republic · Central Asia and the Steppe

Bashkurdistan

1917 CE – 1919 CE · capital Orenburg

An autonomous Bashkir state proclaimed during the Russian Civil War, which switched from the Whites to the Bolsheviks to win recognition.

Origins

After the February Revolution of 1917 Bashkir nationalists led by Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Zeki Velidi Togan) held congresses in Orenburg and Ufa. In November 1917 they proclaimed the territorial autonomy of Bashkurdistan, in rivalry with Tatar plans for the Idel-Ural State.

Rule and society

The Bashkir government formed its own army and initially sided with the anti-Bolshevik forces, including the Komuch government and Admiral Kolchak. Disappointed by the Whites' refusal of autonomy, Validi negotiated with Moscow, and in February 1919 the Bashkir army went over to the Red side.

Decline and legacy

In March 1919 the Soviet government recognised the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Republic, the first autonomous republic in Soviet Russia. Validi soon broke with the Bolsheviks over their limits on autonomy and fled to Central Asia. The republic is the ancestor of today's Republic of Bashkortostan.

Lineage

BashkurdistanRussian SFSR 1917 CE – 1991 CE

More states of Central Asia and the Steppe →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bashkurdistan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashkurdistan
MLA
“Bashkurdistan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashkurdistan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bashkurdistan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashkurdistan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bashkurdistan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashkurdistan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻