Russian Turkestan

Viceroyalty of Russian Turkestan Наместничество Русский Туркестан Namestnichestvo Russkiy Turkestan
Governorate-General of Russia
Map of the Viceroyalty of Turkestan
Country	Russian Empire
Established	23 July 1867
Administrative centre	Tashkent
Government
• Governor-General	Army General Prince Nikolai Vladimirovich Golitsyn
Population  (2010 Census)
• Total	66,124,034
• Urban	39.2%
• Rural	60.8%
Governorates	37 contained
Economic regions	1 contained

The Viceroyalty of Russian Turkestan (Russian: Наместничество Русский Туркестан Namestnichestvo Russkiy Turkestan) is a major political and military subdivision of the Russian Empire, ranking as a Governorate-General. It includes 37 Governorates and it is headed by the Viceroy of Russian Turkestan (Russian: Наместник Pусского Туркестана Namestnik Russkogo Turkestana). The capital of the Viceroyalty is Tashkent.

The current Viceroy of Russian Turkestan is Army General Prince Nikolai Vladimirovich Golitsyn.

History

The beginning of the Russian conquest of Turkestan is officially dated to 1865. That year the Russian forces took the city of Tashkent under General Mikhail Chernyayev. This was swiftly followed by the conquest of Samarkand and the surrounding region on the Zeravshan River from the Emirate of Bukhara in 1868 forming the Zeravsh Special Okrug of Turkestan.

In 1867 Turkestan was made a separate Governor-Generalship, under its first Governor-General, Konstantin Petrovich Von Kaufman. Tashkent was selected to be its capital and it consisted initially of three oblasts (provinces): Syr Darya, Semirechye Oblast and the Zeravshan Okrug (later Samarkand Oblast). In 1894, the Transcaspian Region (which had been conquered in 1881–1885 by military generals Mikhail Skobelev and Mikhail Annenkov) was added to the Governor-Generalship.

Turkestan remained an isolated colonial outpost, with an administration that preserved many distinctive features from the previous Islamic regimes, including Qadis' courts and a 'native' administration that devolved much power to local 'Aksakals' (Elders or Headmen).

A policy of deliberately enforcing anti-modern, traditional, ancient conservative Islamic education in schools and Islamic ideology was enforced by the Russians in order to deliberately hamper and destroy opposition to their rule by keeping them in a state of torpor to and prevent foreign ideologies from penetrating in.

In 1897 the railway reached Tashkent, and finally in 1906 a direct rail link with European Russia was opened across the steppe from Orenburg to Tashkent. This led to large numbers of ethnic Russian settlers flowing into Turkestan. This caused considerable discontent amongst the local population. In 1916 discontent boiled over in the Basmachi Revolt. Thousands of settlers were killed, and this was matched by Russian reprisals, particularly against the nomadic population.

The Russian Civil War provoked Turkestan to be a stronghold of the Communist revolution, but the Russian rule was reestablished by the 1920s.

Viceroy of Russian Turkestan

The Viceroy of Russian Turkestan is the official tasked to support the defence of the Russian borders and the guarantee of the Russian rule. The Viceroyalty of Russian Turkestan is governed by the Viceroy of Russian Turkestan, a senior military officer in active service, usually ranking Army General and being of noble birth. The Viceroy is tasked with overseeing the execution of the policies of the Russian Empire, overseeing the work of Empire-wide agencies and Ministries in Caucasus, commanding troops stationed within the Viceroyalty, ensuring defence and security to the Viceroyalty and ensuring the compliance of subordinate Governors as well as other civilian and military officials. The Viceroy is appointed and revoked at the Tsar's own pleasure.

According the statutes enacted across the decades, the Viceroy's honor and dignity is inviolable and his expenses are paid by the state. The Viceroy possesses total immunity for all actions he performs while in office, retains the ability to speak to the people of Russian Turkestan, keeps guards, communication, transport, and state support of his activity.

The Viceroy of Turkestan has the authority to appoint and dismiss intermediate members of the administration, to execute foreign policy directives issued by the Tsar, present and sign local law, announce all elections and enact his own decrees and direct and implement the security and defence policy for Russian Turkestan.

The Viceroy of Turkestan has several duties:

• to guarantee observance of laws of the Russian Empire;
• to take the necessary measures for the protection of the Rusecurity and territorial integrity of the Russian Empire;
• to conduct negotiations and sign treaties and agreements within the framework of guidelines and directives issued by the Tsar;
• to present to the Russian Government and to the Tsar annual reports on major matters of social and economic life of the Viceroyalty;
• to direct the execution of policy, ensuring interaction of the supreme bodies of authority and administration;
• to appoint the Chairman of the Assembly;
• to present to the Tsar nominees for the posts of governors of provinces and Special Cities,
• to suspend and repeal acts passed by bodies of state administration, as well as by governors;
• in exceptional cases, in the interests of ensuring State security, to proclaim a state of emergency in the entire territory or in particular localities, and within 72 hours to submit such decision for approval by the Tsar;
• to award orders, medals and certificates of honour and confer qualification and honorary titles;
• to grant political asylum.

Viceregal Administration of Russian Turkestan

The Viceregal Administration of Russian Turkestan is the body tasked to support the activities of the Viceroy of Russian Turkestan. The viceregal authority is assisted by the Turkestan Committee, which consists of representatives of the State Council and the ministries of Finances, Justice and Interior, as well as of members of special committees. A Consultative Council supports the Viceroy.

A Chief Administrator (Russian: Главный Aдминистратор; Glavnyy Administrator), appointed by the Tsar and ranking Actual State Councillor of the Tsar, 1st class, is subordinate to the Viceroy of Caucasus and oversees civil affairs following guidelines issued by the MVD.

The Viceroyalty of Russian Turkestan's central apparatus consists of six Directorates, including:

• Viceregal Advisor on Public Service and Cadastre
• Viceregal Advisor on Legal Support and Coordination of Law Enforcement Affairs
• Viceregal Advisor on Citizens' Rights Protection, Claims Control and Coordination
• Viceregal Adviser on Youth, Science, Education, Health and Sports
• Viceregal Advisor on Economic Issues
• Directorate for General Affairs (Управление по Oбщим Делам, УOД; Upravleniye po Obshchim Delam, UOD);
• Directorate of Finance
• Directorate of Economic Sector Development, Investment and Trade Policy
• Directorate of Public affairs, information and cultural affairs
• Directorate of Social Policy
• Special Directorate of Police (Специальное Управление Полиции, СУП; Spetsial'noye Upravleniye Politsii, SUP).