THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE OF UZBEKISTAN IN THE 1920S–1930S

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive academic analysis of the socio-economic transformations that took place in Uzbekistan during the 1920s–1930s. Based on archival documents, demographic reports, and statistical data, the study examines the key processes that shaped the republic's development within the Soviet administrative-command system. The research covers political-administrative changes, agrarian policy and forced collectivization, industrialization and electrification, demographic shifts, political repressions, and reforms in the social sphere, including education, healthcare, the women's question, and cultural life. The article argues that this period was marked by deep contradictions: on the one hand, modernization, the emergence of new industries, and the initial steps in social infrastructure development; on the other hand, mass repressions, forced labor mobilization, the establishment of a cotton monoculture, and a severe decline in the living standards of the population. The study employs a threefold historiographical approach  Soviet, national, and academic  to offer an objective assessment of the era. Particular attention is paid to the long-term consequences of the policies implemented during this period, which continued to affect Uzbekistan's economic and social development long after independence. The article concludes that an objective understanding of this historical experience remains essential for addressing contemporary challenges in economic diversification, sustainable agriculture, and the preservation of national identity.