A LIFE FOR KNOWLEDGE: HOW MAHMUDHOJA BEHBUDIY SPARKED AN INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION IN TURKESTAN

Abstract

This article explores the life and legacy of Mahmudhoja Behbudiy, a visionary reformer whose dedication to knowledge and enlightenment transformed the intellectual landscape of early 20th-century Turkestan. At a time when the region was under Russian imperial rule, its people stood between deep-rooted traditions and the call for modern progress. The old educational system, centered on rote learning in madrasas, could no longer meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Amid this tension, Behbudiy emerged as one of the leading voices of the Jadid (New Method) movement a generation of thinkers who believed that education was the key to freedom and national revival. A scholar, teacher, journalist, and playwright from Samarkand, he saw knowledge as the force that could awaken a nation from intellectual sleep. Through his schools, publications, and his pioneering play Padarkush, Behbudiy urged his people to embrace modern science and critical thought while remaining faithful to their cultural and spiritual roots. His life’s mission to awaken minds through learning  ignited an intellectual revolution that helped shape the foundation of modern Uzbek identity. Behbudiy’s message endures today as a reminder that true liberation begins with education, and that a nation’s strength lies in the enlightenment of its people.