Foundation Islamic Union
Tajikistan
Official Name: Republic of Tajikistan (TJ)
Capital : Dushanbe
Important Cities: Autonomous Administration of Nagorno Badakhshan, Sogd, Hatlon
Area: 141,380 km2
Population : 9,657,000 (2021)[1]
Ethnic Structure: Tajiks have close ties with Iranians in terms of history and culture since they speak Persian and with Turks since they are Sunni Muslims. The proportion of Tajik population in the country has increased to 79.9. Uzbeks, the second largest ethnic group in the country, are mostly concentrated in the Fergana basin and their proportion of the population has decreased to 15.3 per cent. The proportion of Russians has fallen from 10.4 per cent to 1.1 per cent (2000) in twenty years. The change in ethnic composition has been influenced by the exodus of large numbers of non-Tajik groups due to the civil war (1992-1997).
Language: Tajik (official), Russian, Uzbek..
Religion: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shiite Muslim 5%.
Geographical Situation: Tajikistan is a Central Asian country with Kyrgyzstan to the north, China (East Turkestan) to the east, Afghanistan to the south and Uzbekistan to the west, with continental climate in the interior, semi-desert and polar climate in the Pamir mountains. The Pamir and Alay mountains form the landforms; the Fergana Valley lies to the north, the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh valleys to the south-west.
The country has a harsh climate due to its lack of coastline and its altitude. Inland continental, semi-desert and polar climate is observed in the Pamir mountains. Due to its mountainous and high structure, Tajikistan is rich in rivers and hydroelectric potential. Numerous rivers such as Kâfirnihân, Vahş, Penç (Aksu), Zerefşân, which form the upper courses of the Amuderya and Siriderya rivers, take their source from the sections of the mountains close to the glacier borders and their flow rates reach their highest point in late spring and early summer. In some years, floods occurring during these periods are among the most important natural disasters. Approximately 2 per cent of the country's surface area is covered with lakes. Some of the lakes such as Kayrakkum and Nurek are dam lakes. Among the natural lakes, Iskenderkul, Kulikalon, Karakul, Seres, Zorkul and Shadau are located in high areas close to the glacier border. Karakul Lake, located in the Pamir Mountains, is 3900 m. above sea level and its surface area is 380 km2.
Type of Government: Presidential Republic
Political Parties: Islamic Innovation Party, Democratic Party.
History: The Tajiks lived under the rule of the Bukhara Khanate from the 15th century until the middle of the 18th century. Then the Afghans, who captured the lands south and south-west of the Ceyhun river, imposed their domination on the Tajiks. Most of the Tajik lands fell into the hands of the Russians in the 1860s. In 1864, Russia began to put pressure on Kazakhstan through Orenburg and Siberia. In 1866 Tashkent and Khujand came under Russian control. In 1867, the governor-general of Turkestan was established in Tashkent. Governor-General Kaufman took Bukhara khanate and Samarkand in 1868. Later, the fortresses of Akmesjid, Turkestan, Shymkent, Tashkent, which were the property of the Khokand khanate, were occupied by the Russians. In 1875, the people of Khokand khanate, who could not stand Hudâyâr Khan's unjust rule and heavy taxes, revolted in Fergana. The khan's son Sayyid Nasir al-Din, who was the governor of Andijan, supported them in the hope of becoming a khan. The Russians divided the governorship of Turkestan into five administrative regions: Yedisu, Siderya, Fergana, Samarkand and Zakaspi. In these regions, 95 per cent of the population was Muslim and 5 per cent Russian and European Christians. Samarkand and Fergana were densely populated by Tajiks.
After the 1917 October revolution in Russia, part of the territory inhabited by Tajiks was annexed to the Turkestan SSR established in April 1918. In the Bukhara khanate, which included most of the territory of present-day Tajikistan, revolutionaries seized power on 23 August 1920 and established the Bukhara SHC in October. The revolutionaries captured Dushanbe and Kulyab in early 1921. Although the uprising of the people against the new government was suppressed bloodily, the uprisers continued their struggle in Eastern Bukhara under the leadership of Ibrahim Bek until 1931.
In the early 20th century, great changes also took place in the territory of Tajikistan. The construction of Central Asian railways led to the influx of Russians to Turkestan, opening factories, workshops, small businesses and banks. With the expansion of cotton cultivation in the Khujand region, a significant part of the population was employed as labourers in this sector. In 1905, there were 32,000 registered labourers in the Turkestan region and 80% of them were locals. Marxist ideas began to spread among Tajiks through immigrants and labourers from Russia, especially after the 1905 revolution in Russia. During World War I, the export of cotton and food products was banned. During the war, as a result of the demand for Turkestanis to be conscripted into the army, the increase in taxes and famine, there was a major uprising against the Russians in 1916 in the Turkestan territories, including Tajikistan. As a result of the attack on Russian immigrants and military garrisons, about 2500 immigrants and 100 soldiers were killed. The uprisings were suppressed very bloodily and thousands of innocent people lost their lives.
In August 1921, the Basmachi (Korbashi) movement started in the territory of Tajikistan under the leadership of Karategin Bey Fudayl Maksum, Ishan Sultan and Abdulkahar. The aim of the movement was to liberate the region from Soviet occupation and re-establish the Emirate of Bukhara. Enver Pasha, who arrived in Eastern Bukhara from Turkestan in October 1921, met with Turkish officers and Bashkir leader Zeki Velidi (Togan) and discussed what he could do for Turkestan. With an army of 10,000 men gathered in a short time, he captured Dushanbe in February 1922 despite the formidable defence of the Red Army troops. Enver Pasha controlled East Bukhara for a while and asked the Soviet government to recognise him. Realising the seriousness of the situation, the Bolsheviks launched an offensive against the Basmachi in June 1922; in a short time they captured Gissar, Dena, Kabadian, Kurgantepe (Gürgentepe) regions. On 14 July 1922, Dushanbe fell. Enver Pasha was forced to retreat to Kulyab, after which he was killed at the foot of the Chegan hill on the slopes of the Pamir mountains.
The economic crisis during the USSR between 1980 and 1990 increased poverty, unemployment and inflation in Tajikistan. Sending the country's resources to other republics, especially to the Russian Federation, created tension among the population. In February 1990, the news that Armenians fleeing Baku had been sent to Dushanbe instead of Armenia, and that new housing units whose owners had been previously identified had been allocated to them, led the people to take to the streets. The demonstrations began to take an anti-Russian nationalist character. Two squares of Dushanbe, Shahidon and Ozodi, were occupied by demonstrators for months. President Kahar Mahkamov was eventually forced to resign. The Supreme Parliament of Tajikistan, which convened in January 1991, elected Rahman Nebiyev as head of state until elections were held, by a vote of almost all members present. On 9 September 1991, the Upper Parliament of Tajikistan issued a declaration declaring Tajikistan's independence from the USSR, and on 2 March 1992, Tajikistan became a member of the United Nations. On 24 November 1991, Rahman Nebiyev, who had been in politics and administration since 1961, won the presidential election with 58% of the vote. However, the situation in the country started to deteriorate gradually. The decline in production during the civil unrest brought the economic crisis. Inflation increased. With the support of the Islamic Rebirth Party and the opposition, rallies were organised in cities in the southern part of the country. Crowds of people gathered in Shahidon Square in Dushanbe and looted the presidential palace. In 1992, civil unrest escalated and civil war broke out.
On 25 May 1993, during Rahmanov's interim presidency, Russia and Tajikistan signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation in Moscow, under which it was agreed that the land used by Russian military units in Tajikistan would become a permanent Russian military base. This military base is still in the country and its mandate is extended every six months. On 21 July 1994, Imamali Rahmanov was elected president in general elections, and has won subsequent elections.
The reforms that started in 1989 led to radical changes in Tajikistan. The first multi-party elections were held. The country entered a new political and economic era. Tajikistan declared its independence in 1991 and joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
As soon as Tajikistan declared its independence, three main opposition groups in the country started to struggle against the rulers. These were the pro-western Democratic Party, the Rastohen National Front, which wanted to bring Islamic rule back to Tajikistan, and the Islamic Innovation Party, which was banned as soon as it was founded. As a result of the protests, many demands of the opposition were accepted. The Communist Party was banned and the Islamic Innovation Party gained legal status. During the elections, Nabiyev resigned from the presidency. However, Nabiyev won the presidential elections held on 24 November 1991.
Internal Problems: The poor economic situation in Tajikistan, which is the poorest among the Central Asian republics, causes unrest.
Islamism in the Country: Islam entered the territory of Tajikistan from the second half of the VIIth century through the Arabs and became widespread during the Samanids in the IXth century. 95 per cent of Tajiks are Muslims and follow the Hanafi sect. Approximately 300,000 people living in the mountainous Bedakhshan region are Ismaili. There are around 2800 mosques and masjids in the country. Mevlânâ Yâkub in Dushanbe and Sheikh Muslihuddin mosques in Khujend are the biggest mosques of Tajikistan. Twenty madrasas in the country train imam-hatip. Imam Tirmizî University in Dushanbe was established in 1990 and is the only Islamic university in the country. Around 1000 Tajik youth receive Islamic education in Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and various Arab countries. The Mufti's Office was closed down after the civil war and an organisation called the Islamic Centre was established in its place.
During the communist war against religion, Muslims often practised their worship in secret and children had to learn religion lessons from their grandfathers and fathers as madrasas were closed down. Although mosques in the cities and villages were closed, Islam continued to exist in these areas during the Soviet period, since most of the population lived in the villages and the country was very mountainous. In the Soviet era, only seventeen mosques were open for worship and the mullahs working in them were studying at the Mîr Arab Madrasah in Bukhara, Tashkent Islamic University and theological faculties in Arab countries. In the same period, imams, šān and muderris were considered parasites of society and were executed or sent to labour camps in Siberia. Tajikistan is one of the countries where research on the extermination policy carried out against intellectuals, especially religious scholars during Stalin's time, is not allowed.
Tajik youth, influenced by the Islamic revolution in Iran and the jihad movement against the Soviet army in Afghanistan, entered into religious organisation under the leadership of Said Abdullah Nûri since 1978, and twenty-four leaders of this movement were sentenced to various prison sentences within the framework of investigations carried out between 1985-1987. As of 1980, mosques started to be opened unofficially and mullahs started to operate in their houses. In 1991, 130 large mosques and around 2,000 village mosques and masjids were open for worship in the country, and 150 madrasas offered religious instruction. Among Tajiks, the tradition of 'ishanism' is widespread and the Naqshbandi order is the most widespread sect. The activities of the Islamic Revival Movement of Uzbekistan, Hizbü't-tahrîr, Salafiyya and Jamaat-i Tebliğ groups, which have made great efforts to spread their ideas among the Muslims of Tajikistan, have been banned, and some members of this community were arrested in 2009.[2]
Economy: Natural resources, Hydro energy, oil, uranium, mercury, coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold. Agricultural products, Cotton, cereals, fruits, grapes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, goats. Agriculture is in the first place in the economy of Tajikistan. A large part of cotton cultivation is done with irrigation. Livestock farming also has an important place in the country's economy. Small cattle breeding and silkworm breeding are common. Floriculture is common.
Currency: Somoni (SM)
National Income per Capita: 839 USD[3]
Export Products: Aluminium, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles.
Export Partners: Liechtenstein 26%, Uzbekistan 20%, Russia 8%.
Import Products: Electricity, petroleum products, aluminium oxide, machinery and parts, foodstuffs.
Import Partners: Europe 32.3%, Uzbekistan 29%, Russia 13.6%
Industry: Aluminium, zinc, lead, chemicals, fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, refrigerators and freezers.
Transport: Railways: 480 km (1990), Highways: 29,900 km (1990),
Pipelines: Natural gas 400 km
Health: The majority of the population lives in small villages called 'barracks'. Most of the barracks have schools, health, shopping and cultural centres.
Education: Education is free of charge and compulsory between the ages of 7-17. There are many secondary education institutions and higher schools providing vocational education in the country. Tajikistan Academy of Sciences was established in 1951 and has 18 institutes.
In 1928 the Latin alphabet was introduced in Tajikistan, and in 1940 Cyrillic letters were adopted. In 1937-1938 the number of institutes and universities reached five and the number of technical schools twenty-eight; at that time there were about 4500 students in higher education. From 1938 onwards, the study of Russian was compulsory in schools, and in the following year the first medical school was opened in Dushanbe. According to the latest data, the literacy rate in the country is 99 per cent. The education policy determined during the Soviet Union is being implemented. Education is allocated a large share from the budget. One of the most important institutions of higher education in Tajikistan is the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, which comprises eighteen institutes. The Academy's Institute of Manuscripts holds 13,000 manuscripts. There are thirty-three institutions of higher education in Tajikistan, and the language of instruction is largely Russian.
Membership in International Organisations and Institutions: AsDB (Asian Development Bank), CCC (Customs Cooperation Council), CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), EAPC (Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council). OIC[4].
[1] www.ticaret.gov.tr(November-2021)
[2] Encyclopaedia of Islam, TDV.
[3] www.ticaret.gov.tr(November-2021 Access)
[4] www.oic-oci.org
