The Siberian line. By the late eighteenth century Russia held a line of forts roughly along the current Kazakhstan border, which is approximately the boundary between forest and steppe. Uralsk was an old settlement of free Cossacks. Orenburg, Orsk and Troitsk were founded as a result of the Bashkir War about 1740 and this section was called the Orenburg Line. Orenburg was long the base from which Russia watched and tried to control the Kazakh steppe. The four eastern forts were along the Irtysh River. After China conquered Xinjiang in 1759 both empires had a few border posts near the current border.
In 1839 Russia attempted to conquer Khiva. Vasily Perovsky marched about 5,000 men south from Orenburg. The winter was unusually cold, most of his camels died and he was forced to turn back.
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