Adeeb Khalid

This project examines the transformation of Central Asia during the first decade of Soviet rule. Two radical visions, one Bolshevik, the other indigenous, Muslim, and nationalist, competed to reshape Central Asian society and culture in a tumultuous decade, which also saw the introduction of new technologies of rule in the region. I investigate both the competition and the overlap between these two visions in order to understand better the roots of modern Central Asia. The project is wide ranging and straddles the fields of Soviet history, Islamic studies, and postcolonial studies.