Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 230 Annexation of Bukhara

In Bukhara, the capital of the State of Bukhara, Emir Bahadur hosts Iranian envoys who have traveled from afar in the royal palace.

"This is fine wine from Samarkand, please, envoy, taste it."

Bahadur warmly invited the envoys to taste the food. The attendants around him felt that the Emir had changed. If he had seen Russian envoys, he would have beaten them up. Why was he being so nice to Iranian envoys?

If you saw an Iranian army of 6500, you would treat them with utmost respect. The previous Khiva expedition had already terrified the Emir, and after resisting the Russian invasion, they now had to deal with Iran's encroachment.

However, compared to the brutal Russians, Iran's efforts to win them over were considerably more substantial. As long as they submitted to the Shah, their property and livelihoods here would be protected, and they would also receive help in resisting Russian invasion. Such promises were very tempting to Bahadur.

For Iran, the reconquest of Central Asia was a race against time with Russia. In 1852, Russia established the Urzhar settlement in the Yar region north of Tugulchi (Lake Ala). In the summer of 1854, it occupied Gurban Alimta (Almaty), located between the Chuihe and Ili rivers on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains, and built Verny Castle near Gurban Alimta. In October of the same year, it incorporated Kopal Castle and Verny Castle into the newly established Semipalatinsk Province under the jurisdiction of Western Siberia, unilaterally incorporating the area east and south of Lake Balkhash into its territory, and continued its eastward expansion.

Russia moved so quickly that Iran could not lag behind. Driven by its need for control of Central Asia, Iran established the Transoxiana Governor-General, appointing Major General Yahya, who had distinguished himself in the Battle of Baku, as governor. This marked the beginning of the decisive phase of Iran's conquest of the Central Asian states.

At this point, Khiva was practically defunct, and Bukhara had fallen into Iranian hands, leaving only the unruly Kokand to be conquered. Yahya's visit was to "persuade" the Emir to join him in the campaign.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency. The ruler of Kokand has opposed our country and has even killed our merchants who came to trade. This is an insult to the Shah and Iran."

Since your country is on friendly terms with ours, you should join forces to attack Kokand.

Bahadur dares not oppose a powerful Iran in the slightest; if he opposes it today, his country may cease to exist tomorrow.

But he tried to deflect the blame, saying, "Our current army is insufficient; the rest of our troops are needed to defend against Russia in the north. We simply don't have any extra troops to help."

"It's alright, as long as you sign this treaty, you won't need to send troops."

As he spoke, Yahya had the treaty sent over. Bahadur could only look at the terms, and the more he looked, the more he felt that he could not sign it.

The terms included Bukhara handing over all defense, foreign affairs, and economic power to Iran, and him, as the ruler of Bukhara, transferring the power to govern the region to the Iranian Shah. In return, he would be granted the title of nobleman, and his property would be preserved.

The once-mighty lion has finally bared its fangs. Bahadur looked at Yahya, then at the fully armed Iranian troops around him. It seemed he had no choice but to sign, but wasn't directly forcing him to relinquish power even more brutal than Russia's approach?

"What are you thinking? Are you trying to delay?"

“No, no, no, it’s just that the terms on these documents are a bit hard to accept. How about we discuss it further?” Yehya chuckled, then fired a shot into the air. This shot served as a signal, and a large number of Iranian soldiers entered the palace.

His guards were made of cotton when faced with the new army; they surrendered without the slightest resistance. Emil was also stunned by this sudden turn of events and it took him a long time to recover.

“Your Excellency Emir,” Yahya stepped forward, “you must make a decision today. If you sign, I can guarantee the safety of your property here, and you can also go to Tehran to start a new life.”

Oh, of course, you can choose not to sign, but all of this might just vanish into thin air.

A threat, a blatant threat. Bahadur, looking at the smiling Yahya, shouted angrily, "Where do you place us?"

"Naturally, it's about defending against Russia. Your wars against Russia in recent years have been nothing short of disastrous. The Shah is very concerned about the situation here, but your performance is truly disappointing. Since you cannot prepare for Russia, then let our country take over. Sign!!!"

Yahya's roar terrified Bahadur, extinguishing his last shred of courage. The Emir of Bukhara, his hand trembling, could barely hold the pen as he signed his name on the treaty. Bukhara officially joined Iran.

"Yes, thank you for your help, Emir. I believe the Shah has a lot to say to you."

Yahya waved his hand, sending the last Emir to Tehran to keep the Khan of Khiva company. He couldn't relax yet; he still had Kokand to deal with.

This is the Shah's policy toward Transoxiana: if you don't understand diplomatic language, then listen to guns and cannons. As for Kokand, Iran has also abandoned diplomatic efforts and is directly resorting to war.

Just days after the Emir handed over power, several minor protests broke out in the former capital Bukhara and the major city Samarkand. The deployed Iranian troops quickly quelled the unrest and urgently requested assistance from the Tehran government. Bukhara's abundant population and resources were also something Iran needed.

The bureaucratic class in Bukhara offered little protest; they were intimidated by Iran's promise of high-ranking positions and generous rewards. With their help, the statistics process went very smoothly these past few days. Meanwhile, the Iranians, armed with gold and silver and firearms, forced the tribes to choose which land they preferred, knowing that ultimately it would be theirs.

Yahya moved the capital of the Transoxiana governor to Samarkand, making it a crucial hub on the Silk Road. Samarkand was an important political, economic, and cultural center of Upper Central Asia, which also facilitated control over the entire region.

In Yahya's vision, three Central Asian countries alone were not enough. It was essential to capture Kryzylorda on the Syr Darya River to cut off any possibility of Russian expansion southward.

In 1853, Petrovsky, who had been reinstated as Governor of Orenburg, once again dispatched over 2000 Russian troops. After a 22-day siege, they captured Akmejt, the famous White Mosque of the Kokand fortress, thus establishing the Syr Darya fortress line. Breaking through this point was crucial for Iran, as it would completely confine Russian influence north of the Syr Darya and simultaneously prevent the Qing Dynasty from ceding further land to Russia, particularly in the northwest.

Therefore, conquering Kokand was only the first step. But it was also the most difficult step. Although battles between thousands of troops and tens of thousands of rangers were a recurring theme on this continent, the presence of Russia meant that vigilance could not be relaxed in the slightest.

(End of this chapter)