Siege of Khujand
| Siege of Khujand | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of The Russian conquest of Central Asia | |||||||
 The Russian plan of siege and assault | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Russian Empire | Khujand | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Dmitry Romanovsky | Kereuchei Mullah Tuichi Dadkhwah † | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
5 killed 65 wounded 6 missing | approx. over 2,500 killed | ||||||
The siege of Khujand (17–24 May 1866) was part of an unapproved Russian military operation led by military-governor Dmitry Romanovsky that aimed to capture several settlements on the Russian border. Khujand, a historically autonomous city that had recently declared independence from neighboring states was the second settlement to be attacked during the operation. While a faction within Khujand advocated for and actively engaged in peace talks, their leaders were imprisoned and so Russian command resolved to take the city via direct attack. After several days of bombardment, a final assault began on May 24. Active fighting had ended by midnight, and a formal surrender was delivered on June 5. While Russian forces suffered minimal casualties, an estimated 2,500 Khujandis were killed in the fighting.
Background
[edit]
The city of Khujand was historically contested between the Khanate of Kokand and the Emirate of Bukhara. In practice, the city held extreme autonomy from both states, hosting both independent powers of governance, and a corresponding local identity and patriotism.[1][2] After the fall of Tashkent in 1865 it was seized from Kokand by Bukhara, but only a year later Khujand would assert full independence after the fall of Irjar.[2] During the Russian attack on the city, it would act as an independent polity.
After the siege of Irjar, Russian high command chose to advance along the Syr Darya river through the Bukharan fort Nau and Khujand rather than directly attacking the Emirate of Bukhara. Russian command believed this would be an easier attack than a direct march into Bukhara, and a way to stabilize the Russo-Bukharan border. Military-governor Dmitry Romanovsky, leader of the Russian army during the siege of Irjar, would send a letter to general-governor of Orenburg Nikolay Kryzhanovsky arguing for an advance to Khujand, before proceeding without authorization. On May 14 Russian troops departed and captured Nau fortress in two days, before arriving at Khujand on May 17.[3]
Siege
[edit]Reconnaissance
[edit]Russian forces stopped 5 versts (3.3 miles) from the city on the bank of the Syr Darya river. Reconnaissance was carried out on the fort, revealing that the fort would be extremely difficult to take. Structures and trees outside the fortress walls had been destroyed to reduce cover, and the main road to the city had been flooded by irrigation canals.[3] The city itself was protected by two layers of wall, reinforced with towers and barbettes.[4] The decision was made to attempt diplomacy, however Russian envoys were shot at when they attempted to approach the city.[3]
After arriving at Khujand, Romanovsky received a letter from Kryzhanovsky reprimanding him for the expedition. Due to a recent order to regional quartermasters, funds were strictly prohibited from being spent without being specifically allocated beforehand. Since no offensive military operations were for, no funds could be provided to Romanovsky's expedition. Romanovsky's aide-de-camp, who had remained in Tashkent, was forced to borrow 3,00 rubles from a wealthy local to fund the last transport to Khujand.[5]
Russian forces conducted a second reconnaissance expedition on May 18, one column under Colonel Kraevsky approaching the city on the left bank of the Syr Darya, and another column under Romanovsky approaching from the right. The columns were fired upon by Khujand forces with artillery and small arms, though they were still able to successfully identify weak points in the walls, and encircle the city.[3][6]
Bombardment
[edit]During the nights of May 19 and May 20, four batteries consisting of eighteen cannons and two mortars. These batteries then bombarded the city for a day straight, causing general turmoil.[7][6] Several isolated fires also broke out, but did not spread.[8] Khujandis split into two factions, a more powerful one led by the two chief jurists and the influential figure Khwaja 'Azamat who supported negotiation, and a weaker faction led by the aqsaqal who supported violent resistance.[7]
On May 21 at 3:00 A.M, Russian forces began an assault on the city, but were stopped outside the walls by a Khujand delegation led by Khwaja 'Azamat. While 'Azamat claimed that the city would peacefully surrender, upon returning to Khujand he and the chief jurists were arrested. The next day at noon the deadline for a final surrender expired. Romanovsky subsequently ordered a heavy artillery bombardment which lasted for two days until May 24.[7][6]
On May 23 a Russian diversionary attack was launched on the southern side of the city, diverting defenders away from where the actual attack was to be launched.[6]
Assault
[edit]For the final assault on May 24, troops were split into three columns, two under Rotmistr Baranov and Mikhailov with three infantry platoons and four artillery pieces, and one under Major Nazarov with two infantry companies and one hundred Cossack cavalry serving as a support reserve. Captain Mikhailov's column was able to construct a battery 900 feet away from the gate, which partially demolished the walls. At 2:00 P.M the artillery barrage ended. Soon after Mikhailov gave a battle cry, signaling the start of the assault.[9][10][11]
Mikhailov's column advanced through a breach in the north-eastern wall, Baranov's column attacked the Qala-yinau and Kokand gate, and Nazarov's column hid in a mosque near the Qala-yinau gate. A platoon in Mikhailov's column attempted to scale the walls with three siege ladders, though were repulsed when defenders began to fire at and stone the attackers.[12][13] The construction of the siege ladders also weakened the attack, as they were overly short and narrow, with one being fully unable to hook onto the walls.[14][13] Mikhailov's head was severely wounded, and he would surrender command to Captain Bergbaum.[12][15] After a second artillery barrage with grapeshot, Russian forces successfully scaled and occupied the north-eastern wall.[14] Baranov’s column met similar resistance, but were able to successfully scale the walls and occupy the Qala-yi nau gate. Upon opening the gate, the rest of Baranov’s column followed by Nazarov's column, a reserve force of Cossack cavalry and the remaining infantry under Romanovsky soon entered the city and marched to the citadel.[12][13]
Khujandis continued to fight, establishing artillery barricades in the streets and sniping at Russian soldiers from buildings. by 7:00 P.M, fighting had significantly lessened, and by midnight the city was silent. Many Khujandis attempted to flee the city on horseback, though a significant portion were killed or wounded by the Russian soldiers Romanovsky had ordered to guard the roads.[16]
Aftermath
[edit]
By the end of the fighting, Russian casualties were 5 killed, 65 wounded, and 6 missing. Romanovsky estimated the total Khujandi deaths to be over 2,500, including garrison commander Kereuchei Mullah Tuichi Dadkhwah who he said was killed while fleeing. Russian forces began to bury the Khujandi dead, and provide rudimentary treatment for the wounded over several days. On June 5, defenders would formally surrender with a traditional offering of bread and salt.[17]
After subduing the city, Romanovsky would continue to Jizzakh and Ura-Tyube. While he had expected to impress the Russian government through the unapproved expedition like Mikhail Chernyayev after the Siege of Tashkent, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not view the action positively.[17]
Romanovsky's expedition, particularly the captures of fort Nau and Khujand, intimidated the Kokand Khanate, who viewed the city as part of their state despite it's independence. On May 28, Khudayar Khan delivered a letter to Romanovsky in which he declared himself a friend of the tsar, wished for goodwill, and indicated openness to an alliance against Bukhara. Romanovsky responded positively to the letter, and sent a letter additionally proposing extradition rights and free trade for Russian merchants.[18]
Notes
[edit]- ^ The location of Irjar is based on a map from the Military Encyclopedia of Sytin
References
[edit]- ^ Morrison 2021, p. 276.
- ^ a b Mamadaliev 2014, p. 171-172.
- ^ a b c d Mamadaliev 2014, p. 174.
- ^ Grebner 1897, p. 6.
- ^ Terentyev 1906, p. 349-350.
- ^ a b c d Terentyev 1906, p. 350.
- ^ a b c Mamadaliev 2014, p. 174-175.
- ^ Grebner 1897, p. 10.
- ^ Mamadaliev 2014, p. 175.
- ^ Grebner 1897, p. 7.
- ^ Terentyev 1906, p. 351-352.
- ^ a b c Mamadaliev 2014, p. 175-176.
- ^ a b c Terentyev 1906, p. 352.
- ^ a b Grebner 1897, p. 9.
- ^ Terentyev 1906, p. 353.
- ^ Mamadaliev 2014, p. 176.
- ^ a b Mamadaliev 2014, p. 177.
- ^ Terentyev 1906, p. 34.
Citations
[edit]- Grebner, A (1897). Осады и штурмы средне-азiятскихъ крѣпостей и населенныхъ пунктовъ [Sieges and assaults of Central Asian fortresses and settlements] (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Printing House and Lithography of V. A. Tikhanov.
- Terentyev, Mikhail Afrikanovich (1906). Историю завоевания Средней Азии [The history of the conquest of Central Asia] (in Russian). Vol. 1. Saint Petersburg.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
- Mamadaliev, Inomjon (2014). "The defence of Khujand in 1866 through the eyes of Russian officers". Central Asian Survey. 33 (2): 170–179. doi:10.1080/02634937.2014.913903.
- Morrison, Alexander (2021). The Russian conquest of Central Asia: a study in imperial expansion, 1814-1914. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-03030-5.