ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS ON EVASION OF MILITARY SERVICE IN THE EMIRATE OF BUKHARA. (BASED ON ARCHIVE DATA OF THE OFFICE OF THE KOSHBEGI OF THE EMIRATE OF BUKHARA)

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ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS ON EVASION OF MILITARY SERVICE IN THE

EMIRATE OF BUKHARA. (BASED ON ARCHIVE DATA OF THE OFFICE OF THE

KOSHBEGI OF THE EMIRATE OF BUKHARA)

Yunus Asrorovich Shukurillaev

Candidate of historical sciences, Associate professor of Bukhara State Technical University

Abstract:

In the article, the author analyzes the reasons for desertion from military service in the

army of the Bukhara Emirate during the reign of the Mangit dynasty, its causes and

consequences based on documents from the I-126 collection of the National Archives of the

Republic of Uzbekistan - the chancellery of the Koshbegs of the Bukhara Emirate.

Keywords:

sarbazy, desertion, guarantor, Shefsky, Tersky, Koshbegi, foreman.

Introduction.

The I-126 collection of the National Archives of Uzbekistan - a collection of

documents of the Divankhana Koshbegs of the Bukhara Emirate - is a valuable source of

information on the reign of the Bukhara emirs Muzaffarhan, Abdulakhadkhan and Alimkhan.

Volumes 1629-1631 of this collection are considered documents on desertion and have not yet

entered scientific circulation.

From the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, the basis of the

military structure of the Bukhara Emirate was the infantry - sarbozes. During the Mangid

dynasty, in addition to the army of the emirate, several new military formations were formed

until 1920. According to historian Muhammad Sayyid Baljuvani, the structure of the army in the

emirate in 1917-1920 was as follows: “The Bukhara army consisted of seven favj (groups). 1.

Artillerymen. 2. Mounted Cossacks. 3. Shefski. 4. Terek. 5. Arabbachi. 6. Turkmen army. 7.

Sarbazy

1

”.

Military service was lifelong, but during the reign of Amir Abdullakhan the age limit was set at

60 years. When studying the documents of the archival fund of Kushbegi Divankhan, there is

much information about desertion from military service, the main part of which is made up of

ordinary sarbazes:

- Your Majesty! I wish you a blessed journey! A sarbaz named Navruzali has escaped from

Sadykbek's army. I asked, according to your order, whether this man was in my army or not.

There is no such man in my army. If I find this man, I will send him to the highest state div

accompanied by someone. I have filed a complaint so that you know. Always be healthy

2

;

According to the tradition of the Mangit dynasty, when recruiting for military service, up to three

guarantors from among close relatives or acquaintances were sealed with the seal of the qadi. If a

serviceman evades military service, that is, escapes and is wanted for a certain period and is not

found, then one of the guarantors is called up for military service:

- Your Excellency! Your servant Mirbiy Parvanachi! Your artillerymen and two sarbaz, that is,

those who serve in Bukhara-Sharif, a total of 30 people. Eight of them managed to escape. We

reported this to the centurion. If they cannot find the fugitives, we ordered the arrest of their

1

Muhammad Ali Baljuvani. Tarihi nofeiy (Useful history) / Translation from Tajik, with a preface and comments by

Sh. Vohidov and Z. Choriev. – Tashkent: Academy, 2001. – 122 p.

2

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , decree. 1, d. 1629 , l. 1. Also: National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 ,

op. 1, d. 1629 , l. 3.

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guarantors. We will include them in the army. I ordered other claimants to replace the dead. I

filed a complaint so that you know

3

. Be healthy! 1324 AH. 1906.

In cases where fugitive military personnel do not have guarantors, their close relatives are sought

and they are recruited for military service:

- Your Excellency! Mirbiy Divanbeg: Sir, at the request of foreman Safar, the brave sarbaz Kadir

has fled from high-ranking military service. I did not dare to find this sarbaz or his guarantor and

hand him over to the corporal. They found the sarbaz's brother, Azim. His brother and 3-4 other

people from the village reported that Kadir had gone to the high intelligence service in the

Farash region. If the foreman is not found within 15 days, we will make Shermukhammad Amin

the guarantor for his brother Baymurad. I have filed this complaint so that you know. Be

healthy!

4

It is worth noting that the search for deserters was carried out not only throughout the country,

but also in neighboring countries (Khiva Khanate, Kokand Khanate, Turkestan Governorate-

General, Iran, Afghanistan) through embassies and consulates:

- Your Excellency! All your servants participate in your prayers. Wadel of my state, we found

Nematullah, who escaped from high state service in Mashhad, and sent him to high state service

with an ambassadorial letter. His Excellency the ambassador presented a carpet worth 70 tangas.

In Nematullah's purse were 25 coins, a book and another book. I sent him to my master along

with these things. We took a rent of 12 tangas from him

5

.

There are also frequent cases of sarbaz disappearing while on guard duty in areas near thickets,

thickets and small forests on the territory of the emirate. There is also an assumption that some

of them could have been eaten by wild animals:

- Your Excellency! There are regular army sarbazis in the village of Chukcha. They are on guard

duty in the Sherabad area. Two of these guards go out every evening and patrol the area. There is

a forest around their guardhouse, and there is a tiger in the forest. Abdulkadir's son Abdujalil and

Kholmurod's son Khaknazar went missing during their evening duty. Their rifle and pistols were

found, but they themselves were not found. If the tiger had killed him, we would have found the

messenger. I am reporting this to my superior, thinking that they may have gone to Bukhara. If

you allow me, I can hire other people to replace them. We have announced that Rozimurod and

Hadjimurod, who escaped from the services, have been found . If you had not refused us your

favor, we would have included them in the ranks of the high government army. Farewell

6

.

Sources report that the Sarbazes, who had previously planned to evade military service, also

hired false guarantors:

- Your Excellency! Mirkulli Koshbegi: Sir, Sarbaz Abdurazak in the army of Ravshankulbekbiy

has a grandfather named Berdi and an uncle named Juraboy. They came to the foreman Osman

as guarantors for the fugitive sarbaz, drew up a letter of acceptance and signed it. In order to

verify this fact, the foreman sent his people to the Sultanabad region. When the residents of this

area were asked whether they really had an uncle named Juraboy and a grandfather named Berdi,

3

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , index. 1, d. 1629 , l. 9. Also: National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I-126,

index. 1, d. 1629, p. 4, p. 10, l. 11, l. 14, l. 15, l. 16, l. 21, l. 22, l. 23, p. 25, l. 26, l. 27, p. 28, l. 30, l. 31, p. 32, l. 35, l.

37, p. 199, p. 202, l. 195, l. 200

4

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , op. 1, d. 1629 , l. 20, 17. Also: National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I -

126 , op. 1, d. 1629 , l. 33.

5

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , decree. 1, d. 1629 , l. 19.

6

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , decree. 1, d. 1629 , l. 29.

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it turned out that Abdurazzak Sarboz had no close relatives, and his grandfather and uncle were

foreigners. I wrote down what I saw and heard. Be healthy! 1326 AH. 1908.

7

The guarantors of a deserter also had the opportunity to avoid military service. In exchange, the

guarantors could pay a fee equal to the cost of one slave or buy a slave:

- Your Excellency! Mirkulli Koshbegi: Sarbaz Ruzi, who was in the army of Commander Qadir

Kulli Koshbegi, has fled. His guarantor was a man named Fayzi from the Urgenchyan region.

They found him and brought him to the high gates of the Ark. Chehraoga Eshkhoja, the servant

of the supreme qadi, also found his two guarantors, Kuzi and Mullah Abdulkadir, in the

courtyard. The three guarantors wanted to give 1,600 coins for the deserting sarbaz. We sent

their coins along with a letter to a man named Hikmatilla. We hope for your kindness. 1327 AH.

1909

8

;

The last two emirs of Bukhara, Abdulakhadkhan and Alimkhan, were military officials of the

Russian Empire. By the 1870s, the military and political situation in Eastern Bukhara had

deteriorated significantly. This was especially noticeable in the Gissar fortress. As a result, the

Russian authorities realized that the emirate needed military assistance to maintain peace in the

country, and since 1881, Russian military engineers, designers and officers began to operate

under the leadership of Colonel Tserpitsky from the 12th Turkestan Battalion

9

. Amir Abdullah

Khan was appointed adjutant general of the Russian emperor and was included in the Terek

Cossack Regiment in Russia, the 5th Orenburg Cossack Regiment named after Shefsky. was

included

10

. Therefore, the emirate has a limited number of European-style Cossacks, such as the

Shefsky and Terek Cossacks. The first foot army , later one of their parts became cavalry to her.

It was founded by groups of sarbaz. The documents also record cases of desertion from service

among these sarbaz:

- Your Excellency! Mr. Mirbiy Divanbegi: After the greetings and prayers, I would like to

announce the following: We have received a letter from regarding the slaves who have escaped

from service in the Caucasian military army. Your servant Kholnazarbek, accompanied by the

foreman Hakim, brought the letter in good time. According to them, they were also taken to the

Caliph. We also saw indecision in searching for the deserting sarbazsarbaz. If these sarbaz arrive

in the Karki region, we will seize them and send them to serve my master. All your other

servants are busy praying for you. Be healthy!

11

At the same time, in rare cases, cases of evasion of military service were revealed even among

persons with the rank of foreman. It can be concluded that the reason for the desertion of

foremen from military service was the high demands placed on them (search for deserters,

regular replenishment of the army, ensuring peace and order in the army, etc.):

- Your Excellency! Sadykbekbiy dadkhah was glad to serve the commander, the advanced

Darvaz. The man sent a list of the escaped soldiers: Abdurakhim - Sharif Hazrat ugli,

Abdulmutalib - Abdulvahid Mirkan ugli, foreman Abdulkarim, Rakhmat - Rahim from Gijduvan,

Kazim - Muradzhkhuja ugli, Turakhuzha - Azimkhuja ogli, Mir Bako-Ismatullah ugli, Khurram

Ashur - son of the 3rd barracks, Said Muhammad huja - Karimkhuja ugli, Tursin - Arif ugli,

Rajab - centurion Navruz guard hundred, Kholmurad - Abdulkahor Tuksaba ugli from Jandor,

7

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , index. 1, d. 1629 , l. 201. Also: 206.

8

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , index. 1, d. 1629 , l. 204. Also: 205.

9

Logothet D.N. Bukhara Khanate under the protectorate of Russia. Volume 1. St. Petersburg, 1911. -P. 252.

10

Logotet D.N. Decree. with very good-P. ​ 254 .

11

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , decree. 1, d. 1629 , l. 38.

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Muhammad Karim. We sent Jurabek's student to search for these people. If he finds them, he

will bring them to the high gates of the Ark. Be healthy

12

.

When the missing sarbazes were found, they were sent back to military service. In such cases, at

least three guarantors from among relatives were present, and receipts were drawn up, and letters

of guarantee were certified with a seal and approved by the qadi. A copy of the letters of

guarantee was kept by the foreman of the sarbazes:

- Your Majesty! May the people of the world be a blessing to you! A resident of the Hatufi

district, Abdulmajid, has deserted from service in the Bahrombekbia army. This news was

conveyed to the chief of the guard and the foreman, Ibrahim. As you ordered, I must send my

men to this district, find Private Abdulmajid and hand him over to the foreman. We found him

there and handed him over to the foreman. We sent his father, Hamrokh Hatim, and his guarantor,

Urinbay, to your service. According to his father, he has been worried about his son’s madness

for three months. He was discharged from the army, and his uniform, rifle, and equipment were

handed over to the commander. Now, based on the letters of Chekhragi Jura and the foreman,

Ibrahim, he has been worried. For this reason, we have released Sarbaz Abdulmajid, his father,

and his guarantor. His father is a poor man. My Lord knows best

13

.

However, there is no information about the punishment that deserters received after their capture.

Local historians, in particular, in some works by S. Aini, mention the interrogation of refugees,

the Sarbazes

14

, the Military Regulations of the Bukhara State, written by Abbaskuli Mirza

during the reign of Amir Nasrullah in 1272 AH - 1856 AD and in effect in the emirate until the

protectorate of the Russian Empire

15

, as well as the Military Regulations of the Bukhara Emirate

during the protectorate,

16

do not mention this issue in detail:

In some cases, the fact that the fugitive sarbaz could not be found, and they had neither

guarantors nor relatives, created problems with replenishing the army. In such situations, the task

of replenishing the army is assigned to the foremen:

- Your Excellency! ......Siddiqhuja, the sarbaz of the army of Abdurahim dodkhah escaped. They

sent a letter to Mahmudbek to inform him of this and to ask him to try to find the sarbaz, and if

he failed, to bring his guarantor in his place. His guarantor was a man named Abdullahuja, who

had gone into the desert. He fell ill and died suddenly after his relatives brought him back from

the desert. The sarbaz himself was missing. Be healthy!

17

;

The following can be named as reasons for desertion in the army of the Bukhara Emirate:

- lifelong military service (60 years from the reign of Amir Abdulahad Khan);

- low monthly salary for ordinary sarbaz (the monthly salary for sarbaz was 20 tang, including

daily allowance, 35 tang per month. For comparison, the monthly salary for a centurion

commanding 200 sarbaz was 500 tang);

- frequent cases of corporal punishment, parochialism, tribalism and hooliganism in the army;

- low patriotic spirit, lack of propaganda in the army;

12

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , decree. 1, d. 1629 , l. 8.

13

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , op. 1, d. 1629 , l. 13, 198. Also : National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I -

126 , op. 1, d. 1629 , l. 197, p. 5, l. 6, l.18, l.24.

14

Aini S. In Doha. T., 1956. –P.368.

15

Military regulations. // Manuscript . Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan No.

2793. 93 liters.

16

Military regulations. // Manuscript . Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan No.

3322. 123 liters.

17

National Archives of Uzbekistan, f. I - 126 , index. 1, d. 1629 , l. 40. Also: l.36

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- the army was not considered a military service, but was used as a cheap labor force for running

the officials’ household;

- illiteracy, low managerial qualifications and culture of military officials.

Such negative conditions in the army led to the transformation of the Bukhara Emirate in the

second half of the 19th century into a protectorate of the Russian Empire and its complete

liquidation in 1920.

List of references:

1. Fund I-126 of the National Archives of Uzbekistan - Administration of the Cossack

Beykstvo of the Bukhara Emirate

2. Muhammad Ali Baljuvani. Tarihi nofeiy (Useful history) / Translation from Tajik, with a

preface and comments by Sh.Vokhidov and Z.Choriev. – Tashkent: Academy, 2001. – 122 p.

3. Aini S. In Dokhunda . T., 1956. –P.368.

4. Military regulations. // Manuscript . Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences

of Uzbekistan No. 2793. 93 p.

5. Military regulations. // Manuscript . Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences

of Uzbekistan No. 3322. 123 p.

6. Logofet D. N. Bukhara Khanate under the protectorate of Russia. Volume 1. St. Petersburg,

1911. - P. 252.