A Marriage of Necessity: The Return of Polygamy to Central Asia in the Aftermath of Democratization

Abstract

[[abstract]]Polygamy has always been a facet of Central Asian family life. It existed prior to the coming of Islam and persisted under the Soviets despite attempts to root it out. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan) polygamy is on the rise and despite democratic reforms in the region. This paper will survey briefly the history of the region and on-going debate over legalizing polygamy and, indeed, the decriminalization of polygamy in Kazakhstan of late. The case of two polygamous families, one Islamic and one Russian Orthodox, living in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, underscores the argument here that polygamy in Central Asia is largely economic rather than religious in nature and thus a corollary of democratization