The Implementation of the Imperial System of Governance in Semirechye in the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of one of the less studied problems of Russian history — Semirechye in the management system of the Russian Empire. The purpose of the study is a comprehensive study of the problems of introducing the system of colonial administration in Semirechye. In the second half of the 19th century, the Semirechye region, which was of strategic importance for the Russian Empire, was brought into the new imperial system of governance, alien to Kazakh society. Based on extensive literature and archival documents, it has been established that Semirechye was governed by state power and an administrative apparatus, which constituted a gigantic structure encompassing a vast system of institutions with a complex hierarchy of officials. The operation of this vast administrative apparatus in the region, under the direct control of the military governor, was not without its shortcomings. The vastness of the territory, the lack of sufficiently experienced officials, and the widespread weakness of oversight created conditions for all manner of abuses. An analysis of the identified shortcomings and abuses in the regional administration and state apparatus was conducted. Although audits, as a method of overseeing regional governance, identified shortcomings, they did not effectively address their consequences. A comprehensive study was conducted of factors such as the dual subordination between ministries and the Turkestan Governor-General, the shortage of qualified employees with knowledge of local languages, and an indifferent attitude toward official duties, which gradually led to the development of bureaucratic relations within the colonial administration system.