The Political Situation in Fergana Before and After the Overthrow of Turkestan Autonomy
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Abstract
The article reflects the political situation in Ferghana in January-March 1918, that is, on the eve and after the overthrow of the government of the Turkestan Autonomy by the Bolsheviks. This period is characterized by the polarization of political forces and organizations throughout Turkestan, including the Fergana region. This was due to the dual power that arose here: the existence of the Soviets (Councils) of Soldiers, Workers and Muslim Deputies, on the one hand, and the government of the Turkestan Autonomy, on the other, each of which claimed state power in the region. The hidden or open struggle between the supporters of these two political institutions was the core of the political process in Ferghana and throughout Turkestan during the period under review.
The author emphasizes that at this historical turning point, it was the national democrats – the Jadids, who led the autonomist movement, who put forward the most optimal model for the state development of Turkestan. And this model, which was based on the ideas of freedom, private property, democracy, parliamentarism and self-determination of peoples, was a real and reasonable alternative to the extremist and expropriatory course of Bolshevism. However, democratic institutions in Turkestan and Fergana were divided both politically and confessionally-ethnically. They could not consolidate even in the face of the Bolshevik dictatorship, which was increasingly acquiring sinister features.
The Bolsheviks skillfully took advantage of the disunity of their political opponents, and overthrew the government of the Turkestan Autonomy by force of arms, usurped power and turned Turkestan and all of Russia into a platform for their social experiments. The suppression of the autonomist movement was accompanied by the violence of the Red Guards and Dashnaks against the native population of Fergana, the murders and robbery of civilians, which prompted the latter to start an armed struggle against the Soviet regime. Consequently, the peaceful struggle for the autonomy of the region grew into an armed movement for the independence of Turkestan.
The article provides material extracted from archival documents, which testifies to the difficult economic situation of Ferghana during the existence of the Turkestan Autonomy, which undoubtedly created an unfavorable background for its activities. In addition, for the first time, many documents stored in the funds of the Ferghana Regional State Archives are introduced into scientific circulation. Based on these materials, the author completes the plot of the events that took place, makes some corrections to their chronology.
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References
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