Some features of the development of trade in handicrafts in Turkestan (on the example of the Zarafshan Valley in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries)

Abstract

This study focuses on certain aspects of the development of internal and external trade relations in Turkestan during the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, using the example of the Zarafshan Valley. It examines the history of trade activities in the Zarafshan Valley, highlighting the role of internal and external trade in the socio-economic life of the region. The study analyses the state of trade during this period, identifying changes, unique characteristics, and general features of commercial activities. The expansion of local markets and the growth of trade indicate the advancement of small-scale commodity production. Manufactured goods began to be sold not only throughout Turkestan but also in foreign markets by the early 20 th century. As a result of the development of market relations, a significant portion of the urban population shifted away from agriculture and adapted to earning a livelihood through commodity production and trade. The improvement of craftsmanship led to the emergence of simple forms of early manufactories, the establishment of capitalist production methods, and the development of craft industries and monetary relations, which created a solid foundation for the formation of an integrated market system in the region. New industrial sectors emerged, and the number of private industrial enterprises specialising in the production of various goods essential to daily life steadily increased. The establishment of capitalist relations in the local industries of the Zarafshan Valley, as well as the influx of factory-made products manufactured in the industrial facilities of the Russian Empire, resulted in the decline of many local craft industries. The study also discusses the administrative division of the Zarafshan Valley into two parts following the Russian Empire’s conquest in the second half of the 19 th century and analyses both the positive and negative impacts of this process on the trade sector within the territories governed by the Turkestan General Governorship.