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

.
206
 
When the Jadids could not take enough support from the weak 
regime of the Provisional Government and its branch in Central Asia, Turkestan 
Committee; they turned to the Bolsheviks. However the Emir was extremely 
disturbed about the Bolsheviks’ discourse about freedoms and destruction of feudal 
aristocratic institutions. The Emir saw the Soviets as a great threat as he had not seen 
the Tsardom and Provisional Government, because the Emirate’s relations with 
Tsarist Russia as a protectorate had been compatible and it also took a large breath in 
the era of the Provisional Government owing to the Civil War and chaos throughout 
Russia. However, everything went bad because of the increase of the Bolsheviks day 
by day.
 
In the freedom atmosphere of February Revolution, the Jadids considered 
that they would achieve the national reconquest by the help of the new regime but 
205
Ibid, 204. 
206
Becker, Seymour, 
Russia’s Protectorates in Central Asia: Bukhara and Khiva, 1865–1924
, 
(London &New York: Routledge Curzon, 2005), 205. 

---

80 
when they saw the failure of the Provisional Government, they shifted to the side of 
the Bolsheviks.
207
Although Jadids favored cultural and national full independence 
for their country, they did not have any choice rather than cooperate with an outside 
power to reduce the Emir to submission. At the last stage, they had to escape from 
Bukhara because of the Emir and mullahs’ extreme suppression. They began their 
propagandas in Samarkand and Tashkent in order to take support of and persuade the 
Bolsheviks. Fayzallah Khodzaev proposed Tashkent Soviet to provoke an armed 
uprising in Bukhara, however Tashkent did not respond to that offer at once, because 
the Red Army was dealing with Dutov in the Steppe and Kokand in Turkestan. 
Khodzhaev tried to pull attention to military preparations of Alim Khan and offered 
to prevent him. Alim Khan’s military preparations, establishing alliances with 
Afghanistan and attempting to take support of British India was a threat for the future 
of the Jadids. Young Bukharans were very worried about strengthening of the Emir 
and they were certainly insistent on reforms but their reforms demand was limited 
insider the border of the Emirate. They did not dream of a reform throughout 
Turkistan.
208
For example, even though they applauded Kokand government at first, 
they could not say opposite to the invading forces of the Red army then. In fact, they 
were dependent and needy on the Bolsheviks; therefore they were considering 
themselves firstly. Moreover, they did want the joint intervention in Bukhara but 
they were against the total collapse of the Emir’s power. Although Kolesov
209
planned to replace the Emir’s sovereignty with the revolutionary committee, the 
Young Bukharans insisted on a constitutional monarchy because of the public’s 
207
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans.,
Islam and the Russian Empire Reform and Revolution in 
Central Asia
, (London: I.B.Tauris-Co Ltd, 1966),149. 
208
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans.,
Islam and the Russian Empire Reform and Revolution in 
Central Asia
, (London: I.B.Tauris-Co Ltd, 1966), 154. 
209
Fedor Ivanovich Kolesov was chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Turkestan 
ASSR and a member of the Turkestan krai committee of the party between the years from 1917 to 
1918. 

---

81 
situation. The public in Bukhara were not ready yet to accept the institution of a new 
regime. In addition, the Emir was the key actor of backing for the uprisings and 
reforms. Kolesov was decisive to install the revolutionary committee by eliminating 
the Emir if the ultimatum was not accepted.
210
“Kolesov himself had told him that 
the emir knows better than we do that it is not possible for him to live in peace and 
good relations with us. One day or another it will be necessary to speak and the 
languages of the debate will be that of cannon and machine guns”.
211
 
On the other 
side, the Young Bukharans saw the intervention as a solution to restrain the authority 
and sovereignty of the Emir thus they believed in implementing the reforms. “By 
calling upon the Bolsheviks to act, they believed they could save the Emir from an 
irreversible choice that would condemn Bukhara to outright reaction, to the 
ossification from which they were striving to extract it, or to outright annexation”.
212
Alim Khan got in contact with General Malleson in January 1919 to approach 
Britain.
213
Major General Sir Wilfred Malleson had led the Mission Malleson aiming 
to cut the German-Turkish influence into Afghanistan and India during the great 
World. In addition, he was famous for his backing the Transcaspia Government 
against the Bolsheviks in the region. Malleson sent a small quantity of arms after 
getting approval from the British existence in India. Malleson also warned the Emir 
not to provoke Tashkent Soviet and pursue a policy of neutrality. 
214
Emir Alim also 
urged the Afghan king to found alliance against the approaching Soviet power. After 
Afghanistan went out of the third Anglo-Afghan War (March to July 1919) by 
210
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans.,