'Military Report on Russian Turkistan or Central Asia' [‎17v] (39/168)

* See page 65
Bokhara.
t’l
The trade of Khiva is considerable; cotton, wool,
rough woollen cloth, and silk cocoons are exported to
Russia, and various animal products to Bokhara.
Cottons, hardware, manufactures, &c., are imported
from Russia, and silks, cottons china and tea from
Bokhara.
The Khan of Khiva still maintains about 2,000 soldiers.
The Khanate, burdened since 1873 by st heavy war
indemnity, which has never been paid, is practically
under the complete dominion of Russia.
The capital, Khiva, lies 20 miles from the left bank
of the Oxus, and 240 miles north-west of Bokhaia. Its
population is about 12,000.
The prevalent religion is the Sunni form of Muham
madanism.*
The internal government is an absolute despotism
and, subject to a certain amount of moral control exer
cised by the Russians, is entirely in the hands of the
Khan.
The Khanate of Bokhara lies in the basin of the
Oxus between the Russian province of Trans-Caspia (on
the west) and Samarkand and Ferghana (on the north
and east), while its southern frontier marches with that
of Afghanistan along the course of the Oxus.
With regard to its geographical features and charac
teristics, Bokhara may be divided into two sections by
a line running approximately from Nurate fort by
Khatirchi (some 20 miles west of Kata Kurghan) and
Karshi to Kilif, west of which are wide open plains,
while to the east lies mountainous country, intersected
by fertile valleys. The western portion of Bokharan
territory is watered by the Zerafshan and irrigation
canals. The land is suitable for cultivation in oases
only. 1 he eastern or billy districts increase in altitude
towards the east. The valleys are watered by numerous
streams flowing towards the Oxus, and are densely
populated, especially in the Hissar regions.
The area of Bokhara may be taken to be some
75,000 square miles. The population is estimated at
about 2,500,000 and is, in the flourishing oases, as dense