The final acquisition to the Russian Empire was the territory then known asTurkestan (meaning "Land of the Turks"). This area is now called Soviet Central Asia.This land of deserts, steppes, valleys, and mountains is populated primarily by people of Turkicethnicity, such as the Kazakhs, the Kirghiz, the Turkmen, and the Uzbeks. The other major group in thearea, the Tajiks, are of Iranian stock. The area has a long and vibrant history: not so long ago, Samarkand, acity in Uzbekistan, celebrated its 2,500th anniversary. Over the past several millennia, the Silk Road hasbrought many traders to Central Asia and the area's location on the vast interior Eurasian steppe has been acontinual invitation to empire-seeking armies.
As a result, the native culture has been influenced by theinfusion of a number of foreign elements, introduced by groups such as the Turks, the Arabs, and theMongols. Perhaps the best example of this is the role that Islam, brought by the Arab armies in the eighthcentury, has played in shaping the whole Central Asian ethos. Indeed, cities such as Bukhara and Khiva,now located in Uzbekistan, were major centers of Islamic scholarship at the height of the Muslim Empire, inthe ninth and tenth centuries.The most recent foreigners to arrive on the Central Asian scene are, of course, the Russians. Whatimpact have they had on the culture of the area? This paper will seek to answer that question, with particularattention being paid to the Soviet period, by examining three specific aspects of Central Asian culture:religion, language, and literature. In addition, the present state of ethnic relations between Central Asiansand Russians will be investigated, especially in light of current demographic trends in the area.