Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is a study of violent conflict. It explains why violent conflict occurs, and describes the factors which produce it. The book first discusses the literature on violent conflict in general and the civil war in Tajikistan in particular. It then examines various theories to see if they are helpful in explaining the violence in Tajikistan, and its absence in Uzbekistan. The book also focuses on the structural aspect, i.e. regionally based elite networks. It then analyzes the elite structures in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and identifies differences between the two as an important factor which influenced elite behaviors differently, and contributed to the different outcome with regard to violent conflict after independence. Finally, the book traces the historical processes during the transitional period, which brought about the different outcomes in the two countries.