CACI FORUM
Revolt in Central Asia:
The Cataclysm of 1916
Wednesday, June 8, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m.
(reception at 5 p.m., followed by the main program at 5:30)
A century ago, at the time of World War I, hundreds of thousands of Central Asians – Kazakhs, Tajiks, Turkmen, Uzbeks, and above all Kyrgyz – perished when they revolted against the tsarist Russian government's attempt to draft them into the army. Besides those who were killed outright, tens of thousands of Kyrgyz men, women, and children died trying to escape over treacherous mountain passes into China.
Soviet authorities have long suppressed Information on the 1916 revolt, but its Centennial has generated fresh interest, marked by seminars, mass meetings, and publications. Russia, in the meantime, has closed relevant archives and offered the curious thesis that the revolt was actually directed not against Russian rule, but against the authority wielded by the indigenous Turkic bourgeoisie.
The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute marks the centennial of the tragic loss of Central Asian life with two major publications: a new edition of the book The Revolt of 1916 in Russian Central Asia by Edward Dennis Sokol, with foreword by Dr. S. Frederick Starr (JHU Press); and a Silk Road Paper entitled Central Asia in Revolt: the Cataclysm of 1916, edited by Zamira Sydykova. Both of these publications will be presented and discussed at this forum.
This event can now be viewed on the SAIS Events YouTube channel.
Speakers will include:
Zamira Sydykova, Ambassador, Editor in Chief, Res Publica Newspaper
Dr. Prof. Mirzokhid Rakhimov, Visiting Fulbright scholar at Central Asia-Caucasus Institute/Head of the Dept. for Contemporary History and International Relations, Institute of History, Academy of Sciences, Uzbekistan.
Moderator: S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute.
Rome Building Auditorium
SAIS - Johns Hopkins University
1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Click here to RSVP and register
Edward Dennis Sokol, with a foreword by S. Frederick Starr
Paperback, 208 pages, 1 map
ISBN:9781421420509
May 2016
Follow this link to order a copy of the book
*** Special Announcement from CACI ***
The Near East Section of the African and Middle Eastern Division
at the Library of Congress
AND
Roshan Institute for Persian Studies at the University of Maryland
Present:
“The Persian Book Lecture Series” 2016 Focus: Literature and Performing Arts
Lecture and Book Signing by
Dr. S. Frederick Starr, speaking on his book “Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia's Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane”
Thursday, May 5th, 2016
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building,
African Middle Eastern Reading Room, LJ-220
10 First Street, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003
Free and Open to the Public
For Information Contact: Hirad Dinavari [202-707-4518 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
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Request ASL and ADA accommodation five days in advance at 202-707-6362 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CACI FORUM
Central Asia and the Caucasus:
From Independence to Interdependence
Presentations by Spring 2016 Rumsfeld Fellows
Wednesday, 27 April, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m.
(reception at 5 p.m., followed by the main program at 5:30)
The fall of the USSR enabled peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus (Greater Central Asia) to claim full independence and sovereignty. While bringing many obvious benefits, the strengthening of new sovereignties has also brought self-isolation and rivalry among peoples who had actively interacted for hundreds of years before the Russian conquest. The resulting isolationism has created needless tensions in the region, deepened poverty, and fostered religious radicalization. Meanwhile, geographic proximity, interdependent infrastructure, and the presence of Russian media have maintained ties with Russia and rendered them appealing to many.
Is it time to shift from the radical independence to intra-regional dialogue and economic integration within the region? And for the region as a whole to capitalize on its strategic location, cultural diversity, and human capital?
Twelve participants of the Spring 2016 Rumsfeld Fellowship Program, representing nine countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, will share their answers to these questions.
A video recording of the event may now be viewed on the SAIS Events YouTube channel.
Speakers:
Mr. Ozodkhon Davlatshoev (Tajikistan)
Mr. Nemuun Gal (Mongolia)
Mr. Emil Gasimli (Azerbaijan)
Mr. Sulkhan Glonti (Georgia)
Ms. Raykhona Khashimova (Uzbekistan)
Ms. Eliza Nishanbaeva (Kyrgyzstan)
Mr. Mahmood Noorzai (Afghanistan)
Mr. Rakhim Oshakbayev (Kazakhstan)
Ms. Lilit Petrosyan (Armenia)
Mr. Ruslan Ramanov (Uzbekistan)
Mr. Narantuguldur Saijrakh (Mongolia)
Mr. Barry Salaam (Afghanistan)
Moderator: S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute