Kenesary Kasymov

Kenesary's father, Kasym-sultan , or Kasym-tore, was born from the daughter of the Dzungarian juntaiji Galdan-Tseren . Kasim, being a noble and rich Chingizid ( torus ), had several wives and numerous offspring. His elder wife, Aikumis, was the mother of 6 children of Kasym - Sarzhan , Esengeldi, Cats, Agatay, Bopai and Kenesary. Bopai, Kenesary's younger sister, was an active participant in the Kenesary uprising. Batyr Nauryzbay, Kenesary's younger brother, who was born from the 2nd wife of Kasym, also took an active part in the uprising ^[1] .

in 1822, Emperor Alexander I issued a decree introducing the “Charter on Siberian Kyrgyz”, developed by M. M. Speransky , which eliminated the Khan's power in the Kazakh zhuzes. The introduced new administrative order met with sharp opposition among some Kazakh khans, who sought to restore the previous order and even to separate the Kazakh lands from Russia. The most stubborn resistance was provided by the most influential and numerous in the Middle Zhuz family of the Kasymov family of the Abylai Khan clan. Kenesary's father Kasym Ablaikhanov, with all his relatives, migrated to the Kokand khanate, from where his supporters began to make devastating raids on the southern volosts of the Akmola external district and ruin the Kazakh auls, which took Russian control ^[3] . Kenesary, like other representatives of the Kazakh aristocracy, received steppe upbringing and from childhood learned the basics of administration and military art. Already in his youth, Kenesary became famous for his leadership and organizational qualities, stood out among his many brothers and peers, gaining the respect of others ^[1] .

The longest and largest in the XIX century, the national liberation uprising in Kazakhstan under the leadership of Khan Kenesary Kasymov covered the entire territory of the Middle Zhuz and parts of the Younger and Elder. For example, in Younger Joseph , the famous batyr Jankozh Nurmukhamedov acted as a colleague of Kenesary. As well as the uprising under the leadership of Isatai Taimanov and Makhambet Utemisov of 1836-1838 , it was fundamentally irreconcilable related to the colonization of land by Russia, the consolidation and expansion of military border lines.

The political views of Kenesary were formed in the difficult years of the 1st quarter of the 19th century, when the Russian Empire increasingly penetrated the depths of the Kazakh steppes. Colonization caused mass protests of the Kazakhs. At the head of the popular anti-colonial speeches were active representatives of the Kazakh Chingizid nobility. It was during this period in the course of the national liberation struggle of the Kazakhs (20-30s of the XIX century) Kenesary moved to the political leaders of his people. During these years he took an active part in the movement led by his brother Sarzhan ^[1] .

In the fight against Russia, Kenesary acted first as a continuer of the political line of his father Kasim and brother Sarzhan, treacherously killed by the Kokand khan, then as the leader of a new anti-colonial war. After the assassination of Sarzhan (1836) and Kasim (1840), an alliance with the Kokands became impossible for Kenesary. He was looking for other allies: in the face of Bukhara Khan , Kirghiz , etc. The Kenesary’s actions against the Russian Empire were aimed at stopping its progress in the depths of the steppe, destroying Russian fortresses built on Kazakh soil, and stopping the erection of its new grandfather Khan Abylay. Before, continuing the work of his father, Kenesary tried to solve the problems that had arisen between the Kazakh Khanate and Russia through diplomatic channels. Several letters from Kenesary to the Russian authorities — Tsar Nicholas I, the Orenburg Governor-General V.A. Perovsky and V.A. Obruchevsky, and the Siberian Governor-General P. D. Gorchakov, have been preserved. Taking into account the military and numerical superiority of the Russian troops, Kenesary carefully prepared for military action. His military detachments were constantly undergoing combat training, and fluent Russian and foreign weapons masters were brought in. ^[1]

Having exhausted the peaceful means of resolving the Kazakh-Russian contradictions, Kenesary began military actions that covered most of the Kazakh lands. In the uprising, in addition to the Middle Zhuz clans, the Young Zhuz clans - Shekti, Tama, Tabyn, Alshyne, Shomekei, Zhappas and others, the Old Zhuz clans - Uysuns, Dulatas, and others took part. such famous batyrs as Agybay, Iman, Basygara, Angal, Iman Dulatuly , Zhanaydar, Zheke, Suranshy, Karaman Taishygara, Baiseit, Zholaman Tylenshiuly, Bukharbai and others fought. ^[1]

In May 1838, the rebels besieged and ravaged and then burned the Akmola fortification (in the place of which the capital of Kazakhstan is now located - Astana) ^[4] . After that, during the fall, the Kazakhs continued the guerrilla struggle, systematically attacking orders, pickets and patrols, devastating auls sultans and interrupting communication. Kenesary had to fight on two fronts: in the north with punitive detachments, in the south with the rulers of the Kokand khanate.

In 1845, Kenesary captured a number of Kokand fortresses: Zhanakorgan, Zhulek and Sozak. And in 1846, Khan seized the fortress Merke. Kenesary waged an implacable and stubborn struggle against the royal troops, the Kokand emirate and internal enemies for the political independence of the Kazakhs ^[1] .

Kenesary, meanwhile, strengthened its position in the Steppe, pursuing a strict policy towards the clans and auls loyal to the imperial authorities.

With the promises and threats, the khan inclined to migrate people from the border districts controlled by the imperial authorities. In most cases, the tribunals and bai agreed. The Omsk administration, in its turn, tried to prevent any migrations, acting through the sultans loyal to it and sending military detachments in the footsteps of the past volost residents to return them to their former place by force. P. Gorchakov sent the appeals to the few volosts loyal to the Russian authorities, addressing the sultans and foremen. Thus, the nobles of the Karacha-Dzhaulubayevsky volost, on behalf of the governor-general, were thanked for the fact that this volost, unlike the others, did not migrate in response to the calls of Kenesary, and was asked to detain “suspicious” people in their volost ^[5] .

In 1841, the assembly of the Kazakh tribal nobility and the sultans Kenesary Kasymov was proclaimed Khan. He restored the biy court, which dealt with the rules of Sharia. With his tax policy, Kenesary fixed the norms of Islamic law: for cattle-breeding districts he kept the zyakt (tax levied on the pastoralists in favor of the khan and sultan), for the agricultural ones - ushur (tax levied on the settled population). The despotism of Khan Kenesary, who considered the Kazakh zhuzes to be his hereditary property, caused outrage among the people who began to openly oppose him. Kenesary continued the policy of his grandfather Ablai and believed that cruelty could make the Khan's power lasting. In 1844, the people of Nauryzbai, the brother of Kenesary, arrived in the villages of the zhappas and demanded the zakat. Having met resistance, the Kenesary warriors slaughtered more than 500 auls of jackals in one night. For a long time after that, the representatives of this numerous for that time kind of kindled with hatred of Kenesary, because at one time they were his reliable support in the war against Russia, speaking in the vanguard of his troops.

Kenesary Khan in his foreign policy built allied and military relations with the Central Asian khanates. Under Father Kasim, the Torah maintained an alliance with the Kokand Khanate. But after the murder of his father and brother by the Kokands was captured. Kokand Khan Muhammad Alikhan freed him from captivity and returned his family and property to him. Kenesary went to the Khiva Khanate. Khiva Khan Allakuli received him with honor and invited him to conclude an alliance against Bukhara. Having accepted this offer, Kenesary, however, did not refuse the support of Bukhara. Emir of Bukhara Nasrullah- khan proposed an alliance against Khiva. Kenesary Khan offered him an alliance against Kokan. Kenesary Khan tried to get help from Khiva and Bukhara. Relations Kenesary with the Russian Empire were tense, because after the liquidation of the khan's power, the tsarist government did not recognize him as a khan. Kenesary negotiated peace with the tsarist government. In 1841-1843 Kenesary Khan and the Russian Empire reached a peace agreement, but with the coming to the post of governor of Orenburg, V. A. Obruchev, the peace agreement was broken, and the punitive operation against Kenesary began. In 1844, on behalf of the Orenburg Governor, Kennesary arrived as ambassador, a member of the border commission Biya Baimukhanbet Zhamanshi and handed the Khan Obruchev. In 1845, the embassy of the Russian government headed by Gern and Dolgov arrived at the headquarters. The purpose of the embassy was to persuade Kenesary Khan to obey Russia and fulfill its demands. Kenesary Khan put forward counter conditions. Both sides did not recognize each other’s demands, and the negotiations did not produce results.

Kenesary Khan sought to cooperate with the Kyrgyz. He sent his people to Ormon Khan , but he and his subordinate manapas did not want an alliance with Kenesary Khan. After the refusal of the Kyrgyz Kenesary began to focus on China. Kenesary Khan sent an embassy to Emperor Daoguang . Daoguan was promised to restore the relationship that had been with his grandfather Abylai Khan.

Recognition

• In 1842–1843, the Bukhara emir Nasrullah Khan recognized Kenesary as the Khan of the Kazakhs.
• Russian Emperor Nicholas I did not recognize Kenesary as the Khan of all zhuzes.

After returning from a trip to Kokand, Kenesary came to the lands of the Middle Zhuz. However, by that time Russia had taken decisive measures, due to which it was impossible to continue the struggle on the territory of the Middle Zhuz. Then Kenesary decided to leave the territory of the Senior Zhuz. He sent his younger brother Nauryzbai with hundreds of horsemen there to ask for land allocation for the nomads. Sultan Rustem accepted Nauryzbai and promised to allocate land, as well as fully support Kenesary Khan. In 1846, Kenesary Khan left the territory of the Middle Zhuz. Having come to the lands of the Senior Zhuz, he began to negotiate with the Kyrgyz manapes who promised to support him, but in fact they pursued a double policy. Despite the truce between Kenesary Khan and the Kyrgyz, the latter violated it by killing one of the favorite Khan batyrs - Sauryk Batyr. In response to their actions in April 1847, Kenesary with a 15-thousand army invaded Kyrgyzstan. This invasion was extremely cruel, after which the Kyrgyz began to prepare for war. In the town of Maytobe - Keklik-Sengir, a battle was fought with Kyrgyz manapas led by Ormon . But during the battle, Sultans Rustem and Sypatay betrayed the Kenesars and took with them a significant part of the troops. The battle lasted several days. Even remaining with five hundred warriors, Kenesary did not give up. On the offer to flee, he replied that if the Kazakh Khan ran, this would be a bad example for posterity. Kenesary was caught and spent in captivity for about three months, as the Kirghiz did not know what to do with him. It was decided to execute him. Before execution, he asked permission to read the Salah. A large number of Kazakh prisoners were driven to the place of execution, so that they looked at the execution of the last Kazakh Khan, and after torture, they cut off his head ^[6] . The Kyrgyz manap Ormon with a wax seal gave the head of Kenesary Khan a gift to Governor-General of Western Siberia Gorchakov as a sign of loyalty to the Kyrgyz of the Russian Empire ^[7] .

According to an eyewitness to the events of the Kirghiz Alibekov Kirgiz, the leader of a Kazakh clan Sypatay and Sultan Rustem advised the Kyrgyz manap Zhantay Karabekov, who had Kenensary's severed head at his disposal, to give it to the Russians. As a result, Kenesary’s head was sent to Kapal , accompanied by Kaligul Alibekov from the Kyrgyz and Sypyat and Rustem-Sultan, from the Kazakhs. Caligul became the owner of the royal silver medal ^[4] .

In 1992, at the initiative of the Institute of History and Ethnology. C. Valikhanov in the Maitobe-Keklik-Sengir area, archaeological excavations were carried out in search of the remains of Kenesary Kasymov, which ended without result ^[8] .

There was a common opinion among Kazakhstani people that the head of Kenesary was kept to this day in the Kunstkamera or the Hermitage . After the official request of the Consulate General of Kazakhstan to Kunstkamera on November 4, 2004, the Director of the MAE RAS, Yuri Chistov, and the Head of the Anthropology Department of the MAE RAS Valery Hartanovich wrote a response stating that “the subject is“ Kenesary Kasimov’s head ”(like other items related to this historical figure) in the funds of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great (Kunstkamera) was not found. There are also no documents indicating that any objects related to Kenesary Kasymov were previously in our Museum ” ^[4] .

In an interview with Azattyk Radio, Kunstkamera Deputy Director Yefim Rezvan said:

In the Hermitage, it is pointless to search for such exhibits. Such things were sent only to Kunstkamera. And if Kenesary's head is not in the Kunstkamera, it means that there is nowhere.

Kenesary had two wives: Kunimzhan and Janyl-Khanym, from whom he had 8 sons - Zhapar, Tayshik, Ahmet, Omar, Osman, Abubakir, Syzdyk (Sadyk), Play (Zhegey) ^[1] .

The grandson of Kenesary, Azimkhan Akhmetuly Kenesarin (1878–1937) was the leader of Alash-Orda , the secretary of the revolutionary committee, the head of the land department of the county executive committee. In 1930 he was arrested on charges of "nationalism". He was arrested again in 1937 and shot. In 1956, he was posthumously rehabilitated ^[1] .

The great-grandson of Kenesary Kasymov, Natai Azimkhanuly Kenesarin (1908–1975) - scientist, doctor of geological and mineralogical sciences, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, honored geologist of Uzbekistan ^[1] .

• British researcher T. Atkinson wrote: “Kenesary was preparing excellent fighters from the Kazakhs. Many people told me that it was an extraordinary dexterity in handling the spear and the battle ax that allowed Kenesary jigits so successfully to fight against the superior forces of the enemy. With good officers, the Kazakhs could make the best cavalry in the world. ”
• L. Meyer : “We must add to the characterization of Kenesary that he treated the Russian prisoners very condescendingly. This fact is confirmed by many examples. In general, he had a great gift to bind people to himself, several Russian fugitives fought with him. ”
• In the notes of the Russian researcher A. Dobrosmyslov about Kenesary it is said that “this sultan was an energetic, decisive man, possessing, besides, an outstanding mind” ^[9] .
• V. Potto wrote that "at the head of the rebellion was a lush, but talented and highly energetic person" ^[9] .
• M. Veniukov noted that "he (Kenesary) knew how to inspire adoration and readiness to follow him anywhere in his subordinates" ^[9] .
• Being amazed at the boisterous energy and organizational talent of Kenesary, V. Potto compared him with Shamil , and Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky with the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator , who entered the war with Rome ^[9] .
• The Russian scientist N. Ya. Konshin wrote: “Only in the face of Kenesary Kasimov we meet in the true sense of the national Kazakh hero, who dreamed of the political unity of all Kazakh various tribes and even hordes” ^[9] .

• The last Kazakh Khan is named after the streets in Astana, Almaty and Kokshetau.
• In 2001, an equestrian monument to Kenesary Khan by Shot-Aman Valikhanov was erected on the bank of the Ishim River in 2001 ^[10] .
• In 2004, Edige Valikhanov’s book, devoted to the last Kazakh Khan Kenesary ^{[11], was} published in Russia in the publishing house “ Young Guard ” in the series “The Life of Remarkable People ”. Prior to this, only three Kazakhs were represented in this series - Saken Seifullin , Kanysh Satpayev , Chokan Valikhanov .

• Kenesary appeared in Jules Verne ’s novel “Mikhail Strogov. The Tsar's Courier as Tatar Khan Theophar. At the insistence of Ivan Turgenev, the novel of the French writer was translated into Russian and published in St. Petersburg in 1900.
• The famous Kazakh writer Ilyas Esenberlin in 1969 wrote about him the novel “Khan Kene” (the third part of the famous trilogy “Nomads”).
• In 2008, Kazpost issued a postage stamp worth 25 tenge “Portrait of Kenesary” by artist Abilkhan Kasteev .
• In 2014, the director Satybaldy Narymbetov made the film “ Amanat ” about Kenesary Kasymov.
• In 2017, the expected documentary film director Mukhtar Umarov "Kenesary - The Last Stand" about Kenesary Kasymov.

• Kenesary Kasymov // Kazakhstan. National Encyclopedia . - Almaty: Kazakh Encyclopedia, 2004. - ISBN 9965-9389-9-7 .
• Kenesary Kasymov // Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 t.] / Ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.

When writing this article, material from the “ Kazakhstan. National Encyclopedia "(1998-2007), provided by the editorial" Kazakh encyclopedia "under the license Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 Unported .