Economic Ties of Russian Settlers and Native Population of Turkestan in the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th Centuries

Abstract

The article analyses the issues of reclaiming of Turkestan by the Russian empire in the second half of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century by means of creating in the region administrative and military structures as well as by organizing Russian migrant settlements. It was revealed that in the process of organization of urban and rural settlements Turkestan authorities took aim at keeping a distance between native and migrant population. The article characterizes the conditions of granting land parcels for Russian settlers, the different categories and the number of countrymen coming to Turkestan. The article demonstrates various forms of economic interaction of settlers and native people in agricultural activities, everyday life, etc. An accent is put on the changes in the organization of living space under the influence of Turkestan climate peculiarities, different methods of managing agricultural food crops and commercial crops (cotton); the issues of irrigational activities, adoption of farm equipment and particular aspects of everyday life are being analyzed. The author makes a note that the interaction mostly took place in the economic and material spheres, and had fragmentary and episodic character that didn’t lead to cardinal changes in the life of Russian settlers’ community and native people.

Keywords

• russian empire
• turkestan
• migrants
• indigenous population of the region
• migrant village
• acculturation
• economic ties
• everyday life
• cotton growing
• nomads