ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how two marriage practices that were banned by Bolshevik rulers in the 1920s continue to spark controversy and debate throughout contemporary Central Asia. Forced marriage, known more commonly as “bride kidnapping” in the western literature, continues to be one of several different ways to get married for several different ethnic groups, including the Kazakhs, the Kyrgyz, and the Karakalpaks. In comparison, polygyny is a practice that has been shared by the Central Asian ethnic groups with differing levels of frequency. Although there is no consensus regarding the social acceptance of these practices, there is evidence to suggest that both practices have experienced a resurgence in popularity since the fall of the Soviet Union. This coincides with the rise of new national identities and declining support for women’s equality in society. On the one hand, political debates about legalizing polygyny can be regarded as efforts to control female sexuality, despite efforts to frame this issue as a means to ensure the material support and respectability of unmarried women. On the other hand, debates about increasing penalties for bride kidnapping demonstrate a new wave of feminist activism with ties to western ideals and actors.
