Who fought with the Dzungars. Kazakh-Dzungar war. Dzungarian wolf preparing to jump

111807 6-10-2016, 06:11

A new look at the history of the Kazakh-Dzungar wars

ENG RUS KZ

Maral Tompiev is practically the only Mongolist Oirat scholar in Central Asia. This was recognized even in Mongolia, where, oddly enough, there were no Oirat scholars either. This year he presented there the book “The Age of Finding Borders,” dedicated to the period of the Kazakh-Dzungar wars. Today we are talking with him about the most fundamental aspects of that time.

Outdated approaches and true history

Is your vision of history and understanding of the nature of Kazakh-Dzungar relations somehow different from the point of view adopted in the official historical science of Kazakhstan?

Our historical science still uses the ideological legacy of the Soviet era. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to break out of the framework or move away from the standards of Soviet historiography, which are still present in all textbooks. What are they?

The fundamental thesis is that the Kazakh Khanate was weak, and the Dzungars took advantage of this. This version was widely popularized through the works of the famous writer Ilyas Yesenberlin. The interpretation is simple and unpretentious: a 70,000-strong Dzungar army attacked the Kazakhs and almost completely massacred them. This went down in history as “Aktaban Shubyrindy”. After which the pitiful remnants of the Kazakhs asked for Russian citizenship and, thanks to the help of the Russian Tsar, were able to survive. The Dzungars, fearing the Russians, fell behind the Kazakhs, and thus the latter were saved from complete extermination.

In fact, things were not quite like that. Firstly, the Russian state at that time practically did not border the Kazakh Khanate. Between them lived the Turkic-speaking tribes of the Kipchak group - the Bashkirs (though they were not called that at that time). And there was also the Kalmyk Khanate with a fairly vast territory. It occupied the entire North Caucasus, reached the Don and bordered the lands Don Cossacks, in the north it reached the Kazan province, and in the south its lands extended almost to Emba. That is, we had no trace of any common border with Russia.

If you look towards Siberia, then in that era there was not even a smell of Cossack lines, which appeared much later, during the reign of Ablai Khan. But even so, the border was largely arbitrary.

Thus, by 1723, which dates back to the beginning of “Aktaban Shubyrynda”, there can be no talk of any help from the Russian state.

The main blow of the Dzungars fell on the lands of the Elder Zhuz. By the way, the very principle of organizing the Kazakh zhuzes was somewhat different then. One might even say that they formed somewhat later and only by the mid-19th century acquired the form that is considered classical today.

The zhuz division was determined by the vast territory and the ancient Turkic tradition of forming an army: the left wing (sol), the right wing (on) and the center (orta). Horta is not because he is the middle brother, but because he is the central, that is, the largest political association of tribes. Payment of taxes, administrative management, mobilization of troops in zhuzs were separate. Both the tsarist autocracy and the Bolsheviks tried to eradicate the basic principle of the organization of Kazakh society - the zhuzes, but in vain. Even the anti-government uprisings of the Kazakhs in the twentieth century bore the imprint of tribal division.

Let's return to the era in question. In any case, to say that Russia provided the Kazakhs with some kind of military assistance in the fight against the Dzungars, it is simply incorrect. Military forces Russian Empire had nothing to do with the fight between two steppe wolves.

Yes, the Kazakhs fought with the Dzungars, but no one helped them. On the contrary, from the north the Kazakhs were attacked by the Bashkirs, who actually reached modern Aktobe, and from the west they were attacked by the Kalmyks (actually the same Dzungars), who reached the Mangystau Peninsula. The Derbets and Khoshouts (Kishi Kalmak - Small Kalmyks) raided from the northeast, and the Choros and Torgouts (Kara Kalmak) from the south. The Kazakh Khanate turned out to be like a compressed spring, the territory of which was concentrated in the Karatau Mountains - the last stronghold of our independence.

There is such an expression - “Aktaban shubyryndy Alkakol sulama.” We found this very place - Alakol Sulama. This is the Alakol depression in the territory of the present Zhambyl region. In the era under review, there was a huge lake Alakol, the waters of which flowed into the Syr Darya through the Sarysa. Later it broke up into three semi-dried lakes - Teliskol, Ashikol and Akzhaikin. For example, the length of the shoreline of Lake Teliskol alone was three horse treks, which is about 100-120 kilometers. On Russian maps of the early 20th century, the length of Lake Teliskol is 40-50 kilometers.

We found this place and explored it. There are a lot of burials there - both Kazakh and Kalmyk. This is the very place where, during the Dzungar invasion of 1723-1725, the Kazakhs found their last refuge. True, it is necessary to take into account that then the climate there was different and the geographical landscape too.

If it were up to you, what would you change in the interpretation of Kazakh-Dzungarian relations, which is contained in today's textbooks on the history of Kazakhstan?

It is obvious. The Kazakhs fought with the Dzungars for the Syrdarya cities - Turkestan (the capital of Orta zhuz), Tashkent (the capital of Uly zhuz) and Khiva (the capital of Kishi zhuz). It should be understood that they concentrated in the Alakol Sulam area during the most critical period of this campaign. And during that period of time no one, I emphasize, no one helped the Kazakhs.

The question was actually about the existence of Kazakh tribes. Namely tribes, since the polytonym “Kazakh” as such did not yet exist. At that moment, when the tribes scattered throughout the vast steppe were forced to gather in one place, in the region of Karatau and Turkestan, the passionarity of the Kazakhs arose. Ten people led by Abulkhair Khan (batyrs Kabanbai, Bogenbai and others) gathered and declared: if we do not unite, we will perish. According to some estimates, the number of Kazakhs by that time had fallen to a quarter of a million people from the previous half a million.

The history of the Kazakh-Dzungar wars had its own specific moments. They were conducted according to their own laws, which have existed since ancient times in traditional nomadic societies. Therefore, all these stories and myths, the roots of which lie in Soviet historiography (and today they are repeated by some Russian scientists and politicians), have nothing to do with true history.

Passionate takeoff

What episodes in the history of Kazakh-Dzungar relations do you consider most important for their more complete understanding?

By the beginning of the 18th century, Dzungar statehood reached its highest peak. By that time, there were four Oirat states - Dzungarian on Emel, Kalmyk on the Volga, Kokunur (Khoshout) in northern Tibet, East Turkestan and Western Mongolia, as well as Derbeto-Khoshout in Sary-Arka. Their total area reached seven million square kilometers. The Dzungars themselves numbered about a million people, and their subjects numbered about 25 million. It is not for nothing that these state associations are considered the last empire of nomads.

The secret of their military successes was not least the presence of advanced military production. In particular, they cast cannons, which few countries could afford at that time. It was a militarized state in which the entire male population was under arms. The installation of cannons and mortars on camels—the so-called “camel” artillery—can be considered Dzungarian know-how of that era. I visited museums where these guns are stored, their descriptions and technology of use during battle are given. No nomadic society has ever risen to such a level of military production in steppe conditions.

Now let's compare. At the most critical moment in Kazakh history, the territory of the Kazakh Khanate shrank to 200 thousand square kilometers. And it was in these most difficult conditions that our ancestors came to understand who they were and what needed to be done for national and state revival.

Firstly, they realized that they were KAZAKHS.

Secondly, zhuz structuring took place. And it was then that the political star of the three great biys began to rise - Tole bi, Kazybek bi and Aiteke bi. And before that, there were about 130 sultans alone in the Kazakh steppe. In fact, these were appanage princes. Because each of them was on his own, subordinate to no one. And there were about the same number of impostors of all kinds. There was virtually no semblance of centralized power.

And so, in the cramped Alakol Basin, in the Karatau Mountains, ten selfless heroes stood out from the Kazakh environment, destined to become the saviors of the people. It was at this moment, as L. Gumilev said, that we caught passionarity. And it was during this period of history that the institution of Kazakh batyrs flourished as the most important factor in the revival of the national spirit and identity of the Kazakhs. As a result, over the next hundred years, our ancestors managed to regain five million square kilometers of Kazakh land. Thus the Kazakh “spring” was unclenched, and now the Kazakhs had captured almost all the lands of the Dzungars.

Permanent war for survival

- In your opinion, are there “blank spots” in the history of Kazakh-Dzhungar relations?

In the history of Europe there is the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Although they actually fought less. So, the Kazakhs fought with the Dzungars for a total of 257 years. Moreover, 123 of them have been continuous. We were in a permanent state of war.

I was in Mongolia and found out that there are no “Oirat scholars” there. And why? Because the entire material part of the history of the Dzungars is located on the territory of Kazakhstan, all their lands, all their capitals.

So, the whole history of Kazakh-Dzungar relations is an era of permanent wars. Were there periods or moments of, let’s say, constructive cooperation? Or was this impossible in principle?

It was impossible. Although previously we were part of one state - the empire of Genghis Khan. And we had one faith - Tengrism. And the languages ​​were close. Although there were dialect differences.

But then the Dzungars adopted Buddhism, and the Kazakhs accepted Islam. Both our language and theirs began to change. We assimilated Iranian-speaking tribes that had long lived on our territory. And the Oirats mixed with the Tungus, Khalkha Mongols, Manchus and even the Chinese. Hence the differences in genotype.

Added to this was a political factor: the neighboring states sought to prevent the unification of the Oirats and the Kyrgyz-Kaisaks. This was their nightmare. Including for Russian autocrats, for Chinese emperors. This trend was one of the first to be caught by Galdan Tseren, who understood that a process of technological strengthening of sedentary agricultural states was taking place. Therefore, he suggested that Abulkhair and Ablai unite and create a single powerful state. Something like a confederation. At the same time, he turned to the ideological heritage of the past - the “Testaments of Genghis Khan.” He even agreed that the Genghisids would dominate the united state.

It is known from history that Ablai Khan was married to Galdan Tseren’s niece, Topysh, and gave him a thousand tolenguts. Another initiative of G. Tseren is to marry two thousand Kazakh girls to Dzungars, and as a response, marry two thousand Kazakh warriors to Kalmyk brides and hold one big ceremony. In fact, it was an attempt to assimilate two peoples and build a single state. However sudden death Galdana Tserena thwarted all these plans, and soon the Dzungarian state collapsed.

About the heroes of bygone times...

- Which characters, in your opinion, played the most prominent role in the history of Kazakh-Dzhungar relations?

From my point of view, the role of Abulkhair Khan is undeservedly belittled. He was a great commander and an outstanding statesman. It was he who played a colossal role in the unification of the Kazakh tribes, the organization of the Kazakh resistance and the radical turning point in the wars with the Dzungars. Ablai Khan came later, and Abulkhair was the first. And this is his greatness as a politician. I would compare him with Peter I, whose contemporary he was. If we take the Chingizids, then these two heroes are Abulkhair and Ablai.

- And from kara-suyek?

Of the Kara-Suyeks, these are the ten batyrs who surrounded them. Undoubtedly, they played an outstanding role. It is also impossible not to say about the batyrs of lower rank, whose names must be included in the register of glory of Kazakh history. Because if they did not exist, then there would be no modern Kazakhstan.

A tragic ending to which we are not involved

The fate of the Dzungarian statehood ended in a very tragic way. How do you assess the role of the Kazakh Khanate in this?

Some part of world historiography is accustomed to portraying nomads as barbarians who exterminated both each other and other peoples. But this is not true. Nomads actually valued human life. Because the territory is huge, but there weren’t enough people. Therefore, the steppe people, for example, never touched women. Women acted as, excuse me, a valuable commodity. For the Kazakhs, the bride price began with seventy horses, and for the tokal they gave up to one hundred and fifty heads of cattle. This says something.

What was the role of women in everyday life? Speaking modern language, they were the managers on whom everything rested - many questions Everyday life they were the ones who decided. This is not an Arab woman whose place was in the harem. Yes, the Kazakhs also had polygamy, but it was of a completely different nature.

First of all, the very nature of economic activity allowed this. In addition, the second or third wives lived in a separate village and ran an independent household. In general, most of the economic life in Kazakh society rested on women. Because men were mainly engaged in military campaigns. And killing a woman, and a young and beautiful one at that, was the height of stupidity for the nomads. The same as kidnapping someone else's bride or wife. This was an unacceptable act and was severely punished. Kazybek bi owns the maxim: “If you want a wife, take it from the Dzungars, if you want a horse, take it from the Dzungars.”

But there is no direct connection between the death of the Dzungar state and the Kazakhs. Twenty thousand Manjurs, two tumens of the Ordos Mongols (southern Mongols) and one tumen of the Khalkha Mongols took part in the massacre of the Dzungars. That is, in fact, the Dzungars were destroyed by their own fellow tribesmen. There were no Kazakhs there. The only thing is that the Kazakhs took under their wing all the survivors who were able to escape during the massacre in Dzungaria.

In conclusion, I would like to especially emphasize that the era of the Kazakh-Dzungar wars is an unprecedented example of how, in the most critical period of its history, our people were able to internally consolidate, defend political independence, preserve the land and pass it on to their descendants. And today we need to remember and not forget this most important page of Kazakh history, honor the traditions laid down then and take care of the names of the heroes, thanks to whom we have survived as a people, as a society, as a state.

The portal continues a series of materials about the history of ancient Kazakhstan. In a new section "Great Historical Battles" we will talk about the Battle of Anrakai, which marked the beginning of the death of the Dzungar Khanate.

The Battle of Anrakai is a significant page in the history of the Kazakh-Dzungar wars. Victory in the battle raised the spirit of the Kazakh people, who had endured constant Dzungar raids for many decades, and became a turning point in the entire Kazakh-Dzungar war.

It is known that the battle took place in December 1729 - January 1730 in the Anrakai mountains, located in the desert steppe of southern Kazakhstan, 120 km south of Lake Balkhash, 20 km northwest of the city of Almaty. The Anrakai Mountains and Lake Alakol were important strategic points, because from here along the Chu River there was access to Sarys, the Karkaraly Mountains and the Ulytau Mountains.

The number of Kazakh troops reached 30 thousand people. The individual weapons of the Kazakh horsemen then consisted of a bow and arrows, a saber, a combat knife, a spear, battle ax, there was also a weapon for catching horses and opponents - a kuryk. Representatives of all three zhuzes took part in the Battle of Anrakai. These are famous biys - Tole bi, Kazybek bi, Aiteke bi, Koygeldy, batyrs - Bogenbay batyr, Kabanbay batyr, Bekzhan Batyr, sultans, ancestors and many others. Each large military unit had its own banner (tu) - a military symbol.

The battle began with the traditional confrontation between two warriors. From the Dzungar side, the son of the Dzungar Khan Koldan, Charysh (Sharysh), came out. On the side of the Kazakhs, the 18-year-old batyr Abulmansur, the son of Korkem Uali-Sultan, the grandson of Abylai Khan Kansher, the future khan of the Middle Zhuz - Abylai, fought. It was in this battle that Abulmansur received his name from his battle cry - Abylai.

The course of the Anrakai battle was monitored by the first khan of the Younger Zhuz, Abulkhair Khan, who proved himself to be a capable military leader in battles with the Dzungars.

The commander-in-chief of the armies of the three zhuzes was Bogenbay batyr, a native of the Kanzhygaly clan, the Argyn tribe.

At the end of the spring of 1729, the Kazakh militia, having reinforced their horses in the sands of the Moyynkums and in the valleys of the Burkutty, Shabakty, Karakonyz, Yrgayty and Chu rivers, reached the Khantau Mountains.

This battle, according to legend, lasted 40 days and was whole line minor clashes between Dzungar and Kazakh troops.

According to the descriptions of the Russian statesman Alexei Levshin, the tactics of the Kazakhs were as follows: “They carry out their raids mostly at night, accidentally and without any order, but with amazing desire and shouting, having with them various kinds of weapons, such as sabers, guns , arrows, sticks, stones, and finally, lassos or ropes for capturing enemies. The first blow or the first attack is always strong, and it is not easy to resist it. In it they will unite all their courage.”

The first successes of the Kazakhs were achieved near the Abulkhair, Telektau, Kangur mountains, the Sunkaity river, and the Khantau mountains. Swift attacks, the use of a loose cavalry formation or, in necessary cases, dense detachments with wide maneuver, became the most important tactical techniques for the Kazakhs. To this was added good reconnaissance and excellent knowledge of the area. The alternation of different mountain landscapes provided a good opportunity in this territory to conduct cavalry attacks and undertake maneuvers. In front of the battle area itself there were tugai forests, which made it possible to secretly concentrate cavalry detachments. Surprise attacks and pursuit of the enemy were also important tactical means. The Dzungars could not withstand the sudden attacks of the Kazakh warriors and were driven through small steppe rivers to Lake Alakol and the Anrakai mountains.

The Dzungar Khan Galdan-Tseren was unable to lead organized resistance to the Kazakh cavalry; reinforcements did not approach him. Part of the Dzungar army managed to retreat across the Samsu River to the Kara-Kastek valley and the Dzheren-Aigyr mountains. The fragmentation of the Dzungar Khanate, in which hostilities began between the Oirats and the Qing rulers, also played a significant role.

In addition to the battles of Bulanti-Beleuty and Anrakai, there were several more military clashes in various places of Sary-Arka, on the banks of the Ili River.

As a result, the Battle of Anrakai ended in victory for the Kazakh people, becoming a decisive battle in the liberation of the Kazakh lands from Dzungar oppression.

In honor of the liberation struggle against the Dzungars and the bloody battles that took place from the mid-17th to the mid-18th centuries, a monument was erected on the 35th kilometer of the Almaty-Bishkek highway - a composition of two steles symbolizing the confrontation between two peoples. The Kazakhs, who won this fight, are denoted by a taller stele with the top pointing upward, and the Dzungars by a lower stele, with the top split in half. The authors of the structure are the President of the Union of Designers of the Republic, Honored Artist Timur Suleimenov, Vice-President of the Union of Designers Almas Ordabaev and Head of the Almaty Regional Department of Architecture and Urban Planning Sairan Fazylov.

Today this monument to the great battle is a popular pilgrimage site.

Invasion of the Dzungars into the Kazakh lands. Orbulak battle. In 1643, hordes of Dzungars under the command of Khuntaisha Batur invaded the Kazakh steppes. Khan Zhangir, who received news of this invasion very late, managed to gather only 600 fighters under his banner. With this handful of brave men, Zhangir rode out to meet the enemy. The soldiers were given the task of detaining the enemy at all costs until the main forces arrived. Zhangir chose the gorge of Mount Koskulan near the Or spring as a springboard for the battle. He ordered a trench to be dug on the enemy’s path in a narrow gorge and put three hundred of his soldiers with guns in it, leaving three hundred in ambush. When the Dzungars arrived close enough, those sitting in the trench opened fire on them. They were joined by those sitting in ambush on the flanks. In the first two battles, about 10 thousand people were killed by the enemy. During the third battle, 20,000 cavalry arrived to help the Kazakhs under the command of the Samarkand mayor Zhalantos-bahadur. Without entering into the third battle, the Dzungar army retreated. The defeat inflicted by a small Kazakh detachment greatly shook the authority of the huntaishi Batur. After this, internecine strife flared up among the Dzungar ruling elite and a temporary lull occurred in Kazakh-Dzungar relations.

The Battle of Orbulak went down in the history of the Kazakh people as one of its glorious pages, worthy of respect and admiration, as an example of courage, heroism and patriotism of our ancestors.

The 350th anniversary of the Battle of Orbulak was celebrated in 1993 on a national scale. By decision of the government, a memorial obelisk was erected at the site of the battle in the Zharkent region.

Kurultai in the Karakum Desert. At the beginning of the 18th century. Dzungar raids on Kazakh lands acquired an alarming scale. In this regard, representatives of all zhuzes were forced to meet and discuss a plan for further action. The Kurultai took place in 1710 in the Karakum Desert on the territory belonging to the Karakesek clan. In the north and northwest of the Aral Sea, the Karakum Desert borders the Ulytau Mountains. Here a meeting of Kazakh sultans, biys and clan leaders took place.

Khan Tauke played a special role at this kurultai. He was previously known as a wise ruler, a major organizer and an outstanding diplomat. He was especially knowledgeable in Kazakh-Dzungar relations, knew perfectly the strategy and tactics of the fight against the Dzungar conquerors, and personally participated in several battles with them. Sultans Kaip and Abulkhair also made valuable proposals on the issues under discussion, supported by the majority of the Kurultai participants.

Well-known warriors Bogenbay, Zhanybek Shakshakuly, Eset advocated the unification of the clan militias, which had until now defended the territories of their clans, into a single militia of all three zhuzes.

The main issue at the kurultai was the question of relations with the Dzungar Khanate. Opinions were divided. Some, citing the military superiority of the Dzungars and in order to preserve the people, offered to submit to them and become their vassals. Many began to lean towards this opinion. At this decisive moment, Bogenbai batyr came forward and, taking his sword from its sheath, threw it at the feet of the elders. “We must take revenge on the enemy. Victory or death! It is better to die in battle than to see the tears of our fathers and mothers, wives and sisters, the tears of our children,” he said. After the words of the batyr, it was decided to fight against the invaders to the last drop of blood. Was compiled new plan battles. Khan Tauke acted as the main adviser here. Bogenbai batyr was elected commander-in-chief of the Kazakh militia.

Years of the “Great Disaster” (“Aktaban Shubyrindy, Alkakel Sulama”). 1723-1727 remained in the memory of the Kazakh people as one of the difficult periods in their history.

The threat of total extermination loomed over the Kazakh people. The people were overcome with despair and became acutely aware of the need for unity. The country needed a figure of national scale, capable of uniting all Kazakhs under the single banner of Alash.

Patriotic war of the Kazakh people against the Dzungarian invaders. Uniting the people. Tragic events of 1723-1727 took the lives of half of the Kazakh people. The khans, sultans, biys, and common people were unanimous that the only path to salvation lies through unity.

In the harsh years, the people put forward from their midst a whole galaxy of hero-batyrs, capable of defending the honor, freedom and independence of their Motherland, ready to defend their lands. These are Kabanbai from the Karakeri clan, Bogenbai - from Kanzhygaly, Shakshakuly Zhanibek, Serkekara Tleuke, Kylyshbek from the Karakalpaks, Erterek from the Tigin clan, Nauryzbai - from Shapyrashta, Zhibekbai - from Kudaimendi, Senkibai and Shuikebai, Tansykkozha, Mamyt, Kaskarauly Moldabai, Ainakul, Batu , which Bukhar zhyrau mentions. Chokan Valikhanov in his work “Historical Legends about the Batyrs of the 18th Century” gives the names of the batyrs of Malaysary, Bayan, Baygozy, Orazimbet, Bayanbai, Elchibek, Eset, Zhaulibay, Tamash, Usen, Altai and others.

According to historical documents, the unification of the Kazakh people against the invaders began in 1710, after the kurultai regarding the unification of the forces of the three zhuzes.

The people reached out to those who were ready to liberate the Motherland from the invaders and had the appropriate organizational talent and military valor for this.

Anrakai battle. Taking advantage of the aggravation of the internal struggle for the Dzungar throne, the Qing Empire suddenly began military operations against Dzungaria in 1729, and the Oirat Noyans were forced to strictly turn their troops to the west.

The Kazakh side also took advantage of the civil strife that had begun in Dzungaria in order to inflict another crushing blow on its mortal enemy.

In 1730*, southeast of Balkhash, in the Anrakai area, the largest and last battle between the Kazakhs and Dzungars took place.

The Kazakh militias were commanded by the warriors Bogenbai, Kabanbai and Raiymbek. As in previous battles, the Kazakhs this time used traditional steppe combat tactics. A few detachments of Kazakh cavalry suddenly attacked the Dzungars and suddenly disappeared, giving the enemy the impression that the Kazakhs were small in number. Dispersing enemy forces over long distances, the Kazakhs lured the Dzungars into the depths of the steppe. Then the main forces of the Kazakh troops attacked them from the flanks, inflicting crushing blows on them. The Battle of Anrakai was a decisive battle against the Dzungar invaders.

Zhangir applied a number of complex tactical techniques from the arsenal of Kazakh military art and used methods of fragmenting enemy forces that were not common among nomads. Fearing an open military clash with the Dzungars, he stationed his Tolengits and a detachment of 600 people in this very place, in a gorge between two mountains, having previously dug it in with a deep ditch and surrounded it with a high rampart. The length of the military fortification was 2.5-3 km. The front edge of the trench was as tall as a man. In the first hours of the fierce battle, the Dzungars lost 10 thousand soldiers and were forced to retreat under the pressure of the army of Zhalantos Bahadur, which arrived from Samarkand. The morale of the Dzungar army was broken.

The Kazakh batyrs, led by Zhangir, won a victory that was of great importance in the war with the Dzungars, in gaining freedom and establishing the independence of the steppe people. The battle was not easy; it required the mobilization of the forces of the entire Kazakh people. It was with the goal of uniting the entire steppe, sacrificing their lives, that the Kazakh warriors, with their courage and bravery, decided to show the whole people how to fight in the name of freedom. The success of this battle is due, first of all, to the military skill of Zhangir. After this battle, he received the popular nickname Salkam, that is, “Impressive.”

The first reliable sources about this battle were written by soldiers who described the course of the battle in a letter to Governor Tobyl, then information from the Kalmyk ambassador Bakhty. Authentic before us historical information reported Kazybekpek Tauasaruly, who wrote the book. Before him, no historian could name either the exact date, the name of the place of the battle, or the names of the Kazakh warriors. And only K. Tauasaruly spoke about their feat of arms and immortalized their names in the history of the Kazakh people.

Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev, in one of his speeches, especially emphasized that the Orbulak and Anrakai battles played a decisive role in the history of the formation of the steppe people.

The Battle of Orbulak is just one of many episodes of more than two hundred years of war between the Kazakhs and the Dzungars. But it was this great battle that became an example of courage, heroism and incredible fortitude of the Kazakhs and is inscribed in golden letters in the world chronicle of the military glory and military skill of the batyrs.

Years of Great Disaster. 200-year Kazakh-Dzungar war (pages of history)

In the first half of the 18th century, hordes of Dzungarian huntaijs fell on the Kazakh steppes. The Dzungar troops swept away everything in their path, leaving no villages, not sparing women, old people and children. These years remained in people's memory as the years of great disaster.

But the prehistory of the Kazakh-Dzungar conflicts began long before that. In Kazakh shezhires, Kazakh-Dzungarian relations occupy a large place. In addition, this period was studied in the works of M. Tynyshpaev, Zh. Kasymbaev, V. A. Moiseev.

Who are the Dzungars

The self-name of the Dzungars was the ethnonym "Oirats". They occupied the lands of Western Mongolia, and their tribes, after voluntarily recognizing the rule of Genghis Khan over themselves, began to form the left wing of the army of the great Mongol Kagan. From that time on, they began to be called Dzungars, which translated from Mongolian means “left wing.” The Turkic peoples, and through them the Russians, called the Dzungars Kalmaks (Kalmyks). This term comes from the word "kalmak" - "remaining, breakaway."

The Oirat people consisted of the tribes of Choros, Derbets, Torgouts and Khoshouts. In the second half of the 15th century, after Yesen-taiji came to power, the Oirats began to strengthen. But already in the 17th century they lost significant territories in Western Mongolia, for many reasons.

The western neighbors of the Oirats - Moghulistan and the Kazakh Khanate - inflicted several heavy defeats on them, after which they faced the problem of uniting with the rest of the Dzungar tribes into one union. Led by the leader Khara-Khul and his son Batur, the Oirats regained their former strength. Khuntaiji (chief prince) Batur (1635-1653) united and created his own independent state. It became known as the Dzungar Khanate. Pursuing the tribes of Torgauts and Khoshouts who did not join them - about 50 thousand houses, or 250 thousand people - Ayuka Khan in 1663 passed through the lands of Northern Kazakhstan and reached the Edil (Volga) River. Thus, between the rivers Edil and Zhaiyk (Ural), the Kalmyk Khanate was formed, which became part of the Russian state.

After the formation of the Dzungar state in 1640, the Mongol-Oirats who lived at the foot of Tarbagatai united and developed a set of laws.

Khan Zhangir and the Battle of Orbulak

One of the first major and most significant battles between the Kazakhs and Dzungars was the Battle of Orbulak. The Kazakh-Dzungar war began in 1635. The attacking party was the Dzungars led by Batur. For a long time, the war proceeded with varying degrees of success; first one, then the other, won. In one of the battles, the Kazakh Sultan Zhangir was captured, but after some time he was released.

The internecine strife of the Kazakh feudal lords continued to affect the overall situation. The lack of unity in Kazakh society, the need to unite against the invaders - these were the problems that Zhangir had to solve. He skillfully built relationships with famous warriors and influential biys, and paid great attention to contacts with the Bukhara and Khiva khanates. Zhangir's authority grew quickly. His headquarters was in the city of Turkestan - the capital of the Kazakh Khanate. Zhangir also maintained relations with the rulers of East Turkestan. So he began a major political game without being elected khan. Zhangir (Jahangir) was the third son of the Kazakh Khan Yesim.

Batur-huntaiji gathered a large army to attack Zhetysu. His coalition was joined by the son of the Khakass Altyn Khan Ombo-Erdeni, the son-in-law of Batur-huntaiji Ogirtu, Tsatsen-an, the younger brother of Ogirtu, Taishi Chokur, Taishi Soltan, the leader of the Siberian Kholt people and other small tribal leaders. Despite the many noble names, the total army numbered no more than 50 thousand people. Zhangir knew about this and tried to take all possible measures. It was necessary to gather a united Kazakh army, and in case of urgent need, ask for help from friendly neighbors.

This Kazakh-Dzungar war began in 1643 and lasted until 1647. Initially, Batur’s army captured part of the lands in the southern spurs of the Tien Shan and captured several thousand Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. Then Zhangir turned to Emir Zhalantos for help. An agreement was also reached with the rulers of the Tien Shan Kyrgyz. They promised their help.

The Kazakhs suffered defeat after defeat. A man was needed who could unite the people and lead the army in a war with sworn enemies. It was at that moment that Zhangir advanced. Even during his father’s life, he studied the Dzungars well; many details of political events in the enemy’s camp were not a secret to him.

To protect himself from the south, Jangir negotiated peace with the Bukhara Khanate, in particular with the famous ruler Zhalantos Bahadur, who built the famous palaces of Samarkand. However, the Kazakhs have always been closely connected with the Bukhara Khanate, some of them lived here permanently. According to legend, the ruler of Samarkand himself, Zhalantos Bahadur, was born in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya among Kazakhs of the Tortkara clan. But together with the villages of Khan Shigai, the Zhalantos family at one time migrated to the Nurata mountains, to the Bukhara region. The Bukhara Khan appointed Zhalantos as Emir of Samarkand.

Circumstances required urgent action. Zhangir headed to the Dzungarian Alatau, to the Orbulak area. Here the Kazakh warriors decided to set up an ambush to stop the advance of the Dzungars. Sultan Zhangir had only 600 armed horsemen, but it was a selected squad. Among them are the warriors Shaprashty Karasai, Argyn Agyntay, Alshyn Zhiembet, Kangly Sarbuk, Naiman Kokserek, Dulat Zhaksyul, Suan Eltindy and others.

Such a small army of Zhangir may be explained by two reasons. Firstly, Zhangir’s power had not yet become stronger, and he could not call a large army under his banner. Moreover, these were the days before the election of the khan. Secondly, emergency circumstances forced even a small army to march towards the enemy rapidly advancing across their native land. Zhangir placed half of his men in the gorge, building fortifications, or redoubts. In a narrow neck among the rocks, the Dzungars lost thousands of people.

A few days later the battle was repeated, but on rough terrain. The Dzungars had already begun to celebrate their complete victory when large reinforcements managed to approach the few Kazakh warriors. Thus, when we talk about the Battle of Orbulak, we must remember that it consisted of two battles. The first was in the mountains, when 600 Kazakh warriors confronted a thousandfold superior enemy force. And the second - on level ground with the participation large quantity troops. After them, Zhangir received the popular nickname Salkam, that is, “Impressive.”

The battle in which Kazakh warriors led by Zhangir in the town of Orbulak fought against the Dzungar conquerors is just one of many episodes of more than two hundred years of war between the Kazakhs and the Dzungars-Oirats-Kalmyks. And this war was watched not only by Russia and China, but also by Western military experts.

In 1647, Batur-khuntayji undertook a new campaign against the lands of the Kazakhs, trying to avenge his previous defeat. The war went on with varying degrees of success. In one of the battles in 1652, the skillful and brave commander Khan Zhangir died.

Thus, the Kazakh army under the leadership of Zhangir won a victory that was of great importance in the war with the Dzungars. And it was not easy, as it required the mobilization of the forces of the entire Kazakh people. And perhaps, precisely with the goal of uniting the entire steppe, sacrificing their lives, the Kazakh warriors near Orbulak, with their courage and bravery, decided to show the whole people how to fight, and most importantly - that they should not be afraid of enemies!

The war between the Kazakhs and the Dzungars lasted more than two hundred years, and the fight against them was merciless and cruel, bringing many misfortunes to both peoples. For the Kazakhs, the war with the Kalmyks in the 17th-18th centuries was Patriotic War against the Dzungar invaders. The Kazakh khans Yesim, Zhangir, Tauke, Abylay, as well as the biys who came from the people's environment - Tole bi, Kazybek bi, Aiteke bi gave all their strength, talent and courage to the fight against the Dzungars. In a time of great national disaster, heroic commanders emerged from the common people, whose glory has not faded to this day. Among them are Bogenbay, Kabanbay, Malaysary, Bayan and others.

The war with the Dzungars in the 80s of the 17th century was especially terrible. At that time, the Kalmyks decided to capture the foothills of Karatau, caravan routes and cities through which trade was carried out with the rest of the world. The campaigns carried out by the Dzungars in 1711, 1712, 1714, 1718, 1723-25, 1742 brought ruin and mass death to the Kazakh people. They are called in history “Aktaban Shubyrindy” (“Years of Great Disaster”).

Skillful policy of Khan Abylai

With the coming to power of the talented khan and military leader Abylai Kazakh people, on the verge of extinction, gathered his strength and began a war of liberation. The first major victory was achieved in 1728. At Lake Shubartengiz the Dzungar army was completely defeated. And in 1729, the famous Battle of Anyrakai took place, in which the Dzungars were defeated. After this battle, the Oirats were expelled from the lands they occupied to Zhetysu.

After the death of the Dzungar leader Galdan Tseren, internecine clashes began among the Dzungar nobility, which resulted in the Dzungars losing unity and order. The Manchu-Chinese emperor, who closely followed the affairs of his hostile neighbor, was not slow to take advantage of the lack of unity among the Dzungars and general management. In 1755, 1756 and 1757 he made campaigns against the Dzungars, as a result of which a huge number of Oirats died. As I. Ya. Zlatkin notes, the Dzungar state was destroyed. Thus, the warlike neighbor of the Kazakh people, with whom they had to fight for more than two centuries, completely disappeared from the map of the earth.

In these merciless wars with the Dzungars, many people died, both states were greatly weakened, the economy was undermined, and lands were devastated. And only at the cost of countless sacrifices did the Kazakh people manage to save their land, which was greatly facilitated by the ingenious and flexible foreign policy Khan Abylai, his talented leadership of troops during battles and battles. A remarkable detail: in the 50-60s of the 18th century, the Kazakh tribes, led by leaders, returned to their lands and in a short period regained control in the lands from Altai to Siberia.

The clans and tribes of the senior and middle zhuzes were located in the territories liberated from the Oirats, and the eastern border of Kazakhstan now came close to the borders of the Manchu-Chinese Empire. Thanks to the skillful policy of Khan Abylai, the Kazakhs managed to maintain their territory between Russia and China and determine the northwestern borders, which was very useful later.

Having endured incalculable suffering, giving millions of lives, the long-suffering Kazakh people managed to save their country, freedom and independence. In contrast, the unfortunate people of the same nomads - the Oirats, following either Russia or Manchu-China, were unable to distinguish their true enemies and were erased from history. This is the very instructive fate of the Oirats. Apparently, this was the way historical fate would have it. And such lessons should not be forgotten.

In preparing the article, materials from the book “Illustrated History of Kazakhstan” were used.

Nurmash AMIRTAY