19 Poor Arthur Conolly 3

After the winter disaster of 1842 by the British troops in Afghanistan, the fate of Stoddart and Conolly was almost decided. The Emir could no longer fear the expeditionary punitive corps from the British Empire.

It is curious that in 1842 Emir of Bukhara managed to temporarily seize Kokand and clean out the Khan with his family, later the city was beaten off and all subsequent attempts to seize the Khanate were unsuccessful from Emir Nasrullah.

In the same 1842, the British made a punitive expedition to Kabul.

Apparently, Stoddardt passed and deliberately, and it is difficult to assume that such a sophisticated Sir John McNeil in the Big Game would have made such an unfortunate mistake by sending the wrong person to an important mission.

Emir Nasrullo had a well-developed spy network in transborder states. Therefore, he knew that a British officer, Arthur Conolly, had backstage talks with two Central Asian khans. Having an idea of ​​the strategic doctrine of the presence in the regions of interest of the British Empire, the ruler of the emirate, understood that the next step would be an attempt to create a single country from the two khanates and its emirate.

Who will be the ruler, Kokand or Khiva Khan? Since, Conolly first visited them, which was definitely worrisome and fully justified. Nasrullo knowing also that there are forces in the Bukhara Emirate from among influential nobles and clans who maintained ties with British intelligence. If the Englishman Stoddart were disregarded, this could lead to sad consequences for him. Then Conolly was spinning around its borders.

The lieutenant colonel, being in such unbearable conditions, still managed to write, to send news of his fate both to the East India British Company and to his relatives. Someone passed it. During a search in the "zindan", Charles Stoddart was found a pencil and several pieces of paper. Despite the executions, who did not bring him the accessories. They lasted for several days. Emir was worried about a possible rebellion, and therefore accused two British diplomats of espionage and ordered them to be beheaded.

According to various sources, the execution took place on June 17 or 24, 1842 in the city of Bukhara in front of the Arka gate. Closer to dinner, two ragged people were brought to the square, with sores on their bodies, grown hair and long beards with lice, with their hands tied. Before their eyes were dug graves. Two Englishmen put on their knees. According to separate sources, before the execution, Stoddart was allegedly cut off his feet, and after that they cut off his head with a knife, other authors say that they cut off his head with a sword. Stoddart finally cried out about the cruelty of the Emir of Bukhara.Arthur Conollys head was cut off.

Other authors argue that Stoddart was stabbed to death in a dungeon at night, along with Arthur Conolly.,,

In Britain, the fate of the two scouts learned belatedly. A wave of indignation passed, demanding to punish those responsible for the tragedy. Conduct a series of active events against the Bukhara Emirate. However, the interests of the empire were already in other regions, the party in "IGo" was lost. The stones were removed from the board and showed no interest in them.

In 1845, a missionary and probably a British intelligence agent J. Wolf conducted a study on the fate of his countrymen, and then published a book in two parts.