HISTORIOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF ISLAM KARIMOV'S PERSONALITY AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY IN UZBEKISTAN: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYTICAL STUDY
Abstract
The historiographical interpretation of Islam Karimov’s personality and political activity represents a complex and multidimensional field of study in post-Soviet Central Asian scholarship. This article analyzes his formation as a statesman, his economic and political reforms, the international positioning of Uzbekistan, and scholarly interpretations of his governance. The study integrates extensive quantitative data, including GDP growth from 9.3 billion USD in 1991 to 15.5 billion USD in 2000, inflation reduction from 120 percent in 1995 to 30 percent in 2000, export growth reaching 2.5 billion USD in 2000, an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent in 2023, inflation of 15 percent in 2023, and 5 percent GDP growth in 2020. The research also examines institutional reforms, international comparisons involving South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan, France, and the United States, legal transformations, and historiographical debates. The findings demonstrate that Karimov’s governance model combined centralized political authority with pragmatic economic modernization, producing both developmental achievements and democratic deficits.