Item number: M390

Year: AD 1886

Material: Bronze

Size: 51.3 x 44.6 x 2.8 mm

Weight: 40.8 g

Provenance: Stack’s Bowers 2024

This is a village chief identity badge issued in AD 1886 by the Turkestan Governor-Generalship, which was established in AD 1867 under the Russian Empire. The jurisdiction of the Turkestan Governor-Generalship covered the territories of the present-day Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—making it the highest administrative unit of the Russian Empire in Central Asia.

The medal is made of bronze and has a circular shape, with a semicircular protrusion at the top featuring two small circular holes for attaching a string. The front of the medal displays the emblem of the Turkestan Governor-Generalship at its centre, featuring a unicorn with its front leg raised, forming the decoration of a shield. Above the shield is a crown, also used as decoration. Surrounding the solid circle is an inscription in Russian, “АУЛЬНЫИ СТАРШИНА,” which translates to “Village Chief.” The reverse side of the medal features the monogram of Tsar Alexander III at the centre, with the surrounding inscription indicating the date of issuance: “1886 ГОДА 12 ГО ІЮНЯ” (June 12, AD 1886).

Unlike the Western European powers, which expanded their colonies via maritime routes due to their proximity to the oceans, Russia, constrained by its geographical environment and historically close interactions with the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppe, pursued a different expansion strategy. As early as the 16th century, shortly after Russia freed itself from Mongol rule, the Tsars centred in Moscow began pushing towards the Ural Mountains, which marked the boundary between Europe and Asia, conquering various nomadic khanates along the way. By the 19th century, the Russian Empire, having already conquered the Siberian territories bordering the Pacific, turned its attention southward to Central Asia, aiming to use it as a stepping stone to threaten the British colonies in India. This led to a military and diplomatic rivalry between Russia and Britain in Central Asia, known as the “Great Game,” which lasted until the signing of the Anglo-Russian Convention in AD 1907, establishing spheres of influence for both powers.

After the Russian Empire established the Turkestan Governor-Generalship following its conquest of Central Asia, it took a two-pronged approach. On one hand, it introduced Slavic immigrants, officials, and military personnel from Europe. On the other hand, it implemented a set of regulations to control the Central Asian nomadic and oasis-dwelling Turkic populations, blending local nomadic customs and Islamic law with Russian imperial governance to cultivate local representatives who would serve as intermediaries for the empire. This badge in the collection is a reward and symbol of identity provided by the Russian authorities to local collaborators.

物件編號: M390

年代: 公元 1886 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 51.3 x 44.6 x 2.8 mm

重量: 40.8 g

來源: SBP錢幣拍賣 2024

這是一枚公元1886年，俄羅斯帝國轄下的「突厥斯坦總督區」發行的村長身份章。突厥斯坦總督區設置於公元1867年，其轄下的領土涵蓋現今中亞五國 (哈薩克、吉爾吉斯、烏茲別克、塔吉克和土庫曼)，為俄羅斯帝國在中亞最高的行政單位。

獎章材質為青銅，外觀為圓形且頂部有一個帶有兩個圓孔的半圓形凸起，用以穿繫繩子。這一枚獎章的正面中央是「突厥斯坦總督區」紋飾，即抬起前腳的獨角獸用作裝飾的盾牌，盾牌上方以一頂王冠作為裝飾。實心圓外圍的俄文銘文「АУЛЬНЫИ СТАРШИНА」即是「村長」頭銜。獎章背面中央是時任沙皇的亞歷山大三世花押簽名，實心圓外圍是獎章頒發的日期「1886 ГОДА 12 ГО ІЮНЯ」(公元1886年6月12日)。

不同於西歐列強得益於貼近大洋從海路對外展開殖民地，受限於地理環境和歷史上跟歐亞草原的遊牧民族有密切互動的俄羅斯走向不同的擴張路線。早在公元16世紀俄羅斯擺脫蒙古人統治不久之際，以莫斯科為中心的沙皇們便不斷地朝歐亞分界的烏拉山脈進逼，征服沿途的大小遊牧民族汗國。進入公元19世紀之際，早已征服濱臨太平洋西伯利亞地區的俄羅斯帝國，將目光朝向西伯利亞南方的中亞地區，意圖由此作為威脅英國殖民地印度的跳板。俄英兩國為此在中亞地區展開名為「大博弈」的軍事外交競賽，直到公元1907年簽訂《英俄條約》確立雙方勢力範圍為止。

俄羅斯帝國在征服中亞建立突厥斯坦總督區管轄後，一方面引入來自歐洲的斯拉夫裔移民、官員和軍隊。另一方面制定一套控制中亞游牧和綠洲突厥人群的法規，以結合本地的遊牧或伊斯蘭舊有風俗和教法，培養自身在地方上的代言人。本館的這枚獎章正是官方提供給在地合作者的獎勵和身份識別。