March 14-15, 2008 in Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan), at the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies (TSIV) An international seminar on "Central Asia-India Dialogue: Building a Partnership on the Foundation of Rich Cultural and Historical Heritage" was held. The seminar program included three organizers: the Embassy of the Republic of India in the Republic of Uzbekistan (www.indembassy.uz Lal Bahadur Shastri Center for Indian Culture (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) www.icc.indembassy.uz) and, of course, TGIV itself (http://www.tdshi.uz). The seminar was attended by more than fifty delegates from India, the former Soviet republics of Central Asia (now known as Central Asia) and the Russian Federation.

A representative delegation came from India: a prominent historian (specialist in Indian history) Mushirul Hasan, currently Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi; a well-known poet (writing in Hindi) Ashok Chakradhar; a historian of Russia and Central Asia Hari S. Vasudevan, currently Director of the Institute of Asian Studies.. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad; Mushtaq Ahmad Kaw, Director of the Center for Central Asian Studies.-

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Center of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir (Srinagar); Professor Mahesh Ranjan Debata, Specialist in Modern Central Asia from the University of Kashmir (Srinagar). Jawaharlal Nehru (Delhi); H. S. Yadav of the University of Delhi. Maharshi Dayananda (Rohtak, Hariyana) and Nasir Raza Khan from Jamia Millia Islamia University. Jyetsna Bakshi, currently a lecturer at the Department of International Relations of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, also took an active part in the seminar.

The special significance of the seminar is demonstrated by the participation of Indian diplomats. Indian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Skand Ranjan Thayal not only opened the seminar, but also participated in two days of discussions and lively behind-the-scenes conversations. Embassy secretaries Bhargav Mitra and K. D. Deval (both excellent speakers of Russian) were always close to the participants of the seminar and quickly solved all organizational and technical problems.

The working languages of the seminar were English and Russian, and most of the participants understood them (simultaneous interpretation was available to the minority). Some of the Indian guests preferred to perform in Hindi.

Uzbekistan was represented primarily by TSIV staff and teachers. TSIV Rector A. M. Mannonov, a well-known expert in the Pashto language and literature, welcomed the participants and chaired the final session. A. N. Shamatov, head of the Department of South Asian Languages, was undoubtedly the main" motor " of the seminar. The staff of the department participated in the seminar almost entirely. Other scientific and educational institutions of Uzbekistan were also represented: the Al-Biruni Academic Institute of Oriental Studies (Tashkent), the Academy of State and Public Construction (AGOS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UMED) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan; National University of Uzbekistan (NUU) named after Ulugbek (Tashkent), Ferghana State University (FSU), State Conservatory of Uzbekistan (Tashkent) and even the Tashkent Aviation Institute.

Meruert Abuseitova, Director of the R. B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies (Alma Ata), K. N. Kemelbayev, President of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek), and Abdurakhim Juraev from Khojent State University named after B. Gafurov came from Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan was conspicuous by its absence. According to Indian diplomats, their attempts to invite anyone from this republic were futile.

From Russia were invited to the deputy. Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences G. I. Chufrin and the author of these lines.

A total of four thematic plenary sessions were held over the course of two days. The first session was devoted mainly to informational presentations: guests from different countries and institutions talked about their universities, institutes, centers and academies-and what problems of South and / or Central Asia they study. However, there were also considerations for the future. Several reports highlighted the importance of more effective teaching of Indian languages in the Central Asian republics, on the one hand, and Central Asian languages in India, on the other. Thus, Skand Ranjan Thayal said that in modern conditions, traditional Indology (i.e., the study of the languages and cultures of South Asia) should be supplemented by "area studies" (i.e., the study of the languages and cultures of South Asia).In order that university and academic science can directly contribute to the development of political, economic and cultural ties between the countries of Central and South Asia. S. R. Tay proposed to create a center for the study of the Indian economy and Uzbek-Indian economic cooperation in Ferghana. At the same time, paying tribute to traditional Indology, he proposed to establish a center for the study of Buddhism, Buddhist archaeology and ancient cultural contacts between India and Central Asia at Termez State University. G. N. Chufrin in his speech called for the development of specific programs of economic, scientific and technical cooperation between India and the Central Asian republics and expressed the opinion that Russia could become an active participant ("third party") in such cooperation.

At the plenary session "Culture and History" M. Abuseitova spoke about the "Great Silk Road" as a factor of cultural relations over the centuries between India and Central Asia. Mushtaq Ahmad Kaw continued the theme of cultural interrelationships, especially

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Emphasizing the importance of Kashmir as the geographical center of a historical and cultural region encompassing Iran, Central Asia and Northern India. Among the cultural phenomena that united this region, the speaker mentioned, of course, Islam, but also - in an earlier era-Buddhism. Both speakers suggested organizing joint (India-Central Asia) archaeological expeditions to study the historical contacts between India and Central Asia and their common cultural heritage. Abdurakhim Juraev dedicated his speech to B. Gafurov, who played a major role in bringing India and Central Asia closer together in the second half of the 20th century. T. Juraev (AGOS, Tashkent), quoting the words of Max Weber: "Politics should strive for the impossible", called for considering Central and South Asia as a single "super-region" within Eurasia, "a higher-level" super-region".

Serebryany S. D. in his speech returned to the topic of Buddhism as a phenomenon that united South Asia with Central Asia in the past. The study and teaching of Sanskrit (as one of the main languages of South and Central Asian Buddhism), in his opinion, should be recognized as an important factor in strengthening modern cultural ties in this "super-region". As a historical example, the Lotus Sutra was considered - a text created in Sanskrit in South Asia, which has come down to us in Central Asian manuscripts, penetrated through Central Asia to China and then to Korea and Japan, where it became most widely used. The classical translation of the Lotus Sutra from Sanskrit to Chinese was made in the early fifth century AD by Kumarajiva, who was half Indian (Kashmiri) and half "Central Asian".

T. Gipsov (TGIV) spoke about the significance of J. R. R. Tolkien. Nehru's role in the development of cultural contacts between India and Uzbekistan in the second half of the 20th century. Nasir Raza Khan considered the theme of the "Great Silk Road", emphasizing the dialectic of change and immutability in its history. Sh. Musayev (Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies) devoted his report to the administrative system established in India by Zahiruddin Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, in the first third of the 16th century. Sh. Musayev also called for Uzbek-Indian cooperation in describing and studying Central Asian manuscripts in Turkic languages stored in Central Asia and abroad. In India, Z. Nasullayev spoke about the study of classical Indian music at the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, M. Azamov - about the general features of musical culture in India and Uzbekistan, as well as about his research on Indian musical instruments. M. M. Ucharov made a very interesting presentation (with a slide show) about Indian motifs in the work of the famous artist Chingiz Akhmarov (1912-1995). Ch. G. Akhmarov, a Tatar born in the town of Troitsk in the Southern Urals (where, according to legend, he met the famous Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay as a child), lived most of his life and became famous as an artist in Uzbekistan (in 1964 he received the title "People's Artist of Uzbekistan").

The first day of the seminar ended with a cultural program: Indian and Uzbek dances performed by TSIV students.

The second day of the seminar began with the official opening ceremony of the TSIV Indological Center. Mahatma Gandhi Foundation, established with the financial support of the Government of the Republic of India. Ambassador of India S. R. Thayal and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India spoke at the ceremony. Minister of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan A. A. Mukhitdinov. A. N. Shamatov made a response speech. A welcome message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India, Pronob Mukherjee, was also read out. Those who attended the ceremony were presented with a booklet in four languages (Hindi, English, Uzbek and Russian), which stated that "the main task of this Center is... implementation of comprehensive scientific research in the field of indology, conducted both by the Institute [i.e. TGIV. - S. S.], and at the national and international levels."

Then a plenary session on "Politics, economy and international relations" was held. S. Mirkasymov, former Ambassador of Uzbekistan to India, spoke about the prospects of political, economic and cultural cooperation between Uzbekistan and India, emphasizing that there have been close ties between the peoples of these two countries for centuries and up to the present day, and this allows We hope for the development of mutually beneficial and fruitful contacts in the future. N. K. Kemelbayev spoke about the relations and cooperation between India and Kyrgyzstan. Hari S. Vasudevan outlined the plans of the Institute of Asian Studies

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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Center for the Study of Central Asian Countries by B. Abidov (Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies) He noted that the main activities of the Institute are the study of India and the maintenance of Indian-Central Asian cultural ties. Jyetsna Bakshi analyzed the Indian-Uzbek cultural contacts - how they are viewed from India. A. Kassymov (TGIV) made a presentation on regional security problems and prospects for using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in this region. R. Alimov (UMED) spoke about cooperation between Uzbekistan and India in the field of regional security and stability. I. Mavlonov Based on his experience in the diplomatic field, the Head of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of India spoke about the extent to which diplomacy can contribute to the development of small businesses in India. A. Gafurov (Ferghana State University), an elder of economics in Uzbekistan, made a report on ways to attract foreign capital to Uzbek industry. G. D. Khalmatjanova (Ferghana State University) continued the economic theme and focused on the problem of competition as a factor in the development of the textile industry. Sultanova (UMED) analyzed the political biography of Indira Gandhi against the background of historical events of her time. O. Makhmudov (National University of Uzbekistan) concluded the meeting with a report on militant religious groups in South and Central Asia and their role in the escalation of local conflicts.

The final session was devoted to the topic "Language and literature". T. Halmirzayev (TGIV) spoke about the history of studying Indian languages and literatures in Uzbekistan. In particular, he stressed the great role of Russian scientists in the development of indology in Uzbekistan. Some of them, such as N. A. Khalfin and I. D. Serebryakov, started their activities here; others worked or defended their dissertations in Tashkent, during the evacuation during World War II (for example, V. M. Beskrovny and N. M. Goldberg). The speaker called for resuming the interrupted traditions of close cooperation between indologists of Russia and Uzbekistan and, in particular, to continue the publication of the Bibliography of India together. T. A. Khodjayeva (TGIV) made a presentation on the history of Uzbek-Indian literary relations from the time of Navoi and Babur to the XX century. A. Chakradhar showed his slide film " Omar Khayyam and Harivanshraj Bachchan", accompanying the show with a chanting recitation of poems in Hindi. Then he spoke (in Hindi) about the Online language teaching program developed at the University of Delhi and suggested that the next World Hindi Congress (Vishwa-Hindi-Sammelan) be held in Tashkent. Yadav delivered (also in Hindi) a kind of philosophical and poetic essay on the main features of Indian culture. Kh. Begizova (TGIV) brought the audience back to the scientific discourse by reading a report on the Indian origin of words in the modern Turkic languages of Central Asia. Then a joint report by A. A. Kambarov and A. A. Abdullayev (Ferghana State University) was read out, dedicated to Zahiruddin Babur (a native and briefly ruler of Ferghana) as a poet and ruler of India. U. Muhibova (TGIV) turned to literary studies and read a report on the genre of "varta" ("lives") in various Indian literatures. M. Abdurakhmonova (TGIV) analyzed the poetic language of Talib's "Divan".

The last four presentations at the seminar were linguistic. B. Rakhmatov (TGIV) drew the attention of the seminar participants to the need to unify the grammatical terminology of Hindi, since the discrepancy in this terminology, in his opinion, makes it very difficult to teach Hindi to foreigners. 3. Saidkulov (Tashkent Aviation Center. in - t), who taught Russian in India in 1989-1990, demonstrated the Uzbek-Russian-English dictionary of terms related to the sphere of "spirituality"compiled and published by him. According to the speaker's calculations, there were about eight thousand such words in the modern Uzbek language, and their translation required about 12 thousand Russian and about 20 thousand English words. M. Nosirova (a graduate student of TSIV) reported on the results of her research on "hybrid" words in Hindi, i.e. those that combine elements of various languages. origin. According to the speaker's observations, most often such words combine Sanskrit affixes with English roots. F. Nematova (a student of TSIV) spoke about the problem of cases in various interpretations of Hindi grammar.

At the end of the workshop, Jyetsna Bakshi gave an overview of the topics discussed, highlighting the calls for diverse cooperation between India, on the one hand, and Uzbekistan, as well as its Central Asian neighbors, on the other. In conclusion, S. R. Tayal and

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A. Manionov noted the successful work of the seminar and expressed hope that it will serve to strengthen ties between India and Central Asian countries.

On the same day, a poetry evening was held at the Indian Embassy. The central figure of the evening was A. Chakradhar, who recited his poems in Hindi very artistically. One of his poems was also translated into Uzbek. In addition, the students of TSIV read poems in Hindi and Urdu, and M. Abdurakhmonov read several of Babur's ghazals translated from Turkic (Jagatai) into Urdu.

The seminar in Tashkent showed that indology and Oriental studies in general in Russia and Uzbekistan (and in other former Soviet republics of Central Asia) have lost a lot from the breakup of scientific and personal ties after 1991. But this can be corrected: the older generation of orientalists still remembers that they once lived in the same country, and in Uzbekistan, Russian still retains its significance as the language of Oriental studies and other humanities. From conversations with Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik colleagues, participants of the seminar, I understood that they want and are ready to cooperate with Russia. It's largely up to us. And the benefits will be mutual.

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