Karatai Khan

After the assassination of the Kazakh Khan Yessim in 1797, the Sultan party of the Abulkhair clan united around the Sultan of Karatay. She demanded from the Orenburg administration the approval of Karatai by the khan of the Younger Zhuz. But in Orenburg made a bet on Aishuak . Karatai did not come to terms with the appointment of Aishuak in 1797 as a khan and from that time began to wage an active struggle for the khan's power ( 1797 - 1814 ).

In 1806, on the river. When the Kazakh clans at the congress elected Karatai the khan of the Younger Zhuz. Karatai Khan began the struggle with the Russian protege Zhantore Khan . In the same 1806, Karatai Khan was captured by a Russian caravan marching from Khiva. The Orenburg governor-general tried to lure Karatay to the border line by cunning, but his plan failed, only Sultan Ozbek Ali, the brother of Karatay, was captured. In response, the units of Karatai Khan began to raid throughout the Lower Ural line.

In 1807, Karatai Khan appealed to the Orenburg Governor General with the request to recognize him as Khan of the Younger Zhuz, but was refused. After the re-capture of the Russian caravan traveling from Bukhara to Orenburg , a punitive expedition was organized against Karatai Khan. Russian detachments from Orenburg and Saraichik fortresses moved into the steppes, marched along Oil and Jem, robbing and ruining Kazakh villages. But the troops of Karatai were able to escape from the persecution and soon again attacked the Russian border fortresses. In 1809, a second punitive expedition followed, which also ended to no avail. In the same year, supporters of Karatai attacked the village of Zhantore-khan and killed a Russian protege. After that, Karatai Khan, hoping for recognition from Russia, ceased hostilities. However, the tsarist administration refused to recognize Karatai as the khan of the Younger Zhuz, in which the khan council began to rule ( 1809 - 1812 ). In 1812, Shergazy Khan ( 1812 - 1824 ), the younger brother of Zhantore Khan, was appointed the new khan of the Younger Zhuz. In response, Karatai Khan continued military raids on Russian border fortresses. In 1812 and 1814, the Russians undertook two punitive campaigns in the steppe. Cossack units ravaged the Kazakh villages that supported Karatai, but the khan himself was able to avoid being captured. In 1814, Karatai Khan went on negotiations with the Russian administration and met with Orenburg Governor General G. Volkonsky. In response to the possibility of recognizing the Khan’s title after him, Karatai Khan made a written commitment not to fight against Russia. This caused discontent among the subjects and supporters of Karatai, whose influence now began to decline. In 1816, Shergazy Khan, with the support of the Russians, attacked the units of Karatay and the Sultan of Aryngazy. Then Karatai Khan called on the entire Kazakh population to raise the fight against Shergazy Khan and Russia. After the intervention of the new Orenburg Governor General P. Essen, Karatai Khan refused to continue the struggle. Karatai reconciled a second time with the Russian colonial administration and completely lost authority in the steppe.

In 1824, after the abolition of the khanate in the Younger Zhuz, Karatai was appointed sultan-ruler of the western part of the Horde. In the 1820s participated in the suppression of the national liberation movement led by Zholaman Tlenshi ( 1819 - 1825 ). Karatai Khan died in 1826 .

• Historical Persons of Kazakhstan