―
233
―
Duma did not contain even a token Turkestani contingent, its concerns focused
more and more on Tatar and Transcaucasian issues. Of
the forty delegates invited
to attend the Fourth Muslim Congress in 1914, only three represented Turkestan
(and one of them was a Tatar), even though the agenda included the creation of a
spiritual assembly for Turkestan.[54] Turkestani newspapers expressed their
disappointment at this snub, but they could do little but bemoan the lack of
qualified and committed individuals in Central Asia.[55]
Turkestan in the State duma
Turkestan's experience with the State Duma was similarly short-lived and
marginal. Turkestan's representation in the State Duma was subject. to special
election rules, which were still being drafted when
the First Duma opened in
April 1906 in St. Petersburg.[56] It was dissolved well before elections could
take place in Turkestan.[57] Turkestan did send delegates to the Second Duma:
Seven "non-native" and six "native" deputies were elected from separate curiae.
Not only was the local population vastly underrepresented, but the election of
its deputies took place in four stages, rather than the two for the election for
the Russian deputies.[58] The franchise was limited by strict property
requirements as well as a knowledge of Russian.
The Jadids had great enthusiasm for the Duma, which they saw as a tribune of
liberty and equality.
Even Munawwar Qari,far more skeptical of Russian
officialdom than someone like Behbudi, wrote passionately of the need to elect
worthy individuals as deputies of the nation.[59] The reality proved to be
rather different. There existed no political parties among the local population
of Turkestan at this time. The Union of Muslims projected by the Muslim
congresses remained only a hope, and Rus-
[54] The three
delegates were Sher Ali Lapin, Said Nasir Jalilov, and General
Sahibgeray Yenikeev, a Tatar; cf. Ayina , 28 June 1914, 863. Because of its low
profile, this congress has escaped most historians' notice, although it was
covered in the Russian as well as the Muslim press at the time. Yenikeev's
speech was reported by Novoe vremia , 19 June 1914.
[55] ST , 6 June 1914.
[56] "Polozhenie o vyborakh v Gosudarstvennuiu Dumu," Polnoe sobranie zakonov
Rossuskoi Impern , 3rd ser., vol. 25 (St.
Petersburg, 1907), no. 26662, art. 1,
prilozhenie .
[57] A.V. Piaskovskii, Revoliutsna 1905-1907 godov v Turkestane (Moscow, 1958),
525-526.
[58] Sotsial'no-ekonomicheskoe i politicheskoe polozhenie Uzbekistana nakanune
oktiabria (Tashkent, 1973), 11.
[59] "Millat majlisigha wakil kerak," Khurshid , 19 October, 1906; "Khalisana
bir arz," Khurshid , 12 November 1906.
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234
―
sian political parties restricted their activity in Turkestan to the Russian
203
population. Therefore, as in the elections to the Tashkent City Duma, most of
the successful candidates from the local population came from the notables.
Makhtumquli
Nur Berdikhanov, the deputy from Trans-caspia, belonged to the Akhal
Tekke aristocracy and had actually taken part in the defense of Gök Tepe against
Skobelev's armies in 1881 before going into Russian service.[60] Tashpulat
Abdulkhalilov and Salihjan Muhammadjanov, deputies from Samarqand and Ferghana
oblasts, respectively, were merchants, while Tö1euli Allabergenev,
the deputy
from Syr Darya oblast, was a Qazaq tribal chief.[61] In Tashkent the election
descended into farce. The forty eligible voters met for the final election on 7
February to choose from two candidates. One of the candidates withdrew, leaving
the other, Arif Khoja, a son-in-law of Said Azim-bay winner by default. Later in
the day, however, the presiding officer had doubts about the legality of
election without voting, and therefore he convened
the electors again the next
day to confirm the winner by casting actual votes. At this time, Arif Khoja
withdrew "for personal reasons," leaving the field open again. New candidates
were hastily found, but to the consternation of the presiding officer, the
election resulted in a tie, with both candidates receiving eighteen votes, and
the decision was made by the drawing of lots. The
winner was Abdulwahid Qari
,the mudarris at Mirza Abdullah madrasa in Tashkent.[62] He took no discernible
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: 
