From the first Uzbeks to today: a history of Uzbekistan

History of the early Uzbeks

Ukbekistan's earliest civilizations were regrouped by the Persian Achaemenid Dynasty, which dominated Central Asia in the 6th Century BC. Alexander the Great brought an end to their rule two centuries later. The country spent periods under both Persian and Turkish control. Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, was then conquered by the Arabs and in the 8th Century the country became part of the Arab khalifat . It was at this time that Islam was introduced. Thereafter, the Kara-Khanid Khanate held power until the 13th Century. Culturally and economically, it was during the 14th and 15th Centuries that the country boomed.

From the Timurid Empire to the Soviet Union

The creation of the Timurid Empire, with Samarkand as the capital, marked a major turning point in Uzbekistan's history, thanks to the iron grip of the monarch, Emir Timur. Later, during the second half of the 19th Century, Uzbekistan, along with much of Central Asia, was annexed by the Soviet Union. The government of Turkestan was formed when the Soviet Union annexed the first of the Uzbek territories. And then, when they annexed the entire country in 1924, it became known as the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. The country remained part of the USSR for around 70 years.

During the Second World War, Uzbekistan welcomed thousands of Soviet families, Russifying the country in the process. It saw a rapid development of the cotton industry, as became the main cash crop between 1960 and 1980. It had a catastrophic impact on the environment. The fields were irrigated by the Amu Darya and Syr-Daria Rivers, which became a contributing factor to the Aral Sea drying up. 

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@ flickr cc Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

Uzbekistan from independence onwards

In 1991, Uzbekistan gained its independence and became a member of the Community of Independent States. After a short period during which civil rights improved, Islam Karimov was voted into power and implemented an authoritarian regime. Different rebel movements mounted an opposition, the results being violent clashes and even terrorist attacks. The President used these uprisings as a way of further enforcing oppression. Uzbekistan was subject to censorship. The state arbitrarily arrested people and used torture. Numerous people were sentenced to death. Karimov was re-elected in 2000 and again in 2007. The elections of 2009-2010 didn't change a thing. According to international monitors, all parties that stood supported the Head of State and his policies. Doubts remain as to the viability of the international observers.

Since 2003, Karimov has been actively forging links with Vladimir Putin. In 2006, the country joined the EAEC - he Eurasian Economic Community. In 2005, the Uzbek government ruthlessly supressed a public protest, turning it into a bloodbath known today as the Andijan massacre.