This article examines the historical significance of granting the Uzbek language the status of the state language on 21 October 1989 and evaluates its impact on the socio-political development of Uzbekistan. Particular attention is devoted to the linguistic, cultural, and legal problems that emerged both before and after the adoption of the law, as well as the measures taken to address them. The study argues that the recognition of Uzbek as the state language was not merely a symbolic legal act, but an important milestone in the restoration of national identity, the strengthening of cultural continuity, and the enhancement of the social prestige of the mother tongue. The article also demonstrates that language policy in Uzbekistan developed within a broader historical context, beginning with early twentieth-century debates on linguistic rights and extending to post-independence reforms in education, administration, terminology, and script policy [1], [5].

State language, language policy, Uzbek language

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