Narratives of self-assertion: representations of the western Other in the works of the Uzbek author Abdulhamid Sulaymon Cholpan, 1897 – 1938

This article examines the portrayal and discursive function of the western Other in the literary works of Abdulhamid Sulaymon Cholpan (1897 – 1938) of Uzbekistan, by locating his narratives at the intersection of Russian and Soviet rule in Central Asia. It argues that the western Other appears in contradictory roles in Cholpanʹs literary texts, with some of his literary narratives expressing an admiration for European material progress and value systems and others displaying sharp criticism of its imperialistic objectives in non-western regions. The article further argues that despite these differences in the way the western Other is represented, Cholpanʹs literary writings can be considered as a counter-discursive practice, directed against both the established traditional culture and the colonial authority. However, Cholpanʹs literary narratives also often contribute to the construction of similar Orientalist images created by westerners about non-western people by describing ‘backward’ and ‘primitive’ aspects of Central Asian society using the very same language and discourse of Orientalism.