THROBBING STATE OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN REPUBLICS: AN INTROSPECTION

Set in the mid-1990s, this article surveys the “throbbing” condition of the Central Asian republics as they negotiated post-Soviet state-building amid commodity volatility and external competition. It maps the political economies of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, highlighting diverging reform paths, elite bargains and social contracts. The paper analyzes border, water and energy interdependence; currency instability; and the securitization of Islam in domestic politics. It argues that resilience turned on administrative capacity, infrastructural connectivity and the ability to monetize resources without hollowing institutions. The study concludes that regional cooperation on water-energy swaps and transit could soften boom-bust cycles while reducing the transaction costs of great-power rivalry.

The body opens with fiscal and monetary adjustments after rouble-zone fragmentation, reviewing inflation control, exchange-rate regimes and the politics of privatization. Section One dissects hydrocarbon and mineral strategies, contrasting state-led consolidation with liberalized service contracts, and their implications for rent distribution. Section Two covers water-energy bargaining in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins—winter power needs versus summer irrigation flows—and the institutional fragility of barter-based swaps. Section Three examines security dynamics: border management, refugee flows from Tajikistan’s civil war, and the early architecture of multilateral security forums. Section Four addresses social policy—subsidies, pensions and rural services—as buffers against shock. Section Five considers external vectors: Russia’s influence, Chinese trade corridors and Western finance tied to governance benchmarks. The conclusion argues for incremental rule-binding—metered flows, transparent tariffs, and corridor authorities—that foster predictability and attract long-horizon capital.