From political confrontation to civil war, 19911992. It has been under the rule of various empires throughout history, mostly the persian empires. Strictly speaking, the history of tajikistan as a nation begins as recently as 1991, when the tajik soviet socialist republic part of the former ussr became an independent country. The majority of the population speaks the turkish language. To read about the background to these events, see history of tajikistan. In 1929 tajikistan was made one of the component republics of the soviet union tajik soviet socialist republic and it kept that. On september 9th, 1991 tajikistan announces its independence.
Tajikistan, a small central asian republic, collapsed into civil war almost immediately following independence, a war that killed an estimated 40,000 to 100,000 and displaced more than a million. A fastpaced chronicle of the fighting on the battlefield and the infighting in the political capitals of washington and richmond. I looked through a history textbook that is mandatory reading for school students and found only the briefest outline of the civil war. Independence and civil war tajikistan was the poorest of the soviet republics. This book explains the causes of the civil war in tajikistan with a historical narrative recognizing long term structural causes of the conflict originating in the soviet transformation of central asia since the 1920s as well as shortterm causes triggered by perestroika or glasnost and the rapid dismantling of the soviet union. This book must be read by those who wish to grasp the vagaries of central asias evolving political and cultural landscapes. Pictorial history of the campaigns and conflicts of the war between the states.
Between 20,000 and 60,000 people were killed in the first year of fighting when the war was at its peak, with most commentators judging that about 50,000 lives were lost between may and december 1992. In 1924 tajikistan became an autonomous soviet socialist republics of the soviet union, the tajik assr, within uzbekistan. On june 6, 1995 the united states institute of peace organized a forum on the tajikistan conflict to explore prospects for negotiations and an end to the war. The common soldier of the civil war paperback 64 pages. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the soviet union, and experienced a civil war between political, regional, and religious factions from 1992 to 1997. On 26 march 2000, tajikistan disbanded its national reconciliation commission nrc, created to implement 1997 peace accords ending the civil war. This is the first report on tajikistans civil war in qishloq ovozi. The most important contribution of epkenhans unique book, one hopes, is a lesson from history and the importance of avoiding violence and seeking peaceful change rather than war. American civil war gettysburg history book lot ebay. Tajikistan, officially republic of tajikistan, tajik tojikiston or jumhurii tojikiston, tajikistan also spelled tadzhikistan, country lying in the heart of central asia. This book is a historical study of the tajiks in central asia from the ancient times to the postsoviet period. In 1992 critical political conflict on the ground of regionalclan conflicts burst out which led to civil war.
Jun 23, 2017 lets recall how brutal tajikistan s 199297 civil war really was. Tim epkenhansbook is an exceptional and very important study on the. Civil war in tajikistan witness history in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the ussr, a civil war erupted in tajikistan, a central asian country bordering afghanistan. The long echo of tajikistans civil war the iranian. The history of the civil war in tajikistan academic studies press. Dont forget to like if you liked, and subscribe if. More than ninetenths of tajikistans territory is mountainous. I hope that you enjoy watching it, and maybe even learn something in the process. London, 28 january 1999 rferl the civil war in tajikistan from 1992 to 1997 illustrates the problems faced by russian policymakers in adapting. Tajikistan time line chronological timetable of events. The long echo of tajikistans civil war opendemocracy. Reuel hanks, professor of geography, oklahoma state university, and editor of the journal of central asian studies. Because less than 7% of the land area is arable and cotton is the predominant crop, tajikistan imports approximately 70% of its food. Jun 23, 2017 tajikistans civil war dragged on for over five years, leading to huge casualties.
A bitter, nearly decadelong civil war ensued, with peace eventually achieved via a unbrokered armistice in 1997. Lets recall how brutal tajikistan s 199297 civil war really was. In the subsequent civil war that raged between 1992 and 1997, tajikistan. It is bordered by kyrgyzstan on the north, china on the east, afghanistan on the south, and uzbekistan on the west and northwest. The tajik people came under russian rule in the 1860s. Tajikistan, a newly independent country situated between china and afghanistan, underwent profound political and economic changes since the breakup of the soviet union. A movie about the tajikistan civil war that i made for school. Tajikistans forgotten civil war dragged on for over five years, leading to huge casualties. The basmachi revolt broke out in the wake of the russian revolution of 1917 and was quelled in the early 1920s during the russian civil war. Over its course, between 35,000 and 157,000 people were killed, 37,500 households were destroyed. Significance of agency, but also affective geopolitics in the tajik civil war by payam foroughi.
This book is a historical study of the tajiks in central asia from the ancient times to. Central asia tajikistan the world factbook central. Political instability led to a collapsing infrastructure, corruption, and extreme poverty. Another article on the peace negotiations during the civil war is coming soon and this weeks majlis podcast. The transalay range, part of the tien shan system, reaches into the north. The beginning of a new life, nevertheless, was marked by the beginning of the civil war which even now remembered with horror by the citizens of the republic. Some 600,000 people fled to neighbouring afghanistan, and. The origin of tajik statehood can be traced back to the samanide empire which, at its.
When the soviet union broke up in 1991, tajikistan became an independent state but was immediately faced with the economic problems associated with the breakdown of the centrally planned soviet economy. Tajikistans civil war dragged on for over five years, leading to huge casualties. The origins of the civil war in tajikistan is a magnificent piece of scholarship. Culture of tajikistan history, people, clothing, traditions. Less than a year after independence, tajikistan was engulfed in civil war. This book explains the causes of the civil war in tajikistan with a historical narrative recognizing long term structural causes of the conflict originating in the. In this study, the author takes the highly unusual, but very informative, approach of relying mostly on memoirsautobiographies written by the wars. See more ideas about war, military and afghanistan war. The estimated dead numbered from 50,000 to as many as 100,000. Tajikistan history civil war, 19921994 please provide your name, email, and your suggestion so that we can begin assessing any terminology changes. Jun 28, 2017 on june 28, 1997 the new york times ran a few sentences from the associated press on page two about the formal end of the tajik civil war tajikistans president and a rebel leader signed a. In 1924 tajikistan became an autonomous soviet socialist republics of the soviet union, the. When tajikistan won independence in 1991, a struggle for power between the clans developed into a civil war.
On june 28, 1997 the new york times ran a few sentences from the associated press on page two about the formal end of the tajik civil war tajikistans president and a rebel leader signed a. Over its course, between 35,000 and 157,000 people were. Tajikistanhistorycivil war, 19921994 lc linked data. The 199297 civil war severely damaged an already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. The accords set legislative elections held in march as the culmination of the peace process. Between 35,000 and 157,000 people were killed in this mountainous corner of the former soviet empire september 1991 saw tajikistan declare independence. This is a timeline of tajikistani history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in tajikistan and its predecessor states. The origins of the civil war in tajikistan by tim epkenhans. Tajikistan, a newly independent country situated between china and afghanistan, underwent profound political and economic changes since the breakup of. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of rferl. I am forever in debt to iskandar asadulloev, safar haqdod and zafar saidi, who helped and sheltered me during the civil war in tajikistan, and who have contributed to my research immensely over the past two decades.
The centennial history of the civil war, 186165, 3 vols. Civil war and state reconstruction in tajikistan the web site. Sadly the new country immediately fell into civil war a bloody and unpleasant conflict involving divided ethnic factions, regions and. The land that is now tajikistan has been lived in since 4,000 bc. The civil war continued at relatively low intensity mainly through sporadic crossborder incursions from afghanistan until june 1997, when a peace agreement was signed between the government of tajikistan and the united tajik opposition. Tajikistan simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Epkenhans deserves high praise for his contribution to the cultivation of tajik social memory.
Vehemently opposed to reunification with russia, the tajiks of the newly independent tajikistan formed the united tajik opposition to fight the nations prounification uzbeks tajikistan civil war. As many as 50,000 people have died and thousands more have been wounded and made homeless by the civil war that has raged in tajikistan, the poorest of the central asian republics of the former soviet union. Only in 1997 the basic opponents signed the piece and national consent treaty. Tajikistan civil war tajikistan got independence in on 9 september 1991 from soviet union. Jun 30, 20 the end of civil war by the end of the war tajikistan was in a state of complete devastation. Saidi, who helped and sheltered me during the civil war in tajikistan, and who. May 24, 2017 a movie about the tajikistan civil war that i made for school. As events warrant, additions will be made to this page. At that time, islamic fundamentalists wanted to create an islamic state. May 04, 2017 civil war in tajikistan witness history in 1992, shortly after the collapse of the ussr, a civil war erupted in tajikistan, a central asian country bordering afghanistan. This volume authoritatively provides the longer perspective to the unsettling events of the 1990s and skilfully explains them in terms of history, social structure, and substate identities.
Bbc world service witness history, civil war in tajikistan. President emomali rahmons supporters regularly boast of his unrivaled role in ending the conflict and bringing security and prosperity to. The war in tajikistan three years on united states. After the end of the civil conflict in june 1997, these ingos were instrumental in the reestablishment and evolution of tajik ngos after the trauma of war. If tajikistan is known outside its region, it is often for the civil war that gravely damaged it. Today, tajikistan is the poorest among the former soviet republics. Official name of country is republic of tajikistan with its capital dushanbe. This book is the result of a research project which inadvertently commenced. This page attempts to illuminate the complex history of the afghanistan civil war, which began in 1978 and, as of this writing, involved, over time, the soviet union, the united states, great britain and many other nations.
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