How to Speak about Land in a Colonial Context? The Semantics of Land Use in Central Asian Vernacular Publications

Beschreibung

Central Asian intellectuals of the early 20th century are known for their concern about the state of education and their activities in the cultural sphere. One of the most pressing topics for the majority of Central Asia’s population, especially the rural agriculturalists and pastoralists, was, however, the land question. Ever since the start of the Russian colonisation, (Slavic) settlers had been brought into the region, enticed by promises, forced or simply escaping unbearable circumstances elsewhere. The new settlements came at the expense of the indigenous rural population that increasingly lost pastures, rights of way or water. Given the centrality of this question to the livelihood of most people, it is surprising that so little scholarly attention has been devoted to this. Central Asian intellectuals at the dawn of the October Revolution also discussed this issue reluctantly. Questions of access to and use of land touched colonial interests more directly than matters of education. Still, some reformers formulated rather distinct suggestions – of course under the eyes and the censorship of an always suspicious colonial administration. To do so, they resorted to indirect speech, poetry or private conversations. Some directed their appeals to the administration, some to their own society.
This presentation will analyse the intellectual discourse on land, livelihoods and immigration drawing on sources like vernacular newspapers, pamphlets and letters written between 1910 and 1920.

Zeitraum	13 Sept. 2022
Ereignistitel	34. Deutscher Orientalistentag
Veranstaltungstyp	Konferenz
Ort	Berlin, DeutschlandAuf Karte anzeigen
Bekanntheitsgrad	International