Omaha daily bee., 1885-05-06
RUSSIA IN CENTRAL ASIA.
Her Progress Across the Deserts
and Over the Great Oasis OF
Turkestan.

a little east OF the nArrOW LThCb uOW III
dispute between Russia and AfghanistAn
is that extensive protuberance called by
tina natives 1.-The Psmir, or the Roof OF
the World" This wonderful plateau,
furrowed by deep valleys, through which
flow the head streams Ct great rivers, Is
the Hottest in the world, and stretches
away for some hundreds of miles from
10, 600 to 5000 feet above the sea. 1t
IL an elevated isthmus connecting those
almost impossible mountain systems of
Asia, the THAN Shan and Altai on the
north, with the Hindoo Koosh and Hima-
layas on the south. Here his
tory places the cradle of the
European races. Here lived our
Arysn forefsthers, who, leaving the
Pamir slopes, followed great rivers west
ward, and finally psstured their herds In
Europe. Hither are returning now
their descendants, the Slavs and Anglo.
Saxons, sooner or later to contend for
the supremacy of Asia upon the historic
ground from which their primitive pro.
g~enitors are believed to have migrated.
The Pamir sent Its waters west to fer
tillze the Turkestan desert, gave the ma
lions a passage way through mountain
barriers, along its streams that poured
eastward into the Tsrim and southwark
into the Gauges and the Indus. nurtured
the civilization that Genghis Khan and
Tsmerl ,ne founded In Turkestsn, and
made possible the advance of the Rus
SLAMS into Central AHA.
Though Peter the Great dreamed of
extending Russia's power far beyond the
Caspian, 1t was not greed of conquest or
commerce, but the need Of defending
derself against barbarous neighbors
across the Ural that first turned Russia
toward Central Asia. Ivan Ill. put an
end to the terrible Tartar invas,ons that
for centuries wasted half of Russia and
laid its chief cities in ashes. But his
SUCCESSORS did not free Russia from the
pest of pillsgiag Kirghiz and Turkomsn
tribes until they established the Musco-
vite power In the large territory between
the Ural river and the Aral sea. They
rank wells In the Ust Urt plateau to
facilitate the operations of their army,
marched against the turbulent Ktrghiz,
and after several hard campaigns they
subdued these 2,000,0 600 nomads, who
for over twenty years have paid their
| SotliuNIOln Wlolout o hultlhuE UAClE u
nual tax of three roubles q tent.
Beyond the Kirghiz steppes that bord-
cred Russia stretched far eastward across
the desert two belts of vendure, through
which flows two great rivers, the ancient
Oxus and the Jaxa1tas, now known as
the Amu.D aria and the Syr-Daria. The
one rising on the southern and the other
on the northern slopes of the Pamir, had
for ages distributed over their banks al
luvlum borne on rapid tides from their
hesdwaters, creating long and continu-
GUS oasis In the most desolste desert of
the world. Here were rich lands and
populous and half. civilized nations. Here
were the routes to inner Asia, caravan
roads that led to China, the Highways
over which great camel trains from Kok-
hsra had for many years borne to Oren-
burg and As.rakhan their loads of cotton,
elk, SKINS and chagreen leather to ex-
change for Russian hardware, chintz and
guns. Here was a chance fer vast ex-
pansion of Muscovite power and com
merce. Russia's motive was no longer
self 'protection, but the subjugation of
the khanates of Turkestan and the ex-
tenson of trade.
Her expedition against Khiva In 1889
was disastrous. The bitter cold of the
Ust Urs plateau ruined Peroweki's army
Russia, repulsed in her attempt to acquir.
the Oxus, turned to the Syr-Dariae
After she planted her foot upon tha.
river, her forward march was slow, stead t
and persistent. Her line of forts alony
the left bank of the river, lengtheneg
year by year. She made the river he'd
ally in her warfare upon the kbanatesr
Twelve years after the first Russian gun.
was levelled at the walls of the first town
in Khoksnd, this rich khauste including
Its metropolis, Tashkend, became the
Russian province of Ferghana. Then
Bokhars, after a bitter struggle, lost Its
independence, Two of the three khana-
ties of Turkestsn were now gained, the
Syr-Daria, from Its mouth to Its sources,
was a Russian stream, and the Musco-
vite arms were once more turned toward
the Oxus. Gen. Kaufmann's attack
upon Khiva was crowned with SUCCESS
The khanate was added to the Russian
conquests in Turkestan and the Oxus
passed into Russia's control.
What are the countries and the people
whom Russia has conquered, at terrible
cost and after many years or bitter war
fare2 The three khanates are estimate
to contain from 5,000,0 600 to 5000, O0O
people. Vambery says tia. In the rich
ness of their soil and in the variety OF
their productions it would be difficult to
fnd in Europe a territory that would sur.
pass the oasis countries of Turkestan.
Bokhars, ancient seat of Mohammedau
learning, still attracts Thousands of stu.
dents from India, Afghani.tan, Cashmere
and China. The town has 175 mosques,
and when Vambery visited 1t 5 200 stu
dents were studying theology, logic and
philosophy in Its eighty colleges. The
chief cities of the Khokand oasis, fash
kend. T%chemkent, Khodjend and others,
are scattered along the rich valley of the
Syr.Darla. Several thousand Russian
and CoHsack peasants have, with govern.
mental assistance, become tillers of the soil
near Tashkend and Samarcaud. fash
kend has 10000 population, thirteen
inns, lixteen colleges and many mosques.
and it's exports and imports in 1878
amounted to 1924. 600. 900. The Knivan
oasis, though kept within Its narrow limits
blythe surrounding desert, Is large and rich
enough to support q populace OF 1000
900 people. Since Russia conquered
Khokand she has placed up the syr.
Dsrla q fleet of steamers that ply up the
river for o distance of 1900 miles from