American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 45, October- 2025 1 | P a g e THE LAND RECLAMATION WORKS IN ANDIZHAN REGION (AS AN EXAMPLE OF 50 – 70 YEARS OF 20TH CENTURY) Abdurakhman Gulomjon uglu Turgunov Independent Researcher at the Department of World History of Andizhan State University, Republic of Uzbekistan Abstract: In the 1960s-1970s, the process of agricultural land development began to be actively implemented in Andizhan region. The main goal of this process was to effectively organize agricultural production by increasing land fertility, improving land reclamation and irrigation systems. On most of the developed lands, appropriate infrastructure was created to increase land fertility, including the creation of new arable land. As a result, a significant increase in productivity was achieved. Keywords: Congress, hectare, gray lands, Andizhanstroy, Andizhanvodstroy, Uzselkhoztekhnika, irrigation, land reclamation. Introduction As we know, the second half of the 20th century occupies an important place in the history of Uzbekistan as a stage of modernization of agriculture and deepening of agrarian reforms. In particular, in the 1960s, large-scale work was carried out in a number of regions of the republic, including the Andizhan region, on the development and effective use of new lands. This process was formed as a component of the agrarian policy of the former Union, the main directions of which were land reclamation, improvement of irrigation systems, introduction of high-yielding crops and increase in production efficiency. The land development work carried out in the Andizhan region during this period contributed not only to the development of the agricultural sector, but also to the emergence of new farms and settlements in the region. The land development work carried out in the Andizhan region during this period contributed not only to the development of the agricultural sector, but also to the emergence of new farms and settlements in the region. This served as an important stage in the formation of the socio-economic infrastructure of the region. In particular, the planned development of 9,700 hectares of new lands in 1961 laid the foundation for an increase in the volume of agricultural production. This work analyzes the land development policy implemented in the Andizhan region in the 1960s, its economic and social consequences, as well as the contribution of this process to the development of the region. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 45, October- 2025 2 | P a g e RESEARCH METHODS This article is aimed at analyzing historical events and processes and is based on the basic principles of scientific research methodology. Comprehensive methodological approaches were used to ensure the reliability and objectivity of the research. In particular, the sources were carefully studied and analyzed based on the principle of scientific objectivity, which is important in historical research. Also, for a holistic and systematic coverage of the topic, the method of logical consistency was used, and facts and events were arranged in a coherent manner. In the research process, the method of comparative analysis was used to deeply analyze the events and processes related to land development and agricultural development in the region. This method was used to identify similarities and differences between different periods and regions, and to study their causes and consequences. At the same time, in order to ensure the correct chronological sequence of historical processes, events and changes were arranged in time using the chronological sequence method. As a result, the harmonious use of the above methods allowed for a deep and comprehensive coverage of the topic in the article, as well as a sound analysis of historical evidence. RESULTS During the 1950s-1970s, active work was carried out on the development of reserve and boz lands in Central Ferghana, in particular in the Boz district. Boz district stood out as one of the leading regions in this process. In this area, 2803 hectares of new land were developed for agricultural needs in 1950-1954, and 2960 hectares in 1953-1958. The XVII Party Congress, the Kirov, Akhunbobayev, Lenin, Stalin and Kalinin collective farms played an important role in these works [1. 5-sheet]. Although the planned 654 hectares of land were not fully developed in 1956, a total of 770 hectares of land were developed. The planning brigade of the Shahrikhan MTS was unable to fully implement the plan on the designated area of 520 hectares. By 1958, 48.8 thousand hectares of land were prepared for irrigation. Of this area, 35.7 thousand hectares were fallow lands, and 13.1 thousand hectares were protected lands. The distribution by regions was as follows: Andizhan - 12911 hectares, Namangan - 17233 hectares, Ferghana - 18679 hectares. As of November 1 of this year, a total of 51149 hectares of land had undergone irrigation and land reclamation preparation [2. Sheet 35]. At the same time, the irrigation and land reclamation works carried out in the Andizhan region through the Andizhanstroy trust in 1953-1970 were not fully completed. This was due to several factors: the fragmentation of irrigation institutions and the lack of specialists, the untimely provision of financial support, and the insufficient preparation of design and estimate documentation. For example, if by the beginning of 1968 only 50 percent of land preparation projects were ready, this figure reached 62 percent by July; in 1970 - 47.1 percent, in 1972 - 51 percent. Technical shortcomings were also observed in these documents. In 1959-1961, serious problems were also observed in the development of existing reserve lands and their effective use. Thus, plans for the development of new American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 45, October- 2025 3 | P a g e lands in Central Ferghana in many cases remained unfulfilled. In the Andizhan region, the development of new lands and irrigation and land reclamation works were carried out in accordance with the plans established in 1959-1961. During this period, it was expected that 20.5 thousand hectares of new land would be developed on the basis of the 7-year comprehensive plan. However, the level of implementation of the plan remained moderate, and 15.2 thousand hectares of land were prepared for irrigation and land reclamation, which in turn was 51% of the plan and 9.6 thousand hectares of land in Central Ferghana were developed, which was 70% of the planned revitalization of work in this region alone. Despite this, many problems arose due to the incomplete implementation of new land development works across the entire territory. As set out in the plan, in 1959-1961, only some districts fully or partially met the development goals. In 1959, Balikchi, in 1960, Chinabad and Turakurgan, and in 1961, Jalakuduk, Marhamat, Pakhtaabad and Uchkurgan districts succeeded in implementing all the plans. However, in many other districts, the development of new lands was not fully implemented, and in some, the plans were only partially implemented. For example, in Boz district, only 707 hectares of land out of the planned 1,855 hectares were developed, that is, 38% of the plan. Altynkol and Izboskan districts also failed miserably in implementing their plans. In these cases, the main reason for these failures was the technical and organizational problems of the executors [3. 45-46]. At the same time, based on the targets set for the preparation of new lands for 1962, it was expected that 10.5 thousand hectares of land would be put into operation, of which 5 thousand hectares of land would have to undergo capital irrigation and land reclamation. Another 4.7 thousand hectares of land would have to be prepared at the expense of previously put into operation lands. As of March 10, 1962, a total of 5684 hectares of land had been prepared, of which 4307 hectares were prepared with capital complexes and 1377 hectares were prepared through repair work. Despite this, in some districts, for example, in Holdevonbek and Moscow, the plans set for land preparation were not fulfilled [3. Sheet 46]. Also, delays were observed in the preparation of new lands in the Balikchi district. The process of preparing new lands slowed down due to the non-operation of earthmoving equipment in production, technical malfunctions and a shortage of personnel. At the Mingbulaq state farm, only 65% of the equipment performed the specified work, and another 5 tractors were working on other tasks. In 1961, the downtime of earthmoving equipment led to significant delays in the land development process. In January-February 1962, due to the non-use of earthmoving equipment in the Balikchi district, new land plots were not developed [3. Back of sheet 47]. These circumstances also indicate that the Andizhanvodstroy Trust and Uzselkhoztekhnika did not carry out work on the preparation of new lands in a systematic and comprehensive manner. This mainly caused theoretical and practical shortcomings in the design and irrigation repair work. In 1961, the difficulties caused by the delay in the work on the irrigation of lands by the Andizhanvodstroy Construction and Installation Department and the district departments of Uzselkhoztekhnika, as well as the downtime of equipment, American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 45, October- 2025 4 | P a g e could not delay the start of the development of new lands. At the same time, in 1962, clarification work was carried out on the use of the developed lands. As a result of the inspections, it was stated that in order to achieve high efficiency in the work of the Andizhanvodstroy Trust and Uzselkhoztekhnika in the future, it was necessary to carry out uniquely coordinated processes of excavation, irrigation and reclamation networks. Thus, difficulties in the process of developing new lands arose mainly due to the lack of technical resources, unskilled personnel, systematic work, as well as the disorganization of activities. These problems led to a delay in the expansion of arable land and the renewal of agriculture. Large losses and a decrease in work in these processes, in turn, required the subsequent regulation of effective economic growth and the introduction of reforms. According to the Land Management Department of the Andizhan Regional Agricultural Department, at the end of 1959, 376.8 thousand hectares of arable land were available in collective and state farms in the region. According to the New Land Development Group of the Regional Executive Committee, 8.8 thousand hectares of new and plowed lands were developed in 1960-1961[5]. Thus, by the end of 1961, there should have been 385.6 thousand hectares of land. However, according to the land balance as of November 1, 1961, the area under cultivation amounted to 375.9 thousand hectares, which is 0.9 thousand hectares less than in 1959. Despite the fact that 8.8 thousand hectares of new land were developed in 1960–1961, the area under cultivation amounted to 381.1 thousand hectares, which was less than 385.8 thousand hectares [3. Sheet 50]. In the 60s of the 20th century, irregularities were observed in the calculation of agricultural arable land on collective and state farms in the Andizhan region. As a result of inspections carried out during the measurement of land plots in 1961, it was revealed that the areas of cotton and rice crops were hidden or incorrectly indicated. Similar situations were also observed in the Khojaabad and Uychi districts. For example, in Khojaabad, 584.6 hectares of cotton and 61.5 hectares of rice were hidden, while in Uychi, 589.4 hectares of cotton and 145.5 hectares of rice were not shown [6]. In 1960-1961, changes in the organization of arable land in the region, as well as organizational errors, led to a decrease in cotton and rice yields. Despite the increase in cotton areas in 1961, yields decreased compared to 1959. Also, inefficient use of water resources in 1960-1961, in particular, improper use of water pipes and irrigation systems, had a negative impact on yields. In Andizhan region, it was found that the cotton yield in 1961 decreased by 40 thousand tons compared to 1959 [9]. In many districts of the region, for example, in Chust, Andizhan, Lenin, Izboskan and Chinabad, cotton yields decreased by 2-8 centners in some cases. In 1961, most of these cases were associated with inefficient use of water [3. Sheet 52]. In areas such as Balikchi, Chinobod and Naryn, problematic water use for irrigation of agricultural crops also had a negative impact on productivity. In the oblast, sufficient water was provided to the cotton fields with water withdrawals of 105- 159%, which led to a decrease in productivity. In 1962, new measures were planned to develop land and improve irrigation. In 1962, a plan was implemented to prepare 9,700 American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 45, October- 2025 5 | P a g e hectares of new land and restore arable land. Despite this, land reclamation work was often delayed and carried out unsystematically on some land plots, including in Central Ferghana. Also, judging by the latest results in 1962, resettlement and land development work were also carried out intensively [7]. In areas such as Andizhan, Khojaabad and Altynkul, new lands were explored and population resettlement was successfully carried out. In 1971-1975, the development of agriculture, improvement of water management and development of new lands were achieved in the Boz region. At the same time, the work carried out in the field of irrigation and land reclamation in 1976-1978 was of great importance for the development of cotton growing in the region. In 1978, 40 hectares of new land were developed, 1442 hectares of land were improved in land reclamation, and 662 hectares of land were created according to the capital plan [4. 46-sheet]. In short, the problems in the field of agriculture and irrigation in the Andizhan region in the 1960-1970s were associated with a decrease in productivity, inefficient use of water, as well as delays in the adequate restoration and development of land areas [8]. All this indicates that a systematic approach and improved organizational work were required to solve the problems of agricultural development. CONCLUSION In Andizhan region land mastering, irrigation and land reclamation works carried out in the, especially in the Central Ferghana region, during the 1950s and 1970s served as a structural element of the Soviet Union's strategic policy in the agricultural sector. These measures were aimed at achieving economic growth by expanding agricultural production, increasing productivity, and transferring new lands to the population for use. The results of the study show that, despite the active participation of the Boz district and other districts of the Andizhan region in the land development process, this process was accompanied by many systemic problems. Incomplete development of design and estimate documentation, a shortage of equipment and qualified personnel, malfunctions in irrigation systems, and shortcomings in organizational aspects did not allow the full implementation of the established land development plans. Analyses based on archival documents and statistical indicators confirm that there was a significant gap between the planned and actually completed work. Due to the inefficient use of water resources, outdated irrigation systems, underutilization and poor maintenance of machinery, crop yields, especially cotton, have been declining year by year. REFERENCES 1. Andizhan regional department of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, fund 155, list 1, collection 167. 2. Ferghana Regional State Archive, Fund 1151, List 1, Collection 36. 3. Andizhan Regional State Archive, Fund 608, List 1, Collection 6. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 45, October- 2025 6 | P a g e 4. Andizhan regional department of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, fund 155, list 4, collection 117. 5. Komilov O.K. Modernization History of the irrigation System in Uzbekistan// Design Engineering. -Toronto, 2021.P.6111-6113. 6. Komilov O.K (2022). From the history of irrigation and land reclamation in Uzbekistan (1950-1990) // American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development.10, P.416-417. 7. Komilov O. Land reclamation and irrigation measures of virgin lands in Karshi Steppe // Frontline Social Sciences and History Journal 2 (01), 2022.p.35. 8. Komilov O. The history of mastering virgin lands of Central Ferghana Conference. - Ferghana: 2021. 9. Ferghana Regional State Archive, Fund 1151, List 1, Collection 36.