Tajikistan in the 21st Century : Society, Politics and Economy

Tajikistan is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia with Afghanistan bordering to its south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north and China to the east.

Tajikistan also lies adjacent to Pakistan and the Gilgit-Baltistan region, separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor.

Due to its common borders with Afghanistan, Tajikistan has become a strategic frontline in the region being directly affected by the spillover effects of cross-border terrorism, religious extremism and drug trafficking.

In 1924, the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as a part of Uzbekistan, but in 1929 the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (Tajik SSR) was made a separate constituent republic.

However, the predominantly ethnic Tajik cities of Samarkand and Bukhara remained in the Uzbek SSR.

Most of Tajikistan's population of 8 million people belongs to the Persian-speaking Tajik ethnic group, who share their language, culture and history with Afghanistan and Iran.

Soon after its independence in 1991,Tajikistan was plunged into a civil war, which left the country in a state of complete devastation.

In 1997, an accord was reached between President Rahmon and opposition parties (United Tajik Opposition).

Emomalii Rahmon came to power in 1994, and continues to rule till date.

Tajikistan was the poorest republic of the former Soviet Union and remains the poorest country in Central Asia today.

With foreign revenue precariously dependent upon exports of cotton and aluminum, the economy is highly vulnerable to external shocks.

The primary sources of income in Tajikistan are aluminium production, cotton growing and remittances from migrant workers.

Tajikistan has great hydropower potential, and has focused on attracting investment for projects for internal use and electricity exports.

It is against this background that this book presents cultural, social, economic and political perspectives on Tajikistan and also its relations with important neighbours particularly India, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and China.

That eminent academics and specialists from Tajikistan and India have contributed to this volume, makes it special.