A study on Historical Islam and its identity in Uzbekistan: Focusing on the period from the medieval era to the Soviet era

The subject of this paper is ‘Historical Islam and its Identity in Uzbekistan: Focusing on the Period from the Medieval Era to the Soviet Era.” It discusses the historical Islam of Uzbekistan, the Central Asian nation that has most powerfully preserved its Islamic identity as a sedentary culture. The scope of the paper covers the period from the time Islam was first transmitted to Central Asia up to the Soviet era. This period is considered a critically important historical time frame for understanding the Islamic identity and trends in Uzbekistan. Chapter 2 defines the Islamic identity of Uzbekistan as a civilization before the 18th century. Chapter 3 analyzes the historical Islamic identity of the Uzbeks during the Tsarist Russian period (19th-20th centuries). Chapter 4 argues for the historical Islamic identity of Uzbekistan during the Soviet period.<br/> A thorough analysis of the historical forms of Islam in Central Asia is essential for understanding Uzbekistan Islam. It holds the most significant identity within Central Asian Islam.<br/> The core conclusion of this paper is that Uzbekistan Islam has demonstrated a civilizational identity since the Medieval period, a tradition that has consistently endured through the Tsarist Russian and into the Soviet eras. During the Tsarist Russian period and the early Soviet period, Islam exhibited a consciousness of resistance, which became the catalyst for the strong establishment of Islam in Uzbekistan today. In other words, the main finding of this paper is that Uzbek Islam, beyond the consciousness of resistance, was preserved in the form of ‘everyday Islam’ during the Soviet period, and its identity was maintained, establishing it as a powerful spiritual and moral system that persists to this day.