Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan

by Kamoludin Abdullaev

Overview

Tajikistan is the poorest and only Persian-speaking country among the post-Soviet independent states. Historically, the Tajiks of Central Asia and Afghanistan along with the Persians of modern Iran came from a related ethnic group. When the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established in late 1924, it became the first modern Tajik state that remained one of the 15 union republics of the Soviet Union until 1991. Almost immediately after the collapse of the USSR, Tajikistan became a scene of brutal civil war, taking place in one of the global hubs of religiously motivated political struggle, militancy, mass cross-border refugee flows, insurgency, and drug trafficking. During the first decade of the 21st century, the country was making modest progress toward stability. However, the heavy burden of socio-economic problems, in addition to continuing conflict in the neighboring Afghanistan-Pakistan, presented even bigger challenges for Tajikistan. In addition, Western economic sanctions against Russia in 2014, coinciding with continuing lower oil prices, have negatively affected one million of Tajik labor migrants in Russia. Yet Tajikistan has become neither weaker nor less important as a player in world politics.

This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 800 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Tajikistan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538102510
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/10/2018
Series:	Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	648
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.56(d)

About the Author

Kamoludin Abdullaev is an independent historian from Tajikistan who studied and taught the modern history of Central Asia for more than 40 years. Since 1992, he has been a policy analyst and independent consultant in international non-governmental research organizations involved in conflict resolution, conflict prevention, peace-building, civil society building and education in Central Asia. He has taught courses on modern Central Asia from a multidisciplinary perspective at Yale University and the Ohio State University from 2001-2013. He has written, co-written, or edited eight books including Ot Sintsiana do Khorasana. Iz Istorii Sredneaziatskoi Emigratsii 20 veka (From Xingjiang to Khurasan: From the History of the 20th Century Central Asia's Emigration).

Table of Contents

Editor's Foreword Jon Woronoff
Preface
Reader's Note
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Map
Chronology
Introduction
THE DICTIONARY
Appendixes:

1. Main Macroeconomic Indicators of Tajikistan, 1995-2008
2. Main Economic Indicators: Trade
3. Main Services
4. Main Macroeconomic Indicators of Tajikistan, 2014-2016
5. Selected Macroeconomic and Social Indicators, 2014-2019
6. Administrative and territorial units of Tajikistan as of 1 January 2014
7. Territory, population and density in Tajikistan as of 1 January 2014
8. Permanent residents in regions of Tajikistan from 1970 -2014
9. National composition of Tajikistan according to state censuses 1926-2000
10. Natural Reserves and National Parks
11. Vakhsh River Cascade of Hydroelectric Power Plants (HEP)
12. Governments of Tajikistan

Bibliography
About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

The overall structure of the third edition of this well-received dictionary remains the same. It still features an A–Z format with useful cross-references. Along with these entries comes a valuable, thorough introductory essay that gives an overview of the history of the nation. There remains a detailed chronology, particularly for the 21st century. There is also an extensive bibliography, separated into different sections, such as the arts or the economy. It is clear Abdullaev sought to update this work across all sections. The appendixes were expanded and provide more information than previous editions. Both the bibliography and the chronology have new material. There are additional entries on culture and society and on earlier periods of Tajikistan history.. .. This source is recommended, particularly for scholars and libraries that focus on the Central Asian region. Recommended.

Choice Reviews

The overall structure of the third edition of this well-received dictionary remains the same. It still features an A–Z format with useful cross-references. Along with these entries comes a valuable, thorough introductory essay that gives an overview of the history of the nation. There remains a detailed chronology, particularly for the 21st century. There is also an extensive bibliography, separated into different sections, such as the arts or the economy. It is clear Abdullaev sought to update this work across all sections. The appendixes were expanded and provide more information than previous editions. Both the bibliography and the chronology have new material. There are additional entries on culture and society and on earlier periods of Tajikistan history.. .. This source is recommended, particularly for scholars and libraries that focus on the Central Asian region. Recommended.

Choice

The overall structure of the third edition of this well-received dictionary remains the same. It still features an A–Z format with useful cross-references. Along with these entries comes a valuable, thorough introductory essay that gives an overview of the history of the nation. There remains a detailed chronology, particularly for the 21st century. There is also an extensive bibliography, separated into different sections, such as the arts or the economy. It is clear Abdullaev sought to update this work across all sections. The appendixes were expanded and provide more information than previous editions. Both the bibliography and the chronology have new material. There are additional entries on culture and society and on earlier periods of Tajikistan history.. .. This source is recommended, particularly for scholars and libraries that focus on the Central Asian region. Recommended.

CHOICE

Abdullaev (Politics of Compromise) and Akbarzadeh (U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East) explore the origin and culture of Tajikistan by assembling profiles of the countries, regions, movements, politics, and figures impacting the nation's genesis and progression toward autonomy. Alphabetized entries run from several lines to several paragraphs long and make frequent cross-references, often using Tajiki terms that are elsewhere defined. Opening the book is a detailed 2000-year chronology and a 40-page survey of the country's land, people, religions, and political tensions.--Library Journal

Part of the Scarecrow Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania and the Middle East series, this reference work covers one of the lesser-known 'stans, ' a landlocked nation bordering Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and China. Although Tajikistan has experienced nation-building problems similar to those of other Central Asian republics that became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it still has a distinct culture, history, and language. The work features A-Z entries covering important individuals, places, events, and ethnic groups along with other political, social, and cultural material. An introductory essay provides useful background information; a chronology, bibliography, and some appendixes supplement the reference value of the work. This second edition updates and revises much content since the publication of the 2002 volume. But the authors also felt that a newer edition might better educate readers to understand that 'Central Asia is not a conglomeration of homogenous 'stans' that should be lumped together.' Libraries that don't own the earlier edition might consider obtaining this well-researched work.--Booklist

This work is recommended for all library country study collections.--American Reference Books Annual, May-August 2010

From the Publisher

The second edition (1st, CH, Jun'02, 39-5546) of this handy reference work furnishes updated entries and new articles on places and subjects. As Abdullaev (independent scholar) and Akbarzadeh (Univ. of Melbourne, Australia) point out, Tajikistan 'has [experienced] one of the most painful state-building attempts in post-Soviet history.' The authors encourage Western readers to consider the newly independent nations individually rather than as a conglomerate lumped together under rubrics such as 'war on terror' or 'global oil and gas politics.' They furnish a wealth of detail to introduce this fascinating country, including a chronology (2000 BCE to 2009) with an introduction to the land, geography, people, and historical epochs. Most information focuses onthe last two decades. Alphabetical entries cover political leaders, warriors, dynasties, religions, religious leaders, politicians, cultural figures, the arts, social and economic conditions, commodities, bordering countries, and more. Particularly noteworthy are brief topical essays covering macroeconomic, microeconomic, social, political, and historical issues. Appendixes address macroeconomic indicators, 1995-2008; population and labor force, 1990-2008; national accounts, 1991-2007; national ethnic po

November 2010 CHOICE

This work is recommended for all library country study collections.

May-August 2010 American Reference Books Annual

Part of the Scarecrow Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania and the Middle East series, this reference work covers one of the lesser-known 'stans,' a landlocked nation bordering Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and China. Although Tajikistan has experienced nation-building problems similar to those of other Central Asian republics that became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it still has a distinct culture, history, and language. The work features A–Z entries covering important individuals, places, events, and ethnic groups along with other political, social, and cultural material. An introductory essay provides useful background information; a chronology, bibliography, and some appendixes supplement the reference value of the work. This second edition updates and revises much content since the publication of the 2002 volume. But the authors also felt that a newer edition might better educate readers to understand that 'Central Asia is not a conglomeration of homogenous ‘stans’ that should be lumped together.' Libraries that don’t own the earlier edition might consider obtaining this well-researched work.

Booklist

Part of the Scarecrow Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania and the Middle East series, this reference work covers one of the lesser-known 'stans,' a landlocked nation bordering Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and China. Although Tajikistan has experienced nation-building problems similar to those of other Central Asian republics that became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it still has a distinct culture, history, and language. The work features A–Z entries covering important individuals, places, events, and ethnic groups along with other political, social, and cultural material. An introductory essay provides useful background information; a chronology, bibliography, and some appendixes supplement the reference value of the work. This second edition updates and revises much content since the publication of the 2002 volume. But the authors also felt that a newer edition might better educate readers to understand that 'Central Asia is not a conglomeration of homogenous ‘stans’ that should be lumped together.' Libraries that don’t own the earlier edition might consider obtaining this well-researched work.

Booklist