Social Structure of Murghab Sovereign’s Estate (1889—1912): Plans and Reality

This study aims to explore the relationship between the economic development of the Murghab Sovereign’s Estate, established in 1897, and its social structure. The primary sources of this article are reports from the Bayramali Police Administration and accompanying statistical data from the years 1909 to 1912. Inductive analysis and synthesis of the factual data demonstrate that the capitalist relations emerging within the economy of the Murghab Estate had a significant direct impact on its social structure and the sociocultural everyday life of its inhabitants. It is noted that these natural capitalist tendencies were regulated by the Estate Administration in accordance with their objectives. With access to substantial irrigated lands, the Administration altered the conditions of land leasing, transitioning towards long-term leases with smallholder producers while reducing the proportion of tenants employing laborers. These smallholder tenants were intended to form the backbone of the estate’s social structure. Concurrently, the rules governing rental payments were modified, rendering them inconvenient for larger tenants. The infrastructure being developed within the estate was aligned with the needs of its population and the objectives set forth for the estate.

Murghab Sovereign's Estate, Transcaspian Province, Turkestan Governorate General, leasing, daikhan, demography, Turkmens