HISTORY. Khiva in ancient times and in the early Middle Ages formed part, succes sively, of the kingdoms of Baetria, Parthia, and I'ersia, and of the caliphate. The modern Khanate of Khiva is a fragment of the independ ent kingdom of Chorasmia or Khwaresm, which rose into power at the close of the eleventh cen tury under a Seljuk dynasty, and conquered and held in subjection Persia and Afghanistan. This kingdom controlled the Oxus or Amu Darya, the most important river of Central Asia. It was swept into his great drag-net of conquest by Genghis Khan in 1221, and in 1372 it came into the hands of Timur. Timur's descendants were subdued in 1511 by Shahy Beg (called Sheibani Khan by Western writers), chief of the Uzbeks. a Turkish tribe, and his successors have ruled over Khiva to the present time. Ever since the seven teenth century, when its wealth excited the cupid ity of the first Cossack raiders into Central Asia, the Russian Government recognized the impor tance of Khiva, and as a pretext for attempts at conquest complained that the Khivans fostered rebellion among the Kirghiz subjects of the Czar, and plundered their caravans. In 1717 Peter the Great endeavored to conquer Khiva, but was de feated, and in 1839 the attempt was renewed by the Czar Nicholas I., but with no better success. With the advance of Russia in Central Asia. and
the establishment of Russian power in the trans Caspian country. a cordon was slowly drawn about Khiva, and in 1873 a great effort was made to crush it. Three Russian columns advanced on Khiva from the Caspian, from Orenburg. and from Tashkent. The second and third, under Generals Verekin and Kaufmann, entered the city in May and June. The Khan agreed to pay a war indem nity (which has never been paid), and to cede to Bokhara the Khivan possessions on the right bank of the Amu Darya. Shortly afterwards, however, these possessions controlling the mouth of the Amu Darya were incorporated with Russian terri tory, and now form the Russian District of Amu Darya. Khiva, on the left bank. retains its autonomy nominally; but with Russia as a heavy creditor, and established in full control of the surrounding country. it is practically a vassal State. Consult: Colquhoun, Russia Against In dia (New York, 1900) ; MaeGahan. Campaigning on the amis. and the Pull of Khira (London, 1874) ; Lansdell. Russian Central Asia (London, 1SS5) Stumm. aus China. Bcriehtc (Berlin, 1573) ; id., Der russiselic Feld:ug nach Chien (Berlin. 1.175) : Khanikov, "Les documents sur le khanat de Khiva." in Bulletin de la Societe Geographique (Paris, 1873), with bibliography.