The capture of Tashkent (1864–1865)

In the mid-19th century Tashkent was one of the major political, trading and administrative centres of Central Asia: it was surrounded by a wall with 12 gates, had around 80 thousand inhabitants and was divided into four dahas (Beshyogoch, Kukcha, Sebzor, Shaykhantahur), each led by an elder (oqsoqol). For the Russian government it could serve as a military base on the Orenburg route and a centre for further campaigns. In autumn 1864 General M. Chernyayev tried to take the city quickly, but the attempt failed. In spring 1865 he captured the Niyazbek fort on the Chirchik and had the dam supplying the city with water destroyed. The defence was led by Alimqul (Aliquli), the Kokand army’s amirlashkar, who died in the 1865 fighting. In mid-June 1865 (15–17 June in the Old Style calendar then used in Russia; 27–29 June in today’s calendar) there were several days of fighting in the streets, fires broke out and Tashkent was taken. According to the textbook, Chernyayev made the elders write a letter saying the city had surrendered “voluntarily”; several prominent people who opposed this were exiled to Siberia. On the captured lands the Turkestan Province was formed in 1865 within the Orenburg Governor-Generalship, with Chernyayev as military governor; Tashkent was formally annexed to the empire in 1866.