Khanate of Khiva | 1511 to 1900

Khanate of Khiva | 1511 to 1899

A TL on a region I quite like, Central Asia! You have my attention.

Really excited for this. We don't see material on Central Asia very often.

I hope this TL thrives. It will be interesting to see how Russian ambitions get thwarted in C. Asia.

1511-1521

1511

• 22 JULY: Founding of Khwarazam

It was a warm, late July morning when the self-proclaimed Khan, Khan Ilbaris I Arabshadid, stood upon a small ridge on the banks of the Amu Darya River, in the city of Urgench, above the residents of the city, and proclaimed the Khwarazam independent from the Shaybanids. The was a rejoice of happiness from the residents, happy and relived that the great 11-moth seige of Urgench had finally ended, and that a new leadership had just begun in the city and it's surrounds. After the Arabshadid dynasty had begun, thousands of Sunni Muslim immigrants, mostly tribal peoples from the Dasht-i Qipchaq, began to flood into the Khanate, giving it a larger population to work with, and helped expand it's borders around the Aral Sea, and along the banks of the Amu Darya river.

The new Khan began to hire tax-collectors, and many other workers for his many government jobs, to supply the new nation with enough food and wealth to sustain any threats from the other nearby Khanates or nations. The tax of Khwarazam was 1 head of cattle per person, per tax collection, or, if this was not possible, supplies, such as building supplies or joining the army would need to be provided. But should one not provide the tax necessities, they were jailed in the dungeons of Urgench. The army of Khwarazam was also rapidly grown, due to fears of the Khanate of Bukhara, and rouge tribes, located on the outer boundaries of the khanate, which would attack for wealth and food.


1516

• FEBRUARY 6-8/b]: Turkmen Attacks in Köneürgench
  

A rebel Turkmen tribe, namely the Balkan Turkmens, attacked the city of Köneürgench, as the sun went down on February sixth. The Turkmen were rebelling over how they has to pay tax to Khwarazam, when they did not want to be a part of the society of the nation. Köneürgench was in a full siege by the time the army arrived from Fort Nukus the next day, and it took almost 4 hours of fighting for the Khwarazami to re-gain access to the city. The Turkmen would not back down, and still controlled most of the city by the dusk of the second day, and the siege on the city had resumed by nightfall. The next morning, several hundred soldiers arrived from Urgench, and by midday of the third day, had ridded all of the rebel Turkmen from the city, before rescuing the affected citizens of the city, which had survived during the siege.

Of the 3,245 resedents of the city, 224 had been murdered and robbed by the tribesmen, but most of the city remained intact, giving the surviving thousands somewhere to continue living, in peace. In response, the military of Khwarazam held siege to the tribe where the rebels had originated from, and in a single night, killed the half of the tribe. From this day forward, the surviving Balkan Turkmen, and many other Turkmen tribes threatened to ransack more cities, in revenge, and commonly sent elders to Urgench to warn the Khan's advisors of what they were planning. The Khan in response placed his military in every town and city, in the vicinity of the Turkmen tribes, to keep the citizens safe from the rebel tribesmen. Khwarazam did still have a firm grip on the tribesmen, however, and they did still pay their taxes, and served for their nation, but were often attempting to publicaly show their displease at the Khan, and at the nation.

• MAY 22: Battle of Dashoguz

The sun was rising on May 22, when Balkan Turkmens began to ransack the city of Dashoguz. The Southern outskirts were attacked first, but the success of the Turkmen was limited, as the Khan was in the city, so there was an inflated number of a military presence in the city. The battle was fought between two and five o'clock, and was fought just outside of Dashgouz, with casualties on both sides, but consiquently for the Turkmen, more had died, and just after 5 in the afternoon, the Turkmen swiftly retreated, and had opted to make peace with their home nation. Khwarazam allowed for the peace, and ended the battle, on the condition that the Tukmen would help Khwarazam in any warfare, and pay all of their taxes on time, so they could become part of the nation.

Many Turkmen supported the peace, and a huge re-settlement took place, with thousands of Turkmens moving to Urgench, or moving to other cities in the South of the nation, such as Dashoguz, showing the newfound peace in the nation. Many Turkmens were forced into the military, and the military helped in campaigns across the South and East of Khwarazam, resulting in a strong nation, and a large, and fast expansion of borders on the Caspian Sea, and Amu Darya river, which was ever-constantly shifting it's course along the infertile Kara Kum. Of the Turkmen that remained in a tribal life, they had to pay tax on time, and were almost always put under extra scrutiny, for their pervious history of resistance and restlessness. New laws, directed from the Khan, were also taught to these tribesmen and women.

1518

• December 25: Death of Khan Ilbaris I Arabshadid

After 7 and a half years of control over Khwarazam, the first Khan, Khan Ilbaris I Arabshadid died of a stroke, in the city of Ugrench. Power over Khwarazam is given to his eldest son, who became Khan Sultan Haji Arabshadid.

1519

• April 11: Death of Khan Sultan Haji Arabshadid

After 4 months of control over Khwarazam, Khan Sultan Haji Arabshadid died, in an equestrian incident, in the vicinity of Fort Nukus. Power over Khwarazam is given to his only son, who became Khan Hasan Quli Arabshadid.