Abstract:

Acceleration of the globalization of trade and transmission of innovations opened new market and opportunities in the trade of XIX century. The conquest of Turkestan by Russian empire gave dominance for Russia to enjoy the facilities of conquered areas. Consequently, supremacy of Turkestani merchants in international trade downward trend.

Foreign trade of Turkestan mainly held with Iran, India, Afghanistan, China and Turkey took direction to the north with Russia by which it was penetrated by German, Italian, French, entrepreneurs together with Russians. The goods such as shawls, carpets made by Turkestani people took popularity in European markets. As stated in in Scientific American in 1852, shawls made in Bokhara were a sign of aristocracy among Russian high-stratum women.

The globalization process carried the products of Turkestan to the US markets. As is seen from the analyses of the American reports, correspondences and newspapers, there were three main products of Turkestan that took high interest among the US entrepreneurs. They are alfalfa (Lucerne) seeds, Karakul leather and later Karakul sheep, carpets.

The reports of US Department of Agriculture and newspapers show high demand on Turkestani alfalfa seed. It was sown in Montana, Oregon, Washington, Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut of the USA. In order to support the farmers, they were provided with information about the climate of Turkestan. Alfalfa seed was carried to the US from Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent, Khiva by Vladivostok. It was 95 percent of all imported alfalfa seed by the US in the late XIX – early XX centuries. According to the data of 1916, around 2 500 000 pound of alfalfa seed that was enough to grow in 125 000 acres of land was imported from Turkestan.

Us markets’ annual demand on karakul in the late XIX – early XX centuries grew over 250 000 units. Each leather cost between $ 10-15 while golden glittering ones cost very expensive. This tendency rose the interest for the domestication of karakul and there were several attempts for that. Particularly, Ch. Young took sheep there in 1908, 1912 and 1914. Since his sheep was kept in quarantine for months, he sent a request to the US President T. Roosevelt he ordered the sheep to be released. The last import of karakul happened in the late 1920s.

The paper will discuss the export of Turkestani carpets to the US, adaptation of some types in the US and its failures and developments.