which, now that they are in the hands of the Russians, afforded to the nomad tribes a protection which they had long needed.1

Between Táshkend, Turkestán, and Fort Perovsky, there has been established a postal communication, which is carried on with safety and regularity. The Kirghiz, who dwell in this country, have behaved well and extremely peaceably towards the Russian Government, and have regularly paid their tribute.

Already in the following year, on August 30, 1866, the Russians laid the foundation-stone of a church in Táshkend,2 and on this occasion arranged a public festival, which was held in the presence of General Krzhizhanovsky and in the midst of an assemblage of more than 30,000 Sarts and Kirghiz.3

The newly-conquered district was formed by an imperial decree into the province of Turkestán '—a designation which on account of its ambiguity excited in England some degree of irritation; for it might imply the whole of Central Asia just as well as the districts lying between the Sea of Aral and the Lake of Issik-Kúl, and between the Kirghiz-Steppe and the Sír-Dariá. The Russians explained, however, this designation to be in accordance with the customs of the East, where they were in the habit of calling a district after the name of the chief town, which in this case is the city of Turkestán.

1 Admiral Butakov's Voyages on the Jaxartes (Globus, 1865, vol. viii. p. 114).

2 The Journal de St.-Pétersbourg of November 21 and December 3, 1865, gives from the pen of the Governor-General of Orenburg instructive accounts of the city of Tashkend, the country, the extremely entangled political relations in the Central Asian Khanates, and also the most recent operations of war.

3 Deutsche Petersburger Zeitung of October 22 and November 3, 1866.

CHAPTER IX.

EVENTS PREVIOUS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GOVERN

MENT OF TURKESTÁN.

THE first victories of the Russians in Kokán did not strike great terror into the heart of the Amír Mozaffer; on the contrary, they afforded him the wished-for opportunity of enhancing his prestige in Turkestán by setting himself up as the champion of the holy cause of Islamism, which had become threatened by the 'unbelievers.' After having first prudently caused his ward, the young Khán of Kokán, to be delivered over to him as a prisoner, he sent an auxiliary force to the aid of Táshkend, which did not, however, prevent that city from falling into the hands of the Russians. But the capture of Táshkend entirely frustrated the designs of the ambitious Mozaffer on Kokán, as that khanate now only nominally existed, and, besides, Khudayer Khán was almost wholly restricted to his capital.

Mozaffer, when he became the guardian of the Khán of Kokán during his minority, also undertook the obligation of upholding the cause of the nationality of the Uzbeks, and consequently equipped a strong corps against the Russians. For this purpose he had succeeded through the English in obtaining some excellent rifled field-pieces and some Minié rifles; with the latter he armed his regular infantry, the Sarbázes, and also a portion of his mounted riflemen. He then became master of Khojend,' and sent an insolent

1 The 'Αλεξάνδρεια Εσχαιη founded by Alexander the Great was probably situated in the position of the present Khojend.

and imperious summons to the Russian General to evacuate the conquered territory, threatening, in case of non-compliance therewith, to kindle a religious war. He confiscated the property of the Russian merchants in Bokhára, for which the Russians retaliated by reprisals on the property of the merchants of Bokhára and of Kábul then resident in Russian territory-a measure, however, which was as quickly relinquished as it was adopted.

Meanwhile Mozaffer's courage partly failed him to cross over the Sír-Dariá, and partly he was prevented from so doing by the rebellion which had broken out at Shahr-iSabz, in the south-east of Bokhára. In this dilemma he had recourse to diplomatic negotiations, and sent KhodjaNedjm-eddin on a mission to St. Petersburg to notify, though certainly rather late, to the Czar his ascension. to the throne of Bokhára, and to take this opportunity of amicably settling the pending difficulties.

Nedjm-eddin was not the first Bokharian diplomatist who had appeared in St. Petersburg. For in former days Nasr-ullah-Khán had sent a mission to Russia, but showed on that occasion a feeling of contempt, peculiar to Oriental courts when negotiating with Christian powers, by entrusting it to a very subordinate official. As Russia had at that time differences with China, she pretended not to observe this affront, and treated the Bokharian Mehrem, door-keeper,' with more civility than could have under other circumstances been expected. But now, in 1865, things were different; so that on his arrival at Orenburg Nedjm-eddin was informed by the Russian GovernorGeneral of that province, the General Krzhizhanovsky, that it was quite unnecessary to proceed farther on his journey, because, as governor, he was fully empowered by

6

his august master to treat and regulate all affairs connected with Central Asia.

As soon as the Amír heard this, he complained to General Chernyaev, the Russian Commander-in-Chief in Turkestán, that his embassy to the Czar had been unduly detained. He professed to have discontinued all opposition to Russian policy in Bokhára, and to have withdrawn himself within his residence; he now requested on his own part to receive a Russian embassy to facilitate measures for rendering the intercourse across the frontiers more active. General Chernyaev, in full reliance on the honourable intentions of the Amír, despatched one of the most prominent representatives of science, the distinguished astronomer, Councillor of State von Struve,' who was just at that time engaged in a scientific mission in Turkestán. He was accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Tatarinov of the Mining Engineers, and two other officers, the Cavalry Captain Glukhovsky2 and Ensign Kolesnikov of the Topographical Corps. Immediately after their arrival, the Amír ordered the two last-named officers to be thrown into prison even without allowing them into his presence. He also ordered all the Russian merchants on whom he could lay his hands to be imprisoned.

Such an outrage General Chernyaev could and would not tolerate, but insisted upon the unconditional release of these prisoners. On January 30 (February 11), 1866, he

1 According to some reports it was not the Hofrath and astronomer Von Struve, but a Colonel Struve, who was entrusted with this mission.

He published a very valuable report of his journey to Bokhára and his captivity there. The portion relating to geography is very important, and appeared in a translation in French under the title: Captivité en Boucharie par M. Gloukhovsky (données géographiques), traduit par M. P. Woelkel avec notes par M. de Khanikoff, in the September number of the Paris Bulletin de la Société de Géographie in the year 1868, pp. 265–296.

advanced with fourteen companies of infantry, six squadrons of Cossacks, and fourteen field-pieces, altogether about 2,000 men strong, and crossed the Sír-Dariá1 with the declared intention of compelling the Amír, in case of necessity, to set free the prisoners, and of marching direct against Samarcand.2

The Russians, after seven forced marches through the waterless desert, reached Djizzak on February 5 (17), 1866, but were soon convinced that their force was numerically too small. Besides this, Chernyaev, otherwise an able officer, suffered himself, when only distant twelve or fifteen German miles from Samarcand, to be kept in suspense by deceitful promises. It was rumoured that an alliance had been formed between Russia and the Amír, in which it had been agreed to transfer to Russia 700 (?) villages and towns belonging to Kokán. But Russia desired further to have the permission to establish two military cantonments, whereupon the Amír became alarmed, and sought counsel of his relative, the sovereign of Kábul. At last Mozaffer entreated the Russian General to suspend hostilities and to make a retreat, promising at the same time the immediate release of the imprisoned members of the Russian embassy.

According to some sources of information, Chernyaev gave entire credence to these fair words, as he notified to the Amír that he would make a halt on the Sír-Dariá until the promise was fulfilled. Some assert that this was not the case. One thing is, however, certain, that he retreated; but this may be chiefly ascribed to the want

1 According to reports spread at that time, one Russian column was said to have reached Balkh, and another to be on the march to Kandahar-which > was quite impossible, for Bokhara must have been first entirely subdued. 2 Lejean, La Russie et l'Angleterre dans l'Asie Centrale (Revue des deux Mondes, 1867, pp. 693-696).