The Jadid Movement: Central Asia's Muslim Reformers

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a group of Muslim intellectuals known as the Jadids sought to modernize Central Asian society through educational reform, social critique, and political activism. This episode explores the rise of the Jadid movement in the Uzbek lands, focusing on key figures like Mahmud Khoja Behbudi, Abdullah Avloni, and Sadriddin Ayni. We discuss their fight against conservative clergy, their promotion of usul-i jadid (new method) schools, and the role of theater and print in disseminating ideas. The episode also covers the tragic fate of the Jadids under Soviet rule, including the purges of the 1930s. Listeners will learn about the tension between reform and tradition, the influence of Tatar and Ottoman thinkers, and how the Jadid legacy shaped modern Uzbek identity. #Jadid #MahmudKhojaBehbudi #AbdullahAvloni #SadriddinAyni #UsulIJadid #CentralAsia #Uzbekistan #EducationalReform #MuslimModernism #RussianEmpire #Turkestan #Bukhara #Samarkand #SovietPurges #1920s #1930s #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo