THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY 113
Czarist Russia. In addition to using military power to put the reforms
into practice, providing cooperation with the leading individuals of
Kazakh society was also another strategy.
In order to do this, Czarist Russia let Sultans and ‘Biy’s 181 use their
winter quarters and highlands as their own properties by means of
granting them privileges. For instance, the lands distributed to the
leading people of Kazakh society in the Bökey Khanate 182 were as
follows: 400,000 desyatina 183 for Jangir Khanate, 700,000 desyatina
for Musagali and Şingali Ormanovs, 390,000 desyatina for Karavulhoca
Babacanov, 400,000 for Mendigerey, 170,000 desyatina for Şöke
Nuralıhanov, 300,000 desyatina for Balkı Kudaybergenov, 200,000
desyatina for Begalı Sultan, and between 1830 and 1845, the Khanate
and its relatives have dominated 151,117 destinya lands between Idyll
and Ural Rivers. 184 Thus, the lands that were used collectively by the
society before turned into private properties and this became one
of the factors which brought along the dissolution of nomads who
survived with animal husbandry.
In addition to this, Czarist Russia first added Sultans and Biys to
its own administration system, left the administration systems of
province and district to them, and made them tax exempt. For instance,
in a letter 185 Siberia Corps Commander Major General Bronevskiy
wrote to a border post on 17 February 1832 asserted that “Kökşedağ
181 ‘Biy’ is the person who solved cases, dealt legal issues and functioned as ambassador, if
needed, in administrative management of Kazakh society.
182 It is the administrative zone that was created as a result of colonization policy of Kazakhstan
in Czarist Russia. After 1771 following the retreat of Kalmuck, the land between Itil-Yayık
Rivers was empty. Ebulhayır Khan’s grandson (son of Nuralı Khan) Bökey asked the permission
of Czarist Russia to settle his people in this region. Before that Czarist Russia didn’t allow
Little Jüz tribes enter the right part of Yayık River. Thus in 1801, the Khanate known as Bökey
Orda or Inner Orda was established, and Bökey was elected as the first Khan. The center of
Khanate Orda was settled in 1826. This set an appropriate ground for Russia’s Khanate government
weakening policy because Little Jüz had already a Khan (Şergazy Khan). The presence
of two independent Khans in Little Jüz had caused many problems. The population of
Bökey Khanate was more than 5000 in 1825. After the death of Bökey Khan because his
son was young, the Khanate was governed by his brother Şıgay Khan. In 1823 the Khanate
was governed by the son of Bökey, Jangir. In 1845 after the death of Jangir Khan Russia never
allowed the assignment of any Khan.
183 1 desyatina is almost 2.5 decares.
184 Mukanov, P. “Kazak Adebiyetinin Tarihi”, Kazaktın XVIII-XIX gasırdagı adebiyetinin
tarihinan oçerkter, Almatı, 1942. p. 63.
185 “İz Perepiski Hana Sredney Kirgizskoy Ordy Bukeya i Ego Potomkov”, Zapisnaya Knijka
Semipalatinskoy Gubernii, vyp. IV.p.13; Kazahstan 20-40 gody XIX.veka, Almaty,1992 edition,
p. 121.