BASHKIR NATIONAL MOVEMENT

с, the 1917–21 Bashkir people’s movement for territorial autonomy. It appeared during the Revolution of 1917 as part of the democratic movement of the peoples of Russia; after the Bashkir Regional Bureau was formed, the B.n.m. conducted its own policy taking into account the traditions of anti­ colonial struggle of the Bashkirs in the 17– 19th centuries (ref. Bashkir Uprisings of 17–18th centuries, Peasant War of 1773–75). Leaders of the B.n.m.: A.A. Validov, A.K.Adigamov, M.K.Adigamov, Sh.Babich, Yu.Yu.Bikbov, M.A.Kulayev, Sh.A. Manatov, S.G.Mryasov, I.I.Mutin, Kh.Yu. Yumagulov and others. The ideology of B.n.m. is based on prioritizing the national interests of the Bashkirs over the needs of other social groups, as well as the demand for the return of the patrimonial lands of the Bashkirs lost in the 17–20th centuries (ref. Patrimonial Law of the Bashkirs, Land Policy). Stages in the development of B.n.m.: Democratic (since May 1917), Anti­Bolshevik (since February 1918), Soviet (since February 1919) and Insurgent (July 1920 – June 1921). The governing body of B.n.m. – Bashkir Central Shuro and its branches in the volosts with numerically dominant population, i.e. Orenburg, Ufa, Perm and Samara guberniyas. On November 15th, 1917, Bashkir Central Shuro proclaimed the national territorial autonomy of Bashkortostan in its historical borders (ref. Farmany). Bashkir Government and the Smaller Kurultay (Congress) began the orga­ nization of institutions of state authority and formation of the Bashkir Army.

The Bashkir movement for autonomy met opposition from both the Russian central powers and the supporters of cultural and national autonomy. In February 1918, members of the Bashkortostan Government (excl. Chairman) and a part of the Bashkir Central Shuro were arrested (released in early April by the Bashkir and Cossack troops); formation of the first Bashkir Army regiment ended with its dispersal by the Red Guard troops and the Smaller Kurultay (Congress) representatives execution by shooting. After the fall of the Soviet authorities in the Ural­Volga region during the Civil War, the Bashkir Government and Bashkir Central Shuro resumed their activity. They achieved recognition of the Bashkir autonomy by the All­Russia Con­ stituent Assembly and Provisional Siberian Government. However, the planned cen­ tralization of state administration split the Provisional All­Russia Government and the

B.n.m. In October–November, B.n.m. leaders ignored the Decree of the Provisional All­Russia Government on the dissolution of the autonomous oblast governments and resisted the disbanding of the Bashkir Military Council and Bashkir troops. In November 1918, participants of the B.n.m. negatively reacted to the establishment of the A.V.Kolchak’ military dictatorship and his desire to dissolve the Bashkir Go­ vernment and national army troops. On February 18th, 1919, leaders of the B.n.m. together with the main part of the Bashkir armed units shifted to the side of the Soviet Government. The Bashkir Government and Bashkir Central Shuro proclaimed the formation of the Bashkir Soviet Autonomous Republic (Malaya Bashkiriya) in the RSFSR, transferred the highest power on its territory to Bashrevkom and achieved its legitimization by the Russian Central Executive Committee and Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR (ref. Agreement of the Central Soviet Power with the Bashkir Government on the Soviet Autonomous Bashkiriya). The Resolution of the Russian Central Executive Committee and Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR On the State System of the Autonomous Soviet Bashkir Republic caused the withdrawal of the leaders of B.n.m. from Bashrevkom and their departure to the Middle Asia. This resolution became one of the reasons for the Burzyan­Tangaurovskoye Uprising (1920). The political position of the participants of the B.n.m. influenced the national policy of the RSFSR leaders in the regions with the Turkic population. In 1922, the Bashkir Central Executive Committee and the Council of People’s Commissars of the Bashrepublic achieved the adoption of the Decree on the expansion of the borders of the Autonomous Bashkir Socialist Soviet Republic by the Russian Central Executive Committee (ref. Bolshaya Bashkiriya). In the 1930s, most of the B.n.m. participants were subjected to political purges in the USSR. Some activists of B.n.m. continued political activities in emigration.