Military-People's Administration in Osh

Police Administration in the City

At the end of the 19th century, the district authorities consisted of the district chief, who had broad powers over the urban and rural population, his assistant-secretary, a clerk, and the so-called written translator. However, judging by documents from the early 20th century, the city economic committee, composed of wealthy townspeople (an advisory and powerless body), was still considered a passive appendage to the district chief, serving as a facade for the military-people's (read: police!) administration in the city.

At that time, the Osh authorities were particularly concerned with establishing the positions of two district police officers in the district and, "for order," a city police officer and a clerk. Not satisfied with five messenger horsemen, the district chief, encouraged by the regional authorities, demanded additional funding for six secret informants among the indigenous population and five horsemen to pursue "bandits."

The police officer in Osh, who was subordinate to the district chief, had 30 city guards, of which 21 were mounted. To assist them, the townspeople also funded 99 hired foot and mounted night watchmen. The city officer was responsible for the city and the Osh volost, as well as areas of nomadic and settled populations in the district. Subsequently (by 1910), positions for police officers in these areas were also established. The expenses for the police accounted for more than a third of the city budget (in 1908 - 37.5%).

The Osh district authorities flirted with the Kyrgyz tribal nobility, strictly enforcing a policy of the whip (for the working population) and the carrot (for the representatives of the feudal lords). An illustration of this is the suppression of the so-called Andijan uprising of 1898, when hundreds of rebels, including those opposing the oppression of Tsarism among the Kyrgyz (including the democratic akyn Toktogul Satylganov), were arrested and exiled (Toktogul was sent to Siberia).

An example of this is the honors and awards given to the Alay queen - Kurmandjan Datka, one of whose sons warned the Osh district chief in advance about the impending uprising of the people.

Establishment of Military Administration in Fergana Region