Lessons 13 · 1 lessons · S. Tillaboyev, A. Zamonov. O‘zbekiston tarixi (History of Uzbekistan, second half of the 19th – early 20th century), Grade 9, 3rd edition. “Sharq” Publishing House, Tashkent, 2019
13
The Russian Empire's land and water policy in Turkestan
Textbook: pp. 50–52
GoalExplain the land policy of the 1886 Statute, the attitude to waqf land and the policy of resettlement.
New words
property donated to a mosque, madrasa or other religious or charitable institution · vaqfstate property · davlat mulkiresettlement of people from one region to another · ko‘chirib keltirishprivilege, a special advantage or relief · imtiyoz
Explanation
Turkestan was an agrarian region, so the empire sought to control the use of land and water and to collect taxes on time. The 1886 Statute declared the lands, forests and minerals of Turkestan state property, and large landholding was also ended. Waqf lands were leased out, and the approval of new waqf documents and the oversight of waqf income passed to the provincial administration. According to the textbook, waqf income had earlier paid for schools, madrasas and mosques, and after control changed their condition worsened. At the same time the government brought in people from the central provinces of Russia: settlers received funds, land and credit, were free of tax for 5 years and paid half the tax for the next 5. In 1875 the first settlement appeared at Aulie-Ata, and in 1875–1890 some 1300 families settled and 19 Russian villages were founded.
Worked examples
A school next to a mosque was repaired from waqf income. When control of the income passed to the administration, money for repairs decreased.
Settlements of newcomers appeared in cities such as New Margilan, Samarkand and Andijan; in Tashkent the Bozsu canal formed the border between the new and old city.
Class activity
Make a two-column table: on the left “What the state took control of”, on the right “How this affected people”. Write at least three rows.
Practice
1
Which resources were declared state property under the 1886 Statute?
Lands, forests and mineral resources.
2
What tax privilege did settlers receive?
Free of tax for 5 years, then half the tax for the next 5.
3
Which canal divided the two parts of Tashkent and what were the parts called?
The Bozsu canal; the old part (local people) and the new part (administration and settlers).
4
Why did the change of control over waqf income affect the condition of schools and mosques?
Because they were maintained from exactly this income; once it came under the administration, funds fell and conditions worsened (according to the textbook).