THE SOVIET HISTORIOGRAPHY AND THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY

THE QUESTION OF KAZAKHSTAN’S HISTORY 61
E. Bekmakhanov’s answer to K.Şaripov’s article was issued in the
‘Socialist Kazakhistan’ magazines on 2 October 1949. 79 E. Bekmakhanov
admitted that he made three methodological mistakes and mentioned
these mistakes in detail. According to E. Bekmakhanov’s article, the
correct interpretation would identify the Marxist doctrine against the
independence campaign of Kazakhs between the years 1837-1846.
Bekmakhanov acknowledged that he did not reveal appropriately that
the rebellion between 1837 and 1846 was not only against colonial
oppression but also a class campaign by the oppressed against the
oppressor. Accordingly, ‘The class differences between rioters was not
shown adequetly in my book called ‘Kazakhistan in 20s and 40s of 19.
century’. This is the first and the most important mistake. Secondly,
the Kazakh peoples’ independence revolt was supposed to be related
and associated with Russian history. It is the only possible way to
explain truely the historical role of any revolt. Because, the fate of the
Russian and Kazakh people are related to each other through history.
However, in my book I did not adequately evaluate the importance of
involvement of Kazakhstan to Russia in order to show its progressive
side. I, also, did not show that the progressive side of Kazakhstan’s
incorporation to Russia led to a struggle against their own elite and
monarchy further attached the Kazakh and Russian people together.
This is the second important methodological mistake of our book.
Third, in this book the attacks of Kenasari was shown as a necessity
of the Kazakh peoples’ independence movement.’
These are the three methodological mistakes which caused other
mistakes, such as to dignify the personality of the Khan and to make
an exaggerated evaluation.
E. Bekmakhanov preserved his initial ideas about the history of the
Kazakh people’s independence struggle even after the debate about
his book. In his article in the newspaper that the contribution of the
Kazakh laborers during the revolt did not prevent the involvement of
upper layers to revolt. The sultans and the governors participated the
revolt as well. In the specific period of the revolt, they fought against
the external powers together with the labourers. The main reason
for this was to prevent specific parts of the feudal administration to
profit the Tsarist government. Kenasari Kasimov was such a feudal
deputy. He was the leader of independence movement that benefitted
from the anger of the Kazakh laborers against the colonialism of
the Tsarist government. He declared that Kazakh territory must be
returned to the Kazakh people. These demands were echoed by the
Kazakh people. This explains the expansion and continuation of the
79 Bekmakhanov, E., “Adil Sın”, Sosiyalistik Qazaqstan, 02. 10. 1949.