RELIGIOUS REVIVAL AND THE STATE STRATEGY OF SECULAR DEVELOPMENT IN UZBEKISTAN AFTER INDEPENDENCE

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between religious revival and the state strategy of secular development in Uzbekistan after independence. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that the restoration of religious values, historical memory, spiritual heritage and freedom of conscience became one of the important social processes in the post-Soviet period. At the same time, the state preserved the principle of secular governance, emphasizing the separation of religious institutions from political power, the protection of interfaith harmony and the prevention of radical ideology. The purpose of the article is to analyze how religious revival developed within the framework of a secular state model and how this process influenced social stability, civic consciousness and historical identity. The study focuses on the legal, educational, cultural and ideological aspects of state policy in the field of religion. Special attention is paid to the role of historical heritage, Islamic educational traditions, religious tolerance, modernization reforms and the activities of state institutions in maintaining balance between spiritual renewal and secular development. The article argues that the Uzbek model demonstrates a specific form of interaction between religion and state, in which religious values are recognized as part of national culture, while political governance remains based on constitutional secularism. This approach has contributed to strengthening social cohesion, preventing ideological conflicts and forming a more balanced understanding of religion in public life.