The emerging political systems of Central Asian countries have given a new impetus to the world political scientist to add and theorise new democratic developments after the collapse of Communism. This book is a scholarly contribution which combines theory and practice of political culture and participation in the Central Asian political context. This book focuses on the Soviet and Post-Soviet development of political culture in the Central Asian region and the role of political parties, other non-political formations like the opposition, the media, civil society and ethnic minority groups who are also augmenting the process of democratisation. This book has extensively used opinions of experts from authoritative Russian, Central Asian and Indian scholars which were specially undertaken for the purpose of this book. Students, academicians, researchers, policy makers, businessmen and diplomats would be enormously benefited by this book. This book would make its humble contribution to enriching knowledge about the newly politically formed five Central Asian countries’ constitutional provisions and political practices for India’s Central Asia connect policy.

For a transition to democracy in Central Asia 3 The Tajik experience of a multiparty system - exception or norm? 21 Tajikistan at the crossroads of democracy and authoritarianism 25 Democracy and political stability in Kyrgyzstan 41 The blocked road to Turkmen democracy 59 On the problem of revival and survival of ethnic minorities in post-Soviet Central Asia 69 The Karakalpaks and other language minorities under Central Asia state rule 81 Russia and Central Asia security 97 Turkey and post-Soviet Eurasia : seeking a regional power status 117 US security policy in Central Asia after the 9/11 attack 129 Dividing the Caspian : conflicting geopolitical agendas among littoral states 147 Water politics and management of trans-boundary water resources in post-Soviet Central Asia 169 People, environment, and water security in the Aral Sea area 185 Poetry and political dissent in Central Asia from a historical perspective : the Chaghatay Poet Turdi 197 Democratization as a global process and democratic culture at Central Asia elite and grass-roots levels 215 Post-Soviet paternalism and personhood : why culture matters to democratization in Central Asia 225 Uzbek and Uyghur communities in Saudi Arabia and their role in the development of Wahhabism in present-day Central Asia 239 Turkish Islamist entrepreneurs in Central Asia 253 Epilogue : reflections on recent elections 265.

The five Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan constitute an area of increasing importance in global politics. The region currently serves as the main route for transporting American and NATO supplies and personnel into Afghanistan. Its Turkic Muslim peoples share ethnic and religious roots with China's Uighurs in neighboring Xinjiang, where some Uighurs have connections to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, fueling Beijing's already acute fears of terrorism and separatism. Perhaps most importantly, the Caspian basin holds immense reserves of oil and natural gas. Countries rich in hydrocarbons—like Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—can benefit greatly from this wealth, but often they must rely on foreign companies (usually backed by foreign governments) to develop these resources. Revolts in Kyrgyzstan (in 2005 and 2010) and Uzbekistan (in 2005); Tajikistan's civil war (in the 1990s); and continued terrorist incidents (2010–2011), strikes, and suicide bombings in Kazakhstan (in 2011) have contributed to concerns about stability in the region. In Civil Society and Politics in Central Asia, a prominent group of scholars assesses both the area's manifold problems and its emerging potential, examining the often uneasy relationship between its states and the societies they govern. A meticulously in-depth study, the volume demonstrates the fascinating cultural complexity and diversity of Central Asia. Small, landlocked, and surrounded by larger powers, Central Asian nations have become adept at playing their neighbors against each other in order to maximize their own abilities to maneuver. The essays in this book look beyond the surface of Central Asian politics to discover the forces that are working for political change and continuity in this critical region of the world.

In Visions of Development in Central Asia: Revitalizing the Culture Concept, Noor O’Neill Borbieva reflects on anthropology’s withdrawal from discussions about culture and the parallel rise of the intellectually and politically problematic discourse of “culture matters thinking,” or CMT. CMT asserts that cultures are homogeneous and that the dominant values of its culture determine a state’s socioeconomic and political trajectories. Drawing on practice theory, ecological psychology, complexity science, and poststructuralism, Borbieva urges anthropologists to revisit debates about culture in order to counteract the influence of simplistic formulations such as CMT. Through an examination of ethnographic material from Kyrgyzstan, gathered during the years she worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer and as an anthropologist, Borbieva examines how debates about culture shaped the development sector’s agenda in Central Asia. She argues that mainstream discussions of culture not only misunderstand the cultural basis of human diversity but also threaten that diversity by promoting a one-size-fits-all vision of well-being. Borbieva suggests an alternative vision, one that recognizes the profound complexity of human sociality and embraces the many forms of human thriving that grow out of our cultural differences.

Central Asia, known as the home of Tamerlane and the Silk Road, is a crossroads of great cultures and civilizations. In 1991 five nations at the heart of the region—Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan— suddenly became independent. Today they sit strategically between Russia, China, and Iran and hold some of the world’s largest deposits of oil and natural gas. Long-suppressed ethnic identities are finding new expression in language, religion, and occasional civil conflicts. Civil Society in Central Asia is a pathbreaking collection of essays by scholars and activists that illuminates the social and institutional forces shaping this important region’s future. An appendix provides a guide to projects being carried out by local and international groups.

The Routledge Handbook of Politics in Asia is designed to serve as a comprehensive reference guide to politics in Asia. Covering East, South, Southeast, and Central Asia, this handbook brings together the work of leading international academics to cover the political histories, institutions, economies, and cultures of the region. Taking a comparative approach, it is divided into four parts, including: A thorough introduction to the politics of the four regions of Asia from the perspectives of democratization, foreign policy, political economy, and political culture. An examination of the "Big Three" of Asia – China, India, and Japan – focusing on issues including post-Mao reform, China’s new world outlook, Indian democracy, and Japanese foreign policy. A discussion of important contemporary issues, such as human rights, the politics of the internet, security, nationalism, and geopolitics. An analysis of the relationship between politics and certain theoretical ideas, such as Confucianism, Hinduism, socialist constitutionalism, and gender norms. As an invaluable and all-inclusive resource, this handbook will be useful for students, scholars, researchers, and practitioners of Asian politics and comparative politics.