Cotton Producers
Uzbekistan, 1860s
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And nowhere is this adage more true than for the past, a time so removed from our own, for which a single image can have a huge impact. In this section, the editors at Qalam seek to do more than merely showcase documentary photographs from various eras—we want to tell the real stories behind these images and bring history to life. Each photograph here captures a moment that has shaped our world, and the accompanying narrative highlights its significance and context, giving us a nuanced insight into the events they depict. After all, understanding these stories can only help us appreciate the complexities of history better. This time, we are showcasing some stages of cotton production in Uzbekistan during the 1860s.
By the early 1860s, the United States was one of the main suppliers of cotton in the global market, and the United Kingdom, at the forefront of the textile industry, imported 80 per cent of its cotton from there. However, in 1861, the American Civil War broke out, causing cotton prices to rise, prompting producers worldwide to plant cotton on land previously reserved for wheat. This shift also affected some parts of Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan, whose territory Russia planned to transform into the empire's cotton production base as cotton had already been cultivated there for several millennia.
By 1864, Uzbek cotton imports to Russia had already surpassed American cotton in volume, solidifying the region’s importance in the empire’s economy. However, the quality of the raw material was not satisfactory, leading to American technologies and seeds being introduced in the Turkestan region by order of the governor-general. By 1916, the region would be home to 235 cotton processing plants.
The transformation of Uzbekistan into a source of cheap cotton would continue during the Soviet period, albeit with far more severe consequences for the region's ecology, but that’s a story for another time!
