The earliest ancestors of the Uzbeks, the Central Asian Turks, aided Genghis Khan in his conquest of Eastern Europe in the 1300s. Eventually, as unity between the Turks and Mongols faded, there were numerous warring kingdoms that emerged. It was from several of these kingdoms that the Uzbeks descended. As time progressed, they developed their own language and culture, though it is like the others in Central Asia. By the mid-1800s, the Russians had conquered most of the Uzbeks. The Russians controlled much of Central Asia including what is now Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan.
They lived under czarist rule until the Bolshevik Revolution brought the communists to power in 1917. The new socialist government forced many of the Uzbek nomads and farmers to live on collective farms.
When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, the Central Asians controlled by Moscow became independent of Russian rule. In Azerbaijan and Afghanistan, Uzbeks speak the Southern Uzbek dialect which is mutually intelligible with Northern Uzbek. The main differences are about the grammar and certain loan words from other languages. Those in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan speak Northern Uzbek.
There are large Uzbek communities in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as well as small communities in many other nations, including Belarus, Turkey, Azerbaijan and even the United States. They can also be found in Russia.
Uzbeks in Russia are usually desperate for work. They come for low-paying jobs and they are looked down upon by the Russian majority. Most live in urban centers.
Most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims of the conservative Hanafite branch. Like other Muslims, the Uzbeks believe that there is one God, Allah, whose will was revealed through the prophet Mohammed and then recorded in the Koran. They are generally not Orthodox Muslims since they usually mix traditional beliefs with their Islamic practices. Many of the younger generation are either atheists or non-religious.
The Uzbeks are not open to outside spiritual input.
The Uzbeks in Russia have an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. Unfortunately, they are often at odds with the “Christian” Russians. Who will reach them for Christ?
Pray for the Holy Spirit to give the Uzbek people teachable and understanding hearts.
Pray that a strong movement of the Holy Spirit will bring entire Uzbek families into a rich experience of God's blessing.
Pray for Uzbek families to be drawn by the Holy Spirit to seek forgiveness, and to understand the adequacy of Christ's work on the cross.
Pray for teams of believers to do sustained, focused prayer for the Lord to open the hearts of Uzbek family leaders to experience God's blessing through a movement of family-based discovery Bible studies.
Scripture Prayers for the Uzbek, Northern in Russia.
Uzbek profile for Children and Family Missions Activities
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Uzbek, Northern |
People Name in Country | Uzbek, Northern |
Natural Name | Northern Uzbek |
Pronunciation |
OOZ-bek
|
Alternate Names | Northern Uzbek; Ouzbek; Ozbek; Usbaki; Uzbeki; Wuzibieke; उज़्बेक, नॉर्दर्न |
Population this Country | 323,000 |
Population all Countries | 32,497,000 |
Total Countries | 18 |
Indigenous | No |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 6 |
People ID | 14039 |
ROP3 Code | 107469 |
ROP25 Code | 308519 |
ROP25 Name | Uzbek |
Country | Russia | ||
Region | Europe, Eastern and Eurasia | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | No | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | Not ranked |
Country | Russia |
Region | Europe, Eastern and Eurasia |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | No |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | Not ranked |
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Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.30 %) |
0.75 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
84.75 %
|
Non-Religious |
14.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.50 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Uzbek, Northern (323,000 speakers) |
Language Code | uzn Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Uzbek, Northern (323,000 speakers) |
Language Code | uzn Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Uzbek, Northern |
Primary Language: Uzbek, Northern
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1891-1992) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1992-2010) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (2016-2017) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Photo Source | Fulvio Spada - Wikimedia Creative Commons |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |