The bukharan emirate and turkestan under russian rule in the revolutionary era: 1917-1924

 
2.3. The Russian Conquests
Russian armies turned to Central Asia and started their great campaign in 
1855. The main campaign, which began in 1855, was also a start of Tsarist Russian 
period in Turkistan that lasted until 1917 Revolution. There were three phrases in 
terms of Russian expansion in Central Asia. The first one was Russian annexation 
and pacification of the Steppe Region between 1730 and the middle of the 19
th
century. The second one was between 1855 by which time Russian Army captured 
Syr Darya line to 1865 in which time Tashkent was occupied and in 1867 in which 
time the Governorate General of Turkestan was established.
76
 
After the capture of 
Tashkent from Kokand Khanate, the city was declared as the main headquarters of 
Russian Turkestan and had the importance which it had not gained throughout its 
history. In both Tsarist and Soviet rule, Tashkent was the heart of Russian 
administration. And then, Tsarist armies headed to other two khanates, Bukhara and 
Khiva. The third phase was Russia’s intervention into the khanates like the 
annexation of Kokand and establishment of protectorate upon Bukhara and Khiva, in 
addition the defeat of Turcoman tribes in the battle of Gok Tepe in 1881, resulting 
the capture of Transcaspia and Marv oasis by 1884
.
77
 
The main conflict broke out 
between Bukhara and Russia over the invasion of Kokand’s territories firstly. Indeed, 
Russia benefited much from the internal conflicts between the khanates. These 
Central Asian states had been struggling with each other for years and were very 
76
Wheeler, Geoffrey, 
The Peoples of Soviet Central Asia,
( London: the Bodley Head Ltd, 1966), 35. 
77
Wheeler, Geoffrey, 
The Peoples of Soviet Central Asia,
( London: the Bodley Head Ltd, 1966), 35. 

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34 
hostile to each one. Bukhara and Khiva were rivals to each other because of their 
disputable claims upon Merv and the left bank of the lower Syr Darya. Besides, there 
was rivalry and dispute between Bukhara and Kokand because of Bukhara’s 
intervention in districts of Djizak, Ura-Tube, Khodjakent, Tashkent and Turkestan
.
78
 
Bukhara invaded the Fergana Valley in 1839-1842 and in 1863 thus reduced Kokand 
into a status of vassal. The conflicts between two khanates continued until Russia 
entered the region
79
. 
Instead of uniting against a common enemy, the khanates 
sought ways to benefit from a high power’s attacks on one another. “The enduring 
rivalries among the Central Asian khanates prevented the formation of a united front 
against the Russian invader, and Bukhara’s involvement in Kokand’s internal affairs 
became the immediate cause of Bukhara’s conflict with Russia”.
80
 
The Emir of 
Bukhara Muzaffar al Din preferred gaining advantages from the Russian attacks on 
Kokand by invading Kokand’s territories together with Russia. While Russian 
General Mikhail Grigoryevich Charniev
81
had a war with Kokand and went over to 
capture Tashkent, Emir Muzaffar al Din attacked Kokand Khanate and captured the 
cities of Ura Turbe, Djizak(Jizzakh), Katta Qorghan and Khodjent. This was the 
breaking point between Russia and Bukhara. The Bukharan emir’s invasion of the 
Kokand Khanate angered Russia. Russia punished Bukhara with the suspension of its 
trade. For Russia, territorial gain was not important; however it was very cautious 
about the strengthening of an actor at the expense of another in the region
.
82
 
The 
Bukharan Emir followed wrong policies regarding Kokand against the Russian 
78
Becker, Seymour, 
Russia’s Protectorates in Central Asia: Bukhara and Khiva, 1865–1924
,(London 
&New York:Routledge Curzon,2005), 4. 
79
Ibid, 4. 
80
Ibid, 4. 
81
General Mikhail Grigoryevich Charniev was the military governor of Turkestan Oblast between 
1865-1867. During the Charniev, Turkestan was an oblast dependent on Orenburg Governorate-
General, not a separate Governor Generalship. 
82
Becker, Seymour, 
Russia’s Protectorates in Central Asia: Bukhara and Khiva, 1865–1924
,(London 
&New York:Routledge Curzon,2005),22. 

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35 
interests. Russia replied to acts of Bukharan emir Muzaffar al Din by occupying 
Samarkand in 1868. Emir’s army could not stand against the powerful and 
modernized Russian troops. In the wars between Russia and Bukhara, Russia only 
lost very few soldiers although Bukhara’s numerous troops were killed and many 
thousands were wounded. The arithmetic imbalance in terms of killed and wounded 
troops between Russia and Bukhara was extremely high. It was clearly impossible to 
resist by Bukhara against a technological and technical superiority of Russian troops.
 
“Bukhara emerged from the war of 1865-1868 in full possession of her legal 
sovereignty but a de facto dependency of the Russian empire”.
83
With the treaty of 
1868, Bukhara had to accept the protectorate under Russian rule and annexation of 
Samarkand to Turkestan Guberniia under Russian rule. “The peace treaty, signed on 
June 30, 1868, gave Russia all the conquered territories: Khojand, Ura Tube, Jizzakh, 
Katta Qorghan, and especially Samarkand, which controlled the headwaters of the 
Zarafshan (all Bukhara’s water), and finally, all the commercial advantages which 
the Russian leaders had previously been unable to obtain. Bukhara became a state 
under Russian suzerainty”