Table of Contents

Part I: Tsarist Central Asia

Chapter 1: Pre-Colonial Central Asia – Nomads and People of Oases

Document 1.1: Ivan Andreev, Description of the Kazakhs’ Middle Horde

Document 1.2: Johann Gottlieb Georgi, About Tartar Peoples

Document 1.3: Burnachev and Pospelov, The Trip to Tashkent

Document 1.4: Ármin Vámbéry, Travels in Central Asia

Chapter 2: Russian Policies and Steppe Realities in the Eighteenth Century

Document 2.1: Decision of the Board of Foreign Affairs on the Letter Sent by Abu’l Khayr Khan

Document 2.2: Text of the Oath by Abu’l Khayr Khan on the Acceptance of a Russian Protectorate

Document 2.3: Letter of Abu’l Khayr Khan to Anna Ioannovna with a Request to Send Tevkelev to him and to Construct a Fortress at the Mouth of the River Or’

Document 2.4: Catherine II’s Decree to the Governor-General of Simbirsk and Ufa about the Maintenance of Order on the Kazakh Steppe, the Safety of Borders, the Khan’s Powers, the Appointment of Mullahs to Kazakh Clans, etc.

Document 2.5: Letter of Khan Bakhadur Nur-Mukhambet-Ali to the Head of Orenburg Province and the Commander-in-Chief of the Regular and Irregular Armies of Orenburg, Baron Igelstrom

Document 2.6: Report of Baron Igelstrom to Empress Catherine II on the Causes of Conflict in the Small Kazakh Horde

Document 2.7: Decree Issued by Catherine II in Reply to the Letter of O.A. Igelstrom Concerning the Organization of Border Courts, the Khan’s Authority, etc.

Document 2.8: Report of the Orenburg Military Governor Bakhmetev to Emperor Alexander I about the Policies of the Orenburg Governors Concerning Kazakhs during the Last 50 Years and about the Necessity of Sending a Retaliatory Detachment against the Kazakhs

Document 2.9: MuhammadSalikhBabadzhanov, “Notes on theKirghizes Written by aKirghiz”

Chapter 3: Speranskii’s Reforms and Kenesary Kasymov’s Rebellion

Document 3.1: Mikhail Speranskii, Regulations Governing the Siberian Kirghizes

Document 3.2: Letter of Sultan Shama Ablaikhanov to the Omsk Regional Head Regarding His and His People’s Attitude to the New Regulations

Document 3.3: Letter of Kenesary Kasymov to the Governor-General of Western Siberia Regarding Rebel Demands and the Relationship between the Insurgents and Tsarist Authorities

Document 3.4: Address of the Governor-General of Western Siberia Prince Gorchakov to the Sultans, Biis, Elders and the Kazakhs of the Middle Horde with Demands to Oppose Kenesary Kasymov

Document 3.5: Letter of Kenesary Kasymov to the Biis of Nazarov Tribe Concerning the Attack on the Tliau Tribe

Document 3.6: Report of the Sultan Administrator of the Eastern Part of the Orenburg Kazakhs Ahmed Dzhantiurin to the Orenburg Frontier Commission on the Relations between Kenesary Kasymov, and the Iappas and Argyn Tribes

Chapter 4: Tsarist Policies in Central Asia in the Late Imperial Period

Document 4.1: On the Issue of Granting Passports to the Muslims Leaving to Worship in Mecca

Document 4.2: On the Necessity of the Russian Colonization of Central Asia

Document 4.3: Petition of the Kokand Ulemas to His Excellency, the Minister of War, Regarding Taxation on Wagf Income

Document 4.4: Memorandum of the General Staff on the Request of Kokand Ulemas Regarding the Taxation of Waqfs

Document 4.5: Order of the Turkestan Governor-General to the Chief of the General Staff

Document 4.6: Extract from the Report of the Semipalatinsk Governor

Chapter 5: Jadidism and Central Asian Nationalism

Document 5.1: Ismail Bey Gasprinskii, Russian Muslims

Document 5.2: A. Bukeikhanov, “Kirghizes”

Chapter 6: The Central Asian Rebellions of 1898 and 1916

Document 6.1: Reportof LieutenantGeneralKorol’kov tothe Governor General of Turkestan, Lieutenant General Dukhovskoi

Document 6.2: Report of theMinister of War,Lieutenant GeneralKuropatkin, to NicholasII

Document 6.3: Minutes of the Meeting Chaired by the Chief of Zakaspiiskaia Oblast Concerning Taking Measures Directed at the Elimination of Violent Resistance to the Mobilization of Workers Taken from the Native Population

Document 6.4: Report of the Assistant of the Military Minister, Frolov, to the General Staff Concerning Measures on Conducting the Mobilization in Turkestan Krai, according to the Decree of June 25, 1916, Taken by the New Governor-General of Turkestan Krai, Kuropatkin

Document 6.5: Order of the Governor-General of Turkestan Krai, Kuropatkin, Concerning the Process of Mobilization for Rear Works

Document 6.6: Report of the Assistant to the Chief Military Public Prosecutor, Ignatovich, to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of Turkestan Military District, Kuropatkin, Regarding the Character of the Revolts in Fergana, Syr-Daria, and Other Oblasts, and Their Differences from the Revolt in the Dzhizak District of Samarkand Oblast and in the Semirech’e Area

Document 6.7: Excerpt from the Official Report of the Governor-General of Turkestan Krai, Kuropatkin, to Nikolas II Concerning the Reasons and the Course of the Revolt of 1916 in the Krai, and also Regarding the Measures Taken by the Administration on Its Suppression

Document 6.8: Excerpt from the Request of the Kirghizes of the Utegen Village of Pishpek District to the Governor-General of Turkestan Krai, Kuropatkin

Part II: Soviet Central Asia

Chapter 7: Revolutions and War Communism in Central Asia

Document 7.1: Program of Alash Party

Document 7.2: Resolution of the Emergency Kazakh-Kirghiz Congress

Document 7.3: Appeal of the Council of People’s Commissars: “To All Working Muslims of Russia and the East”

Document 7.4: Instruction of the Pishpek District Soviet of Deputies Concerning the Expropriation of Surpluses of Grain and its Delivery to the Poorest Population

Document 7.5: Excerpt from the Minutes of the Meeting of the Party Active of Semirech’e Oblast on the Confiscation of Horses of Capitalists in the Pishpek and Tokmak Districts, and on the Actions Aimed at the Extermination of Speculation and Marauding

Document 7.6: Excerpt from the Legislation on Land Reform [Promulgated by] the Commissariat of Agriculture of Turkestan Republic

Document 7.7: Appeal of the Pishpek City Committee of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks to the Volost' and Rural Party Organizations and Committees of the Poor Concerning Carrying out Expropriations

Document 7.8: Report of the Fergana Land Management Commission on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Executive Bureau of the Fergana Oblast' Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of Turkestan on June 19, 1922 on the Conduct of the Political and Economic Land Reform in Bazar-Kurgan Raion, Andijan Uezd

Document 7.9: Excerpt from the Report of the Central Committee of Famine Relief on the Causes of Famine

Chapter 8: Basmachi Movement

Document 8.1: Mullah Ibrahim Bek, Government Bulletin

Document 8.2: To the Respected Military Commanders Ibrahim Bii, Mullah Ziauddin and All Other Military Commanders of Kabadiyan Vilaet.

Document 8.3: Excerpt from the Report of the Revvoensovet (Revolutionary Military Council) and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the RSFSR Concerning the Military-Political Situation in Turkestan

Document 8.4: Address of Frunze to the Indigenous Population of Fergana Oblast with an Appeal to Struggle against the Basmachis

Document 8.5: Report of the Chairman of the Commission on the Extermination of Basmachis Sokol’nikov to the Central Committee of the Communist Party

Chapter 9: Soviet Policies toward Islam and Education

Document 9.1: Report of the Extraordinary Commission of the Central Executive Committee of People’s Education of Turkestan Republic

Document 9.2: The Chief of the Municipal Department of People’s Education A. Muradov to the Chairman of the Turkestan Commission

Document 9.3: Inspector-Informer Pchel’nikov's Report on Publications

Document 9.4: Inspector-Informer Pchel’nikov's Report on Muslim Clergy

Chapter 10: Women's Question and Criminalization of Traditions

Document 10.1: Data for theReporton theLegislation onDomestic Crimes

Document 10.2: Notes to the Report “On the Party’s Work for the Emancipation of Womenof Central Asia”

Document 10.3: Reportof theTashkentOkrug Commissionon the Improvement of Working and Living Conditionsof Working Women andPeasants

Document 10.4: OGPU'sReport on the Central Asians’ Attitude to the Emancipation of Women

Document 10.5: OGPU's Summaryof Women’s Campaign

Document 10.6: On the Criminal Activity of the Groups Hostile to the Emancipation of Women.

Document 10.7: Head of the Department of Female WorkersandPeasants ofCentralAsianBureau ofthe Central Committee ofthe Communist Party of Bolsheviks Muratova's Report on the Resistance of Anti-Soviet Classes to Women’s Emancipation

Document 10.8: Report on DomesticLegislation by AssistantProsecutor Zhelannaia

Chapter 11: Soviet Nationalities Policies: Nativization, National Delimitation, and Deportation

Document 11.1: Resolution of the First Congress of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks of Turkestan Republic on the Party Work among the Local Proletariat

Document 11.2: Decreeof the Revolutionary Committeeof the Uzbek SovietSocialist Republic

Document 11.3: Radiogram of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks, Central Executive Committee, to the Regional Committee of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks of Turkestan Republic Regarding the Necessity of Attracting Workers of Local Nationalities to State Activities

Document 11.4: On the National-State Delimitation(Theses forPresenters)

Document 11.5: Translation of an ArticleRegardingthe Delimitation ofCentral Asia intothe National Republics

Document 11.6: Petition to theCentralAsianBureau ofthe Russian Communist Party on Behalf ofthe Kara-Kalpaks of the Amu DariaOblast

Document 11.7: Petition of the Authorized Representative of the Citizens of Chugur-Margent Rural Community of Marghazhan Volost of Margazhan Uezd of the Autonomous Republic of Uzbekistan Mullah Kamal Tiuriakulov
Document 11.8: Memorandum from the Delegates of the Kyrgyz Population of Bukhara on the Issues of National Delimitation of Central Asia

Document 11.9: Report of Construction-Technician M.M. Musakiev onSituation of the Special Settlers Exiled to Kazakhstan from the Caucuses:Ingushes, Chechens,andBalkars

Chapter 12: Soviet Economic Policies in Central Asia: Cotton Growing and Collectivization

Document 12.1: The Address of Turkestan Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks to All Working Peasants of Turkestan Republic to Sow All Fields with Cotton

Document 12.2: Politico-Economic Conditions of Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic

Document 12.3: Report of the Kazakhstan People’s Commissariat Concerning Class Struggle in an Aul in Connection with the Forthcoming Confiscation of Bai Property

Document 12.4: Data of the Kazakhstan Republican Collective Farm Union on the Course of Collectivization in the Republic

Document 12.5: Memorandum of the Children Committee to the Presidium of Children Committee at the Central Executive Committee on the Situation with the Children of Outmigrating Kazakhs Who Moved to the Raions of the Middle Volga from Kazakhstan

Document 12.6: Letter of the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of Kaz SSR Uraz Isaev to Stalin

Document 12.7: Overall Assessment of the Situation and the Reasons for Anti-Soviet Actions of the Pastoralists

Document 12.8: Report to the Director of Kokand Plant Management, Member of the VKP(b) Comrade Grobovoi

Document 12.9: Brief Summary of the Situation and the Moods of Peasant Masses in the Fergana Okrug

Chapter 13: Central Asia under “Developed Socialism”

Document 13.1: The Merger of Nationalities

Document 13.2: Uzbek Culture in the 1980s

Document 13.3: Corruption in the Uzbek SSR

Chapter 14: Perestroika and Rise of Central Asian Nationalism

Document 14.1: Events of December 1986 in Alma-Ata. Report on Group Infringements of Public Order in Alma-Ata and Some Towns and Villages of Kazakhstan

Document 14.2: “For our and your Freedom.” The Special Issue of the Newspaper “Birlik,” the National Movement of Uzbekistan

Document 14.3: The Charter of the Islamic Council of Consent

Document 14.4: Popular Front “Mustakil” (“Independent”). An Address to the Uzbek Population

Chapter 15: Post-Soviet Central Asia

Document 15.1: Tahir Qahhar, “Day of Freedom”

Document 15.2: Human Rights Watch. Uzbekistan: Country Summary, 2009

Document 15.3: The Presidents for Life of Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy the Great, Rukhnama: Reflections on the Spiritual

Values of Turkmen

About the Author

Yuriy Malikov is associate professor of history at SUNY Oneonta.

Reviews

A long-overdue collection of sources on modern Central Asia translated into English, this excellent anthology is a very useful teaching tool for students of the region.
*Niccolo Pianciola, Lingnan University*

Malikov merits the highest praise for producing a primary source reader that introduces readers to the full array of Russian imperial and Soviet engagement in Central Asia, and the Central Asians’ responses. The volume offers a wealth of translations of never-before-published documents which represent a major contribution to the study of modern Central Asia.
*Scott Levi, Ohio State University*

For educators engaged in Central Asian history, one of the difficulties has always been to provide primary source materials that students can use to contextualize and situate indigenous peoples in the era and environment of conquest and colonization. Yuri Malikov's collection fills a significant void. The materials selected are highly relevant, skillfully translated, and organized in logical fashion. It is an excellent addition to limited works available to teach modern Central Asian history.
*Steven Sabol, University of North Carolina at Charlotte*

This collection will be useful for courses in Central Asian and in Russian history. It fills a significant gap in the field.
*Shoshana Keller, Hamilton College*