| House of Alimov Алимов | |
|---|---|
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| Ethnicity | Uzbek, originally Mongol, some Russian and Tatar |
| Current region |  Russia-  Central Asia |
| Information | |
| Founder | Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan |
| Place of origin | Russia -  Bukhara |
| Parent House | Manghit |
| Current Head | Disputed Kasim II (traditionalists) Serajul I (reformists) |
The House of Alimov (Cyrllic: Алимов) is a princely royal house in the Russian Empire of Uzbek and Manghud origin. They bear the titles Prince/Princess of Bukhara, Prince/Princess of Crimea, Prince/Princess of Siberia and Prince/Princess of the Far East respectively.
The Alimovs are descended from the larger Manghit (or Manghud) dynasty, which of Mongol origin, via Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan, the last Emir of the Emirate of Bukhara (and first Governor-General after Baron Pyotr Wrangel re-conquered it from the Soviets in service to Tsar Cyril I), and his Tatar second wife. As a result, they are distantly related to the House of Yusopov, also of Manghit origin, the two houses currently recognize each other as cousin houses.
Several factions exist. Both of the Emir's sons, Karim and Kasim, whose full names were Russian-style (respectively as Karim and Kasim Alimov) were both educated in the military, and served in Imperial Russian military. Karim and Kasim would both continue the Alimov dynasty, marry Muslim women and raise Uzbek Muslim families. Abu-Nasir Alimov, grandson of Karim, would become Russian Orthodox, but nonetheless, preserved the Alimov lineage and name, however was disgraced by Karim and Kasim.
Maryam and Noor, both daughters of the Emir, ran away due to mistreatment, married Russian men (becoming Maryam Zhakarova and Noor Vodovatova respectively), whose children also assimilated into Russian culture, raised Orthodox and married Russian men, and would not be re-united with their older brothers until the Emir's death in 2004. Russian authorities purposely hid them away from the Emir and his two sons.
Kasim, the oldest-surviving male descendent of Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan, and the patriarch of the traditionalist faction, do not consider the Zhakarovs or Vodovatovs to be of any inheritance, however, his son Serajul, an ultra-liberal Jadidist-influenced reformist, who served as the Governor-General of Bukhara in the 1970s, as well as his grandson, Abu-Nasir and their families consider both to be part of the House of Alimov, and were the ones who spearheaded the reunification in 2004.
Serajul Alimov referred to them as "Vodovatov-Alimov" and "Zhakarov-Alimov" respectively, to emphasize their marriage to Russian men.
Currently, the Council of Nobilities and Royal Houses considers Noor and Maryam and their descendants to be part of the House of Alimov.
History[]
During the Russian Civil War, Sayyid Muhammad Alim Khan fled Bukhara, as the Red Army, led by Mikhail Frunze would go to conquer Bukhara and establish a Soviet republic there. The Emir would go to Moscow, to request help from the White Russians, to which Grand Duke Cyril I Vladimirovich, who was fighting with the Northwestern forces, agreed to help him. Admiral Alexander Kolchak, the nearest White general, agreed to send fighters to help him.
Accompanied by a force of 1,000 troops, from the White Russian states, the Battle of Bukhara ensued, culminating in a White victory, and the restoration of the Emir to the throne. The Emirate returns, however in more Russified form, with Uzbek and Russian becoming its official languages. The Emirate is officially recognized as a White Russian state, despite being mostly Uzbek and Shiite in its ethno-religious composition.
In 1921, after the Bolsheviks were soundly defeated, Bukhara was given Autonomous Status, within the Russian State, which came under a disorganized government composed of White Army generals. However, it was still home to remnants of Soviets. In the ensuing monarchial victory, since Alim was a monarch, the Tsar, as well as Baron Pyotr Wrangel agreed to restore him to the Bukharan throne, leading to the restoration of the Emirate of Bukhara, within the broeader Turkestan.
This post-1921 Emirate was clearly alot more Russified, with the Emir agreeing with the Tsar to make Russian compulsory, in both secular and religious education. The Emir was practically forced to accept reform, under the convincing of Tsar Cyril I. Under the 1922 Bukharan Agreement, Russians can continue to migrate, work and develop Bukharan land, but would pay Islamic jizyah taxes, and adhere to Islamic law.
This, the Emir became the Commander of the Royal Bukhara Battalions, a nearly all-Uzbek and Muslim force.
During the Second World War, Khan Naran and Yuce Doğançay, attempted to convince the Emir to turn against the Russians, whom he referred to as the "oppressors". Not knowing what he would do, Fayzulla Khodzaev, a former soldier in the Royal Bukhara Battalions, turned on him, and had him and his family imprisoned in his own palace, similar to what the Bolsheviks did to Nicholas II, as rebels overran local Bukharan military forces.
However, the Russians seemingly intentionally allowed the militants to overpower the Bukharan forces, in order to force the Emir to embrace more Russian influence. and over native Uzbek and Islamic influence, Khodzaev was able to unite the Bukharans with Alash (Kazakhstan), and this united "United Western Horde" would carry out attacks against government forces and Romanov-owned properties, along with Turkey and the Great Mongol Ulus. Again, many historians suspect that the Russians intentionally did this to justify invading and subjugating both Bukhara (Uzbekistan) and Alash (Kazakhstan), noting the advantageous positioning of Russian forces, and mysterious presence of Russian generals still in Alash and Bukhara, long after Khodzayev took over.
As a result, the Russian Senate and Assembly both approved for the dropping of the Turkestan name, and the Governorate of Turkestan was turned into the Grand Duchy of Central Asia, under the rule of a Grand Duke of the Romanov line.
Miraculously, the Emir and his family survived by escaping, when Khodzaev and the militants smoke too much hasheesh. Once more, the Emir caught up with Russian forces. Sick and tired of the Emir not being able to accomplish anything productive for the Russian state, General Feodor Pavlov demanded that the Emir get one of his sons to become the ruler of Russian Bukhara. He passed away in 1944, for mysterious reasons. In 1945, the 15-year old Kasim Alimovich became recognized as the Prince of Bukhara, however as the events would later pan out, and the migration wealthy settlers, of both noble and non-noble descent (such as the Romanovs, Wrangels, Rurikids and etc.), the Prince of Bukhara title became a mere courtesy as the surviving male Alimovs would live in poverty and at the mercy of wealthy non-Central Asians.
After the war, Bukhara received a brunt of retaliatory measures. While Uzbek was continually permitted in the public, educational and military institutions were only allowed to use Russian, but it was even strictened towards mosques, in order for native Muslims to accept a Russian nationality. The properties and lands of Uzbeks who rebelled against the Russian state were given to settlers, both noble and non-noble alike, from other parts of Russia, for land development purposes, making the Alimov nobility and their usage of titles nothing more but mere courtesy titles.
Because of the hatred that ethnic Russians and Europeans had against Central Asians, the Alimovs had to resort to military service in order to enjoy monetary compensations, to live normal lives.
After Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan passed away in 2004, both Kasim I and Serajul I claimed to be the Heads of the House of Alimov. However, autonomy rights laws prevented Serajul from successfully suing the traditionalists for illegal practice when it comes of inheritance of rights, as Serajul had the documents with Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan's signature, allotting certain properties to him when he dies.
Therefore, while Kasim I Alimovich retained the properties, Serajul I Karimovich would pursue other matters to make the Alimovs prominent. In eventually seeing how reform-minded Serajul was, both Noor and Maryam decided to make themselves-known again, in which Serajul openly welcomed them, as full members of the House of Alimov.
When Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan's mistreatment of both women became known, there was a huge backlash against Kasim I's faction, and from 2004-2006, occurred a large string of arrest of the traditionalists for their involvement in the past assassinations of Jadidist Governor-Generals and Head Ministers, allowing the reformist factions to conquer the scene.
Serajul immedietly allotted inheritance of certain properties to Noor and Maryam, using national laws instead of autonomous laws, consider both, as well as their children, raised in assimilated Russian-speaking environments, also married to ethnic Russians, and Orthodox, inheritance. Kasim II, however, despite denouncing the assassination attempts of his faction and even turning them over to the authorities, still stated that he rejects Noor and Maryam as rightful heirs, or their children for that matter.
Due to the number of disputes, and the consequent assassinations, and warring, the Alimovs are considered Russia's most-divided noble house.
Factions[]
The terms traditionalist and reformist are outsider terms, as they are not normally used by the Alimovs, as both factions consider themselves to be the legitimate rulers. Jadidist would be a more proper term associated with the reformists, however not all reformists are even Muslim to begin with.
Traditionalists[]
The traditionalists are those to abide by strict Islamic customs, who emphasize the dynasty as being an Islamic dynasty first, and then an Uzbek Manghit dynasty, which includes male inheritance, male dominance and complete submissiveness of women and a requirement to be a Shiite Muslim. Both Karim and Kasim Alimov, both sons of the late Emir, were considered strict traditionalists, and forebode their daughters from having any contact with Russian Orthodox, even Sunni Muslims as the Emir was a Shiite, and raised the family as Shiites.
Karim Alimov succeeded the Emir as the Governor-General. However, Karim knew he couldn't completely implement ultra-conservative Islamic practices, wherefore, allowed mayors of predominantly-Muslim communities in Bukhara, which comprised of Bukhara, to enact coderivative Islamic laws. Because they did not apply to Orthodox Christian communities, Russian authorities were not concerned.
Kasim Alimov served in the Russian Air Force, and fought in some of the Far Eastern battles against Chiang Kai-shek's forces during the Russo-Chinese conflict. Kasim had actually attempted to find Maryam and Noor, with the intent of punishing them. Kasim often-not, used loyalty to the Russian state to avoid being suspected of unethical practices, for example - actively opposing separatists and helping Russian authorities arrest separatists, even if they were conservatively Islamic, and the assassination of several Jadidist Governor-Generals, and the assassination of the Jadidist Grand Mufti of Bukhara, Wadud Sharifov, and his coincidental replacement with Hamdan Alimov, one of Kasim's brothers, a fact not known up until 2003, in which Kasim and his family were stripped from their veteran benefits, disgraced from the Russian Air Force, his medals confiscated, and was publicly executed, leading to his son, Kasim II being the head of the traditionalist faction, and ultimately hitting the nail on the coffin for the traditionalists.
Kasim II, ultimately accepting the fact the only chance for the traditionalists to survive, was to cooperate with Russian authorities on arresting the "extremists", despite all of Russia considering the traditionalist to be extremist in of themselves. Therefore, Kasim II openly allowed Russian authorities to carry out arrests of perpetuators, and even surveil traditionalists.
Both Karim and Kasim created large families, whom the male members would become prominent in local Bukharan, and later, Central Asian politics.
Reformists[]
Serajul Alimov, Karim's eldest son was raised traditionalist, and also became a businessman. However, he was disgusted by the traditionalist culture, and sided with the Jadidists. Kasim however, did not succeed his older brother, leaving Serajul to become the Governor-General.
Serajul Alimov purchased a large complex in Tashkent, and split the inheritance with his wife, Lilah, and the two had four children, equally split between males and females. He was the first to send both of his daughters, Zara and Fatima to good schools worldwide, allowed their two sons, Abu-Nasir and Omar to choose their career paths, neither were interested in the military, although the youngest, Abu-Nasir would later become Head Minister.
The traditionalist Alimovs grew alarmed with Serajul, who in turn, threatened to report them to Russian authorities for alleged separatism if they did not allow him to carry forth with his wishes, causing a split. The main Palace of Alimov, was owned by Karim, and owned by traditionalists, who expelled Serajul and his wife.
Abu-Nasir too, was a reformist, Serajul, or Omar, showed no opposition or negative reaction when Abu-Nasir became a Russian Orthodox. However, when he ran for Head Minister, an enraged Karim referred to Serajul's faction as the Nevernyev (Неверинев), literally Russian for "House of Infidels".
However, thanks to the hatred against the traditionalists in Bukhara, the reformists are now considered the more powerful of the two, and have spread beyond Bukhara. Ever since 2003, every Alimov Head of Government or Governor-General in Bukhara was been a reformist.
Russian & Orthodox factions[]
The Emir also had two daughers, Princess Noor and Princess Mariam, who ran away due to mistreatment, became Russian Orthodox and married Russian men. These factions are known as the "Alimov-Vodovatov" (Алимов-Водоватов) and "Alimov-Zhakarov" (Алимов-Захаров). Upon marrying Russian men, the two neglected their noble status, becoming Noor Vodovatova and Mariam Zhakarova respectively. However, they were hunted down by Prince Kasim and Prince Karim who after the criminal investigations, had been found to pursue them to bring them back to the Emir for an honor killing.
The traditionalists do not, and did not consider the two of any royalty of importance. However, the reformists, led by Prince Serajul I Karimovich, revived their children's nobility status, now considering them part of the Russian factions of the Alimovs, by matrilineal lineage. Prince Serajul also made arrangements for them to be able to marry other Russian nobilities.
Prince Amjad I Kasimovich, Prince Serajul's cousin, fell in love with a Russian women. In addition, Prince Amjad came to further despise traditional Bukharan and Islamic ways. Amjad thus, had the intention of beginning a Russian faction of the Alimovs, even if it meant morganatic marriage, and became Eastern Orthodox.
Princes/Princesses of Siberia[]
While his father Prince Kasim, had no opposition to him marrying a Russian princess, was infuriated at him becoming Orthodox, and thus, disgraced him from the family. He would end up courting with Princess Catherine I Pavlovna Wrangel, who herself is descended from Rurikids via her father's marriage to a Krupskaya (from House of Krupsky). The reformists of the Alimovs were highly supportive of the marriage. Prince Paul I Vladimirovich, Princess Catherine's father approved of the marriage. Knowing they'd never be accepted in Bukhara, Prince Amjad adopted the Russian given name Nikolai, and settled in Novosibirsk, where they adopted the title Prince/Princess of Siberia.
The two were married in Sevastopol, the traditional home of the Wrangels. They have three children: Prince Vladimir, Princess Catherine II and Princess Olga, thus, truly beginning the Russian faction of the Alimovs. Prince Vladimir married another Russian princess, Princess Mira I Olegovna Gorchakova.
They have high ties with Prince Abu-Nasir and his faction, also Orthodox converts, but unlike Amjad, Abu-Nasir's marriage is morganatic, and his family retain an Uzbek identity.
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