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Land reclamation and irrigation measures of virgin lands in
Karshi steppe
Oybek KOMILOV
1
Andijan State University
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received October 2021
Received in revised form
15 November 2021
Accepted 20 December 2021
Available online
15 January 2022
This article is devoted to reclamation of virgin land and
increase of cotton monopoly in Karshi steppe in the period of
Soviet government by helping archive materials, historical
literatures and media materials as well.
2181-
1415/© 202
1 in Science LLC.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-1415-vol2-iss11/S-pp
This is an open access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru)
Keywords:
Karshi steppe,
irrigation,
reclamation,
virgin lands,
cotton monopoly.
Qarshi dashtidagi bo
‘
z yerlarni o
‘zlashtirish va sug‘orish chora
-
tadbirlari
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar
:
Qarshi dashti,
irrigatsiya,
melioratsiya,
bo
‘
z yerlar,
paxta monopoliyasi.
Ushbu maqola Sovet hukumati davrida Qarshi dashtidagi bo‘z
yerlarni oʻzlashtirish va paxta yakkahokimligini kuchaytirish
haqida bo‘lib, arxiv materiallari, tarixiy adabiyotlar va ommaviy
axborot vositalaridan foydalanish asosida yozilgan.
1
Andijan State University,
Doctor of Sciences in History (DSc), Professor at the department “Theory of Civil Society”
Republic of Uzbekistan.
Andijan, Uzbekistan.
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Мелиоративные и ирригационные мероприятия на
целинных землях в Каршинской степи
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
Каршинская степь,
орошение,
мелиорация,
целинные земли,
хлопковая монополия
В данной статье рассматривается, освоение целинных
земель и увеличению хлопковой монополии в Каршинской
степи, в период советской власти. Анализируются данные, с
привлечением
архивных
материалов,
исторической
литературы и материалов СМИ.
INTRODUCTION
To begin with, in the period of the Soviet authority, it was aimed to build a colonial
and tyrant society in Uzbekistan. First of all, the administrators paid attention to the
development of agriculture in the Republic. Because Uzbekistan being within the former
Union specialized to grow cotton, became the source of raw material and 3/2 of the cotton
was carried to the center in carrying it out, water and irrigation were important. According
to the colonial character of the agrarian policy of the Soviet authority, irrigation and land-
reclamation of the Republic developed intensively.
RESEARCH METHODS
The main purpose of the Soviet Government was to enlarge cotton fields and to
increase cotton harvest by developing these fields. A special attention was paid by the
tyrant authority to the irrigation construction in the republic, and division of financial
means for it also increased year by year. A lot of irrigation structures were constructed to
irrigate sowing fields and huge areas.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
So, the Soviet government reclaimed a vast area of virgin lands aiming to develop
cotton growing in Uzbekistan. This quickened the cotton growing branch and at the same
time it increased cotton monopoly. This policy caused many bad conditions. The initiative
of reclamation of Karshi deserts by the Soviet began in 1960. That is why many families
were transferred there in order to complete the reclamation consistently. The First
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, I.A.Karimov described this process as follows:
“During the whole period of organizational transfer of people to the Karshi deserts, only
600 families moved in there. And nowadays 40 of them settled down there…” [1
. P. 35].
Lots of families had to leave there. Because living conditions were hard. Transfer policy of
the Soviet caused serious problems in the lifestyle of the local people. But the government
put forward the goal of reclaiming virgin land in the area. Especially, total area which was
to be reclaimed and irrigated in Karshi deserts included 1 million 306 thousand hectares.
And 435 thousand hectares of it was in the higher zone, 871 hectares in the lower zone.
The Soviet government created a lot of kind decrees. It depends on the cotton
monopoly.
For example, CPCC of Uzbekistan and the Ministers’ Council of Uzbekistan SSR
determined the following in decree №76 on February, 1961 “on reclaiming measures of
the new lands on the basin of Surkhandarya under the base of Surkhan water reservoir
concerning irrigation and farming” [2
. PP. 289
–
290]:
1.
“The chief plan of agricultural reclaiming and irrigating the new lands of
Surkhandarya province in Uzbekistan SSR under the base of the Southern Surkhan water
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reservoir” worked out by “Sredazhydrovodhlopok” institution was approved and
356 million roubles of capital means were separated to carry out it.
2. The plan of preparation of 86,3 thousand hectares of the new lands under the
Southern Surkhan water reservoir in Surkhandarya province in the 7-year period was
approved. The plan was carried out for 0,5 thousand hectares in 1959, 3,3 thousand
hectares in 1961, 11,1 thousand hectares in 1962, 20,6 thousand hectares in 1963,
25 thousand hectares in 1964, 25,8 thousand hectares in 1965.
Basing on the decree №718 “on the measures of enlarging irrigation areas and
improving irrigation system techniques in Samarkand, Bukhara and Kashkadarya
provinces, increasing provision of ir
rigation areas with water” by the CP CC of Uzbekistan
and the Ministers’ Council of Uzbekistan SSR on December 21, 1964, the Irrigation Ministry
of Uzbekistan SSR proclaimed order №3 on January 6, 1965.
According to it, the Ministry of production and preparation of agricultural products
of Uzbekistan SSR, the Ministry of Irrigation of Uzbekistan SSR accepted the proposal of
the executive committees of Samarkand, Bukhara and Kashkadarya provinces on the
reclamation of 94 thousand hectares of virgin and new lands in 1965
–
1970, as well as, it
was arranged to enlarge Kattakurgan water reservoir for 27 thousand hectares as the
construction of the Amu-Karakul canal in 15 thousand hectares and the Amu-Bukhara
canal in 24 thousand hectares and the construction of the Chimkurgan, Pachkamar and
Kalkamin water reservoir in 28 thousand hectares-in the suggested provinces [3. P. 141].
“Sredazhydrovodhoz” institution was responsible for the formation of the project on
reclaiming the lands of mid Kashkadarya by December 1, 1965, for the construction of the
canals with pumping stations on both banks from the Chimkurgan water reservoir, for
generalizing working drafts of general work capacity in 1966.
According to the above mentioned decree №718 “On the measures of enlarging
irrigation areas and improving irrigation system techniques in Samarkand, Bukhara and
Kashkadarya provinces, increasing provision of irrigation areas with water” by the CPCC
of Uzbekistan and the Ministers’ Council of Uzbekistan SSR the Ministry of producti
on and
preparation of agricultural products of Uzbekistan SSR worked out order №72 on
February 6, 1965 [4. P. 60].
The Ministry of production and preparation of agricultural products of Uzbekistan
SSR worked out order № 98 on February 19, 1965 in accordance with the decree №93 on
February 9, 1965 “On increase measures of providing irrigating areas of Uzbekistan SSR in
1965 with water” by the Ministers’ Council of Uzbekistan SSR. As the Ministers’ Council of
Uzbekistan SSR noted, it was expected that water spending was in rather low norm during
the vegetation period in 1965.
In total 513,1 thousand hectares of irrigating land was reclaimed in Uzbekistan
during the 9th 5-year time period (1971
–
1975). Particularly, the farms organized in the
territory of the new reclaimed areas were specialized to cotton growing. In 1975 5013,3
thousand tons of cotton was gathered and exported to the threshing-floor of the Union.
The personnel with secondary-special education also have a particular importance in
irrigation development in Uzbekistan. Upbringing the personnel with secondary-special
education carried out by 6 irrigation and drainage technical schools within the irrigation
Ministry system. For instance, there functioned irrigation and drainage schools in
Tashkent, Samarkand, Andizhan, Urganch, Surkhandarya and Nukus. 8496 specialist
personnel were prepared in these institutions within 9 five-year terms in the fields of
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irrigation and drainage, hydro technical construction, mechanization of irrigation and
drainage work and auto construction exploitation in irrigation system. There were
1349 young personnel with secondary-special technical education in 1971, and 1558 in
1972, 1981 in 1973, 1790 in 1974, and 1818 in 1975.
The reclamation of the Karshi deserts officially began on August 26, 1963 (2. P. 4).
The intention of reclamation of the deserts was directed to develop cotton growing and to
carry the cotton to the center.
Aiming that in 1963 “Karshistroy” management
was organized to reclaim virgin land in Karshi deserts and the assistance of
“Glavsredasirsovkhozstroy” was planned in the project. On October 26 of that year the
Commission of experts of the State planning Committee of the USSR noted it was expedient
to complete reclamation and irrigation work of 200 thousand hectares of virgin land in the
Karshi deserts by the end of 1975 with its decree. In order to fulfill that plan completely
the Ministers’ Council of the USSR adopted the resolution “On developing irrigation and
reclamation of the Karshi desert
s”. In the resolution CC CP of Uzbekistan and the Ministers’
Council of Uzbekistan were entrusted the following tasks directly by the Ministers’ Council
of the USSR, to carry out the construction of the Karshi main canal included pumping
stations stretching from Amudarya to Kashkadarya, engineering structures, construction
materials and implements industry and construction of housing estates for reclaimers
within 1967
–
1970 [5. P. 5].
In the Karshi deserts more than 220 thousand hectares of land are set into
agricultural turnover. Particularly, reclamation of the desert progressed after the
resolution “On the beginning irrigation and reclamation of the first level of the Karshi
deserts” by the Ministers’ Council of the USSR on December 7, 1963.
According to that
resolution, “Karshistroy” management was organized within “Glavsredasirsovkhozstroy”
of the USSR Ministry of land-reclamation and irrigation [6. PP. 50
–
51]. Those measures
were only carried out striving towards the benefit of the Soviet government. As a result,
cotton monopoly policy increased again in the territory, and peasants came across with
serious danger and difficulties.
In the resolution of the government on the reclamation of the Karshi deserts
adopted in 1963, it was noted about the “care” for the transferred people, but it wasn’t
carried out in time [7. P. 66]. As a result, cadre disorder increased there. The Soviet
government was on bad terms with the situation. Within 1965
–
1975 the reclaimers of the
Karshi deserts paid particular attention to chief units
–
to hasten the initial construction of
the Karshi main and Ulyanov canals. In the state farms, organized in 1965 in order to
reclaim in a short time, about 6,9 thousand families came from highlands of the province,
or 31,2 thousand able-bodied people, and 4 thousand of them were machine-operators
[8. P. 11].
In 1969 the USSR Ministers’ Council confirmed the first stage of a project on the
irrigation and reclamation of that land in the higher zone of the Karshi deserts. According
to it, it was necessary to irrigate and reclaim 200 thousand hectares of land. It was
determined to organize 43 farms there. 36 of them were cotton growing, and others were
3 horticulture, 2 cattle-breeding and 2 grain-rearing state farms [9. P. 55]. 1552 million
soums determined to carry out the plan.
On July 25 1970 Central Committee of CPSU and the Ministers’ Council of the USSR
adopted the resolution “On hastening irrigation and reclamation work in the Karshi
deserts of Uzbekistan SSR”.
According to the resolution, it was planned to irrigate 300000
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hectares to 1980, especially, 85000 hectares of land in the ninth 5-year-term in the Karshi
deserts, to grow 100000 tonns of cotton in 1974
–
1975, and to increase the harvest to
400000 tonns to 1980 [1. P. 26].
Corresponding to the resolution of the CC CPSU and USSR Ministers
’
Council “On
hastening irrigation and reclamation work in the Karshi deserts of Uzbekistan SSR” and to
decree 383 of CC CP of Uzbekistan and UzSSR Ministers’ Council on July 1970 the
board of
UzSSR Ministry of Utilities adopted decree 43 on August 1970. In the middle of 1970s fore-
mentioned institute worked out the second stage project of the Karshi deserts reclamation.
It considered complex irrigation and reclamation of 102,1 thousand hectares of land.
12 new cotton-growing, 2 cattle-breeding and 1 horticulture collective farms were planned
to organize there and to hold complete reconstruction work in 7 existing farms. In
1973 the first farm
–
state farm 9 named after Chuli Begimkulov was sent to the Karshi
deserts. At the end of 1975, 18 state farms began to rear product. In the spring of 1974, the
water of Amudarya ran to the desert through a 164 km-branch of the Karshi main canal.
6 pumping stations raised water 132 meters in height. The water of the Amudarya,
Kashkadarya and Zarafshan rivers joined [9. P. 58].
The USSR Ministers’ Council confirmed a complex project of the first stage of the
Karshi deserts-irrigation and reclamation of 200 thousand hectares of land, construction
of state farms that total cost was 1 billion 285 million soums [6. P. 51
–
52]. In 1982 virgin
state farms of the Karshi deserts sold 245,7 thousand tons of cotton to the state, and
91,5 thousand tons of it was fine-stapled cotton. Since the organizations state farms the
farms in virgin land gave the state 1 million 561 thousand tons of cotton. It is obvious that
the intention of the Soviet government was to concentrate the storage of the Union by
developing cotton-growing in the area on grounds of cotton monopoly. This negatively
influenced the lifestyle of the peasants.
In the main projects of economic and social development of the former USSR
planned for 1981-
1985 and to 1990 it was noted as following: “Reclamation of The Karshi
and Jizzakh deserts should continue. 450-465 thousand hectares of irrigating land should
be set to use…”[3, p.19]. In reclaimed areas of the Karshi deserts 6 new districts
-Nishon,
Ulyanov, Usman Yusupov, Muborak, Bakhoriston and Tolimarjon were organized. The
Karshi desert was noted as a particular unit of XII 5-year term in the Main directions
project planned for economic and social development of the USSR for 1986-1990 and to
2000. On the grounds of it, “Nowadays the territory of reclaimed land reached about
211 thousand hectares.
The state spent 1 billion 146 million roubles for reclamation”
[12. P. 56.]. As the result of reclamation of the Karshi deserts and Surkhan-Sherabad oasis
a new cotton basis was founded in the South of Uzbekistan equal to Ferghana Valley
[11. P. 54].
CONCLUSION
As a conclusion we can say, it is obvious from above-mentioned information that the
Soviet government paid a particular attention to the development of cotton-growing in the
Karshi deserts. Nevertheless, those measures brought about the formation of a colonial
policy named as cotton monopoly by local people. Most of the cotton fetched the center.
Cotton monopoly policy caused many bad results in the life of people.
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