Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-05-13
RUSSIA IN CENTRAL ASIA.
Her Advance Across tho Desert and Ovol
the Oasis Of Turkistan.

Her Advance Across tho Desert and Over
the Oasis OF Turktstan.
A little east of the narrow tract now in
dispute between Russia and Afghanistan IS
that extensive protuberance called by the
natives The Pamlr, or The Roof of the
World. This wonderful plateau, Rurrowed
by deep valleys, through which dow the
head streams Of great rivers, is the loftiest
in the world, and stretches away for some
hundreds of miles from 10, 900 to 15.O 900
feet above the sea. 1t is an elevated isthmus
connecting those almost impossible noun
tain systems of Asia, the Than Shan and
Altai on the north, with the Hindoo Koosh
and Himalayas on the south. Here history
places the cradle of the European races.
Here lived our Aryan forefathers, who, leav-
ing the Pamir slopes. followed great rivers
westward, and finally pastured their herds
in Europe. Hither are returning now their
descendants, the Slavs and Anglo Saxons,
sooner or later to contend for the suprem-
acy Of Asia upon the historic ground from
which their progenitors are believed to have
migrated.
The Pamir sent its waters west to fertil-
ize the Toorkistan Desert, gave the nations
passageway through mountain barriers
along its streams that poured eastward into
the Tarim and southwark into the Ganges
and the Indus, nurtured tho civilization
that Genghis Khan and Tamerlane founded
in Toorkistan, and made possible tho ad-
vance of Russia into Central Asia.
Though Peter the Great dreamed Of ex-
tending Russia's power TAR beyond the
Caspian, it was not the greed of conquest
or commerce, but the need of defending
herself against barbarous neighbors across
the Ural that first turned Russia toward
terrible Tartar invasions 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 pillaging
Kirghiz and Turcoman tribes until they es-
tablished the Muscovite power in the large
territory between the Ural River and the
Aral Sea. They sank wells in the Ust Urt
plateau to facilitate the operations Of their
army, marched against the turbulent Kir-
ghiz, and after several hard campaigns they
subdued these two million nomads, who for
over twenty years have paid their conquer
ors without murmur their annual tax Of
rubles tent.
Beyond the Kirghiz steppes that bordered
Russia stretched tar eastward across the
desert two belts Of verdure through which
dow two great rivers, the ancient Oxus and
the Jaxartes now known as the ANU Daria
and the Syr-Daria. The one rising on the
southern and the other on the northern
slopes of the Pamir, had for ages distribut-
ed over their banks alluvium borne
on rapid tides from their headwaters,
creating long and continuous cases in the
midst Of the mos. desoiate 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 Bokhara had for many
years borne to orenburg and Astrakhan
their loads OF cotton, silk, skins, and
shagreen leather to exchange for Russian
hardware, chintz. and guns. Here was q
. chance for vast expansion Of 1uscovite
power and commerce. Russis's motive was
no longer self protection, but the subjug~-
| ton Of the khanates Of Toorkistan and the
| extension Of trade.
Her expedition against Khiva in 1888
was disastrous. The bitter cold Of the est
Ur: plateau ruined Perowsks army. Rus
sia. repuIsed IN her attempt to ac-
auire the Oxus, turned TO the Syr- -Da1ia.
After she planted her foot upon that river
| her forward march was slow, steady,
| and persistent. Her line Of forts along the
left bank Of the river heightened year by
| year. She made the river her ally in her
warfare upon the khanstes. Twelve years
after the first Russian gun Was leveled a4
the walls Of the first tcxn in Khokaud this
rich khanate, including its metropolis.
Jashkend, became the Russian provinces OF
Ferghana. Then Bokhars. after bitter
struggle, lost its Independence. Two Of
the three khanstss Of Toorkistan were nov