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Archival sources on the history of the irrigation of new
lands of Central Ferghana (1950
–
1990)
Maftunakhon RUZIKULOVA
1
Ferghana State University
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received December 2024
Received in revised form
15 December 2024
Accepted 20 January 2025
Available online
25 February 2025
The article provides a comprehensive analysis of archival
sources on the history of the development and irrigation of new
lands of Central Ferghana and reveals the irrigation work
carried out in the desert areas during the 1950s
–
1990s using
primary sources.
2181-
1415/©
2025 in Science LLC.
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-1415-vol6-iss1-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:
Central Ferghana,
irrigation,
archival sources,
National Archives of
Uzbekistan,
Andijan Regional State
Archive,
Namangan Regional State
Archive,
Ferghana Regional State
Archive.
Markaziy Farg‘ona yangi yerlarining sug‘orilishi tarixiga
doir arxiv manbalari (1950
–
1990-yillar)
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar
:
Markaziy Farg‘ona,
irrigatsiya,
arxiv manbalari,
O‘zbekiston Milliy arxivi,
Andijon viloyat davlat arxivi,
Namangan viloyat davlat
arxivi,
Farg‘ona viloyat davlat
arxivi.
Maqolada
Markaziy
Farg‘ona
yangi
yerlarining
o‘zlashtirilishi va sug‘orilishi tarixiga doir arxiv manbalari
atroflicha tahlil qilingan, 1950
–
1990-
yillar davomida cho‘l
hududlarida olib borilgan irrigatsiya ishlari birlamchi manbalar
yordamida ochib berilgan.
1
PhD, Doctoral student, Ferghana State University.
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Архивные источники по истории орошения новых
земель Центральной Ферганы (1950–1990 гг.)
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
Центральная Фергана,
ирригация,
архивные источники,
Национальный архив
Узбекистана,
Государственный архив
Андижанской области,
Государственный архив
Наманганской области,
Государственный архив
Ферганской области.
В статье подробно анализируются архивные источники
по истории освоения и орошения новых земель
Центральной Ферганы, с помощью первоисточников
раскрываются ирригационные работы, проводившиеся в
пустынных районах в 1950–1990 годы.
An objective disclosure of the history of irrigation of Central Ferghana requires a
detailed analysis of the source bases of the topic. It is this source analysis that will help to
truthfully reveal many aspects of this extremely complex and controversial topic. The
sources on the history of irrigation reclamation and mechanization of the Fergana Valley
are mainly archival documents and materials. In covering the topic of the study, sources
stored in the archives of the Republic of Uzbekistan and its constituent regions of the
Ferghana Valley, which have not been introduced into scientific circulation to date or
have remained completely out of the reach of researchers, were widely used. It is
appropriate to conditionally divide the source bases of the work into three groups.
The first group includes sources from the National Archive of Uzbekistan (NA Uz).
Documents from the 90, 837, 2138, 2182, 2483, 2597, 2676, and 2700 funds (8 funds) of
the National Archive of Uzbekistan (NA Uz) are an important source for objectively
studying the essence of the colonial policy implemented by the Soviet authorities in the
irrigation system of Central Ferghana, which was built based on colonialism, and the fact
that this practice was aimed specifically at the development of cotton cultivation. In
particular, in the Ferghana Valley, to further increase productivity, the extensive
development of irrigation and its complete subordination to the center's cotton
monopoly, the expansion of cotton-sown areas beyond the norm to regularly supply the
Union threshing floor with raw materials, and the construction and improvement of
water structures for the implementation of these measures, the documents stored in
Fund 90 of the National Archive of Uzbekistan [1] stand out for their richness in material
in fully covering this topic. For the first time, extracts from most of the documents related
to this fund were taken and included in the scope of scientific analysis. At the same time,
archival documents in Funds 837 and 2483 directly helped in a comprehensive and
objective analysis of the activities carried out by the autocratic Soviet government in the
republican, and in particular, in the Central Ferghana water management sector, as well
as the problems raised on the topic. These were timely announced resolutions and
decrees, for example, the resolution of the CPSU Central Committee and the Council of
Ministers of
the Uzbek SSR “On the Construction of the Central Ferg
h
ana Canal”
[2],
which aimed to quickly construct and commission this canal, sustainably provide the
central part of the valley with water sources, and paid special attention to expanding
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irrigated areas to develop cotton growing. In turn, in accordance with the resolution of
the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers
of the Uzbek SSR “On approval of the program of construction work on the irrigation and
development of the lands of Central Fergh
ana in 1959”
[3], more than 36 thousand
hectares of waste and neglected abandoned lands were brought into agricultural use
here, a number of creative works were carried out, including the construction of more
than 250 km of highways, the establishment of 22 collective farm settlements, and on the
basis of this resolution, a program of construction work on the irrigation and
development of the lands of Central Ferghana in the amount of 18,685 thousand rubles
was approved in the same year, in particular, 10,575 thousand rubles were allocated
from the indivisible fund of collective farms in Andizhan, Namangan and Ferghana
regions, 55,385 thousand rubles from the state budget, and 23,400 from the
“Selkhozkredit” thousand rubles, and 2,150 thousand rubles were allocated and sp
ent
from the "Uzbekbirshavu" [4]. It can be said that all these measures were carried out
based on the policy of complete cotton monopoly in the Ferghana Valley, large cotton
fields were established in the newly developed areas, and 90 percent of the cotton
produced as a result of the hard work of Uzbek farmers was transported to the center. It
is worth recognizing that practical measures and all efforts to develop the irrigation
sector in Central Ferghana were completely subordinated to the center's colonial policy
in the agricultural sector and were carried out directly under its rule and control.
In analyzing the historical processes and events related to the implementation of
irrigation and development work in the Ferghana Valley based on cotton monopoly, there
are materials from funds 2182, 2597, 2676, including orders of the Ministry of Municipal
Economy of the Uzbek SSR, "Uzglavvodstroy" and the Ministry of Agricultural Production
and Processing on irrigation, materials and annual reports on the development of new
lands and further strengthening of irrigation work in the valley at meetings of the boards
of these ministries [5] and the construction of irrigation facilities here as an urgent issue
[6]. The archival sources in these funds contain extensive information on the socio-
economic situation in the Ferghana Valley, the progress of the development of protected
and wastelands, the allocation of capital funds for these processes, their implementation,
and the solution of the issues at stake.
In another group of archival sources, petitions written by residents of the region to
higher authorities were studied in detail, including letters and petitions about the
problems of the local population in the life of the population due to water shortages in
some regions of the oblasts, about the lack of drinking water, about the fact that they
have not been solved for a long time, and about the complete depletion of irrigated areas.
These documents serve to determine the real situation of the rural population of the
Ferghana Valley regions at that time, to identify the cases of farmers' dependence on the
center for food and grain products due to the failure of the Soviet authorities to take
appropriate measures promptly (fund 2676) [7]. At the same time, it was noted that the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of
the Uzbek SSR adopted a resolution “On measures to accelerate irrigation and
development in the Central Fergh
ana Reserve”
[8], according to which, from 1964 to
1970, 54 thousand hectares of land were prepared for irrigation and land reclamation,
and 58.1 thousand hectares were developed for agricultural purposes.
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The construction of water structures in the Central Ferghana and their technical
condition in the 2700th fund of the National Archive of the Republic, in particular, the
orders of the Ministry of Rural Construction of the Uzbek SSR on the construction of
water structures in the valley regions, as well as other materials in it, also played an
important role in illuminating the topic [9]. The content of the existing orders, protocols,
appeals and telegrams stored in these funds helps to clearly understand the essence of
the policy of ideological pressure carried out by the central government in the field of
irrigation in the Ferghana Valley and the fact that the resources of all hydraulic
structures here were spent primarily on the regular and permanent irrigation of large
cotton fields, rather than on the needs of the population.
The second group is made up of sources from 15 funds of the Andizhan Regional
State Archive (ARSA), the Namangan Regional State Archive (Namangan RSA), and the
Ferghana Regional State Archive (FRSA). Through a detailed study and analysis of the
existing documents and annual reports stored in these archives, problematic processes
related to the implementation of decisions of local parties and Soviet bodies and orders
of water management bodies on the ground were observed. It is noteworthy that from
the relevant materials in the archives of the Ferghana Valley, not only the necessary
information on the history of water management in these regions but also on the
irrigation of Central Ferghana, which is of republican importance, was obtained and put
into use.
At the same time, under the influence of the center's cotton monopoly policy, the
mass development of new lands carried out in the 50s-80s of the 20th century in order to
further develop cotton growing on a republic-wide scale, especially in the development of
reserve and waste lands in Central Ferghana, was highlighted by the 1st section of the
Great Ferghana Canal (fund 602), the Andijan Regional Executive Committee (fund 608),
the Andijan Regional Group of State Control of the Uzbek SSR (fund 612), the Andijan
Regional Agricultural Department (fund 619), the Namangan Regional Irrigation System
Department (fund 5), the Namangan Regional Executive Committee (fund 275), the
Namangan Regional Agricultural Department (fund 317), the Namanganvodstroy
Regional Water Management Construction Trust (fund 865), the Ferghanavodstroy
Construction and Assembly Trust (fund 711), the Ferghana Regional The materials of the
Irrigation System Department (fund 1022), the Ferghana Oblast Executive Committee
(fund 1124), the Ferghana Oblast Agricultural Department (fund 1126), the Ferghana
Oblast Inter-Collective Farm Council for Irrigation and Development of Central Ferghana
Lands (fund 1151), and the Boz District Executive Committee of the Shahrikhan District
State Archive of Andijan Oblast (fund 4) were extensively used. In particular, the report
prepared by the manager of the “Ferg
h
anavodstroy” trust on the irrigation and
reclamation preparation of the Central Fergana reserve lands, which is stored in fund
608 of the Andijan Regional State Archive, contains important statistical data and
analyses on the allocation of capital funds for the development and irrigation of this area
and their implementation on the ground, as well as the implementation of water
management and road construction works [10]. It is in the materials of this fund that one
can observe the processes associated with the further intensification of development
work in the region. In particular, by the resolution of the Andijan Regional Committee of
the Communist Party of Uzbe
kistan and the Regional Executive Committee “On approval
of the program of construction work on irrigation and development of the lands of
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Central Fergh
ana in 1962”
[
11], the district departments of “Uzselkhoztekhnika” and
state farms under a direct contract with the construction organizations of the
“Andi
j
anvodstroy” trust were determined to prepare 2,250 hectares of new land in
Central Ferghana, which was implemented, 2,000 hectares of which were completed by
the district departments of “Uzselkhoztekhnika”, and 250 hectares by the forces of
existing state farms. It is worth noting that during the first nine months of 1962, the
regional departments of "Uzselkhoztekhnika" prepared 889 hectares of new land for
sowing, which was 44.5% of the annual plan. In the following months, the work on
preparing new land intensified even more. During the past eleven months of this year,
the regional departments of "Uzselkhoztekhnika" prepared 1,455.2 hectares of new land,
which was 72.8% of the annual plan, as detailed in this fund.
Fund 5 of the Namangan regional state archive, called the Namangan Regional
Irrigation System Department, contains not only information on the history of the
irrigation system of this region but also resolutions [12] and orders of the Ministry of
Melioration and Water Management of the Uzbek SSR on irrigation and melioration
measures (published from 1973 to 1987), which helped to accurately describe the
construction of canals and pumping stations, their general condition. Fund 317 of this
regional archive also contains materials on the development of new lands and irrigation
works in the Ferghana Valley, which were used to cover this research topic. For example,
the resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Uzbek SSR and the
Council of Ministers of the Uzbek SSR “On irrigation and development of protected and
wastelands in Central Ferghana in 1959-
1965” was adopted
[13], and the text of this
resolution reflects the fact that large-scale work was carried out to further increase the
water supply of the Central Ferghana regions and improve the land reclamation
condition, more than 36 thousand hectares of waste and abandoned lands were brought
into agricultural use in the region, more than 250 km of highways were built, and
22 collective farm settlements were established [14].
Thus, in accordance with the documents obtained from the funds, a comparative
analysis of the development of the irrigation system in the Central Fergana region during
1959-1990 based on a modern conceptual and methodological approach and further
clarification of its negative aspects, the emergence of numerous problems in the
development of the reserve, the causes of the problems of water shortage and its
complicated consequences, the construction of hydraulic structures and their annual
increase in number by the center, and the measures related to it were scientifically
analyzed. All archival documents and current archival materials used in the study are
considered to be relevant to the period under study. Special attention was paid to the
critical (comparative) presentation and analysis of primary sources in the work. In
particular, the methods of the critical approach were mainly used in comparing and
scientifically analyzing most archival materials, comparing the information in them.
REFERENCES:
1.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.90, list 10, volume 5650, Pages 4-7;
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.90, List 10, Volume 7774, Pages 35-42.
2.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.837, list 38, volume 5599, pages 87-92.
3.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.2483, list 1, volume 1382, pages 285-286.
4.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.2483, list 1, volume 1382, back of page 285.
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5.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.2182, list 5, volume 1268, pages 157-160.
6.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.2597, list 1, volume 14, pages 23-28.
7.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.2676, list 1, volume 533, pages 9-20.
8.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.2676, list 1, volume 533, page 18.
9.
National Archive of Uzbekistan, Fund R.2700, list 1, volume 18, pages 1-2.
10.
Andizhan Regional State Archive, 608-fond, list 1, volume 932, pages 30-38.
11.
Andizhan Regional State Archive, 608-fond, list 1, volume 1632, page 33.
12.
Namangan Regional State Archive, Fund 5, List 4, Volume 786, Pages 37-41.
13.
Namangan Regional State Archive, Fund 317, List 1, Volume 1421, Pages 48-49.
14.
Namangan Regional State Archive, Fund 317, List 1, Volume 1421, Pages 50.
