The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884, Fred Richard Belk, 1976

expand schools in the Russian language, increased trade with the Czarist Empire and bring in colonists who would help develop the region agriculturally. After deciding upon Tashkent as his provincial capital and putting down rebellions in Samarkand and Bukhara,“ Kaufmann set about organizing his city to serve as a model for all administrative units in Turkestan.** Each city, in order to be governed properly, Kauf- mann believed, needed a commandant aided by an assistant and office staff, a local garrison controlling a native police force, a surgeon general and a midwife for medical services, and a ‘‘town committee” to handle finances, give plots of land to colonists, levy taxes, and pro- vide service such as street-cleaning and repairs, bridge-building, and tree-planting. Later he formed a powerful committee to control all economic administration (khoziaistrennoi upravlenie); it defined city boundaries, laid out new streets, allotted homesites and received pay- ment for these, set aside sites for public parks, listed legal inhabi- tants of the city, collected taxes, managed irrigation projects, and supervised any other program of development. These administrative units proved most effective as time went on. In fact, taxes were lower under this committee than they had been under native princes. One criticism, however, materialized when the committee allowed mer- chants to introduce alcoholic beverages.** Problems arose over the years, but until rebellious natives attempted to throw off the yoke of Russian imperialism, the administrations ran smoothly. In 1873, Kaufmann led an all-out offensive against the khanate of Khiva because of continuing rebellions that had arisen there. The Province of Turkestan 73 Konstantine von Kaufmann served the czar as governor-general of Tur- kestan from 1867 to 1882. 74 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites When victory seemed assured, Kaufmann asked the khan, who would never regain his prestige, to negotiate a settlement. Agree- ing to talk, the Khan still feared he would be killed. Gratified to find himself still alive, the khan was even more surprised to learn that Kaufmann had no plans to interfere in native customs or restrict the Muslim faith. Strengthening Russian rule in the territory without antagonizing native customs or religion was Kaufmann’s policy. The khan soon learned that native customs would not be altered in the area because Russian plans were more concerned about preservation of law and order than cultural reforms. From 1873-1882, Kaufmann initiated many explorations and colonizations in Turkestan and became a popular and active gover- nor-general. Although some could consider him a brutal imperialist,” others have called him one of the most efficient and enlightened of the military administrators of Turkestan. After fifteen years of service, Kaufmann was called the “founder of the country’ (Ustroitel Kraia) by the Russians.** During