Nimim ze Turkistan, Nimim ze Fargana: A Reconsideration of the Sârt Identity in Relation to Iranian Heritage in Central Asia

This essay aims to put forward a new explanation of “Sârt” problem from an Iranian viewpoint. Its main focus is to represent those signs which could be helpful to introduce Sârt people as inheritors of Old Iranian culture of central Asia. To attain this purpose it has been organized in four parts; the first part discussed with the history of Russia’s rule over the region and its dealing with indigenous ethnicities and ethnic problem. The second part has concentrated on the scholarly literature on the subject and precedent findings. The third one includes an analytical survey of the situation of Sârt people in 19th century as reported by primary sources. And, the final part deals with the fate of Sârt identity as sealed by Bolshevik regime and Jadidism. As the essay puts it, there are certain evidences which show that there have been a Sârt people whom we might be able to introduce old settlers of central Asia with clear links with Iran. As the results show, down to the Bolshevik revolution, Sârt people were a very great population of settler society of central Asia. Hence, Its removal of ethnological literature of the region as happened after the establishment of soviet system might be interpreted as a sign of russification policies especially in contrast to Iranian heritage of Central Asia.