The Fergana Oblast[a] was an oblast (province) of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of present-day Fergana Valley. It was created in 1876 when the territories of the former Khanate of Kokand were annexed to Russia (except for the oblasts of Syr-Darya Oblast and Semirechye Oblast, which were part of the khanate before Russian conquest between 1853 and 1865). Its administrative center was the city of Skobelev (which is in modern-day Fergana).
Fergana Oblast Ферганская область | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location in the Russian Empire as of 1914 | |
| Country | Russian Empire |
| Governorate-General | Turkestan |
| Established | 1876 |
| Abolished | 1917 |
| Capital | Skobelev (modern-day Fergana) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 160,141 km2 (61,831 sq mi) |
| Population (1897) | |
| • Total | 1,572,214 |
| • Density | 9.8/km2 (25/sq mi) |
The Oblast was disbanded after the Russian Revolution and on April 30, 1918 the region became a part of the Turkestan ASSR.
Administrative division
As of 1897, the Fergana Oblast was divided into 5 uyezds:
| Uyezd | Uyezd city (pop.) | Area, versta2 | Population[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margelan | Novy Margelan (8,928) | 14,069.1 | 321,860 |
| Andizhan | Andizhan (47,627) | 13,333.2 | 360,267 |
| Kokand | Kokand (81,354) | 13,212.6 | 364,658 |
| Namangan | Namangan (62,017) | 15,273.4 | 363,789 |
| Osh | Osh (34,157) | 65,252.7 | 161,640 |
Demographics
As of 1897, 1,572,214 people populated the oblast. Turkified Sarts (a name used for Tajiks) constituted the majority of the population. Significant minorities included Kyrgyz and Tajiks. The total Turkic-speaking population numbered 1,439,989 (91.6% of the total population of the oblast).
Ethnic groups in 1897
| Group[2] | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Sarts | 788,989 | 50.2% |
| Unspecified Turkic dialects | 261,234 | 16.6% |
| Kyrgyz | 201,579 | 12.8% |
| Uzbeks | 153,780 | 9.8% |
| Tajiks | 114,081 | 7.3% |
| Uyghurs | 14,915 | 0.9% |
| Karakalpaks | 11,056 | 0.7% |
| Russians | 8,140 | 0.5% |
| Kipchak | 7,584 | 0.5% |
| Jews | 1,378 | ... |
| TOTAL | 1,572,214 | 100% |