THE RESURGENCE OF CENTRAL ASIA: ISLAM OR NATIONALISM?

The Resurgence of Central Asia is Ahmed Rashid's seminal study of the states - Kazakhstan, Kirgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - that emerged in the aftermath of the break-up of the Soviet Union. All have Muslim majorities and ancient histories, but are otherwise very different. Rashid's book, which appears now with a new introduction examining some of the crucial political developments since its first publication in 1994, provides an introduction to this little-known but geopolitically increasingly important region. Rashid gives a history of each country, including its incorporation into Tsarist Russia to the present day. He provides basic socio-economic information and explains the diverse political situations. He focuses primarily on the underlying issues confronting these societies: the legacy of Soviet rule; ethnic tensions; the position of women; the future of Islam; the question of nuclear proliferation; and the fundamental choices over economic strategy, political system and external orientation which lie ahead.