Ethnographic researches on irrigated agriculture and collective land cultivation of the Uzbek people (In the example of 20-30s of XXth century)

Abstract

The article describes the relationship of large-scale economic traditions of the Uzbek people to irrigated agriculture and collective farming. Ethnographic researches which were published in the 1920s and 1930s are analyzed in the aspect of historiography. The relatively low rainfall climate of Uzbekistan has led to the widespread use of irrigated cropland through sophisticated irrigation systems. Folk traditions on irrigation of the foothills and plains of the region provided rich experience in historical development. Therefore, this article describes how these processes attracted many researchers from the Soviet Union. In addition, research on collectivization policies implemented by the Soviet Union during this period was based on the experience of the local population.