ABSTRACT
The Ferghana Valley is where the battle of Talas was fought between the Arab warriors of Abbasid Caliphate and those of the Tang Dynasty of China. This battle marked the victory of Islam. During Soviet days, it was purposely divided in such a way ‘that Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Kyrgyz were found on all sides’. This policy also enabled the Soviet authorities to be continuously ‘called upon by the people in the region to help them manage conflicts that were bound to emerge as a result of these artificial divisions’ (Slim 2002). Since the implosion of the Soviet Union into the five independent states of Central Asia, this valley straddles three countries, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Today, Ferghana Valley comprises seven administration provinces: three Uzbek (Andijan, Ferghana and Namangan), three Kyrgyz (Batken, Osh and Jalalabad), and one Tajik (Sugh, which was formerly known as Leningrad).
