Bolshevik Utopia and Türkistan women (1917-1953): The case of Uzbek and Kazakh - Kyrgyz

The 20th century witnessed a myriad of global transformations, marked by revolutions, two world wars, and the emergence of two imperial powers. Concurrently, this era saw the dismantling of old empires, the rise of independent nations in Asia and Africa, a surge in universal literacy rates, modernization initiatives, and the burgeoning struggle for women's rights. The Muslim and Turkish world did not remain on the sidelines of these developments and made innovations in the field of modernization and improving the social situation of women. While similar processes were continuing in Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk at the beginning of the century, an unprecedented experiment unfolded in Central Asia under Soviet rule, presenting a unique "future project" that sought to circumvent capitalism and directly transition into socialism. This audacious endeavor, transpiring in a region largely untouched by capitalism, inevitably encountered formidable challenges. With the establishment of the Soviet Union, the Turkestan region embarked on a trajectory of Western-style modernization. The Bolshevik-led rapid industrialization disrupted age-old traditional lifestyles and unsettled the foundations of the region's religious and cultural practices. Foremost among these disruptions were reforms pertaining to women's rights and their societal roles. Soviet historians, instrumental in shaping the narrative of Central Asian history, depicted the Bolsheviks as "saviours" and "enlighteners", particularly in relation to women. In contrast, Western sources adopted a more critical standpoint. The Bolshevik government, as architects of the 20th-century modernization in Central Asia, instigated profound shifts in the status of women within society. However, these cultural metamorphoses, often at odds with local traditions, posed substantial challenges for numerous women. This thesis delves into the economic, socio-political, and ideological-cultural metamorphoses experienced by Central Asian women during the first half of the 20th century. Drawing insights from both Soviet and Western sources, it scrutinizes the intricacies of the "Sovietization" process, shedding light on the difficulties encountered by women as they navigated this transformative period.