KHIVA (KHOREZM) STATE AS AN ACTIVE AGENT: DIPLOMACY, ECONOMY, AND RUSSIAN INTERACTION, 1806–1825

Abstract

This article reexamines Russo Khivan relations during the reign of Muhammad Rahimkhan I (1806–1825), integrating newly uncovered archival sources from RGIA, RGVIA, Ottoman BOA, and hitherto unpublished Khivan chancery records. It argues that Khiva was not a passive frontier polity but an actor with agency, strategically mobilizing frontier diplomacy, economic negotiations, and institutional frameworks to retain autonomy. Drawing on diplomatic codices, border surveillance reports, and prisoner exchange protocols, the article demonstrates how Khiva manipulated asymmetrical power relations, navigated imperial pressures, and deployed temporal strategies to its advantage. This study contributes to a reconceptualization of early nineteenth century Central Asian interstate dynamics and highlights the analytical value of “negotiated sovereignty” in frontier contexts. This article explores the diplomatic, political, and economic relations between the Khorezm State and the Russian Empire during the reign of Muhammad Rahimkhan I (1806–1825). Drawing on previously underutilized Persian and Chagatai manuscripts, Russian archival correspondence, and Ottoman reports, the study highlights Khiva’s strategic use of frontier diplomacy, negotiated sovereignty, and temporal management in preserving autonomy. The analysis challenges traditional narratives of passive Central Asian polities, demonstrating that Khiva actively shaped interactions with Russia through institutionalized negotiation, economic leverage, and multilateral engagement. The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of early nineteenth-century Eurasian diplomacy and frontier governance.