Nikolai Aristov

Nikolai Aleksandrovich Aristov (Russian Николай Александрович Аристов,1847 – c. 1903) was a Türkologist by calling, who utilized his experience, education, and access to official information he had as a fairly high-level official in the Turkestan czarist administration, to accumulate and analyze the ethnographic and ethnic history of the Central Asian peoples.

Aristov came from a staff-officer family. After graduation from Kazan University with a degree in law sciences, the seventeen-year-old was sent to Tobolsk as an office assistant, then a provincial secretary and an auditor-bookkeeper of the provincial treasury office, earning 3rd degree St. Stanislav's award in 1868, and the appointed a clerk of Jeti-su (Russian Semirechie, "Seven Rivers") provincial board and a special assignments official at the office of military governor. From that time all his further service was connected with the Turkestan general-governorship.

Aristov joined the vigorous activity of colonial authorities in the newly created Semirechie province within the Turkestani general-governorship, heading a Semirechie prison committee. In 1871 the forces of the Turkestani general-governorship started a military campaign against Kuldja Khanate, seized by the ruler of Uigur state Yetishar Yakub-bek. Aristov directly participated in the military actions, storming the city-fortress of Kuldja, and received a 2nd degree St. Stanislav award. After the campaign, Aristov headed the Office of Kuldja affairs.

In 1872 Aristov was sent to Tashkent to work as a clerk in the commission drafting a "Practice of governorship in the Turkestani Governing Generalship". In 1873-74 he chaired a traditional congresses of Biys (Türkic for Princes of indigenous people) for resolution of land disputes in Semipalatinsk, Sergiopol districts and Semirechie province. <--!In Türkic nomenclature, at that time Aristov was a representative of the Yabgu/lesser Kagan (the Governor General appointed by the Great Kagan's/Czar Imperial Court), i.e. a lesser Yabgu or a Biy of Biys/Prince of Princes, and had a good chance to learn the intricacies of traditional conflict resolution in Türkic society-->

From 1879 Aristov served as a permanent member and deputy chairman of a regional statistical committee. In 1881 he again was involved in the revision of the "Practice of governorship in the Turkestani Governing Generalship". In 1881 Aristov was appointed Semirechie military governor. In 1882 he was transferred to the Steppe Governing Generalship, and resigned the same year, after 24 years, 1 month and 6 days of active service, campaigns and battles. For his service Aristov was awarded 5 medals.

...
Wikipedia