The Family in Power: A New Past for an Old Country
The Family in Power: A New Past for an Old Country

Summary/Abstract: The rise and fall of Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the second president in Kyrgyzstan’s history, was inextricably linked with revolution. Thus, the interpretation of this event became a crucial element of legitimizing efforts. Legitimization through revolution became a part of the larger strategy of traditional justification through the great ancestors and glorious past. Contrary to the previous president Askar Akayev, however, a new president had no time, enough popularity or event interests to engage in production of elaborated ideological visions of state, society or nation. While it is true that no all embracing ideological projects were designed during his presidency, the president paid a lot of attention to the symbolic aspects of his power and legitimization of his position. Moreover, the gradual concentration of power in the hands of the members of president’s family created the need for legitimization of their privileged position. As the paper claims, there were numerous and dispersed legitimizing attempts linked to the members of the family. Despite inner tensions and disagreements, the viewpoint of the family and their ideologists was more or less consistent. This was basically an authoritarian narrative never recognizing the role and importance of the people. The past was presented as a time of heroes, all of whom were presented as the ancestors of the ruling family. The origins of the ruling family played substantial role, enabling them to position their own group (Teyit tribe, Jalal-Abad oblast and south of Kyrgyzstan) on a higher hierarchical position in comparison to the rest of the country’s population. This interpretation of the past allowed for the dissemination of hagiographic stories about their family history, the culmination of which was quasi-historical idea that made the President Bakiyev eleventh Khan.

• Details
• Contents