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

.
104
Of course, the policy of 
settling Russians by Tsarist rule in the region began causing problems between 
settlers and indigenous people. The indigenous people consisted of peasant farmers, 
nomads and seminomads. And, the number of Russian settlers increased year by 
year. The settlers backed by Russian administration gained their lands by expelling 
the indigenous owners of these lands.
105
Until the indigenous people lost their lands 
and water rights to Russian settlers, they had to welcome the introduction of Russian 
institutions and methods of the Tsarist policy of colonization between the years of 
102
Becker, Seymour, 
Russia’s Protectorates in Central Asia: Bukhara and Khiva, 1865–1924, 
(
London &New York: Routledge Curzon, 2005), 135. 
103
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans
., Islam
and the Russian Empire Reform and Revolution in 
Central Asia,
(London: I.B.Tauris-Co Ltd, 1966), 40. 
104
Allworth, Edward et al., 
Central Asia: A Century of Russian Rule
, ed. Edward Allworth, (New 
York: Columbia University Press, 1967), 179. 
105
Ibid, 179-180

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42 
1906 to1911. But, the revolt broke out in 1916 because the sufferings reached the 
peak in the end.
106
 
The reaction of local peoples to settlers, who came to the position 
of being more advantaged than the local people, began creating anxiety in Russia 
during the civil war period. Not only local masses but also the emir and the clerical 
elite were not content with these settlers. In Russian administration both in Tsarist 
rule and Provisional Government era, there was an anxiety of immediate attack of 
indigenous people to settlers in the region. The changing of production tools and 
economic power in Bukharan society from one hand to another through capital 
penetration and settler policy caused some social explosions and problems while 
there were its benefits and profits for the country. It is undoubtedly right that 
Russians brought so many helpful innovations to the region for the benefit of local 
people and Bukharan state. “They established a good road and railway system and 
adequate port facilities on the Caspian and Aral seas…They secured the Chinese, 
Afghan and Persian frontiers; they considerably developed trading facilities and the 
supply of raw materials…”
107
Russians constructed roads, railways and ports on the 
Caspian and Aral Seas. In addition, they secured the Chinese, Afghan and Persian 
borderlands. They also developed trade and supply of raw materials. The 
construction of railways, industrial development, and the growth of towns and 
entrance of Russian capital in rural production had reinforced and enlarged the 
Emirate’s relations with Russia and improved capitalist relations inside the emirate. 
These developments caused social changes inside Bukharan socio-economic system 
such as destruction of traditional rural ownership, acceleration of class differentiation 
in villages, increase of commercial character in agrarian production, and the 
peasantry’s specialization in cotton cultivation resulting a progressive adaptation of 
106
Wheeler, Geoffrey, 
The Peoples of Soviet Central Asia,
(London: the Bodley Head Ltd, 1966), 41. 
107
Wheeler, Geoffrey, 
The Peoples of Soviet Central Asia,
(London: the Bodley Head Ltd, 1966), 39. 

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43 
other sectors of the economy.
108
 
The only innovation was not railroad in Central 
Asia. There was also construction of telegraph network by Russians throughout 
Turkistan and protectorate khanates. “During the previous decade the Russian 
telegraph network had spread throughout Russian Turkestan, reaching Tashkent in 
1873, Khodjent in 1875, Samarkand and Kokand in 1876, and Katta-Kurgan, on the 
Bukharan frontier, in 1878. General Von Kaufman raised the question of a telegraph 
link to Bukhara several times at the end of the 1870’s, but apparently without 
insistence and consequently with no effect”.
109
 
For example, the telegraph crisis was 
the clear evidence for the influence of clergy over the Emir in Bukhara. The 
telegraph link reached the borders of Bukhara but it could not enter the city due to 
the Emir’s refusal, because the clergy was against all types of innovations inside 
Bukhara. As a protector of conservative-traditional social structure, the class of 
mullahs was keen on struggling every change and renewal. They were severe 
defenders of Emir’s old authority and early system in the country. They considered 
the changes were against Islam since they came from an infidel power. However, 
Emir’s approval of their desires was related to Emir’s necessity to take their support 
to continue his rule over masses. Otherwise, there was not any problem to implement 
with Russian orders according to Emir’s perspective. The emirs, both Muzaffar’s son 
Abd al Ahad and Ahad’s son Sayyid Alim, had Russian life styles. They spent most 
of their time during their princedoms in Russia. For instance, Alim took Russian 
education in Russian schools and knew about Russian literature and culture well. On 
the other side, they had to pursue balanced policies for not irritating domestic actors.
108
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans., Islam