COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CENTRAL ASIAN JADIDISM AND EUROPEAN ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS: EDUCATIONAL REFORMS, SOCIAL IMPACT, AND INTELLECTUAL LEGACY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37547/Keywords:
Central Asian, century, history, scientific, culture, jadidism, tradition, rational, educational, intellectual, introduction, society.Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of Central Asian Jadidism and the European Enlightenment, two transformative intellectual traditions that emerged in different historical contexts yet shared a common vision of social progress through education, rationality, and cultural renewal. While European Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseseau, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill promoted secular knowledge, individual liberty, scientific reasoning, and institutional reform, Central Asian Jadid reformers—including Ismail Gasprinsky, Mahmudhoja Behbudiy, Abdurauf Fitrat, Abdulla Avloniy, and Munavvarqori Abdurashidxonov—aimed to modernize Muslim society through new-method schools, linguistic reform, and the dissemination of modern sciences. Using a qualitative historical-comparative methodology, the research highlights the philosophical foundations, pedagogical innovations, and social impact of both movements. The study concludes that although the Enlightenment had a broader global influence due to geopolitical, scientific, and technological advantages, Jadidism played an equally vital regional role in awakening national consciousness, promoting literacy, and initiating educational modernization in Central Asia. Together, these two intellectual traditions demonstrate how reformist ideas can shape the cultural and educational landscapes of entire societies.
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References
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