THE IMPACT OF RAILWAYS ON THE ECONOMY OF THE BUKHARA EMIRATE

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Abstract

The article discusses the issues such as the impact of railway construction on industrial development in the Emirate of Bukhara, the state of industrial enterprises in Russian villages within the Emirate, the Emirate's economy during World War I and the revolutionary transformations in the Russian Empire. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of railway infrastructure in the industrial development of the Bukhara Emirate. The introduction of the railway to Bukhara in the late 19th century played a significant role in transforming the emirate’s economic system, enabling the establishment of new industrial enterprises and stimulating their further development.

The construction of the Bukhara railway ensured the connection of the Central Asian railway network with the Bukhara line along eastern and southeastern routes. This railway represented the shortest and strategically important transportation link between the markets of Russia, Afghanistan, and Eastern Bukhara, contributing to the expansion of both domestic and foreign trade. The route from Kagan through Karshi to Termez, passing near the Afghan border, was considered a factor influencing Russian-Afghan and Anglo-Russian relations, as well as a tool for strengthening Russia’s geopolitical position in the Middle East.

Furthermore, based on a comparative analysis of archival documents and historical literature, it has been substantiated that this transport corridor provided the Bukhara Emirate with the opportunity to deliver goods to Europe via Krasnovodsk and the Caspian sea to the Caucasus and Astrakhan, as well as along the Tashkent-Orenburg route.