Molla Abdulkahhar

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Molla Abdulkahhar
Born1884 November or Summer
Saidkent village, Gijduvon, Russian Turkestan
Died1924
Soviet Turkestan, Kyzylkum Desert
Battles / wars
Alma materPo-i-Kalyan Madrasah

Abdulkahhar (Uzbek: Mulla Abdulqahhor, also known as Molla Abdulkahhar) (1884–1924), was a military leader in the Basmachi Movement. From 1920 to 1924, he organized and led armed resistance against Soviet troops in Turkestan. He participated in several campaigns with other Basmachi leaders, including Enver Pasha. Abdulkahhar directed operations in Khiva and Bukhara in 1922. He later administered Western Bukhara. He was killed in a Soviet military operation in 1924, alongside his two brothers.

Early life and career

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Abdulkahhar was born in 1884 in Gijduvon, a town within the Russian Empire.[1][2][3] He graduated from the Po-i-Kalyan Madrasah in Bukhara. Among his people, he was called "Molla," a title for a religiously educated figure.[1] Abdulkahhar's first appearance on the battlefield was in 1920 in Eastern Bukhara against the Soviets.[1][2]

Military carrier

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1921

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In Western Bukhara, the Basmachi movement was also growing, and by late 1921, all the provinces of Western Bukhara were administered by the Basmachis Abdulkahhar[4][5][6] and Faizul Makhdum.[5] Their activities increased local recruitment and led to more volunteers joining the Basmachis. During this period, Abdulkahhar established communication with Emir Said Mir Alimkhan in Afghanistan, Lakay Ibrahim, and Enver Pasha in Bukhara. According to Emir Said Alimkhan, Abdulkahhar's army was reinforced by 6,000 men around Bukhara, 2,000 from Vabkent, 2,000 from Qiziltepa, 2,000 from Shofirkon, 2,500 from Romitan and Peshku, and 2,000 from Kogon district.[7][8][9] At the end of December 1921, Enver Pasha assumed command of all Basmachi units in Eastern Bukhara. He coordinated with the Basmachis across Turkestan, including Abdulkahhar, successfully unifying the army in Eastern Bukhara and implementing a Western European style of command.[8] Amir Alim Khan recalls Abdulkahhar in his memoirs:[9]

"Molla Abdulkahhar, with the permission of this servant, led the selfless mujahideen from Kabul around Bukhara and its districts, established discipline among the soldiers, and then attacked the enemy with the intention of liberating the Gijduvan district. Thus, he saved the Gijduvan district from the enemy's hands and brought it under his control. With this, many supporters of religion and this servant, selfless people from there joined him"

1922 campaign in Bukhara

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Following his operations toward Bukhara,[10][11] Abdulkahhar captured the districts of Gijduvon, Shofirkon, Vabkent, Romitan, and Nurata. In March 1922, he launched a military operation against Bukhara, seizing most of the city and advancing toward Kogon, a key railway junction about 12.8 km (12 versts) from old Bukhara.[12] Abdulkahhar has also seized the Baha' al-Din Naqshband, shrine of the founder of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order.[13] The Red Army was defeated near the Mehta Qasim bridge over the Zarafshan River.[14] He participated in the siege of Khiva alongside Junaid Khan during uprisings against the Soviet government in 1922.[15][16][17] The Soviets suffered defeats to Junaid Khan and Abdulkahhar in Khiva,[17][18] allowing the Basmachis to seize control of Khorezm and Khiva.[19][20][21][22][23][excessive citations] To protect their supply line to Bukhara, the Soviet command dispatched cavalry from Samarkand, Budyonny's forces from the Trans-Caspian front, and additional troops from Tashkent, the Fergana Valley,[24] and the central region. In total, the Soviets sent 12,000 additional troops and several armored trains to Bukhara,[25][12] with some estimates rising to as many as 50,000 in the following months.[26][27] In June, he got defeated by the Red Army units and was forced to retreat.[28]

1923 congress and operations

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In the spring and autumn of 1923, the Soviet command maintained a substantial military presence in the Bukharan People's Soviet Republic to counter the Basmachi movement. Estimates suggest that Soviet forces may have numbered up to 100,000, primarily cavalry supported by airplanes, artillery, and armored vehicles.[29][30]

In early July 1923, he held a congress with Basmachi leaders from Bukhara and Karmana provinces to assess the movement. Here, they decided to shift to defensive and guerrilla tactics. Meanwhile, the Soviets focused on military strategies; at a June 1923 meeting, Stalin accused several Central Asian officials, including Turar Ryskulov, Fayzulla Xoʻjayev, A. Akramov, and Sami Hocanov, of secretly collaborating with the Basmachi.[31] To ensure swift and precise execution of Soviet directives, a special authorized representative, Y. Rudzutaks, was sent to Bukhara.[32]

In November 1923, the Basmachis organized a major operation in the Bukhara and Samarkand regions. Participants included Abdulkahhar from Western Bukhara, Bedri Dodho from Karshi, Abdurahim from Yakkabog, and Abdulkadir from the Kyzylkum Desert.[30][33][34][35] Fraser notes that Abdulkahhar's troops were actively engaged in eastern Bukhara, where they levied imposts.[34]

1924 operations and death of Abdulkahhar

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The fifth year of the Basmachi movement in the Bukharan People's Soviet Republic began under difficult conditions. In Western Bukhara, under Abdulkahhar, and in Eastern Bukhara, under Ibrahim Bek, a combined force of around 10,000 fought.[33] However, their forces and resources were unequal. Basmachi forces faced attacks from Soviet troops and suffered heavy losses.[33] According to Soviet sources, between 10 January and 25 June 1924, 25 Basmachis and 474 troops were killed; 2 Basmachis and 93 troops were wounded; 12 Basmachis and 194 troops were captured; and 59 Basmachis along with 637 troops surrendered.[36][33] In one of the clashes with Red Army units on June 21, Abdulkahhar himself was severely wounded.[13] Despite these losses, Soviet forces were not able to eliminate the Basmachis in Bukhara. Soviet intelligence reports from June 1924 warned that "Basmachi activity remains intense in both Central and Western Bukhara."[37] In the summer (or November)[14] of 1924, Abdulkahhar and his two brothers, Metin Palvan and Naim Palvan, were killed during Soviet attacks in the Kyzylkum Desert,[38][3][6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kydyralieva, Saltanat (2015). Türk ve Rus Kaynaklarına Göre Türkistan'da Basmacı Hareketi (1916–1924) / Basmachi Movement in Turkestan According to Turkish and Russian Sources (1916–1924) (PhD thesis) (in Turkish). İstanbul, Turkey: İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Tarih Ana Bilim Dalı, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Tarihi Bilim Dalı. p. 230.
  2. ^ a b Turkestan v Naçale XX Veka p.528 https://books.google.com.tr/books/about/Turkestan_v_nachale_XX_veka.html?id=ieTozgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
  3. ^ a b Admin (2024-05-09). "MULLA ABDULQAHHOR". Milliylik-millat ko'zgusi (in Uzbek). Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  4. ^ Kydyralieva, Saltanat (2015). Türk ve Rus Kaynaklarına Göre Türkistan'da Basmacı Hareketi (1916–1924) / Basmachi Movement in Turkestan According to Turkish and Russian Sources (1916–1924) (PhD thesis) (in Turkish). İstanbul, Turkey: İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Tarih Ana Bilim Dalı, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Tarihi Bilim Dalı. p. 242.
  5. ^ a b Fraser, Glenda (1987). "Basmachi — II". Central Asian Survey. 6 (2): 7–42. doi:10.1080/02634938708400582.
  6. ^ a b Rajabov, Kahramon (2017). Istoriya Uzbekistana (1917–1991 gody) (PDF) (in Russian). Tashkent: Izdatel'sko-poligraficheskiy tvorcheskiy dom imeni Gafura Gul'yama. pp. 43–44.
  7. ^ Olimhon, Amir Said. Buhara halkının hasreti tarihi [The Historical Longing of the People of Bukhara] (in Turkish). p. 23.
  8. ^ a b Kydyralieva, Saltanat (2015). Türk ve Rus Kaynaklarına Göre Türkistan'da Basmacı Hareketi (1916–1924) / Basmachi Movement in Turkestan According to Turkish and Russian Sources (1916–1924) (PhD thesis) (in Turkish). İstanbul, Turkey: İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Tarih Ana Bilim Dalı, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Tarihi Bilim Dalı. p. 243.
  9. ^ a b Sarvar, Sattorov (2025-10-02). "MULLA ABDULQAHHORNING YURTGA XIZMATI". Ilmiy-Amaliy Konferensiyası: 226.
  10. ^ Fraser, Glenda (1987). "Basmachi — I". Central Asian Survey. 6 (1). Taylor & Francis: p.58 doi:10.1080/02634938708400571.
  11. ^ Velidî Togan, Zekî (1981). Bugünkü Türkili (Türkistan) ve Yakın Tarihi, Cilt I: Batı ve Kuzey Türkistan (Today's Turkili [Turkestan] and Recent History, Vol. I: Western and Northern Turkestan) (2nd ed.). İstanbul: Enderun Yayınları. p. 446.
  12. ^ a b Kydyralieva, Saltanat (2015). Türk ve Rus Kaynaklarına Göre Türkistan'da Basmacı Hareketi (1916–1924) / Basmachi Movement in Turkestan According to Turkish and Russian Sources (1916–1924) (PhD thesis) (in Turkish). İstanbul, Turkey: İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Tarih Ana Bilim Dalı, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Tarihi Bilim Dalı. p. 244.
  13. ^ a b "Mulla Abdulqahhor" (PDF). Oʻzbekiston Milliy Ensiklopediyasi (in Uzbek). Vol. M. Tashkent: Oʻzbekiston Milliy Ensiklopediyasi Davlat Ilmiy Nashriyoti. 2003. p. 803.
  14. ^ a b Sarvar, Sattorov (2025-10-02). "MULLA ABDULQAHHORNING YURTGA XIZMATI". Ilmiy-Amaliy Konferensiyası: 227.
  15. ^ ""In the Sands, Everyone Is a Basmachi": Armed Struggle in Central Asia in the 1920–1930s" [«В песках все — басмачи»: Вооруженная борьба в Средней Азии в 20–30-х годах прошлого века]. Islam Today (in Russian). 23 April 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  16. ^ Çalışkan, Murat. "Basmachi Movement". Academia.edu. p. 10. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  17. ^ a b Hayit, Baymirza (1997). Basmacılar: Türkistan millî mücadele tarihi (1917–1934) (in Turkish). Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı. p. 205. ISBN 9789753893053.
  18. ^ Kara, İlyas. Enver Paşa Basmacılar İsyanı (in Turkish). p. 132.
  19. ^ Bademci, Ali (2008). Korbaşılar ve Enver Paşa-II (in Turkish). Istanbul, Turkey: Ötüken Neşriyat. p. 122.
  20. ^ Beyoğlu, Nevzat Kösoğlu. Şehit Enver Paşa (Martyr Enver Pasha). Ötüken Neşriyat A.Ş., T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, 2013, p. 623. ISBN 978-605-155-270-5.
  21. ^ Beckett, Ian, ed. (15 May 2017). Modern Counter-Insurgency. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781351917025. Retrieved 14 October 2025. in 1920, stimulated by some positive measures by Soviet authorities, the rebellion flared up again and in 1921 spread to the eastern part of the Emirate of Bukhara (the southern regions of today's Uzbekistan and western Tadzhikistan) and later to the Turkmen area of Khorezm
  22. ^ Baymirza Hayit, Basmacılar / Ruslara Karşı Basmacılar Hareketi [The Basmachi: The National Liberation Movement in Turkestan Against the Russians]. Istanbul: Babıali Kültür Yayıncılığı, 2006, p. 277.
  23. ^ Entsiklopedik Luğat, vol. 2 (Tashkent: Özbek Sovet Entsiklopediyasi, 1988), p. 117: "In the spring of 1922, the Basmachi occupied much of the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic; similar movements also occurred in Ferghana and Khorezm at that time."
  24. ^ Rywkin, Michael (1990). Moscow's Muslim challenge : Soviet Central Asia (Revised ed.). Armonk, New York, London, England: M. E. Sharpe, Inc. p. 39. ISBN 0873326148.
  25. ^ Raşidov, U. (1994). "Buhara basmacıları aslı kim idi?" [Who Were the Basmachi of Bukhara?]. Mülakat (in Turkish) (11–12): 35.
  26. ^ Baysun, Abdullah recep (15 October 2001). Türkistan'da İstiklal Hareketleri ve Enver Paşa [Independence Movements in Turkestan and Enver Pasha] (in Turkish). Doğu kütüphanesi. p. 115. ISBN 9789757893325.
  27. ^ Turkestan im XX. Jahrhundert, Baymirza Hayit p.193
  28. ^ Hayit, Baymirza (1992). Basmatschi: Nationaler Kampf Turkestans in den Jahren 1917 bis 1934 (in German). Köln: Dreisam Verlag. p. 273. ISBN 978-3-89452-373-2.
  29. ^ Fraser, Glenda (1987). "Basmachi — I". Central Asian Survey. 6 (1). Taylor & Francis: pp. 18-19 doi:10.1080/02634938708400571.
  30. ^ a b Turkestan v Naçale XX Veka p.549
  31. ^ I.V. Stalin, Sochineniya , Vol 5, Moscow, 1959, pp.301–312
  32. ^ Kydyralieva, Saltanat (2015). Türk ve Rus Kaynaklarına Göre Türkistan'da Basmacı Hareketi (1916–1924) / Basmachi Movement in Turkestan According to Turkish and Russian Sources (1916–1924) (PhD thesis) (in Turkish). İstanbul, Turkey: İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Tarih Ana Bilim Dalı, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Tarihi Bilim Dalı. p. 257
  33. ^ a b c d Kydyralieva, Saltanat (2015). Türk ve Rus Kaynaklarına Göre Türkistan'da Basmacı Hareketi (1916–1924) / Basmachi Movement in Turkestan According to Turkish and Russian Sources (1916–1924) (PhD thesis) (in Turkish). İstanbul, Turkey: İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Tarih Ana Bilim Dalı, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Tarihi Bilim Dalı. pp. 258-259
  34. ^ a b Fraser, Glenda (1987). "Basmachi — 2". Central Asian Survey. Taylor & Francis: pp.16-17
  35. ^ Wheeler, Geoffrey, Racial Problems in Soviet Muslim Asia (1960)
  36. ^ Turkestan v Naçale XX Veka p.551
  37. ^ Turkestan v Naçale XX Veka p.551
  38. ^ Turkestan v Naçale XX Veka p.553