Central Asians Under Russian Rule: A Study in Culture Change (Cornell Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Elizabeth E. Bacon (Author), Michael M. J. Fischer (Introduction)

Product Details

• Paperback: 273 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr (December 31, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801492114
• ISBN-13: 978-0801492112
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #625,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars mild mannered maven misses major material, November 26, 2007

By 

Robert S. Newman "Bob Newman" (Marblehead, Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Central Asians Under Russian Rule: A Study in Culture Change (Cornell Paperbacks) (Paperback)

Back in the bad old days of the Cold War, "China Watchers" were those unfortunate souls who parked themselves in Hong Kong and tried to figure out what was going on in China through analysis of all kinds of trivia, since real news did not reach them. They would glean bits of information from official radio and newspapers and try to build a picture of Chinese reality from it. "Kremlinologists" did the same for the USSR. Bacon's book on Central Asia, first written in 1965, harks back to that dark era, when knowledge about that vast sweep of the continent could not be had for love or money and Google Earth did not exist. Even though the book was re-issued in 1980, with an introduction by a well-known scholar, the contents remained the same. Elizabeth Bacon visited Central Asia only once, in 1934, and met some Russian anthropologists in Kazakhstan during that summer, but never conducted any anthropological studies at all. She never returned. Thus, what we have here is a compendium or handbook containing all the information about the change wrought on the peoples of Central Asia (Kazakh, Kirghiz, Karakalpak, Uzbek, Tajik, and Turkoman) by Tsarist Russian and Soviet power. She collected it from articles, newspapers, books, and other sources over the years. In addition, she deduced some of the picture by looking at "similar" situations and cultures in Iran and Afghanistan, a dicey proposition to say the least. She herself admits (p.157) that "it is often difficult to determine from the Soviet literature the extent of culture change, since descriptions tend to emphasize the Soviet ideal rather than the reality." Now THAT is an understatement if anything !

Bacon's approach derives from the one found in HRAF compendia (Human Resources Area Files of the 50s and 60s). She divides Central Asia into nomadic and oasis (more urban) cultures, then writes of "traditional" culture in each, but these are basically early 19th century conditions, just before the Russians took control between 1865 and 1885. She repeats her analysis of change twice; once for what the Tsarists did and once for what the Communists did after 1917. She writes clearly and well but stresses material/technical culture more than the religious or symbolic side. She has one chapter on general linguistic changes caused by increasing Russian education. The material might be useful as background information for people heading to Central Asia, but her chosen topic--culture change--does not fare well. She had a list in front of her of areas to be discussed, but we never see it. How else could we explain an author who can move seamlessly from the Russification of educated leaders to embroidery and change in decorative arts ?

Three major criticisms might explain why I don't think this book is much more than a kind of semi-interesting "Whole Central Asia Handbook" of 1965. First, she often quotes Soviet statistics. These may lie, or at best, may be said to withhold or blur information on categories she wants. She admits this, but then guesses anyhow. Secondly and unbelievably, she ignores major sources of change that I think even a university undergraduate should have considered. A) She never mentions World War II and the impact this must have had on the Central Asian peoples. B) She never mentions subsequent military service---the compulsory service that all males had to perform. What impact did it have ? Not a word ! C) Hardly a word about the effect of industrialization and one crop economy. What can I say ? I believe that these faults stem from her too close following of that dreaded list. And finally, though I would have liked some criticism of Soviet rule, of the oppression of peoples that it wrought, a personal opinion from the author, I understand that this was not in vogue in the 1960s, when researchers strove for some artificial "objectivity" and removed themselves from the picture. But, she never even mentions the word "colonialism". This proved a bit too much for me. If you need facts for a novel on the area, you might find some useful material here but I don't recommend this work. It is very illustrative of a certain kind of scholarship of yesteryear.

4.0 out of 5 stars Buying it for my shelf after having borrowed it from another, August 27, 2000

By 

William C. Walsh "demac" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Central Asians Under Russian Rule: A Study in Culture Change (Cornell Paperbacks) (Paperback)

Yah, I read this book. I live and work in Kyrgzystan and I am always trying to find good books on this region. I really appreciated this book because it was easy to read and facinating. The author first describes what the nomadic lifestyle as well as the sendentary lifestyle was of the Kyrgyz, Kazahk, Turkomen, Tajik, and the Uzbek was like before Russians entered the picture. Then she outlines the change under the Russian Tsarist government and then under the Soviet influence. Written in 1966, it still is relevent especially for anyone living and working in Central Asia.