided economic support andsocial space for reformers.  Intellectual networks: Ideas from Crimean, Tatar, and Ottoman reformers (e.g., Ismail Gasprinskiy) circulated through newspapers, books, and teachers, encouraging Ce