RESETTLEMENT POLICY OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN TURKESTAN (second half of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century)

Abstract

The article reveals the role of the resettlement policy pursued by the Russian Empire in the colonization of Turkestan, the study of this process, the strategic goals of tsarism in the country and the colonial historiography of resettlement policy.

Numerous archival materials indicate that tsarism, taking into account the inevitable negative reaction of England and a number of Western European states to Russia's advance deep into Central Asia, especially towards Bukhara, Khiva and the borders of Afghanistan, carefully concealed its military and political aspirations. The research materials show that in a number of directions of the Russification policy in the spiritual sphere, the colonial administration was able to partially solve the assigned tasks. But in general, despite the creation of a ramified network of ideological control, the oppression of the traditional education system, official support for Christian missionary work, as well as the use of other great-power actions, the strategic goals of tsarism in the spiritual subordination of the broad masses of Turkestan failed. Due to the strength of the national mentality, the firm commitment of the indigenous peoples to ethical and age-old spiritual and moral values, the local population actively resisted the colonial aspirations of the tsarist autocracy.