A continuing Power Struggle between the British and the Russians was on at that period of time over the control of Central Asia… The borders of the Russian imperial territories of Khiva, Bukhara and Kokand were important trade centres. The British East India Company joined hands with the ruler of Bukhara (now situated in Uzbekistan) to counter Russia. Colonel Charles Stoddart, a British officer, diplomat and a famous British agent of repute in Central Asia during the period of the Great Game, had arrived in Bukhara in 1839 as a messenger of Queen Victoria. When Stoddart met Emir Nasrullah Khan – the ruler of Bukhara; he, reportedly, was not carrying a gift for him… and, this got the Emir infuriated! After a while, he ordered his officials to throw Stoddart into a pit filled with poisonous insects, (famously known as The Bug Pit) for committing the offence of not carrying gifts for him. The 4mt deep pit is still there in Bukhara’s Zindon Prison!

The pit, which was home for various poisonous insects and rats, was accessible only by a rope. The envoy of the British East India Company was thrown there, and he had to stay in a pitiable condition inside that pit for about three years before being executed on June 17, 1842 at the age of 35! No one knows how Stoddart was able to survive there in those conditions for three years! Many were thrown into the pit before him… however, none of them survived for so long. In November 1841, British Captain Arthur Conolly arrived in Bukhara with part of his remit to attempt to secure Stoddart’s release. However, he was unsuccessful in that! Both the Englishmen were executed on charges of espionage for the British Empire on June 17, 1842!

Emir Nasrullah Khan was an authoritarian ruler of Bukhara. He was popularly known as a ‘Butcher’! He decided not to maintain cordial ties with Britain, after the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1842. That was the reason behind him having Stoddart and Captain Conolly executed. The Emir, reportedly, standing in front of the citadel, had publicly instructed his officials to carry out the order. Before giving the order, the ruler had asked the two British officials to convert to Islam. However, they refused to do so. When Stoddart and Connolly were pulled out of the pit, their conditions were serious. They were placed on their knees on the road. First, a soldier severed Stoddart’s head from his body by a blow of his sword. Then, Connolly was executed in the same manner…

Currently, The Bug Pit of Bukhara is one of the major tourist attractions in Central Asia. Thousands of people visit the Zindon Prison every day to witness it, and to learn about its history…

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das