The Jadids — reformers of Turkestan

Jadidism (from Arabic jadid, "new") was an enlightenment movement among the Muslim peoples of the Russian Empire, inspired by the Crimean Tatar Ismail Gasprinski's usul-i jadid (new-method) schools.

In Turkestan intellectuals such as Mahmudkhoja Behbudiy, Abdurauf Fitrat, Munavvar Qori, Abdulla Qodiriy and Cholpon opened new schools, published newspapers and magazines and created the first Uzbek theatre, seeing the struggle against ignorance as the nation's salvation.

Under Soviet rule most Jadids were shot as "nationalists" in the 1930s. Since independence they have been honoured as national heroes.