THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

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THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND
rical facts are overlooked. Soviet propaganda is basing these events
on these unfounded claims: Peoples of Turkestan united with Russia
voluntarily. Even if happened some small riots there, they happened
with incitation of feudal chieftains which didn’t want to lose their
privileges. Local people always behaved friendly to Russian people.
The formal history education felt the effects of Soviet thesis about
Kazakhstan’s going under Russia control. In the book named “Teaching
Kazakhs USSR History Materials for IV Classes” prepared to help history
teachers in Kazakhstan, suggests to teacher how to easily explain that
process of participation Kazakhstan to Russia was voluntarily this way:
“It should be taken benefit from visual materials of meeting between
Ebu’l Hayr Han and Russian envoy and the oath that they claim that
happened to show that the process of participation Kazakhstan to
Russia was voluntarily. Assuring that students are carefully looking
at visual materials it should be shown that khan and persons around
him took the oath by their consent and they were satisfied with it.” 256
In the same guidebook to teachers are recommended these sentences
to ensure that the participation to Russia was based on voluntarily
basis: “Why and how did Kazakhstan participate to Russia? Teachers,
with their own words, should talk about inside and outside attacks
on Kazakhstan and should explain how Kazakhstan in these negative
conditions needed help from other country. It should be pointed out
that this country was Russia and the sentence of Ebu’l Hayr Khan given
to Tsarina should be read to ensure this topic.” 257
In history books for VII/VIII classes with titled “Kazakhstan’s Voluntarily
Participation to Russia” annexation process is explained as
follows: “At the begging of XVIII century Kazakhstan situation was in
a very difficult because of damage that came from Dzungar’s attacks
from East and Hive feudals’ attacks from West. The situation became
even worse with the pressure that came from the Shah of Iran. In that
situation the relationship between Kazakhs and Russian started to
strengthen. And as a result of this relationship Kazakhs Hans asked
annexation from Russia.” 258
As a result the period of Russian occupation full of bloody collision
and struggle for liberty was overlooked and these occupations were
tried to explain as a Kazakhstan’s voluntarily annexation to Russia,
which is based on letter that Ebu’l Hayr Han sent to Tsarina asking
from her auspices. An important steps are taken for facilitating Soviet
256 IV. Klas Kazak SSR Tarihy Materyaldarının Okutuv, ibid, p. 25.
257 Ibid, p. 26
258 VII/VIII. Klas Kazak SSR Tarihi, Almatı, 1970, p. 56.