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

CHAPTER 4 
BASMACHI MOVEMENT AND REORGANIZATION OF CENTRAL ASIA 
In this chapter, I try to focus on the reasons, increase and results of the 
Basmachi movement which influenced the region and Central Asian peoples’ 
national consciousness and their identities as a national resistance movement. The 
most affected state from the Basmachi movement was the newly established 
Bukharan People’s Republic and its new regime because the movement targeted the 
new regime of Bukhara openly. The (given) support of Young Bukharan leaders to 
that movement after a while got this revolt to gain the importance of being a 
multinational anti-Bolshevik resistance including a large extended coalition of 
Central Asians. In addition, the feature of a multinational anti-Bolshevik resistance 
character of Basmachi movement was based on covering all Central Asian rebels not 
specific on single ethnic identity. Bukharan Uzbeks, Tajiks; and Khivan Turcomans, 
also Afghans and even West Turkish officials participated inside this revolt. The 
other importance of the movement was about its advantages and disadvantages for 

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the Soviet Russia. The Basmachi resistance caused Soviet Russia to get involved in 
the civil war until 1934 in some regions of Central Asia. But, while maintaining that 
war, the Soviet units got to take control of each part of the region and this benefited 
Russia for integrating with the region into the USSR. On the other side, the 
participation of Turkish officials, having departed from Ottoman Land just after 
Ottoman’s withdrawal from the Great War in 1918, was another case inside the 
matter of the Basmachi movement. This case created a strong epic especially for 
Western Turks though it did not create a same impact for Central Asians. I tried to 
point out the reasons that had caused the break-out of the revolt, its results and its 
influence upon the Central Asian communities and the Soviets’ approach to the 
region during and after the revolt which, in one sense, made an impact upon the 
shaping of national identities of Central Asian Muslims. In addition, I touch upon the 
reorganization of Central Asia from new national republics in accordance with the 
Soviets’ Nationalities Policy and how the Soviets enforced Sovietization policy upon 
Central Asia. I point out the methods implemented by the Soviets over Central 
Asians such as separating peoples and creating new nations according to linguistic 
differences. I also touch upon which methods were used to erase the conception of 
unified Central Asia and the notion of Turkestan. In addition, I focus on which socio-
economic factors lie behind the purge of nationalist leaders and cadres from Uzbek 
SSR government.