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

4.6. Reorganization of Central Asia and Sovietization Policies in the Region
Central Asia was divided into the new socialist republics (SSR: Soviet 
Socialist Republic) after the disbandment of Turkestan ASSR, Bukhara and 
Khwarazm People’s Republics. Instead of these dissolved states, two new socialist 
republics were founded by the decision of the Central Executive Committee of the 
USSR in October 1924. One of these two socialist republics was Uzbekistan SSR 
which was located in the region of Samarkand, Fergana, Amu Darya and Sri Darya; 
and the other was Turkmenistan located over the Turkmen regions of Western 
Bukhara, Khwarazm, and the former Transcaspian region. In addition to these new 
socialist republics, two autonomous republics (ASSR: Autonomous Soviet Socialist 
Republic) and two autonomous oblasts were established. Two autonomous republics 
were Tajikistan, a Persian speaking state, which was located on mountainous eastern 
Bukhara, and Kazakhstan which was formed on the Steppe region. The autonomous 
regions were Kara Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast and Karakalpak Autonomous 
301
Ibid, 255. 
302
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans.,
Islam and the Russian Empire Reform and Revolution in 
Central Asia
, (London: I.B.Tauris-Co Ltd, 1966), 18. 

---

113 
Oblast.
303
Tajik ASSR, which was associated with Uzbek SSR at first, rose to SSR 
level in 1929, Kazakh ASSR rose to SSR in 1936. Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast, 
created in 1925, rose to ASSR in 1926 and then rose to SSR in 1936. Karakalpak 
Autonomous Oblast rose to ASSR in 1932 and transferred from Kazakhstan SSR to 
Uzbekistan SSR in 1936.
304
The upgrading of Tajikistan’s status to the level of socialist republic (SSR) in 
5 December 1929
305
was the most important development after the dissolution of 
peoples’ republics, because the Soviets could, thus, prevent pan-Turkist dreams of 
Jadids. Tajikistan as a Persian speaking republic in Central Asia, inside the 
traditional borders of Turkestan, emerged as the biggest obstacle for a probable 
unified Turkestan.
306
“
With its reorganizations of Central Asia the Soviet 
government delivered a terrible blow to the pan-Turk dreams of the Jadids. The 
fragmentation of Turkistan into national republics endowed with national languages 
and, worse still, the creation of a non-Turkish republic of Tajikistan, in which a 
Persian dialect was spoken, put an end to any hope of a regroupment and unification 
of all Turks of Central Asia”.
307
 
In the history of Central Asia, after many centuries, 
since the collapse of Samanid dynasty, this was the first time that a Persian-speaking 
state was founded again. The concept of Turkestan that was promoted and defended 
by Pan-Turkist Jadids in order for creating imagines of historical and ancient Turkish 
land was somehow challenged by the creation of Tajik state in the region. For the 
303
Allworth, Edward et al., 
Central Asia: A Century of Russian Rule
,ed. Edward Allworth,(New 
York: Columbia University Press, 1967), 256-257. 
304
Wheeler, Geoffrey, 
The Modern History of Soviet Central Asia
, (New York: Greenword Press, 
1964), 126. 
305
Allworth, Edward et al., 
Central Asia: A Century of Russian Rule
,ed. Edward Allworth,(New 
York: Columbia University Press, 1967), 257. 
306
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans.,
Islam and the Russian Empire Reform and Revolution in 
Central Asia
, (London: I.B.Tauris-Co Ltd, 1966), 184. 
307
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans,