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Abstract

The Russian Conquest of Central Asia during the 1860s and 70s disrupted longstanding networks of authority. Through the establishment and expansion of the Turkestan General Governorate, the Russian administration gained control of territories formerly governed by the Emirate of Bukhara and the Khanate of Khoqand. Colonial administrators were initially unfamiliar with the people and customs of the territories under their purview leading them to rely on relationships with local elites to exercise their authority. This situation provided opportunities for local elites to renegotiate their status in society while potentially securing concessions they had not enjoyed under their former rulers. Likewise, colonial administrators were able to strengthen their legitimacy by assuming certain responsibilities formerly associated with the Emirate of Bukhara and the Khanate of Khoqand. Receiving petitions and resolving disputes pertaining to taxation, property and the recognition of special rights among local elites was one such way colonial administrators adopted the duties of the former rulers. Utilizing documents from the National Archive of Uzbekistan, this conference paper will examine petitions and correspondence from the regions of Fergana, Syr Darya and Samarkand to assess how both the Russian administration and local elites navigated the power dynamics of their new relationship in an effort to bolster their own authority.