Kazakh War of Independence
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The Kazakh War of Independence (1468–1500) was a conflict fought in
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
between the Kazakh Khanate and the
Uzbek Khanate The Uzbek Khanate ( uz, Oʻzbek xonligi or ''Oʻzbek ulusi / Ўзбек хонлиги or Ўзбек Улуси''), also known as the Abulkhair Khanate was a Shaybanid state preceding the Khanate of Bukhara. During the few years it existed, the ...
, which attempted to maintain its control over most of modern-day
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
, which at the time was under Uzbek rule. The war started after Abu'l-Khayr, Khan of the Uzbek Khanate, attacked
Zhetysu Zhetysu, or Jeti-Suu ( kk, , Жетісу, pronounced ; ky, ''Jeti-Suu'', (), meaning "seven rivers"; also transcribed ''Zhetisu'', ''Jetisuw'', ''Jetysu'', ''Jeti-su'', ''Jity-su'', ''Жетысу'',, National Geospatial-Intelligence Age ...
in 1468 which was controlled by a small band of rebel Kazakhs who had split from the original Uzbek Khanate. Abu’l Khayr did so in an attempt to prevent the growing Kazakh influence among the steppe. However, he died unknowingly, making it easier for the Kazakhs to expand their influence. After Abu'l-Khayr Khan's death, the Uzbeks continued to be ruled by the
Shaybanids The Shibanids or Shaybanids ( fa, سلسله شیبانیان) or more accurately the Abu'l-Khayrid-Shibanids were a Persianized''Introduction: The Turko-Persian tradition'', Robert L. Canfield, Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective, ed. Robert L. ...
who fought against the Kazakhs in the cities that were on the Syr Darya until both sides agreed to peace in 1500 with the Kazakh Khanate gaining its sovereignty from the Uzbek control. At the end of the war, the Uzbek Khanate transferred most of
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
to the Kazakh Khanate.


Background


Death of Barak Khan

Barak Khan Barak ( fa, ) was Khan of the Golden Horde from 1423 to 1429. His father was Quyurchuq, the son of Urus Khan, who was a descendant of Tuqa-Timur, the son of Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan. Barak took support from Ulugh Beg, the Timu ...
ruled the
Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragme ...
from 1423 to 1428. With the help of
Ulugh Beg Mīrzā Muhammad Tāraghay bin Shāhrukh ( chg, میرزا محمد طارق بن شاہ رخ, fa, میرزا محمد تراغای بن شاہ رخ), better known as Ulugh Beg () (22 March 1394 – 27 October 1449), was a Timurid sultan, as ...
, who was a Timurid khan, he dethroned Kepek, Olugh Mokhammad and Dawlat Berdi that all were claiming the throne for the Horde as theirs. Barak seized control of the
White Horde The eldest son of Genghis Khan, (who established the Mongol Empire) Jochi had several sons. When he died, they inherited their father's dominions as fiefs under the rule of their brothers, Batu Khan, as supreme khan and Orda Khan, who, although ...
that was populated by the Uzbeks, whom referred to Turkic tribes that roamed over the present-day
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
and
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
. After that, a rivalry developed between Barak Khan and Ulugh Beg. After the death of Barak in which Ulugh was in conspired in, the title was passed to
Abu'l-Khayr Khan Abu'l-Khayr Khan ( uz, Abulxayirxon) (1412–1468) was a Khan of the Uzbek Khanate which united the nomadic Central Asian tribes.
of the
Shaybanids The Shibanids or Shaybanids ( fa, سلسله شیبانیان) or more accurately the Abu'l-Khayrid-Shibanids were a Persianized''Introduction: The Turko-Persian tradition'', Robert L. Canfield, Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective, ed. Robert L. ...
who founded the
Uzbek Khanate The Uzbek Khanate ( uz, Oʻzbek xonligi or ''Oʻzbek ulusi / Ўзбек хонлиги or Ўзбек Улуси''), also known as the Abulkhair Khanate was a Shaybanid state preceding the Khanate of Bukhara. During the few years it existed, the ...
in 1428. During his rule, many Turkic tribesmen were unified and came under control. As a result, the Uzbek Khanate became a major power in
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
. However, Abu'l-Khayr's successes were thwarted by the Oirats in the middle of the 15th century who had a superior military force. The Oirats raided the Uzbek lands where they burned and looted cities thus destroying its economy while Abu'l-Khayr himself had lost reputation among the nomad clans.


Foundation of the Kazakh Khanate

In the fall of 1457, two sons of Barak Khan,
Kerei Kerei is a Kazakh tribe that originated in the Altay region and fled into modern-day Kazakhstan in the early 13th century after being defeated by Genghis Khan. See also * Qarai Turks * Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , ...
and Janibek, in the fear of persecution
Abu'l-Khayr Khan Abu'l-Khayr Khan ( uz, Abulxayirxon) (1412–1468) was a Khan of the Uzbek Khanate which united the nomadic Central Asian tribes.
, migrated to
Moghulistan Moghulistan (from fa, , ''Moghulestân'', mn, Моголистан), also called the Moghul Khanate or the Eastern Chagatai Khanate (), was a Mongol breakaway khanate of the Chagatai Khanate and a historical geographic area north of the Ten ...
by leading 200,000 tribes of supporters whom referred themselves as ''Kazakhs''. With the Khan of Moghulistan
Esen Buqa II Esen Buqa II (died 1462) was Khan of Moghulistan from 1429 until his death. He was the younger son of Uwais Khan. When Uwais Khan was killed in 1428 the Moghuls were thrown into a state of confusion. Some of them supported Esen Buqa, while oth ...
's permission, they settled in the valleys of Chu and Talas rivers to establish the Kazakh Khanate in 1465. Kerei was proclaimed as the first Khan while Janibek had exercised more power.


Course of the war

In the mid 1460’s, the Oirats raided the
Uzbek Khanate The Uzbek Khanate ( uz, Oʻzbek xonligi or ''Oʻzbek ulusi / Ўзбек хонлиги or Ўзбек Улуси''), also known as the Abulkhair Khanate was a Shaybanid state preceding the Khanate of Bukhara. During the few years it existed, the ...
again.
Janibek Khan Abū Saʿīd Janibek Bahadur Khan bin Barak Sultan (, , ), otherwise known by his shortened regal name Janibek Khan, was a co-founder and second Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from 1473 to 1480. He was a son of Barak, Khan of the Golden Horde from 14 ...
took advantage the situation by leading the Kazakhs into the Uzbek Khanate as well.
Abu'l-Khayr Khan Abu'l-Khayr Khan ( uz, Abulxayirxon) (1412–1468) was a Khan of the Uzbek Khanate which united the nomadic Central Asian tribes.
refused to recognize Janibek's claim over the land and in response, he sent an expedition force in 1468 to oppose the Kazakhs but died on the way. After his death, he was succeeded by Yadgar Khan, who died a year later of old age. Abu'l-Khayr's son, Haider Sultan, faced a more powerful opposition after assuming power which included Ibak of the Khanate of Sibir, Musa Mirza of the Nogai Horde, and Yamgurchi , the son of Yadgar Khan. From 1470 to 1471, Haider lost most of territorial possessions. In 1471, Ahmed Khan appeared with his troops in the east of the Uzbek Khanate, claiming the region Khwarezm as his. Haider Sultan was then taken by surprise from Ibak and killed. Ahmed then took a military campaign against Russia, thus allowing Abu’l-Khayr’s grandchildren to escape believing that they weren’t dangerous. One of them was
Muhammad Shaybani Muhammad Shaybani Khan ( uz, Muhammad Shayboniy, also known as Abul-Fath Shaybani Khan or Shayabak Khan or Shahi Beg Khan, originally named "Shibägh", which means " wormwood" or "obsidian") (c. 1451 – 2 December 1510), was an Uzbek leader ...
. Before Haider’s death, Shaybani tried to regain control over the Syr Darya cities. In the beginning of 1470, with the help of Timurids he managed to capture fortresses on the Syr Darya with the goal of taking Syghnaq. However, that same year, the Kazakhs began their counter-offense. Mahmud, the eldest son of Janibek, took Sozaq while Erenshy had managed to capture Sawran where he faced and defeated Shaybani thus forcing him to flee back to Bukhara. After gaining support in 1472, Shaybani and his forces roamed the steppe, wishing to take revenge on their enemies. He managed to kill Burek Sultan, son of Yagdar Sultan. As a result, the remnants of Burek’s ulus joined Manghuds. After the death of
Kerei Khan Kerei Khan (, ) (1424, White Horde - 1473/ 4, Kazakh Khanate) was a co-founder and the first Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from c. 1465 to 1473. History There are currently two versions how the first dynasty of the Kazakh khans originated. According ...
in 1473, ambassadors sent by Bey Musa Mirza from
Nogai Horde The Nogai Horde was a confederation founded by the Nogais that occupied the Pontic–Caspian steppe from about 1500 until they were pushed west by the Kalmyks and south by the Russians in the 17th century. The Mongol tribe called the Manghuds co ...
offered an alliance between the Manghuds and the Shaybanids. The Manghud Beys tried to avoid Kerei and Janibek’s influence and instead proclaim a different khan who is more obedient to the will of their sultans. Shaybani accepted the offer after a promise from Musa Mirza to recognize him as the Khan of all Kazakhs while Musa himself would become the new Khan of the Golden Horde. Shaybani participated in a battle with just a few of his alleged 300 men. He managed to defeat Burunduk Khan, the son of Kerei Khan, while Khorezmi, the brother of Musa Mirza, was killed. Musa’s attempts in proclaiming Shaybani as the new khan was opposed by the Manghuds and tribes that instituted the
Nogai Horde The Nogai Horde was a confederation founded by the Nogais that occupied the Pontic–Caspian steppe from about 1500 until they were pushed west by the Kalmyks and south by the Russians in the 17th century. The Mongol tribe called the Manghuds co ...
. While the negotiations dragged on, Burunduk attacked Shaybani’s possessions in the Syr Darya. His victory at the Sagunlyk Pass in the Karatau Mountains, and then in Ortyrar, Iasy (present-day
Turkistan Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang. Overview Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turk ...
), and Arquq forced Muhammad Shaybani to abandon talks with Musa and the agreement did not take place. He hid himself in Mangyshlak after being defeated by Burunduk at the Qaratau Mountains. In the 1480’s, Timurid ruler
Sultan Ahmed Mirza Sultan Ahmed Mirza was the eldest son of Abu Sa'id Mirza on whose death he became the Timurid ruler of Samarkand and Bukhara from 1469 until 1494. During his rule, he successfully repelled at least one invasion attempt by the Kara Koyunlu, and f ...
invited Shaybani to fight against the Moghuls.
Muhammad Shaybani Muhammad Shaybani Khan ( uz, Muhammad Shayboniy, also known as Abul-Fath Shaybani Khan or Shayabak Khan or Shahi Beg Khan, originally named "Shibägh", which means " wormwood" or "obsidian") (c. 1451 – 2 December 1510), was an Uzbek leader ...
instead chose to ally with the Moghuls and with their help in 1485, he seized the cities of Syghnaq, Arkuk and Uzgend on the Syr Darya, but was eventually ousted by Buryndyq, Qasym, and Ádik Sultan in 1486. According to some sources, when Burunduk Khan,
Kasym Khan Qasim bin Janibek Khan (, romanized: ''Qasym bin Jänıbek Han''), known by his shortened regal name as Qasim Khan (also spelled as Kasym Khan) was a son of Janibek Khan. He ruled as the fourth Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from about 1511 to 15 ...
and Adik Sultan with the supporting Moghuls were in the Alatau mountains, they were attacked and defeated by a small detachment of Muhammad Shaybani’s troops. As a result, Burunduk Khan decided to become a matchmaker and the son of Muhammad Shaybani. Muhammad-Timur Sultan became Burunduk’s son-in-law who gave his other daughter to Mahmud Sultan. It is believed that this event occurred around in 1495. A peace treaty was signed between both parties in 1500. Shaybani then focused on conquering Samarkand and Bukhara in the south from the Timurids where he established the Khanate of Bukhara and for Kazakhs to stabilize the nation which managed to consolidate its holdings.


Aftermath

The peace between the Kazakhs and the Uzbeks was short-lived. Fearing the growth of Kazakh Khanate’s influence,
Muhammad Shaybani Muhammad Shaybani Khan ( uz, Muhammad Shayboniy, also known as Abul-Fath Shaybani Khan or Shayabak Khan or Shahi Beg Khan, originally named "Shibägh", which means " wormwood" or "obsidian") (c. 1451 – 2 December 1510), was an Uzbek leader ...
sought to prevent it. He tried to completely stop their trade relations with
Transoxiana Transoxiana or Transoxania (Land beyond the Oxus) is the Latin name for a region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to modern-day eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Tu ...
by issuing an order towards population of Turkestan should not make any trade deals with the Kazakh merchants and attacked the cities near Syr Darya.
Kasym Khan Qasim bin Janibek Khan (, romanized: ''Qasym bin Jänıbek Han''), known by his shortened regal name as Qasim Khan (also spelled as Kasym Khan) was a son of Janibek Khan. He ruled as the fourth Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from about 1511 to 15 ...
, saw those cities places as an economic and military support of his power over the populations in nomadic regions which constantly worried the Shaybanids in the border areas of Turkestan and Tashkent. In response to his advancement to Iasy in the winter of 1510, Shaybani Khan launched an offensive against the Kasym Khan’s ulus, which was in the foothills of the Ulytau. This campaign was unsuccessful and ended in Shaybani’s defeat which caused the weakening of his influence. He died at the
Battle of Marv The Battle of Merv (or Marv) occurred on 2 December 1510 as a result of the Uzbek invasion of Khorasan. It ended with a decisive victory for the Safavid dynasty. The result was that the Safavids regained control of the Khorasan region (north-e ...
against the Safavids in November. Using the advantage during the political instability in Central Asia,
Kasym Khan Qasim bin Janibek Khan (, romanized: ''Qasym bin Jänıbek Han''), known by his shortened regal name as Qasim Khan (also spelled as Kasym Khan) was a son of Janibek Khan. He ruled as the fourth Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from about 1511 to 15 ...
supported the Timurid Babur in 1512 when the Shaybanids again gained power over him. Kata-bek, the lieutenant general of Babur in the city of Sayram called for
Kasym Khan Qasim bin Janibek Khan (, romanized: ''Qasym bin Jänıbek Han''), known by his shortened regal name as Qasim Khan (also spelled as Kasym Khan) was a son of Janibek Khan. He ruled as the fourth Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from about 1511 to 15 ...
to help who was wintering in Karatal. Kasym supported him in 1513, he captured Sairam and its surroundings. Then they jointly opposed the ruler of Tashkent, Shaybanid Suyunish-koi, but near Tashkent,
Kasym Khan Qasim bin Janibek Khan (, romanized: ''Qasym bin Jänıbek Han''), known by his shortened regal name as Qasim Khan (also spelled as Kasym Khan) was a son of Janibek Khan. He ruled as the fourth Khan of the Kazakh Khanate from about 1511 to 15 ...
was wounded and retreated. Kasym maintained friendly relations with the former Khan of Western Moghulistan, Sultan Said. At the end of 1513, he proposed to organize a joint campaign against Tashkent, but Kasym refused, citing the need to prepare for winter, since the collection and construction of troops at that time were not feasible.


In popular culture


Movies

* Kazakh Khanate (TV series), a 2005 Kazakh historical epic film that fictionalizes account Abylai Khan's youth. *
Myn Bala ''Myn Bala'' ( kk, Жаужүрек мың бала, ''Jaujürek myñ bala'') is a 2011 Kazakhstani historical dramatic film depicting the eighteenth century war fought between the Kazakhs and the Dzungar Khanate. The film was made to commemorate ...
, a 2011 Kazakh historical drama film set in 1729 during a war between the Kazakhs and the Dzungar Khanate.


External links

* * * *


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazakh War of Independence Wars involving Uzbekistan Wars involving Kazakhstan Kazakh Khanate History of Uzbekistan History of Kazakhstan 15th-century conflicts 15th century in Asia