VASILYEV D.V. Uyghurs Between Economy and Justice: An Episode from the History of the Murghab Sovereign’s Estate

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.3.7

Dmitry V. Vasilyev,

Doctor of Sciences (History), Associate Professor, Professor, Department of History, Institute of Humanities, Moscow City University, 2-j Selskohozjajstvennyj Proyezd, 4, 129226 Moscow, Russian Federation,

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6616-0646

Abstract. Introduction. Based on archival materials of the Department of Appanages of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages, the social history of the Murghab Sovereign’s Estate is examined in the context of the fate of the Uyghurs. They were invited to participate in the construction of the Sultanbent dam. Methods and materials. The study is based on unpublished sources from the Russian State Historical Archive. Analysis. The office documents, as well as complaints from Uyghurs and materials of internal investigations, were analyzed. It was revealed that the Uyghurs were invited to permanently settle in the Murghab estate on preferential terms. However, the promises were not fulfilled. It was investigated that the reason for this was a change in the planning of land irrigation and a periodic increase in rent from farmers. The Uyghurs were forced to engage in various jobs in the Transcaspian Province in order to ensure their existence. The Main Administration of Appanages tried to find a solution to the issue. In the end, it was decided to destroy the Uyghur community and conclude ordinary lease agreements with the Uyghurs. Results. When the Murghab Sovereign’s Estate was established, the task was to make it economically efficient in order to replenish the state treasury. The activities of the estate administration and of the main administration of appanages were aimed at extracting maximum profit from the estate’s economy. The transfer of the Uyghurs to ordinary lease agreements was entirely consistent with the requirements of a capitalist economy. Funding. The study is supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 24-28-00915, https://rscf.ru/project/24-28-00915/, implemented at the Russian Academy of Entrepreneurship.

Key words: Murghab Sovereign’s Estate, Merv oasis, Taranchi, Uyghurs, irrigation, Sultanbent, Turkmens, Central Asia.

Citation. Vasilyev D.V. Uyghurs Between Economy and Justice: An Episode from the History of the Murghab Sovereign’s Estate. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 4. Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations], 2026, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 74-83. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.3.7

Uyghurs Between Economy and Justice: An Episode from the History of the Murghab Sovereign’s Estate © 2026 by Vasilyev D.V. is licensed under CC BY 4.0 

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