THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY 135
the “privileged human beings”. It is they who appeal, according to
Toynbee, as saints, mystics, founders of religion, philosophers, generals
and historians. 233
It seems that ‘touching history’ is an apt word for such turning
points with great consequences. The history of Central Asia throughout
the ages is no exception from this point of view.
Kazak society considered Kenesary Khan/Han Kene as a leader
who had many of the above characteristics. Therefore, one of the
decisive years for the very survival of the Kazaks took place during
the nineteenth century under the leadership of Kenesary Khan. It can
be seen in the works of Ermukhan Bekmakhanov, who recorded page
by page in digging into many archives for the history of Khan Kene’s
struggle, which has made public the conflicting interests of the power
centers of the Central Asian Turkic society in general and Kazak people
in particular. It was the struggle of the Kazaks against the colonial
Russian over-lordship as well as societal peculiarities of the people
in the Kazak steppe that resulted with heavy consequences during
and after all those years and decades.
When you read the work of Ermukhan Bekmakhanov about Kenesary
Khan, one can see the legendary and epical struggle of Kenesary and
his brother Navrizbay, grandsons of Abilay Khan, who had united the
Kazak and led decisive battles of survival against the Zhungars in
early eighteenth century; the organizing ability of the two brothers
who brought together the Kazaks living their traditional life-style
since time immemorial and band them together to lead with extraordinary
bravery against the military superiority of the tsarist Russian
imperialist forces; the genetic ability of statesmanship of Kenesary
Khan can also be seen clearly in his diplomatic correspondence with
the colonialist Russian state officials and administration. However,
Kenesary Khan was subjected to a rather supercilious style of the
tsarist imperial behavior of the Russian officials.
During the Soviet period, many historical events were used to serve
the political purpose of the system due to the ideological priority in
writing history. Kazak history writing prior to the revolution was also
subjected to such an operation. The centrally directed history writing
process in Kazakstan also created the so-called “Red Heroes,” and
they were the ones who received much praise. It was later realized
that the works about Kenesary Han Kasymov threatened to display
the misinterpretation of such an exploitative policy.
A new wave of reinterpretation of history emerged during the two
233 Ataov, Turkkaya. “History and Professor Toynbee: A Critique of Western Interpretation,
Turkish Yearbook, Vol.IX (1968), p.7.