THE ART OF NEGOTIATION: KHIVA AND RUSSIA ENGAGEMENT UNDER MUHAMMAD RAHIMKHAN I (1806–1825), MULOQOT SANʼATI: MUHAMMAD RAHIMXON I DAVRIDA (1806–1825) XIVA VA ROSSIYA MUNOSABATLARI

<jats:p>This study examines the Khorezmian State diplomatic strategies under Muhammad Rahimkhan I (1806–1825), emphasizing the principality’s active negotiation in asymmetric relations with the Russian Empire. Drawing on Russian, Persian, Chagatai, and British archival sources, the article reconstructs the Khorezmian State's use of ritualized diplomacy, temporal leverage, symbolic sovereignty, and frontier governance. The Layered Frontier Sovereignty Model (LFSM) is proposed to conceptualize how small polities sustain autonomy under structural asymmetry. Findings challenge deterministic narratives of Russian expansion and demonstrate the Khorezmian State's deliberate agency in shaping frontier diplomacy.</jats:p>