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London School in Bishkek
Class Syllabus – Fall Semester 2012
Course:
RUSS 372:
Understanding Central Asia
Instructors:
Time:
See Schedule
Phone:
Bermet Omurova and
Cholpon Turdalieva
Professor of AUCA, Doctor of
Historical Sciences
0996 (0312) 544474
Email:
turdalieva@gmail.com
Location: London School in Bishkek
Course Description____________________________________________
The course offers a broad overview of the cultural and social as well as the historical and religious
dimensions of Central Asia including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and
Tajikistan, in addition to Afghanistan and Xinjiang because of their influential role in greater Eurasia.
Students will be expected to keep abreast of current events in Central Asia to enhance their
understanding of the region.
The course surveys various topics within Central Asia: the ancient civilizations and religions of
Central Asia during the pre-Islamic period, the lasting influences of the various empires, khanates,
and states of Greece, Persia, East Asia, and the Middle east, the ancient divide of the nomadic
empires and settled centers, the regional trade networks known as the Silk Road (or Silk Route) and
its gradual decline, economic and cultural changes during the Soviet era following the Bolshevik
Revolution, cultural revival and redefining of nationalistic identities following independence, as well
as recent trends.
In addition to examining the cultural dimensions of each Central Asian state individually, the course
applies a regional-based approach at addressing: performing arts, visual arts, architecture, festivals,
leisure, religions, folklore, gender, courtship, marriage, media and the cinema. Throughout the
course, the implications of the role of family, ethnic identity, tribalism, nationalism, and attitudes
towards society will be addressed.
Extensive use of audio-visual materials, including music, videos, and other illustrated materials will
be incorporated into the course.
Learning Goals and Outcomes________________________________________
This course will:
•
•
•
•
•
provide basic knowledge of ethnological and historical material on Central Asian countries
introduce students to contemporary research on the subjects
explore the role of the Soviet period in the development of the Central Asian region
encourage students to establish their own critically formed opinions
give students the opportunity to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills by
exploring these issues through class discussion and a course paper
• give students an opportunity to develop their communication and presentation skills by discussing
and debating these issues
• foster independent learning
* This syllabus is subject to change
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Required Texts________________________________________________
Christian, David. A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia (Oxford, 1998).
Roy, Oliver. The New Central Asia. The Creation of Nations (Tauris Publishers, 2000).
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia (Cambridge, 2000).
Rafis Abazov, Culture and Customs of the Central Asian Republics. Culture and Customs of
Asia (Greenwood, 2007)
Seminar Outline______________________________________________
Each class/topic is two (60-minute) hours in duration and standard format is
for each hour to be divided into two sections.
.
.
Lecture on the Topic (15 Minutes)
Presentation / Article Readings / Discussion (45 Minutes)
Attendance is also required for Guest Speaker, Discussion Panel, and News
Reading sessions as scheduled for this course.
Grading________________________________________________________________
The final course grade will be determined based on the following distribution:



Participation: 20%
o Attended and on time for classes: 5%
o Polite, active participation in class discussions: 10%
o Polite, active participation in Q&A for other students' presentations: 5%
Mid-term presentation: 30%
Final draft of policy paper: 50% (See separate handout.)
The grading scale is as follows:
93-100 A
90-92 A-
88-89 B+
83-87 B
80-82 B-
78-79 C+
73-77 C
70-72 C-
68-69 D+
65-67 D
64 & below F
Mid-term presentation and Policy Recommendation Paper ________________
See separate Final Paper Assignment: Writing Guide for SRAS Courses.
* This syllabus is subject to change
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Class Participation______________________________________________________
The first requirement to receive the participation portion of your grade is attendance. The
second requirement is that you must actively contribute to class discussions. You are also
expected to take notes during guest lecturers and panel discussions in addition to each
class.
In terms of class discussions, please maintain an atmosphere of respect; however, feel free
to disagree with the instructor and your classmates as long as the discussion is conducted in
an intelligent and scholarly manner. Please refrain from using cell phones and laptops
during class.
Current Events_________________________________________________________
As a requirement of the course, students must frequently read news pertaining to Central
Asia. Current event discussions will be conducted throughout the duration of the course
with a focus on their cultural significance and implications. Students should prepare two
article readings of their own for each discussion. The following news sources will provide
the basis for discussion; however, students are also free to use their own sources:

http://www.eurasianet.org/
EurasiaNet provides information and analysis about political, economic,
environmental and social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the
Caucasus, as well as in Russia, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.

http://iwpr.net/programme/central-asia/
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an international media
development charity with several media outlets in Central Asia. Additionally, IWPR
has weekly radio programs for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan providing 15 minutes of
analysis on current political and social themes.

http://www.rferl.org/section/Central+Asia/172.html
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL) journalists report the news in 21 countries,
including Central Asia, where a free press is banned by the government or not fully
established and provides: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open
debate.

http://www.times.kg/
* This syllabus is subject to change
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Academic Honesty______________________________________________________
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at the London School in Bishkek. Each of the
following will be considered as plagiarism:
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
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Copying directly from a source without quotations and source citation;
Paraphrasing or summarizing another’s idea without attribution;
Changing a sentence’s structure but copying words;
Changing a sentence’s words but copying its basic structure;
Using media sources without acknowledgement;
Submitting a paper written by another student and claiming it as your own;
Using information obtained through interviewing an expert without attribution;
Purchasing or downloading a paper and claiming it as your own;
Collaborating excessively on an essay with another person;
Submitting an essay that was previously written for another class.
The consequence of students found guilty of plagiarism will vary, depending on the severity
of the offense. However; blatant plagiarism, will not be tolerated and will result in
immediate failure of the course.
* This syllabus is subject to change
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Course and Topical Outline______________________________________________
PART I.
STUDYING THE ANCIENT TIME FROM INSIDE:
THE EMERGENCE OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN CIVILIZATION
Class 1 – Topic:
Course Introduction
Student introductions, overview of the course, expectations and
requirements.
Assigned Readings:
Class 2 – Topic:
N/A
What is History? Synthesizing the Local, Regional, and World Histories
What is history? Who is a historian? What is historical source? Why is it
important to study history? What is historiography? How does the history of
Central Asia relate to the world history? What are the approaches and
subfields of history you know and how do they explain the events in the
past? Do you agree with the definition of Edward Carr that history is
“continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an
unending dialogue between the present and the past”?
Assigned Readings:
Historical
images
and
maps
of
old
Central
http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/,
http://www.angelfire.com/nb/russianmaps/latin/index.htm
Carr, Edward. What is History (N-Y, 1990), pg. 7-30
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia (Cambridge, 2000), pg. 3-29.
Asia
Class 3 – Topic: Before the First Written Record
Why are the Stone and Bronze Ages called prehistory? How do we know
about those periods in the world history? When did first humans appear in
Central Asia? Where did they come from? What lifestyle and economies did
they lead? What art did they develop?
Assigned Readings and Film:
Film: Tamgaly (UNESCO project, 2007).
Images
of
Altamira
rock
art
in
Spain
at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtDRA5emVqo&feature=related
Christian, David. A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia (Oxford,
1998), pg. 99-121.
Class 4 – Topic: First Civilizations, States, and Polities in Central Asia
* This syllabus is subject to change
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What is civilization? How did Herodotus and Strabo describe
Scythians/Sakas? Who were Wusuns? What kind of political organization
was the Davan state and its relationships with others? What were the
relationships between those nomadic and sedentary societies? What was
their lifestyle and traditions?
Assigned Readings:
Herodotus,
History,
trans.
George
Rawlinson,
Book
IV,
http://classics.mit.edu/Herodotus/history.4.iv.html (in the folder).
Christian, David. A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia (Oxford,
1998), pg. 123-157.
Tashbaeva, K. “Localization of the Cities of the Davan State”. Civilizations of
Nomadic and Sedentary Peoples of Central Asia (Samarkand-Bishkek, 2005),
pg. 155-166.
PART II
THE ENLIGHTMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA:
Class 5 – Topic: Turks: The Creation of the New Identity and Culture
In the sixth century the region of Central Asia experienced the arrival of new
tribes. The new migrants were different from the old population of Central
Asia by appearance, language spoken, and lifestyle. Their name was Turks.
Who were Turks? Where did they come from? What states did they
establish? Why did they succeed?
Assigned Readings:
Turkic inscriptions at http://irq.kaznpu.kz/?lang=e&mod=1 (Kul Tegin,
Tonyukuk).
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 51-69.
Barfield, T. The Nomadic Alternative (Prentice Hall, 1993), pg. 136-159.
Class 6 – Topic:
The Golden Age in Eurasia and the Creation of the First Islamic State in
Central Asia
One of the Turkic dynasties that established the biggest and the most
glorious state in Central Asia was the Qarakhanids. Who were the
Qarakhanids? Where did they come from? What religion did they make the
official religion? What was the role of Islam in the political unification and
cultural revival of Central Asia? What progress did the Qarakhanids achieve
in art, poetry, architecture?
Assigned Readings:
Balasaguni, Yusuf. Beneficent Knowledge, trans. Walter May (Bishkek, 1998).
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 83-92.
* This syllabus is subject to change
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Class 7 – Topic: The Leadership of Yenisei Kyrgyz in Eurasia
There are a lot of debates going on about the origin of Kyrgyz living on the
territory of Kyrgyzstan today. The reason was that historical sources
recorded two communities under the same name but living in different
regions and different time periods. Who were those Kyrgyz living on the
Yenisei River in 7-13th centuries? Were those Kyrgyz the ancestors of the
present-day Kyrgyz formed on the Tien Shan Mountains? Did the Yenisei
Kyrgyz have any relation with the present-day Kyrgyz? What was the role of
Barsbek in the political life and diplomacy of Eurasia? What is the
connection between Manas Kyrgyz epic and the Great Kyrgyz Empire in the
9-10th centuries?
Assigned Readings:
Yenisei inscriptions at http://irq.kaznpu.kz/?lang=e&mod=1
Syma Tsan, Historical Notes (in the folder).
Akerov T. Ancient Kyrgyz and the Great Steppe (Bishkek, 2007), pg. 85-103.
Map quiz! To prepare for a map quiz work with the interactive map at:
http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/maps/mapquiz/mapquiz.html “Water
and Mountains-East” and the “Cities of the Silk Road”.
PART III
THE MONGOL INVASION:
A COLLIDING/COLLUDING LEGACY OF CENTRAL ASIA
Class 8 – Topic:
Mongolian Dynasties in Central Asia
The Mongols led by Genghis Khan invaded Central Asian region in the 13th
century. Why did they succeed? What were the implications of the Mongol
invasion for Central Asia and other regions affected? What states emerged
in Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan as a result? What kind of identity developed
in Central Asia?
Assigned Readings and Film:
The
Secret
History
of
the
Mongols,
Chapter
http://altaica.narod.ru/shengl.htm (in the folder)
William of Rubruck's Account of the Mongols (in the folder)
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 103-122
Film: Chinghiz Khan
Class 9 – Topic:
1,
at
Renaissance in Post-Mongolian Period
Timur established one of the greatest empires after the Mongol invasion. It
was the most glorious empire of that time. Science, art, literature developed
a lot thanks to the scholars and other prominent people invited by the
Timurids. What was so significant about the Empire of Timur? What people
* This syllabus is subject to change
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ruled the empire? What relations did it have with Mogholistan, the state
that existed on the present-day territory of Kyrgyzstan in 14th century?
Assigned Readings:
Clavijo, Embassy to Tamerlane in 1403-1406, trans. Guy Le Strance, (New
York & London, 1928). The whole electronic version of this source can be
found at http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/clavijo/cltxt1.html
Soucek, Svat. A History of Inner Asia, pg. 123-148.
Class 10 – Topic:
The Ethnic Processes in Central Asia and Formation of Nations
In the 15th and early 17th centuries the Central Asian tribal confederations
and dynastic clans chose the people grouping. The nomads and settlers
identified themselves as members of concrete nation. What kind of factors
did influence such transitions and who led the ideology of integrity and
centralization of power?
Assigned Readings:
Mirza Muhammad Haidar, Tarikh-i-Rashidi (in the folder)
Anderson Benedict Imagined Communities (New York: Verso, 2006) Ch.3.
pg.37-46
Class 11 – Topic:
Process of State Formation in Central Asia in 17-19th centuries
Relationships between the people of Central Asia, domination of the Kokand
khanate, Bukhara and Khiva emirates, integration of three tribal unions
(Djuz) in Kazakhstan )
Class 12 – Topic:
Central Asia as Part of the Russian Empire
Preconditions for the incorporation of Central Asia into the Russian Empire;
political and economic reasons, peaceful and violent processes of
incorporation. Central Asia after invasion.
Class 13 –Topic:
Kyrgyz and Kazakh Culture. Epical Traditions. Preservation.
The “seven cultural highlights” of Kyrgyz culture, music, handicrafts,
etiquette, legends, symbolism, sports and games, cuisine, customs and
traditions, sayings and superstitions, and inter-ethnic conflict. The heritage
of folklore and literature of Central Asia, oral traditions including the Manas
epic, distinguished writers and poets of the pre-colonial era, the
development of Russian influenced literature, and post-soviet and modern
literature. Kazakh hospitality, customs and traditions, legends, weddings,
sports and games, cuisine, national dress, music, bazaars, decorative art,
folk Islam and pre-Islamic traditions. Similarities and differences in the
cultures of Kyrgyz and Kazakh peoples.
* This syllabus is subject to change
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Assigned Readings:
Birth of Manas and his Childhood at
http://www.silkroadfoundation.org/folklore/manas/manasse2.html (in the
folder)
Atlas of Central Asian Crafts, Bishkek, 2002, Volume 2, pg. 33-53
Lymer, Kenneth “Rags and Rock Art: The Landscapes of Holy Site Pilgrimage
in the Republic of Kazakhstan” (World Archaeology, Vol. 36, No. 1, March
2004) pg. 158-172.
Class 14 – Topic:
Student Presentation
Student presentations on pre-approved topic.
Class 15 – Topic:
Beliefs and Religions in Central Asia in Past and Present
The complex interaction of spiritual and doctrinal thought with that of
popular local traditions often based on superstition and rituals, Central Asia
as the former cradle of Islamic civilization, pre-Islamic religions:
Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Manichaeism, and Eastern Christianity as well as
Shamanism, Animism, Witchcraft, Paganism and the Turkic Pantheon. A
brief history of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in Central Asia.
Assigned Readings:
Adeeb, Khalid. The Politics of Muslim Cultural Reform. Jadidism in Central
Asia (Berkeley, 1998), pg. 80-113
Abazov, Rafis “Culture and Customs of Central Asian Republics” (Greenwood
Press, London 2007) pg. 59-77
Class 15 – Topic:
Gender, Kinship and Marriage
The romanticisation of Central Asian women, women’s attire among rural
and urban centers, contrasts in female gender roles, social status of women,
marriage traditions, arranged marriages, women’s rights under Islamic
Shariah law, Soviet influence on gender roles, women in public life, dating
and matchmaking, family life, and recent trends.
Assigned Readings:
Werner, Cynthia, The Rise of Nonconsensual Bride Kidnapping in Post-Soviet
Kazakhstan in The Transformation of Central Asia. State and Societies from
Soviet Rule to Independence (London, 2004) pg. 68-89
Kane, Danielle, Duke University and Ksenia Gorbenko, University of
Pennsylvania, States and Women’s Rights in Central Asia,
http://www.yale.edu/ccr/kane.pdf
Abazov, Rafis “Culture and Customs of Central Asian Republics” (Greenwood
Press, London 2007), pg. 213 – 230.
* This syllabus is subject to change
10
Class 17 – Topic:
Cultural Diversity of Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s multi-cultural and multi-lingual tribal society, religion,
languages, national and religious holidays, inter-ethnic and regional conflict,
cuisine, sport, education, national dress, music, and poetry.
Assigned Readings:
Tahir Amin, "Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Central Asian States," in Ali
Banuazizi and Myron Weiner, eds., The New Geopolitics of Central Asia,
Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1994, pg. 221-256
Starr S. Frederick. A “Greater Central Asia Partnership” for Afghanistan and
Its Neighbors (Washington, D.C.: Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk
Road Studies Program, 2005), pg. 11
Class 18 – Topic:
Ethnic Minorities of Central Asia
The history of ethnic minorities in Central Asia and the self-presentation of
their cultural identity, the state policy towards the international policy
marginalization and the nationless peoples of Central Asia including the
politically and religiously persecuted Uyghurs and the high unemployment
and generally poor living conditions of the Karakalpaks.
Assigned Readings:
Werner, Cynthia The New Silk Road: Mediators and Tourism Development in
Central Asia in Ethnology, Vol. 42, No. 2 (Spring, 2003), pp. 141-159.
University of Pittsburgh- Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
at http://www.jstor.org. .Accessed: 31/01/2012.
Gladney C. Dru. Islam in China: Accommodation or Separatism? In The China
Quarterly, No. 174, Religion in China Today (Jun., 2003), pp. 451-467.
Cambridge University Press on behalf of the School of Oriental and African
Studies at http://www.jstor.org/stable/20059003 .Accessed: 31/01/2012.
Class 19 – Topic:
Performing Music of Central Asia
Influences on traditional music of Central Asia, the Sovietization and
“cultural modernization” of national music, simplistic nomadic musical
expression vs. developed and highly sophisticated musical traditions of the
settled centers, classification and demonstration of traditional instruments,
traditional musical systems, the rise of Western musical influences and
globalization, influences on dance as a performing art and notable styles,
the development of theater, and contemporary music.
Assigned Readings:
Sultanova, Razia Music and Identity in Central Asia: in Ethnomusicology
Forum, Vol. 14, No. 2, Music and Identity in Central Asia (Nov.,2005), pp.
131-142 at http://www.jstor.org. Accessed: 31/01/2012.
* This syllabus is subject to change
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Abazov, Rafis “Culture and Customs of Central Asian Republics” (Greenwood
Press, London 2007) pg. 105-129.
Audio material on CD: Music of the Silk Road.
Class 20 – Topic:
Architecture of Central Asia
Introduction to Central Asian architecture, ancient architecture, Islamic
(including Timurid) architecture, Persian architecture, the tsarist and Soviet
era of architecture, nomadic housing, and modern architecture.
Assigned Readings:
Abazov, Rafis “Culture and Customs of Central Asian Republics” (Greenwood
Press, London 2007) pg. 191 – 211.
Visiting an open air museum in front of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of
KR.
Class 21 – Topic:
Media and Cinema of Central Asia
The influences on media, the press, the challenges of investigative
journalism, censorship, self-censorship, state propaganda, the development
of radio, trends in television, the beginnings of cinema, its challenges, and
modern dimensions, the emergence and importance of the Internet and
social networking.
Assigned Readings:
Abazov, Rafis “Culture and Customs of Central Asian Republics” (Greenwood
Press, London 2007) pg. 133 – 159.
Film. Documentary cinema of post-Soviet Central Asia.
* This syllabus is subject to change