The Southern Region under the Rule of the Russian Empire
As the Russian Empire abolished the khanates of Central Asia, it also brought the southern territories of Kazakhstan under its control. Nevertheless, trade and relations with other countries continued in Tashkent, Turkistan, Shymkent, Sairam, as well as in the regions of Akmeshit and Aulie-Ata. Although construction remained limited, new buildings were also erected.
After conquering southern Kazakhstan and incorporating all Kazakh lands into the Russian Empire, the authorities began planning a new administrative system that differed from the previous one. The territory of Kazakhstan was divided into three governor-generalships. Each governor-generalship consisted of regions, which were divided into districts; districts were divided into volosts, and volosts into auls.
The Turkestan Governor-Generalship included the Zhetysu and Syr Darya regions, both located in the south, an area with a rich history stretching back many centuries.
All administrative power in the southern region was concentrated in the hands of N. P. von Kaufman, the Governor-General of Turkestan.
Like the rest of Kazakhstan, the southern region increasingly became a market for inexpensive Russian goods and a source of low-cost raw materials. Russian entrepreneurs showed particular interest in dermene, a plant valued for its medicinal properties and considered rare in many parts of the world. It grew in Africa, South America, and the Arys area of the Kazakh steppe. In autumn, the plants were harvested and threshed, and their seeds were transported to Turkistan before being shipped to Russia.
The Socio-Economic Conditions of the Region in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries
Russian commercial and moneylending capital acted as an intermediary between Russia’s capitalist industries and Kazakhstan’s agricultural production. It accelerated the growth of trade not only between Russia’s central provinces and Kazakhstan but also within the region itself. The subsistence economy that had previously dominated the area gradually began to break down.
During the 1870s and 1880s, the rapid growth of textile manufacturing in Russian factories led to an increase in the supply of Russian fabrics to Kazakh markets. In the 1860s and 1870s, leather goods worth 400,000–500,000 rubles and metal products worth 300,000–400,000 rubles were supplied to Kazakhstan annually. These goods included samovars, cooking cauldrons, scythes, sickles, and knives.
A wide variety of goods suited to the needs and tastes of the Kazakh population also arrived from the khanates of Central Asia. Everyday household items included handmade garments, shawls, headscarves, belts, mäsi-kebis (traditional footwear), carpets, porcelain and wooden dishes, copper jugs, teapots, and serving plates.
In exchange for these goods, Kazakhstan supplied livestock and raw materials.
The Orenburg–Tashkent Railway
The Orenburg–Tashkent Railway was constructed between 1901 and 1905. Its total length was 2,090 kilometres, of which 1,660 kilometres ran through the territory of Kazakhstan.
Construction began under an order issued by Tsar Nicholas II on 21 April 1901. The Russian government’s main objectives were to gain an advantage over Britain in the struggle for influence in Central Asia, transport the region’s inexpensive raw materials to Russia, and establish a direct railway connection with the Turkestan region.
For administrative purposes, the railway was divided into two sections. The southern section (Tashkent–Kobek) ran through the Syr Darya Region of Turkestan, while the northern section (Orenburg–Kobek) passed through Orenburg Governorate, Turgai Region, and the Temir District of Ural Region.
Construction began from the Orenburg end on 10 May and from the Tashkent end on 9 November. Between 40,000 and 50,000 local residents participated in the construction work.
On 1 January 1904, temporary train services began operating along the entire Orenburg–Tashkent Railway. The northern section was completed and opened for operation on 25 July 1905, while the southern section entered service on 1 April 1906.
From 1 January 1905, a section of the Orenburg–Samara–Zlatoust railway was connected to the line. On 22 July 1906, Tashkent station on the Central Asian Railway was also connected to the Orenburg–Tashkent Railway. As a result, the overall length of the connected railway network increased.
Five major stations — Aktobe, Shalkar, Kazaly, Perovsk (now Kyzylorda), and Turkistan — became important transport hubs connecting Kazakhstan with Russia and Central Asia. The railway administration was based in the city of Orenburg.
