Anglo russian rivalry in central asia and the reasons for its escalation

Vasiliy Alekseyivich Perovskiy (1795-1857)

One of the reasons for the Khiva campaign was the Russian-British confrontation in Central Asia and the Middle East. The main objectives of the campaign, defined at a meeting of the special committee of the Asian Department in March 1839, were to stop the Khiva raids on the territories subject to the Russian Empire, the release of Russian prisoners in the Khiva Khanate, ensuring safe trade and transit of goods and the exploration of the Aral Sea

Presumably, one of the goals was to depose the then Khan of Khiva, Alla Kuli Khan, and to enthrone a person more loyal to Russia. According to some researchers, the campaign could be a preparation for larger military operations and the subsequent conquest of Uzbek territories by Russia.The campaign was prepared and implemented by V. A. Perovsky, the Orenburg military governor and commander of the Separate Orenburg Corps since 1833.
Also, the command began to buy food, clothes, dishes, etc. for the soldiers. The purchase and procurement of the necessary began in the spring of 1839. Tailors, tanners and shoemakers were hired to make shoes, clothes and tents. Since the campaign was scheduled for the winter, sheepskin coats, jackets, trousers, onuchi, overcoats, etc. were sewn for the infantry. Summer boots and light clothing were prepared just in case. The Cossacks were obliged to provide for themselves.
The Ural Cossacks, who were more experienced and had more means, dressed better than other troops; according to the story of one of them, over his shirt he had a sweatshirt quilted on camel hair, then a short fur coat made of young lambskins, reaching somewhat below the knees; over ordinary trousers, others quilted on camel hair, and over their leather Kirghiz harem pants, long boots with large onuchs, a sheepskin coat was girded with a belt
On the march to Khiva, breadcrumbs, meat, flour, salt, wine, and cereals were taken as food. Wine and crackers were not given to the guides. Food was purchased from local stores, flour - in Astrakhan, and salt - in the Iletsk fishery. In addition, onions, pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut, sauerkraut, veal for broth, lamb and lard, cheese, garlic, horseradish, vinegar, pepper and honey were taken in small quantities as seasonings or supplies for sick and wounded soldiers. Oats and salt were purchased for horses and camels, which, with one pasture, could not reach Khiva
For other needs of the army, things were also taken. In case of crossing the river, 300 hollow wineskins were purchased, which could be used both for a pontoon bridge and for a ferry, two flat-bottomed boats and four canoes. Since the campaign was partly exploratory, these canoes and boats were intended to explore the coastline of the Aral Sea. Medicines and medical supplies necessary for the campaign were delivered from Moscow to Orenburg; 80 wagons were allocated to transport the sick and wounded. For other needs of the army, leaf tobacco, troughs, buckets, sharpeners, nails, glass, etc. were taken on a campaign. Also, two wagons were equipped for camping forges.In order not to carry all the supplies at once with you and not to bother the horses and camels, points were chosen along the route of the Russian troops, where you can bring some of the supplies in advance. To do this, under the guise of preparing for a research trip to the Aral Sea in May 1839, under the leadership of Colonel K.K. Geke, a detachment of 600 people with 1200 carts and two field artillery guns set off to the headwaters of the Emba River. On June 12, Goeke set out on a campaign and on July 1 arrived at the appointed place.
There he left the convoy, after which he formed a cavalry detachment of 200 Bashkirs. On July 4, with a detachment, he went to the Donguz-Tau tract, but, before reaching it, he chose the Chushka-Kul tract as the next warehouse and parking lot for larger forces. On July 28, the advance detachment arrived at Ak-Bulak. It was decided to build fortifications there. By August 16, work on the construction of fortifications was completed and work began on the construction of barracks, an infirmary, kitchens, etc. At the same time, hay, reeds, etc. were harvested. Despite the successful progress of work, there was a long distance from Orenburg to the Ak-Bulak River, it was difficult overcome by horses and people. On November 24, all Russian troops in Orenburg were called to the main city square. On that day, an imperial decree was read to them on the square about sending them to Khiva, after which a prayer service was performed. On November 26, preparations for the campaign were completed. The troops were divided into 4 columns, the first of which was headed by Lieutenant General Tolmachev, the second by Colonel Kuzminsky, the third by Colonel Mansurov, the fourth and all the cavalry by Major General Tsiolkovsky. In addition, two detachments of Ural Cossacks numbering 1200 people arrived from the Urals. On November 26 and 27, the first and second columns went on a campaign, and on November 28 and 29, the third and fourth.
On December 5, the troops reached the border of the Russian Empire, where the soldiers were explained the rules of the winter campaign and the organization of the troops. A duty officer was assigned to each column, who monitored the order and expenditure of supplies. On the morning of the next day, the troops crossed the border and set out on a campaign. The advanced units of the Cossacks rode at a trot on horseback, followed by carts and the rest of the units. Wagon trains were required to carry supplies of each kind side by side, but in practice this was difficult to achieve. The Khiva troops, meanwhile, did not take active military action. Even in the summer-autumn of 1839, the Khiva cavalry gathered in large groups, which the Russian Cossacks and the population of the Kazakh steppe managed to notice. Despite this, in the fall, the Khiva people did not make attacks on Russian territory, and in the initial period of the Khiva campaign, they did not prevent Russian troops from advancing towards Khiva. On the morning of December 30, about 3,000 mounted Khivans attacked the Akbulak fortification. The Khivans took the enemy by surprise - for two months without fighting, the Russian army lost its vigilance, and the main forces had not yet approached Ak-Bulak. At that moment, there were 399 people in the fortification and outside it, of which 164 were sick. Despite this, the Khivans were seen by the Russian troops a kilometer away from the fortification, so everyone managed to hide behind the fortifications. The Khiva cavalry approached the fortification from the southwest.
The first attack was made in the morning of the same day, but was unsuccessful. The Russian troops had an advantage in artillery, so the Cossacks and the regular army repulsed the attack with artillery salvos at the concentrations of Khivans. Following the first attack, the Khivans launched several more, which also turned out to be a failure, but significant losses were inflicted on the enemy. By evening, the attacks had stopped. To the west of the Akbulak fortification, haystacks were piled, which had long been prepared by Russian troops for horses and camels. At night, the Khivans tried to set fire to this hay, but the attempt was suppressed by Russian troops. On December 31, the Khivans attacked the eastern part of the fortification. The attack was repulsed with the help of buckshot, after which all the Khiva troops retreated to the steppe. The people of Khiva learned that reinforcements were approaching Ak-Bulak, and drove out to meet him. For the Russian Empire, the campaign was unsuccessful. The troops returned to Orenburg, having lost 1054 people on the campaign, mainly due to cold and disease. Of those who returned, 604 were hospitalized with scurvy, many of whom did not survive. 600 Russian prisoners who lagged behind the detachment, as well as taken prisoner by the Khiva people at border posts even before the start of the campaign, returned to Russia in October 1840ⁱⁱⁱ