The Impact of Modernizing Transformations on the Development of the Education System of the Steppe Region and Turkestan in the 1880s–1910s

Abstract

The Central Asian region of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries is of interest from the point of view of modernizing transformations, which had specifics in connection with the geographical location, the composition of the population, the position within the Empire. Traditionally, modernization is considered as a set of indicators, primarily as a transition from an agrarian system to an industrial one. However, researchers highlight the socio-cultural context of modernization, including the education system. It is sometimes attributed to the spiritual aspect of modernization. Education, as a modernization indicator, is secondary, but it is associated with many socio-economic factors. The purpose of the study is to analyze the development of the education system of the Central Asian region of the Russian Empire in the context of modernizing transformations. As a result of the study, it was found out that the Russian authorities sought to systematically modernize the outlying territories. This can be seen in the example of the reorganization of the network of educational institutions. In particular, the formation of the education system for the indigenous population of the Steppe Region and Turkestan was thoughtful, with a focus on trends in changes in traditional society, in the context of socio-economic transformations, including the agricultural and industrial sectors of the economy. The article may be of interest to specialists studying the Central Asian region of the Russian Empire, as well as the development of the Russian education system.

Keywords

• modernization
• central asian region of the russian empire
• steppe region
• turkestan
• education system
• a network of educational institutions
• professional education
• russian-kazakh schools
• aul schools
• foreign population