ABSTRACT
Tsarist colonial expansion into Asia, unlike English colonialism, never had to face the problem of very large numbers of natives to be subdued. By having Russian settlers follow its troops, Moscow was able to secure the areas it conquered. Central Asia, the last tsarist colonial conquest, was no exception. Its population, estimated at just over six million at the time of the annexation (not counting the so-called Steppe Region, already under Russian rule), grew very moderately, with high mortality, especially among infants, keeping numbers down. On the other hand, Russian and Ukrainian settlers, given all possible incentives to move into the area, increased rapidly in numbers (especially after the mid-1870s). Even their natural rate of increase compared favorably with that of the natives.
