Jadidism Phenomenon in Central Asia

Abstract

Abstract Jadidism as a new socio-political, reform movement in Central Asia and Kazakhstan occurred at the beginning of XX century under the strong influence of the revolution of 1905 in Russia and revolution in Turkey, Iran, India of 1908-1913. Although for occurring jadidism some ground was prepared in the second half of the XIX century as a result of activity of such educators as Danish Ahmad (1827-1897), Furkat (1858-1909), Mukimi (1850-1903), Abay (1845-1904) and others. From the very beginning the Jadids were aimed to the reform of the traditional system of education of Muslim religious school, establishing new-method schools, publishing, theatre, social, and political and cultural institutions, which, under their influence, were turning into a powerful ideological weapon in the struggle against economical, moral, and political backwardness of the peoples of Turkestan more and more. They were eager to study the experience and progress of the other people of the world, especially the best practices of the Muslim reformers of the Crimea, the Volga Region, the Transcaucasia, Turkey, and Iran, who had already became aware of the progressive social and political, spiritual and cultural life of Europe. The main merit of the Jadids of Turkestan consists in the fact that they were the first to ground political arguments of the national liberation movement against Russian colonialism. The national elite of Turkestan discredited the ‘legitimacy’ of the colonial form of government, and later it served as the basis of a powerful political movement.