197 Representations of Europeans in the 20 th Century Uzbek Literature and Their Socio-Ideological Analysis Zulkhumor MIRZAEVA In his work Hind sayyohi bayonoti [Statement of an Indian Traveler], Abdurauf Fitrat, one of the leaders of the Uzbek Jadid movement, 1 makes the following statement about Eastern and Western civilization in the 11 th century, basing his opinion on information from the French university instructor Charles Sanivius: “In the eleventh century Europe and the Islamic world were complete opposites. The cities of Europe were small, its villages typically consisted of ruined shanties. From fear of being murdered in the streets, nobody ventured more than 10 farsah (approximately 7–8 kilometers) from their home. Meanwhile in the Islamic world there were beautiful and prosperous cities like Baghdad, Syria, Egypt, and Andalusia, their palaces decorated with marble, their workshops, madrasas and schools perfect, their markets attractive and well-kept. Their pleasant fields and abundant harvests gladdened the eye. Trade caravans moved freely between Spain and Turkistan. The Europeans admired the Muslims’ progress and studied the cities of Islam in order to acquire both skills and knowledge. Europe developed itself by establishing relations with the Muslim world.” 2 In the 14 th and 15 th centuries – as well during the reign of Amir Temur – civilization was on the side of the East. At that time the personality of Temur drew the attention of Europeans. The character of Temur (Tamerlane) was depicted in the creative works of several European writers. Particularly, the play “Great Tamerlane” written by the English poet Christopher Marylou, the poem “Tamerlane” written by the American poet Edgar Allan Poe informed the attitude to the personality of Amir Temur. Europeans 1 In Turkistan at the end of the 19 th century and at the beginning of the 20 th century the Jadid movement arose as a social–political movement in response to historical conditions. In the period from 1917 until the first stage of the February Revolution, the movement, which had begun as a program for national education, gradually widened its aims, intending to establish an independent Uzbek state, while bringing about social–political and cultural reforms and propagandizing the ideas of freedom in the life of Turkistan society. Jadid is an Arabic word bringing together the meanings “new” and “supporter of innovation” with wider connotations of “new ideas,” the “new man,” and a “new generation.” Autonomous Turkistan, which was founded at the instigation of the Jadids, was eliminated by the former Soviet State after a very brief existence. After the collapse of their political project, the Jadids turned to literature to achieve their goal of social reform. 2 Abdurauf Fitrat, Hind sayyohi bayonoti [Selected Works, Vol. 1: Poems, Prose Works, Dramas. Comments and Prologue H. Boltaboev], Manaviyat, Tashkent, 2000, p. 120.