Abstract

The paper examines the national press activities of Jadids that marked a turning point in the enlightenment process. Then, the role of printing culture and press in raising awareness and national consciousness among the Central Asian people is analysed. Following this, the political movement of Jadidism is examined, and concludes by arguing that Jadidism was formed not only as a cultural and political movement, but also as a religious-cultural and anti-colonial movement resisting against the Soviet regime. Furthermore, this research argues that if the Jadids had not awoken the mass people by enlightenment, reform and national press, independence or national identity would not have been attained. This thesis argues that Jadidism emerged as a reactionary movement against Soviet exploitation, freedom from which, Jadids believed, could be achieved via education and national consciousness. Throughout the research, the considerable efforts of Jadids in enlightening the people through new-method learning, press activities, and a political liberation movement will be demonstrated. Then this research will conclude by reviewing the main arguments of the work conducted, emphasising the limitations and presenting some recommendations for future research.

Keywords: Jadidism, Press, Nationalism, Printing, Independence, Islam, Muslim