Emirate of Bukhara

### Government

Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy under a Pahlavi Statist One Party Dictatorship

### Establishment

1785 (first Emirate)
1980 (second Emirate)

### Region

Central Asia/South Asia

The **Emirate of Bukhara** is a nation located east of the Khanate of Khiva, west of the Islamic State of Uyghurstan, north of the Kingdom of Afghanistan and south of the Russian Federation. The Emirate was established to be the homeland of the Tajik and Uzbek peoples of eastern Uzbekistan. The Emirate makes National Security a top priority in order to defend itself from its warlike northern neighbor. The Emirate is ruled by Emir Asem bin Nayef as Emir of Bukhara.

## History

### Early History

The Emirate of Bukhara was officially created in 1785, upon the assumption of rulership by the Manghit emir, Shah Murad. Shahmurad, formalized the family's dynastic rule (Manghit dynasty), and the khanate became the Emirate of Bukhara.

As one of the few states in Central Asia after the Mongol Empire not ruled by descendants of Genghis Khan (besides the Timurids), it staked its legitimacy on Islamic principles rather than Genghisid blood, as the ruler took the Islamic title of Emir instead of Khan. In 18th -19th centuries Khwarazm (Khiva Khanate) was ruled by the Uzbek dynasty of Kungrats.

Over the course of the 18th century, the emirs had slowly gained effective control of the Khanate of Bukhara, from their position as *ataliq*; and by the 1740s, when the khanate was conquered by Nadir Shah of Persia, it was clear that the emirs held the real power. In 1747, after Nadir Shah's death, the ataliq Muhammad Rahim Bi murdered Abulfayz Khan and his son, ending the Janid dynasty. From then on the emirs allowed puppet khans to rule until, following the death of Abu l-Ghazi Khan, Shah Murad assumed the throne openly.

### Contact with European "pests"

Fitzroy Maclean recounts in *Eastern Approaches* how Charles Stoddart and Arthur Conolly were executed by Nasrullah Khan in the context of The Great Game, and how Joseph Wolff, known as the Eccentric Missionary, escaped their fate when he came looking for them in 1845. He was wearing his full canonical costume, which caused the Emir to burst out laughing, and "Dr Wolff was eventually suffered to leave Bokhara, greatly to the surprise of the populace, who were not accustomed to such clemency."

### Russia War and declared Protectorate

In 1868, the emirate lost a war with Imperial Russia, which had aspirations of conquest in the region. Russia annexed much of the emirate's territory, including the important city of Samarkand. In 1873, the remainder became a Russian protectorate, and was soon surrounded by the Governorate-General of Turkestan.

### Demise of the Emirate

In 1917, after the February Revolution in Russia , the independence of the Emirate of Bukhara was confirmed by the Provisional Government of Russia . In March 1917, the Young Bukharians organized a mass demonstration in Bukhara against the emir. In response, repressions followed, many Young Bukharians fled to Kagan . After the October Revolution , the independence of the emirate was confirmed by a decree of the Soviet government .

In March 1918, the leaders of the Young Bukharians decided to use the help of the Red Army . They assured the Soviet garrison in Kagan that a popular uprising was brewing in Bukhara, and put forward an ultimatum to the emir demanding that he relinquish power in order to avoid bloodshed. However, the assault on Bukhara failed , the Young Bukharians and units of the Red Army were defeated. After an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the emir, a peace treaty was concluded between Russia and Bukhara and the independence of Bukhara was reaffirmed.

In the summer of 1920, the commander-in-chief of the Turkestan Front , Frunze , tried to negotiate with the Emir of Bukhara. Frunze's demands were unacceptable to the emir, and the negotiations ended in vain. The Red Army began to prepare for a campaign against Bukhara, and the emir began to prepare for its defense.

On August 30, 1920, as a result of the operation of the Red Army , Bukhara was captured, the emir fled to Afghanistan . After the capture of Bukhara by the Red Army, the Communist Party of Bukhara and the Young Bukharians who entered it came to power. The Bukhara People's Soviet Republic (BNSR) , dependent on the RSFSR , was formed. Sadly the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic was annexed by the Soviet Union and partitioned into Tajikistan SSR and Uzbekistan SSR.

### Establishment of the Kingdom

The Iranian Empire had invaded the Uzbekistan SSR, Turkmenistan SSR and Tajikistan SSR with Pakistan to surround Afghanistan on all sides and invade Afghanistan on all sides. After the victory against the Soviets in Afghanistan, the Shah established puppet states in the region to economically, politically and militarily back in order to create buffer states between Iran and Russia. The Shah mixed the regions that were once Bukhara into a puppet state known as the Emirate of Bukhara. The Shah tried to get the 6 Iranian born paternal great grandsons of Mohammad Alim Khan, but they refused as they were unaware of their heritage. The Shah then decided to have Asem bin Nayef be declared Emir of Bukhara.

### After Establishment

After the establishment of the Emirate, the Emirate joined forces with Iran to liberate Afghanistan from the communists and they even helped Iran fight against the leftist insurgents invading Iran during World War III. Bukhara had also helped Iran in its expansionist campaigns in the Indian sub continent in order to make its master state strong and resource rich enough to help Bukhara defend itself from the warlike Russia to the North in order to prevent another brutal conquest of the newly independent Bukhara.

## Government

The Government of Bukhara is a constitutional monarchy ruled by an Emir who rules the nation as a monarch who has authority over the military, majilis and the religious institutions. The Bukhara Majilis is dominated by two political parties, the secular and Tajik nationalist People's Democratic Party of Bukhara and the Nationalist Monarchist Party of Bukhara. There are other minor political parties in the government such as the Agrarian Party of Tajikistan, Democratic Party, Lali Badakhshan, the Justice Party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Bukhara, Forum of Tajik Freethinkers, Reforms and Development in Bukhara and the Association of Central Asian Migrants. Socialist Parties are banned and anyone joining a socialist party will be executed as a traitor of the government.

### Cabinet

* **Emir of Bukhara:** Asem bin Nayef
* **Prime Minister of Emir:** Emomali Rahmon
* **Foreign Minister:** Sirojiddin Muhriddin
* **Agricultural Minister:** Izzatullo Sattori
* **Culture Minister:** Shamsiddin Orumbekzoda
* **Economics Minister:** Nematullo Hikmatullozoda
* **Education Minister:** Nuriddin Said
* **Energy and Water Resources:** Usmonali Usmonzoda
* **Finance Minister:** Fayziddin Qahhorda
* **Health Minister:** Nasim Olimzoda
* **Industry Minister:** Zarobiddin Fayzullozoda
* **Justice Minister:** Rustam Shoemurod
* **Transportation Minister:** Khudoyor Khudoyorzoda
* **Labor Minister:** Sumangul Taghoyzoda
* **Minister of Defense:** Colonel-General Sherali Mirzo
* **Minister of Intelligence:** Ramazon Rahimov
* **Chief of Staff:** Lieutenant-General Emomali Sobirzoda
* **Chief of Army:** Lieutenant-General Mirali Saifullo Rahmatzoda
* **Chief of Air Force:** Lieutenant General Rahmonali Safaralizoda
* **Chief of National Security Forces:** Lieutenant General Saimumin Yatimov

## Military

The Royal Bukhara Armed Forces is the national military of the Kingdom of Bukhara . It consists of Ground Forces, Mobile Forces, and the Air Force, with closely affiliated forces including the national guard, border and internal troops. The Security Council advises the Monarch of Bukhara on matters of national security. As Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Monarch of Bukhara is entitled to use the Center for the Management of the Armed Forces, which would serve as the main military command center for the Monarch, The main body of operational command and control of troops is the General Staff, which is responsible for developing mobilization plans and proposals on the military doctrine of the Republic. The plan for the deployment of troops is also developed by the General Staff in agreement with the Government.

### Army

The Royal Army of Bukhara known officially as the Ground Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Bukhara is the land army of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Bukhara. Created during the Iranian conquest of the region during the Soviet-Afghan War, it makes up about 70 percent of the country's Armed Forces.

### Air Force

The Royal Air Force of Bukhara is the aerial military service branch of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Bukhara, which currently consists of 29(25 is official) aircraft. The force engages in search and rescue missions, as well as military raids.

### National Security Forces

The National Security Forces are the paratroopers of the armed forces of Bukhara. They are similar to the Iranian Paratroopers, whom they often train with. The Mobile Forces act as an elite special forces unit, subservient to the Defense Ministry and separate from the ground forces. Although they are called paratroopers, the Mobile Forces often deployed out of helicopters, as the Royal Air Force has few fixed wing aircraft. The Ground Forces of the National Security Forces are used to defend the border between Bukhara and Russia.

## Economy

The Kingdom only has trade relationships with Khiva, Iran, Afghanistan, the Mughal Empire and Jammu and Kashmir. Otherwise they don't trade with the Islamic State of Uyghurstan as they fear it could provoke Russia into invading them.

### Agriculture

Although the government has announced an expedited land reform program, many Soviet-era state farms still existed in 1980, and the state retains control of production and harvesting on privatized farms. Privatization of cotton farms has been especially slow, and unresolved debts of cotton farmers remained a problem in 2006. In the early 2000s, the major crops were cotton (which occupied one-third of arable land in 2004 but decreased after that date), cereals (mainly wheat), potatoes, vegetables (mainly onions and tomatoes), fruits, and rice. Cotton makes an important contribution to both the agricultural sector and the national economy. Cotton accounts for 60 percent of agricultural output, supports 75 percent of the rural population, and uses 45 percent of irrigated arable land. More than 80% of the 8,800 square kilometers of land in use for agriculture depends on irrigation. Sometimes Bukhara must import grain from Khiva and Iran.

### Mining and Ore

Bukhara has rich deposits of gold, silver, and antimony. The largest silver deposits are in Sughd Province, where Tajikistan's largest gold mining operation also is located. Russia's Norilsk nickel company has explored a large new silver deposit at Bolshoy Kanimansur. Tajikistan also produces strontium, salt, lead, zinc, fluorspar, and mercury. Uranium, an important mineral in the Soviet era, remains in some quantity but no longer is extracted. Fossil fuel deposits are limited to coal, of which about 30,000 tons are mined annually. Tajikistan's extensive aluminium processing industry depends entirely on imported ore.

### Industry

Some small light industrial plants produce textiles and processed foods, using mainly domestic agricultural products. The textile industry processes about 20% of domestically grown cotton. The construction industry, about half of which is state-owned, has suffered from low investment in capital projects and from shoddy workmanship that has discouraged international contracts.

### Services

The banking system has improved significantly because of strengthened oversight by the National Bank of Tajikistan, relaxed restrictions on participation by foreign institutions, and regulatory reform. The system includes 16 commercial banks and the central bank, or National Bank. The state controls the system, although in principle most banks have been privatized.

### Energy

Bukhara's rivers, such as the Vakhsh and the Panj, have great hydropower potential, and the government has focused on attracting investment for projects for internal use and electricity exports. Tajikistan is home to the Nurek Dam, the second highest dam in the world.

## Demographics

### Ethnic Groups

The category Tajiks also includes approximately 135,000 ethnic Pamiris, of which 65% are Shughni speakers, 13% are Rushani speakers, 12% speak Wakhi, 5% are Bartangi speakers, 3% are Yazgulyami speakers, 1.5% speak Khufi, and 0.8% are Ishkashimi speakers. In addition there are 5,000 speakers of Yagnobi.

### Language

Several dialects of Persian (Central Asian dialects of Persian) are spoken in Bukhara and it is one of the two official languages of Bukhara (officially referred to as Tajik). Russian is the official interethnic language and is widely used in both government and business. The different ethnic minorities speak different languages, for instance Uzbek, Turkmen, Kyrgyz and Khowar. In the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, Shughni as well as other Pamir languages are spoken. In the northern Yaghnob valley, the Yaghnobi language is still spoken.

### Religion

The Majority Religion of Bukhara is Sunni Islam as the majority ethnic group of the country are believers of the religion for many years. However there are minority religions such as Shia Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism and Judaism.

## Culture

The Tajik language is the mother tongue of around 80% of the citizens of Bukhara. The main urban centres in today's Bukhara include Bukhara (the capital), Khujand, Kulob, Panjakent, Bokhtar, Khorugh and Istaravshan. There are also Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Russian minorities.

The Pamiri people of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in the southeast, bordering Afghanistan and China, though considered part of the Tajik ethnicity, nevertheless are distinct linguistically and culturally from most Tajiks. In contrast to the mostly Sunni Muslim residents of the rest of Tajikistan, the Pamiris overwhelmingly follow the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam, and speak a number of Eastern Iranian languages, including Shughni, Rushani, Khufi and Wakhi. Isolated in the highest parts of the Pamir Mountains, they have preserved many ancient cultural traditions and folk arts that have been largely lost elsewhere in the country.

The Yaghnobi people live in mountainous areas of northern Tajikistan. The estimated number of Yaghnobis is now about 25,000. Forced migrations in the 20th century decimated their numbers. They speak the Yaghnobi language, which is the only direct modern descendant of the ancient Sogdian language.