The Enlightenment Movement in Turkestan

Abstract

This article examines the enlightenment movement in Turkestan and its profound influence on the cultural and intellectual life of the region during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Particular attention is given to the emergence and expansion of usul-i jadid (new-method) schools, which sought to modernize traditional systems of Muslim education by introducing secular subjects, improved pedagogical methods, and co-educational practices. The study also addresses the role of Jadid leaders and reformers in fostering a broader intellectual awakening through the establishment of newspapers, journals, and the publication of textbooks such as Adibi avval and Adibi soniy. Drawing on historical sources and recent scholarly research, the article highlights how these initiatives not only advanced literacy and modern education but also contributed to the formation of a new public sphere, stimulating debates on cultural identity, social reform, and political aspirations in colonial Turkestan. The findings underscore that the Jadid movement was more than an educational reform; it represented a comprehensive cultural renaissance that laid the groundwork for national self-awareness and the emergence of modernist currents within Central Asian society.