RUSSIA. 



713 



khanate in the Russian dominions. The pro- 

 tests of England and the trouble with the Tekke 

 Turcomans, which the Khan was expected to 

 settle in addition to his other tasks, delayed 

 this consummation. Now that all difficulties 

 are out of the way, the Russian Government 

 contemplates speedily assuming the adminis- 

 tration ot the khanate, and assigning Seid Mo- 

 hammed a pension. The same fate awaits 

 Bokhara, which has gravitated toward Russia 

 more rapidly, though the more satisfactory 

 native administration, and the peaceable and 

 industrious character of its inhabitants, render 

 interference less justifiable. In that event, un- 

 less the Oxus is defined by the firmest treaty 

 sanction as the northern boundary of Afghan- 

 istan, fresh Afghan difficulties will ensue, be- 

 cause the northern slopes of the Hindu Kush 

 are largely inhabited by people of the Turco- 

 Tartar race, who pay allegiance to the Khan 

 of Bokhara rather than to the Ameer of 

 Cabul. 

 Annexations on the Afghan Border. The incor- 



E oration of the oasis of Merv, the ancient and 

 imous stronghold of the Turcomans, in the 

 Russian dominions, was only a question of 

 time after the conquest of the Akhal Tekke 

 district. The chiefs that were in favor of 

 resistance to the end have nearly all of them 

 die 1 since the battle of Geok Tepe, while the 

 Russians found means of building up a strong 

 friendly party among the Mervites. The re- 

 ports brought back by the Asiatic chiefs who 

 assisted at the Czar's coronation of the great- 

 ness of the Russian Empire, convinced the 

 main body of the Tekke tribe of the hopeless- 

 ness of contending against the power of the 

 White Czar. They accepted the good offices 

 of the Khan of Khiva, and in March the chiefs 

 of the tribe tendered their formal submission. 

 This result was not attained without a struggle 

 between the Russian force of 2,000 men under 

 Colonel Alikhanoff, which came to take formal 

 possession, and the recalcitrant Mervli chiefs. 

 The Russians withdrew the military force af- 

 ter concluding a convention with the heads 

 of the tribe. On the night of March 11 ene- 

 mies were encountered at Karib Ata. There 

 was another skirmish with the inhabitants of 

 Abdal Topas on the following day. The hos- 

 tile Mervli attacked them on the night of the 

 14th. On the 16th they entered Merv and 

 occupied the fortress. The Merve Tekkes in 

 their convention promised to allow Russian 

 officers and merchants to reside among them, 

 to do all they can to render secure the routes 

 between the Oxus and the Tejend, and to accept 

 the duties of Russian subjects by paying taxes 

 or furnishing a military contingent. A small 

 section who were opposed to the surrender 

 emigrated southward to join the Sarik Turco- 

 mans. When short of food during their migra- 

 tions they committed raids on Persian territory 

 in the neighborhood of Meshed. The value of 

 this new addition to the empire does not consist 

 in the strategical importance of Merv, as was 



formerly affirmed by English writers, for it lies 

 away from the route to India. It was an 

 achievement of high military importance, how- 

 ever, with reference to an advance on India, to 

 turn this warlike clan that was a formidable 

 barrier between the Russians and Afghanistan 

 into allies. The immediate benefit of the ac- 

 quisition was in opening up to Russian trade 

 the whole country as far as the Tejend, and. 

 giving the Russians commercial access to the 

 neighboring parts of Persia, to Afghanistan, 

 and even India. For the entire security of the 

 route from the Oxus to the Tejend, and the 

 acquisition of a straighter route, and one run- 

 ning through a better supplied country, and 

 more advantageous for a future railroad, it was 

 desirable to bring into subjection the Sarik 

 Turcomans, to occupy the important position 

 of Sarakhs, and to obtain the cession of districts 

 that are unquestionably subject to the Shah 

 of Persia. The Persians acquiesced in a new 

 delimitation, which gave Russia another small 

 slice of territory nominally Persian, and a 

 formal right to Old Sarakhs, yet set their 

 faces against the important cessions that the 

 Russians desired, and for which they offered 

 compensation. Sarakhs is a small Persian 

 town on the Heri Rud. Directly opposite is 

 the site of the once important city and strong- 

 hold bearing that name. The Russians occu- 

 pied Old Sarakhs in the summer, fortified the 

 hill on which it is situated, and established a 

 large garrison. Russian merchants followed 

 the military, and very soon this new terminus 

 of their caravan route became the busy center 

 of a trade that extended into Persia, Afghan- 

 istan, and throughout the Turcoman country. 

 The Sarik clan, the last independent remnant 

 of the Turcomans of the steppes, eventually 

 joined their brothers, who found the life of 

 peaceful herdsmen with a profitable market 

 for their products not less satisfactory than 

 the pursuits of kidnapping and robbery, which 

 they were no longer at liberty to follow, and 

 accepted the sovereign protection of the Great 

 White Czar. When Prince Uondoukoff Korsa- 

 koff reached Askabad in the spring, he found a 

 deputation representing the great body of the 

 Sarik Turcomans, who formally took the oath 

 of allegiance. The Sarik tribes will be exempt 

 from taxation for the present, but must main- 

 tain a force of constabulary, and carry out 

 works of irrigation, at their own cost. Trials 

 for treason, rebellion, murder, and robbery 

 will be conducted under Russian laws. The 

 extension of the Transcaspian Railroad from 

 Kizil Arvat to Askabad was announced by 

 Prince Dondoukoff Korsakoif when he visited 

 Central Asia. Askabad is 380 miles from He- 

 rat, 134 miles nearer than Quetta, the terminal 

 point of the English strategic railroad. 



Relations with England. The voluntary sub- 

 mission of the Merv Turcomans in the spring 

 excited the susceptibilities of the English. The 

 Tories declared their fears and suspicions, and 

 the old controversy over the Afghan policy of 



