Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-06
Khiya and the Khivans---The Russian
Invading Force.

SOME Of the circumstances Of the i'm
pending contest between the Empire of
Russia and the khanate of Khiya are
sufficiently singular to merit attention.
It seems absurd at first sight to speak of a
contest between colossus and dwarf,
especially as the Sovereign Of Khiva
stands alone, and can command no al
lies, except a few from among the I'M
certain and feeble nomad tribes who sur
round his little dominion. Yet it must
| not be forgotten that thirty years ago, in
the reign of the Emperor Nicholas, these
very Khivans not only repulsed but de-
stroyed Russian invading force of IL, 900
men, and purchased for themselves by
that successful resistance an immunity
| from similar attacks which has lasted to
this day: There can, however, be no
doubt of the triumph of Russian STRAIT
egg and perseverance in the end; still,
there are many preliminary difficulties to
| be contended with. The first of these
arises from the geographical position of
Khiva itself. The Khanate occupies an
| oasis of extremely fertile soil, highly pro-
ductive and well peopled, owing all its
prosperity and it's very existence, indeed,
to irrigation from the river Oxus, which
passes through the heart Of it, feeding and
enr1ching the jewellers ON its banks, very
mixed people of Touranian and Iranian
elements, strongly welded together, not
by sympathies Of race, but by long sub
| mission to hereditary government and by
fanatlcal adherence to the tenets of Is
lam. khiva, the capital, consists only,
| according to Vambery, of three or four
| thousand mud houses standing in differ
ent directions in the most irregular man
| ner, with uneven and unwashed walls,
and surrounded by wall ten feet high,
also made of mud" But the environs are
rich and populous. The people are born
horsemen, inheriting all the habits of
their Tartar ancestors, except that they
have exchanged vagrant for an agricul-
tural life; and have become accustomed
to war as well as robbery. "The Khivan
character" says Vambery, Though
rough drawn, is the finest in Central
Asia" The Uzbeks are the leading race,
not only here but in the Khanate of Box
hara also. "The Khivan Uzbek betrays
the mixture of his blood with the Iran
elements, for he has beard, always to
be regarded in the Turanis as a foreign
popularity; but his complexion and form
of countenance indicate very often genu
inc Tartar origin" 1t is remarkable that
some of the finest, or, at least, most ener-
intermixture of Tartar blood with that of
southern and western neighbors; the
Turks, the Uzbeks and other hybrid
tribes in Asia, the Magyars in Europe.
1t is not, however, by their personal
qualities or their military strength that
the Khivans form an impeachment in the
way of Russia. 1t is their geographical
position which renders their statea STUN
bling block in the road of Muscovite con-
quest, and a sort Of constant annoyance.
khiva is, as we have said, an oasis sur
rounded on ali sides by desert. But those
portions of the desert which lie west and
north of the Khanat care within the nomi-
nal limits of Russia. Khiva intTudes itself
and lntercepts communication between
sundry outlying sections of the Cars
Asiatic provinces; and, from its central
position, it threatens several surrounding
points at the same time. The chief ports
of Russia on the western shore of the
Caspian, Alexardrovsk to the north,
Krasnovodsk to the south, are within an
easy rush of the Uzbak horsemen from
Khiva, and can be effcctually prevented
from assisting each other. To the north
east, Khlva menaces the Russian lines
on the Jaxartes (Sir Daria) and On the
1rgiZh; to the northwest, those on the
Emba; and two or three hundred
miles north of the Emba lies Orenburg,
the headquarters of Russian civil and
military organization in that part of the
empire; for the safety of which, it is re-
ported, fears are already entertained.
Russia has now, according to common
information, about 30, 900 men in Central
Asia. a comparative moderate effort,
with her present railway system, will
4 In hi hn
steppes of the "lesser Kirghiz horde"
which lie across the road to Orenburg,
have already been ''raided," as the mod
ern phrase runs, by the Khivan squadrons,
and a Russian detachment under Colonel
Markosoff repulsed with considerable loss
or camels and baggage.
1t is with this stage Of affairs before us
that we have now to judge Of the last in
telligence afforded. According to it the
Russian Government have finally decided
on campaign against khiva, though
contrary to the strenuous opposition Of
Prince Gortschakoft.
The expedition is to move in three col
umns-one from the Caspian (Krasnov
odsk being the point of departure indi-
cated), one from Orenburg, across the
wide intervening steppes; one from fash
kend, the recent acquisition Of Russia in
Central Tartary. With all this grand
preparation, we are assured that Russia
has nothing so little at heart as the an
nexation of Khiva. We shall see Look
ing at geography only, it would seem al
most impossible for Russia to dispense
with the acquisition, or at least the con-
troll, of the Khanate, if she means to re-
tain any hold on Central Asia at all. And
as long ago as tue reign of Peter the
Great, the Khan of Khiva, according to
Russian authorities, rendered forever
allegiance to His Majesty the Tsar."-
Poll 1foU Gazette.
A PETITION is being got up by the ladies
of Glasgow, asking Mr.. Gladstone to re-
vve the old law of the reign of Queen
Margaret of Scotland. In those DAYS