Comparative Analysis of Customs Systems in Turkestan and Other Regions of Central Asia in the Second Half of the 19th - Beginning of the 20th Centuries

Abstract

This article provides a comparative analysis of the customs systems of Turkestan, the Emirate of Bukhara, the Khiva and Kokand Khanates, as well as Russian Central Asia in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries. The differences in customs rates, mechanisms for regulating trade, economic policies of the regions and the influence of the Russian Empire on the foreign economic relations of Central Asia are examined. Based on statistical data, changes in trade volumes, major export and import commodities, and the role of railway infrastructure in economic development are examined. Particular attention is paid to the impact of customs reforms on the integration of Central Asia into the Russian economy.

The study shows that the annexation of Turkestan to the Russian Empire led to a reduction in duties on Russian goods, an increase in the region's export potential and a change in the structure of foreign trade. The results of the analysis demonstrate that customs reforms and economic policy have largely determined the future development of trade relations and the economic model of Central Asia.