Abstract
This article is devoted to the study of the reforms implemented as a result of the cotton monopoly policy in the Surkhandarya oasis and their socio-economic, ecological and political significance. The work mainly analyzes the impact of the centralized policy aimed at cotton cultivation in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan during the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 1930s, its consequences on the economy, ecology and living standards of the population. The changes in the agricultural structure as a result of the cotton monopoly, the excessive use of water resources and the environmental problems that led to the Aral Sea tragedy are of particular interest. At the same time, the reforms implemented during the years of independence to eliminate the negative consequences of this policy, in particular, economic liberalization, agricultural diversification and improvement of local governance systems, are considered. The study will scientifically examine the impact of cotton monopoly on socio-economic processes in the Surkhandarya region, as well as the role and significance of reforms in the development of the region.