FEATURES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FUND'S MATERIALS FOR STUDYING THE ECONOMIC POLICY OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN TURKESTAN

Abstract

The article analyzes the features and significance of archival fund materials from the National Archive of Uzbekistan (NAUz) for studying the economic policy of the Russian Empire in Turkestan (1887–1917). Drawing on primary sources like fonds I-1 (Turkestan Governor-Generalship) and I-717, records of economic councils, it examines key aspects such as tax reforms, agrarian policies favoring cotton production, financial autonomy, and infrastructure development. These materials reveal the transition from sole-rule governance to collegial administration via the 1886 Regulations, highlighting imperial strategies for market integration, colonial exploitation, and local adaptations. Their unique value lies in unpublished protocols, cadastral data, and correspondence that document contradictions between metropolitan demands and regional realities, providing indispensable evidence for institutional and economic historiography.