Political and legal means of integrating the Central Asian region into the Russian Empire

The aim of the study is to identify the features of the political and legal integration of the annexd Central Asian territories into the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century. To achieve this goal, the legislation that established the governance system in these territories was analyzed, as well as the existing doctrinal approaches to understanding the processes of regional integration in Central Asia. A comparison of the Central Asian and Caucasian governance models has been conducted, revealing similar features. The balance of the policies of the Russian Empire implemented in the region is emphasized, along with the desire to preserve local authorities and customs, and religious tolerance. The gradual advancement toward the unification of governance across different parts of the Russian Empire, which was not brought to a logical conclusion, is noted. It is concluded that the national-territorial policy of the authorities toward Central Asia can be considered sufficiently balanced and responsive to the challenges of its time.