THE DREAM OF NATION-BUILDING IN TURKESTAN: OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES

Аннотация

This article examines the historical aspiration to establish a national state in Turkestan during the early 20th century. It analyzes the political, social, and ideological conditions that made the dream of national self-determination both conceivable and contested. Drawing from the legacy of the Jadid movement, the short-lived Kokand Autonomy, and broader anti-colonial efforts, the paper identifies key opportunities that facilitated the emergence of national consciousness, as well as the structural obstacles—imperial repression, ethnic fragmentation, ideological divisions, and external interventions—that ultimately undermined these efforts. The study contributes to the understanding of how nationalist projects evolveunder colonial and revolutionary conditions. Keywords: Turkestan, nation-building, autonomy, Jadidism, colonialism, Kokand Autonomy, obstacles, national identity. In the early 20th century, Turkestan was the scene of growing political and intellectual ferment. Under Russian colonial domination, Central Asian intellectuals and reformers began to articulate visions of a national revival—not merely cultural, but political. At the heart of this vision was the idea of a national state, built upon the principles of self-governance, cultural autonomy, and unityamong the peoples of Turkestan. This article explores the aspiration to build a nation-state in Turkestan during the revolutionary and post-imperial transition period of 1917–1924. The analysis begins with the rise of national consciousness through the Jadid movement, continues through the political efforts of the Kokand Autonomy (1917–1918), and concludes with an examination of the forces—bothinternal and external—that blocked therealization ofthis vision. Thisstudyemploys amulti-pronged research approach:  Historical analysis of key events such as the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Kokand Autonomy.  Discourse analysis of political documents, speeches, and writings by Central Asian intellectuals.  Archival research in Jadid publications (Taraqqiy, Sadoi Turkiston) and Russian administrativerecords.  Comparative analysis with similar independence movements in the Muslim world (e.g., OttomanEmpire, India, Egypt). page2010 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue06,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai By integrating both primary and secondary sources, this article reconstructs the national project in Turkestan andthestructural barriers it faced. Ideological Foundations and Opportunity The rise of national consciousness in Turkestan was grounded in the intellectual work of Jadid reformers. They:  Promoted the idea of “millat” (nation) based on shared language, religion, andhistorical memory.  Advocated for modern education as the foundation for citizenship and civic responsibility.  Rejected colonial domination and pushed for autonomy within the broader framework ofMuslimsolidarity and Turkic unity. The February Revolution of 1917 presented a window of opportunity. With the fall of the Tsarist regime, Turkestani leaders saw achance toorganize politically andassert autonomy. TheKokand Autonomy: ANational Experiment In November 1917, leaders from across Turkestan convened in Kokand and declared an autonomous government, known as the Turkestan (Kokand) Autonomy. Key features included:  Acommitmentto federalism,religious freedom, andequality.  Callsfor local control over education, taxation, andcultural policy.  Efforts to form a multinationalstateuniting Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Tajiks, and others. Despite limited resources and time, this autonomy symbolized the realization of a nationalistideal—albeit brief. Structural Obstacles and Collapse Multiplefactors contributed tothedemise ofthenation-building project:  Military Intervention: The Soviet Red Army attacked Kokand in early 1918, killing thousands anddestroying theautonomy.  Ideological Conflict: Bolsheviks saw nationalism as counter-revolutionary and promoted class struggle over ethnicidentity.  Internal Divisions: Ethnic, tribal, and ideological rivalries weakened the cohesion of nationalistforces.  Lack of International Support: Unlike other anti-colonial movements, Turkestan’s nationalistsreceived little backing from global powers orMuslimstates. The failure of nation-building in Turkestan was not due to a lack of vision or leadership. Rather, it reflected the asymmetry of power, both military and ideological, between local page2011 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue06,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai actors and the Soviet state. The dream of independence clashed with the geopolitical realities of the time: civil war in Russia, the global rise of communism, and the absence of a strong regional ally. Yet the symbolic legacy of these efforts