Participation of Tatar intellectuals in cultural events in Turkestan (late 19th – early 20th centuries)

The article discusses participation of Tatar intellectuals in civil events in the Turkestan region in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. At that time, modernization movements in Turkestan were widely spread. The initiatives aimed at developing the socio-cultural life of Turkestan received a significant support from Tatar intellectuals, along with contemporary educational institutions. Expansion of the Tatar diaspora in Central Asia has a long history. By the end of the 19th century, Tatars were actively involved in social, economic, and political events in the region. In the early 20th century, Tatar national intellectuals also actively participated in opening new schools and contributed to the development of the press and the theater scene in Turkestan. Because of the reform movements that appeared in the Muslim world, publishing activities and the press flourished in the Kazan Province. National newspapers and journals were launched, some of which were also present in Turkestan. These publications informed the Muslim population living within the empire about the latest developments in both internal and external affairs. Similar national press publications were also introduced in Turkestan. The adoption of innovative teaching methods in certain madrasas in the Kazan Province marked a significant improvement in the higher education system. These changes contributed to the advancement of civil life in the Muslim world of the Russian Empire. The given article analyzes historical events in Uzbekistan from the late 19th to early 20th centuries based on a number of archival documents, press materials, sources, and scholarly literature.