Kokand Autonomy

the bourgeois nationalist government in Turkestan proclaimed at the Fourth Extraordinary Regional Muslim Congress, held Nov. 26–29 (Dec. 9–12), 1917, in the city of Kokand.

The “Kokand Autonomy” was set up to liquidate Soviet power in Turkestan, reestablish the Kokand Khanate, separate Turkestan from Soviet Russia, and unify the Muslims under Turkey’s aegis. The Turkestan Provisional Council, a legislative organ, was elected, as was the Provisional Government of the Autonomy. The state which was aided by foreign (particularly British) imperialists, established contact with the emir of Bukhara, Ataman A. I. Dutov, and Colonel I. M. Zaitsev, who had been commissar extraordinary of the Provisional Government and commander of the troops in the Khiva Khanate; it made arrangements with them for combined operations against the Soviet government of Turkestan. Since the masses of workers did not support the state, the nationalists created armed detachments under Irgash’s leadership and at the end of January 1918 began open armed struggle. On Feb. 6–9 (19–22), 1918, they were crushed by Red Guard detachments.