Central Asian Journal of Social Sciences and History
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The Strategic Role of Ancient Termez At The Crossroads of The Great Silk Road: Cultural Exchange, Trade, and Urban Development
Full text linkThe Surkhandarya Province situated on the cross-roads of ancient civilizations in South Uzbekistan is one of the most diverse cultural landscapes in Central Asia. This region was a crucial part of both the ancient Great Silk Road - and its corridors saw an active exchange of goods and products, religious beliefs and art. History Surkhandarya was a host for early Buddhist cultural centers such as that of Fayaztepa which was the center of the Greco-Buddhist Culture along with Khalchayan. Other notable sights include a fortified tower located in Sariosiyo and Dulmurod's house (early 19th century) built in traditional architectural style. With these monuments beside it, the region retained such strong traditions of pottery production, carpet weaving, and embroidery as defined much of its cultural identity. However, one way of doing this is by undertaking a comparative historical analysis alongside a descriptive examination of material culture. Materials The materials used in this study were archaeological and inscriptive data, archival documents, and local craft studies which were integrated to track the developments emplaced over different historical phases. Results testified that the Tavka fortress represented a customs point of the Silk Road with unique mural paintings; Karatepa and Fayoztepa Buddhist centers with multilingual inscriptions and sculptural appearance became eminent on their time, whilst Kirqqiz complex was an early scientific and astronomical institution. Although alternating periods of decline and revival occured, crafts on the local level preserved peculiar stylistic features and socio-cultural relevance. Multilayered historical and cultural heritage of Surkhandarya as a testimony to longstanding interaction, continuity of artistic traditions and spiritual history, testament of the need for preservation sites and crafts
Main Directions of People’s Diplomacy Between Uzbekistan and Germany
Full text linkThis article analyzes the role and significance of people-to-people diplomacy within the system of international relations in the context of globalization. Specifically, it offers an academic analysis of the main tools of the citizens diplomacy in the bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Germany, such as intercity cooperation, cultural days, museums, academic collaboration, and the activities of non-governmental organizations. The article also supports the role played by cultural and humanitarian relations to encourage mutual rapprochement among peoples, encouraging intercultural communication, and enhancing interstate relations
The Robbing of the Property of the Madrasas in Samarkand by the Russians
Full text linkThis article explores the confiscation of waqf and the financial weakening of the waqf supported madrasas of Samarkand following the Russian occupation of 1868. It describes how colonial reforms of taxation and administrative control over khiraj and tanob, were detrimental to the traditional Sharia based waqf system and resulted in economic constraints for religious educational institutions. While waqf revenues support mosques, schools and madrasas, few studies meticulously reconstruct how certain taxation decisions, such as property seizures, materialised through state legislation and archival practice in the Zarafshan district.
This study employs qualitative historical methodology based on archival document analysis, supplemented by source criticism and comparative legal interpretation, with source criticism and comparative legal interpretation respectively used to analyze collected documents from the National Archives of Uzbekistan. The chronology of policy shifts tentatively outlined in the first paragraph traces Kaufman’s 1868 taxation measures and the 1870 announcement, to the more formally institutional regulation in the 1886 “Regulation on the Administration of the Turkestan Region.”
The results illustrate that, in Russia, the authorities intentionally distanced the waqf courts from the direct administration of their incomes, introduced tax regulations inconsistent with the expression of will in the waqf deed, expropriated documentation related to waqfs, and diverted the revenues from madrasas, caravanserais and other waqf properties to the state treasury. For instance, the case details the confiscation of property belonging to the Yusufboy madrasa and the diversion of profit generated from previously protected income streams.
These results indicate that extracting revenue was not their only purpose, but that the gradual undermining of Islamic institutional sovereignty and local autonomy was also a key goal. Using the case of Samarkand, the article asserts that waqf property policy was a primary colonial mechanism for economic domination, cultural control, and the foundation of a colonial indifference to the future of traditional educational infrastructure
The Development of Urban Planning Culture in Khorezm in the 14th-15th Centuries
Full text linkThis article examines the process of development of urban planning culture in Khorezm during the 14th–15th centuries in connection with the consolidation of power by the Timurids. After Khiva joined the centralized empire under Amir Temur (1372-1388), the urban facilities were rebuilt, infrastructures restored, and economic life activated. Referencing available archaeological data, written reports, and material culture the study shows rebuilding of city walls with doll house scale mosques in Gurganj (Tashqala), Mizdahkon, Devkesgan Wazir and numerous other locations, along with restoration of canals for irrigation, caravan routes and gardens. The geometrically planned garden architecture and the production of Timurid ceramics, influenced by local traditions as well as more distant sources, are amongst its best-known features. The results demonstrate that if the Timurid era was one of decline, it was structured urban revival, and that it incorporated Khorezm into a broader imperial cultural and architectural system spanning Central Asia
Concepts, Connotation, And Partonymy In English And Uzbek: A Phonetic, Cognitive, And Cultural-Linguistic Analysis
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This study presents a comparative cognitive, phonetic, and cultural-linguistic analysis of concept, connotation, and partonymy in English and Uzbek. Drawing on cognitive and cultural linguistics, it argues that linguistic meaning is shaped by the interaction of mental categorization, phonetic realization, and culturally embedded values. The concept is examined as a multilayered cognitive unit, with particular focus on the contrast between happiness in English and baxt in Uzbek. While both share a common denotative core, their connotative and cultural structures reflect individualistic and collectivistic worldviews respectively. Phonetic connotation is also addressed in the study which shows how phonetic phenomena such as sound symbolism, stress and intonation affect emotional and evaluative meaning. Furthermore, partonymy is investigated as a cognitive and cultural biased semantic relation with valuable cross-linguistic variations in the organization and production of the lexicon. ConclusionsIn sum, the results of this study demonstrated that concept and connotation are combined in a pan-centric manner with partonymy forming an interdependent system by which culture-specific human experience is encoded.
 
Criticism of the Stylistic Approach and Its Levels in 'Miftah Al-‘Ulum' By Al-Sakaki
Full text linkAnalyzing the roots of many modern linguistic theories and approaches in literary criticism and contemporary linguistics is considered an important topic in contemporary literary research, especially in the old and Islamic critical heritage, due to its immense scholarly wealth.
There is no doubt that Islamic rhetoric has achieved tremendous accomplishments in the field of linguistic knowledge and the evaluation of literary discourse, under the framework of Quranic research from the time of its revelation until now. Many of the theories that emerged in Europe in the last two centuries have an Islamic character, and the basis of those theories, or at least some of their indications, were adopted from Islamic rhetoric. We also see that this issue in the theories drew its roots from the works of Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani, as explicitly stated by theorists. Although the ancient rhetoricians did not present these ideas in the form of systematic and artistic theoretical frameworks, these books and works contain the information and evidence related to methodological and innovative approaches for analyzing speech and literary texts through the remaining works of the old scholars and critics.
The book 'Miftah al-Ulum' by Al-Sakkaki holds great importance in shaping new theories. This book has been a source for many rhetorical works since its writing, and various commentaries and studies have been based on it. It continues to be considered fertile ground for deriving effects and indicators for new theories.
This article aims to identify and analyze the five foundations of class-based stylistics, encompassing five levels: rhythmic, grammatical, lexical, rhetorical, and intellectual, in this book. The result shows that the author's style and the structure of the book are closely linked to stylistics in its modern sense. The author discussed different levels of this critical branch, such as phonetic, grammatical, rhetorical, and some of its criteria in his book. It is worth mentioning that the method used in this research is descriptive-analytical
Use of Internet Platforms in the Activities of the Oliy Majlis: Current Status and Trends in Uzbekistan
Full text linkFast-growing ICTs are changing how democratic governance takes place due to increased transparency, effectiveness, and civic engagement based on digital tools, and internet platforms are now a new fact of life in core parliamentary work. We draw evidence from Uzbekistan, where national digital transformation priorities are materialized by integrating internet platforms into the activities of the Oliy Majlis, more especially institutional systems such as the Electronic Parliament, and public engagement platforms, such as My Parliament, that provide support for legislative workflows, information, and interactions between the legislature and citizens. While the development of digital governance has attracted considerable attention, research on the actual usage, users and institutional dynamics of internet platforms within the Oliy Majlis is sorely lacking, and most studies offer a major focus on the more general e-government policy or comparative international experiences. The objective of this study is to analyse existing digital practices in the different functions and processes of the Oliy Majlis, explore major trends that shape online accountability including transparency and citizen participation. The results of the analysis indicate that internet platforms are playing a growing role by enabling legislative processes to be conducted in proximity to each other, streamlining the access to parliamentary information, and promoting active feedback channels, while they also demonstrate some hurdles in terms of digital skills, equal participation opportunities, and effective implementation of e-tools. This research presents a more nuanced examination of the dual role of institutional and public-facing digital platforms in the Uzbek parliamentary context: the interplay between legislative efficiency and civic engagement. These results highlight the huge importance of improving digital literacy, encouraging public awareness and widening functionality of the platforms in order to maximise democratic participation, therefore they provide useful implications for moving towards the use of Denmark Facebook in digital parliamentary practices and democratic governance in Uzbekistan
Specific Features of Agricultural Land Use and Protection
Full text linkDue to the decisive role of agricultural land in the economic stability, food security and environmental sustainability of Uzbekistan, its rational use and legal protection are among the most urgent national priorities. Continual use, unplanned utilization, the processes of erosion, and the impoverishment of fertility of soil threaten the long-term productivity of agricultural land and ultimately the sustainability of agriculture even after reforms. The paper reflects an approach to filling the gap between the efforts of strategic planning in agricultural development and the implementation effectiveness of land protection tools, particularly in terms of ensuring protection of irrigated lands and preventing unreasonable withdrawal of land from agricultural turnover.
The methodological basis of the research includes statistical analysis of indicators of national land fund, comparative legal analysis of the land legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the systems analysis. Data as of the present day indicate that agricultural lands account for 58.41 percent of all land in the country, with agricultural businesses using more than 21.3 million hectares — including 3.74 million hectares of irrigated land. It also explains the legal formulation and classification of agricultural lands, from the differentiation of agricultural land vs. land in the service of agriculture, the irrigated and non-irrigated area.
The results reaffirm that irrigated lands are unique and should be protected; there are legal restrictions on their reclassification with some exceptions. Retrogressive comparison with Kazakhstan and Russia shows the similarity of approaches regarding the specific types of lands (agricultural land) and their state protection. Our findings are aligned with the policy emphasis on purpose based land use, lease based allocation, state support for farm fertility, transparency of land status information, and need for specialist regulatory acts that can promote the sustainable governance of land
Digital Storytelling in Cultural Heritage Communication: Preserving and Promoting Khiva’s Historical Legacy
Full text linkThere has been a gradual transition in tourism over the past few years from more traditional methods of conservation and presentation of (cultural) heritage to more digitized descriptions of heritage. Digitalisation has only recently started in Uzbekistan, and its effect on the communication of heritage remains to be seen. The research explored how digital storytelling contributes to the communication and preservation of cultural heritage in the city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. This study seeks to investigate the role of digital storytelling in the preservation and representation of Khiva cultural heritage and explore the way digital traditional storytelling techniques are used to enhance visitor engagement and accessibility. This research employed qualitative methods, comprising interviews and onsite observations at 19 historical sites. Results showed that only the Museum of Scholars utilizes digital storytelling technology, specifically multilingual videos that provide imaginative narratives of some of the nationally significant individuals. Keywords: digital media; oral history; materiality; visitor interpretation; visitor experience.Place, and Space in the 'Real' WorldThe study concluded that although traditional oral storytelling predominates across most sites, the 'inherent materiality of MacDonald's approach to oral history, rather than the digital media itself, might offer new opportunities to forge stronger links across different visitor populations with unique needs, desires, and expectations, enhancing their experience of each site as well as developing a better understanding of its significance, even enabling the sites themselves to achieve greater accessibility' - and the Israeli perspective on such an assessment. The research found that hybridizing digital storytelling with traditional ones may enhance visitor engagement and interpretive experience and not only broaden visitors' range but also address the geographic distance of Khiva from other significant cultural and historical sites in Uzbekistan, and will keep the authentic cultural heritage of Khiva intact
Impact of Campus Cohabitation on Students’ Academic Performance: A Study of Selected Institutions
Full text linkEffect of Campus Cohabitation on Students Academic Performance: a Study of Selected Institutions Of Higher Learning Cohabitation has made its way into college campuses, as more students are leaving home and engaging in romantic relationships but not marrying. Data were collected from 150 students using structured questionnaires, through descriptive survey design. Keywords: Cohabitation, financial limitation, peer pressure, emotional connection, lack of parental supervision. It also goes on to show the detrimental impact of living together on academic performance through reduced study hours, higher absenteeism and emotional tension. Further statistical analysis confirmed the correlation of cohabitation with academic performance. The study suggests that increased parental support, counseling services, institutional regulations, and financial support can help counter challenges posed by cohabitation on academics