Abstract

XIX century is characterised in Central Asian history as independence and colonised periods. The travelogues and memories of comers to Turkestan disclose that in the first half they felt more freedom and security than in the second half if Stoddart case is exceptional. Moorcroft, Wolff, Burns, Shakespeare, Abbott state that they were welcomed and their safety was highly considered. However, in the second half, much changed in the area for foreigners. After Russian Empire invaded Turkestan and established colonial despotism, it limited foreign policy in Turkestan even in receiving foreigners. Consequently, all foreigners, mostly Westerners had to get special permissions not only from the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also General Governor of Turkestan and many others. This bureaucracy limited the access foreign travellers to freely hold their missions and expeditions.

Russian policy wasn't always transparent and open to foreigners in Turkestan. Due to restrictions, many foreigners had to cancel their trips or they were just stopped at the boundaries. For example, under the label of unfriendly people, David Kerr, a British journalist who came to witness Russian invasion of Khiva in 1873, was not allowed in. Secondly, Russian politicians sought ways to keep European entrepreneurs away from Turkestan. Thus sometime they requested levying taxes and customs tariffs from European, Turkish and Persian goods in the same amount they did with Indo-British goods. Secondly, they also requested limiting foreign people in businesses and mining, to acclimate some flora or fauna types in Turkestan.

When it comes to scholars and researchers, they needed an invitation letter from Russian scientific institutions and then permission from regional authorities. Besides that, they had to submit their route plan in advance. For example, Delmar Morgan, William Bateson from England, Ujfalvy from France, Hoserhauer from Holland, Futterer and Goldered from Germany and many others are example of that.

The third group includes migrants. Machi Mashanlo, a Chinese Dungan while coming to Turkestan with 26 books, his books were seized by customs officers to send them to higher bodies for censorship inspection. The office of Turkestan General governor was instructed to send the books to the Conference of Orient Institute in Vladivostok by the Censorship Office under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Having been long inspected, the books were returned to the owner.

In conclusion, fear and hesitation by the Empire slowed down the globalization and integration to the world science and economy.