Americans are generally satisfied with their country: They live well and are largely unconcerned with events abroad. The same cannot be said of Central Asia, where countries across the region suffer from an inferiority complex, according to Uzbek historian Bakhtiyor Alimdjanov, who recently appeared on the popular Kazakh podcast Dope Soz.
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Even in casual conversations — whether about politics or economics — people in the region are often dissatisfied with something, Alimdjanov said. According to him, Kazakhs and Uzbeks continue to live with lingering postcolonial traumas and fears, including concerns about borders and language, and those anxieties fuel a broader sense of inferiority.
«A void — an inferiority complex»
Asked by the podcast host what Uzbeks fear most, Alimdjanov replied:
«That they won’t catch up with others. That they won’t become wealthy. That they won’t succeed. There’s a void — an inferiority complex. And to fill that void, they tell themselves: ‘We have Amir Timur.’ They take history — something that has already ended — too seriously.»
He also referenced the backlash he faced after joking about Alisher Navoi (Ali Shir Navai), the renowned Uzbek poet.
«I recently joked that Alisher Navoi lacked quality sex. I was kidding, but many people sued me over it,» Alimdjanov said. «I also said the Uzbek intelligentsia lacks quality sex. Politics and sexuality are interconnected concepts. We studied sexuality seriously in political science.»
Alimdjanov added that there is a popular saying suggesting that when people lack fulfillment in their personal lives, they become more attached to nationalism and political leaders.
«When you lack quality sex, you begin to love your homeland, the president and everyone else,» he said. «There’s the problem of unfulfilled libido.»
The Golden Horde and national identity
According to Alimdjanov, debates over the legacy of the Golden Horde also reflect broader efforts to overcome historical insecurities.
He noted that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently said at a historical symposium that Kazakhstan is a successor state to the Golden Horde — a position Alimdjanov described as justified.
«This is one way we can overcome our complexes,» he said.
Read also: Tracking lost treasures: Kazakhstan’s artifacts in world collections.
