OVERVIEW OF UZBEK HISTORY AND CULTURE

Among the Turkestan Turkish tribes, one of the ethnic groups whose languages and literatures are studied the most is the Uzbeks. There is Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in the east of today’s Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan in the west and north, Afghanistan and Tajikistan in the south. A part of the Amu Darya River forms its border with Turkmenistan. While the Ust Yurt Plateau is located in the east of the country, the Turan Depression and the Kızıl Kum Desert occupy an important place. One end of the Tanrı Mountains reaches up to Uzbekistan. However, it is written in historical documents that Chingiz Khan gave his grandson Şiban the east of the Urals, Aktübe and Turgay as a homeland before he died. Therefore, it is worth noting that the people of Şiban and the masses under Öz Bek Han’s command were later called Uzbeks because they helped Öz Bek Han. Today, the width of cotton-producing lands in the Republic of Uzbekistan exceeds 30 million hectares. Although the amount of cotton planted land has been slightly reduced in favor of increasing food production, the government of Uzbekistan sees cotton as the main commodity that the country can offer to the world economy. In addition, livestock is an important source of income. Uzbekistan has made many innovations in this short period of time. Most importantly, it put its own money into circulation, foreign capitals and investors were encouraged, trade, banks and insurance laws were amended and rearranged. Furthermore, the geography of Uzbekistan has harbored the development of Turkish culture and folklore for centuries due to the Turkish language and its center. The Uzbekistan region has the most rooted structure of Turkestan in terms of education. Especially after independence, cultural and educational activities in Uzbekistan began to develop very rapidly. Uzbek Turks have brought thousands of works to Turkish culture so far. Today, due to the old Russian cultural policies, although the Uzbek Turks have aspirations to become a separate nation, historical truths can never be changed. Although Soviet Russia created a national identity in Uzbekistan, as in all Turkestan, they assimilated the Turkish national culture. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Uzbeks, with the enthusiasm and excitement of being freed from the oppression of the Russian and Bolshevik administration, turned to return to their roots at full speed to strengthen their selves that they had never lost. Despite their economic difficulties, they are repairing historical buildings, mosques, tombs, madrasas, which are a part of their essence and bright past, and constructing new mosques. As a result of years of atheist propaganda campaigns, they are trying to teach the rules of the Islamic religion and the principles of the Qur’an to the old and new generations whose religious knowledge is lacking. Especially after independence, cultural and educational activities in Uzbekistan began to develop very rapidly. One of the indicators of this is the education agreements they made with Turkey. After the sovereignty of Uzbekistan, around 2000 students were sent to Turkey, and they received education in Turkey for two years. The population of Uzbekistan is around 34.5 million according to 2020 estimates. The important cities of this Turkish republic with a surface area of 447,400 km² are the capital city Tashkent, Samarkand, Fergana, Bukhara, Karshi, Urgench, Nukus, Andican and Namangan. There is also the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpak within its borders, and the population of this region, which is about 165,000 km², is around 1,850,000. There are over 80 cities in Uzbekistan, and the country is administratively divided into 12 provinces (oblasts). Among the newly independent Turkish Republics, after Azerbaijan, the country with the most Turkish and Muslim population (80 %) is Uzbekistan.