The Bukhara Expedition of Priest Budrin

Abstract

The first quarter of the 19th century stands out as a period in which the diplomatic and strategic initiatives of Tsarist Russia in Central Asia were particularly concentrated. Russia aimed not only to benefit from the region’s economic potential but also to increase its influence by establishing direct contacts with the local khanates. A key instrument for these contacts was the diplomatic embassies that facilitated relations. In this context, in 1820, Tsar Alexander I of Russia ordered a Russian diplomatic mission, headed by Aleksandr Negri, to be sent to the Khanate of Bukhara to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement. The delegation included experts in medicine, geology, and botany, as well as a staff officer and a chancery secretary. Accompanying the mission, the clergyman Father Budrin recorded the challenges faced by the delegation, the events they experienced, the reception of the ambassador upon entering Bukhara territory, the personal characteristics of Khan Emir Haydar, the state’s administrative structure, the lifestyle of the population, and social and economic matters. Moreover, Budrin made observations in his journal regarding the living conditions and treatment of Russian prisoners in Bukhara. Titled Russkie v Buhare v 1820 Godu, this journal is significant not only as a record of diplomatic contacts but also as a source of information on Bukhara’s social structure, economic organization, and political atmosphere. In this article, the general condition of the Khanate of Bukhara in the early 19th century will be examined through Priest Budrin’s observations, and the historical value of this source will be assessed.