FROM THE HISTORY OF KAZAKHSTAN
"I am Kazakh: a thousand times I died, a thousand times I came to life again"
the early paleolithic era - middle centuries
The Beginning
Who are we?
Since ancient times, the territory of present-day Kazakhstan has been inhabited by a variety of tribes and peoples who have left their mark on the ethnogenesis of modern Kazakhs. Judging by the archaeological findings on the territory of Eastern Kazakhstan, people began to take their first steps along the Great Steppe already in the Early Paleolithic era. It was proved that it was on the territory of Kazakhstan that the first horsemen appeared in history and it was here that wild horses were first domesticated. It happened here 5.5 thousand years ago.
The earliest known inhabitants were the Scythians, a nomadic people who roamed the Eurasian steppes. Later, the region was home to other nomadic tribes, including the Saka, Huns, and Turkic peoples.
In 2003, a sensational discovery was made in the Shilikty Valley. During the excavations of the largest of more than 200 mounds situated there, the remains of a skull and 4,333 gold products were found. That was the third Golden man found in Kazakhstan, and it seems that he was a king. All the jewelry he was wearing was made of gold casting, and they are all of the highest quality. One of the most interesting finds for archaeologists in this mound is a gold earring measuring 1 millimeter, its eyelet is 0.5 millimeters. Scientists are solving the mystery of how ancient people who lived 2,700 years ago could make a gold product with such jewelry precision.
By the middle of the first millennium AD, the Turkic nomadic tribes inhabiting these lands began to unite into unions, from which the ancient Asian state of the Turkic Khaganate, also known as Turkestan, grew. In the period from the VI to the beginning of the XIII century, Turkic-speaking tribes began to dominate the territory of modern Kazakhstan. At that time, the Western Turkic, Turgesh, Karluk, Oguz and Kimak khaganates existed here, successively replacing each other until the Mongol invasion.
In the early 13th century, the Mongols launched a series of military campaigns to conquer Central Asia, including present-day Kazakhstan. Local residents did not resist the invaders for long, and very soon the Great Steppe was divided among the sons of Genghis Khan, which became a prerequisite for the formation of a new state – the Kazakh Khanate. Mongols defeated and subjugated various Turkic and Mongol tribes in the region, incorporating them into the Mongol Empire and establishing administrative control over the conquered territories. The Mongol invasion of Kazakhstan had a profound and lasting impact on the region's history, society, and culture. fashionable as it gets for sports fans.
In the 15th century, the Kazakh Khanate emerged as a confederation of Turkic tribes in the region. Under the leadership of the Kazakh khans, the Kazakh people established themselves as a distinct ethnic and cultural group. The Kazakh Khanate flourished as a nomadic society, engaging in trade, agriculture, and warfare with neighboring states.
Xii-XiX centuries
Invasions
In the 17-18 centuries, the Kazakh steppe attracted the Chinese and Arabs, who for a long time could not divide the spheres of influence among themselves. As a result, the fate of the former Turkic Khaganate was decided by the battle on the Talas River, after which this part of Asia went to the Muslims, who brought their religion and writing here.
The time period from the 17 to the 18 century is the period of wars between the Kazakh Khanate and the Dzungarian Khanate, two major nomadic empires in Central Asia. The Kazakhs resided primarily in present-day Kazakhstan, while the Dzungars, also known as Oirats, occupied territories in present-day western Mongolia, eastern Kazakhstan, and parts of Xinjiang (western China). The war between the Kazakhs and the Dzungarians was fueled by territorial disputes, competition for resources, and conflicts over grazing lands. The territory of Kazakhstan attracted Dzungars with nomadic territories, agricultural oases in Semirechye and large trade routes.
At that time, the Kazakh Khanate was torn apart by civil strife between sultans and khans. The scattered people could not give a decent rebuff to the Dzungars, who outnumbered the Kazakhs in terms of numbers and equipment of the army. The years 1723-1727, called the years of the great disaster, became especially difficult for the Kazakhs. The Dzungars seized the territories of modern Dzhambul and South Kazakhstan regions, the cities of Tashkent, Sairam, Turkestan, ravaging the land and killing residents.
"the Battle of Anirakai"
by dauren kasteyev
"the Battle of Anirakai"
by dauren kasteyev
In 1729 the Kazakhs won the Battle of Anirakai, which became a turning point in the war that ended by the liberation of the Kazakh lands. However, the Dzungarian invasion led to the loss of up to 40% of the Kazakh population, entire villages and cities were buried.
The Dzungarian invasion had tragic consequences: devastation of the nomads of Eastern and Southern Kazakhstan; migration of many Kazakhs to Central Asia; decline of crafts and culture; disruption of trade relations with Russia and the East; loss of significant territories. The invasion led to a severe economic crisis, and contradictions between the ruling Kazakh elite intensified. The borders of the Kazakh Khanate weakened, attacks on Kazakhs of other tribes and peoples intensified. The Khans had to seek support from the Russian Empire.
The result of a series of bloody land conflicts was the request of Khan Tauke addressed to Peter I for protection and patronage, but the Russian protectorate over the southern part of the Kazakh steppe was established only in 1731, under Empress Anna Ioannovna. The final entry of Kazakhstan into the Russian Empire occurred only in the second half of the XIX century, after a series of military campaigns. The Russian Empire expanded into Central Asia, gradually annexing territories inhabited by Kazakh tribes. The Russian conquest of Kazakhstan led to significant social, economic, and cultural changes, as the nomadic lifestyle of the Kazakhs came into conflict with Russian colonial policies and settlement.
XX century
Under Soviet Rule
Kazakhstan became part of the Soviet Union after the October Revolution of 1917.
At that time unrest began in Kazakhstan, due to the desire of some regions to regain the previously lost status of autonomy. However, all rebellions and attempts to them were suppressed by the Red Army.
Under Soviet rule, Kazakhstan underwent rapid industrialization and urbanization, with the establishment of collective farms, industries, and infrastructure projects. The Soviet era also saw forced deportations, including the mass deportation of ethnic groups such as the Chechens, Crimean Tatars, and Volga Germans to Kazakhstan. Also, Soviet rule is marked by the hunger period in Kazakhstan, also known as the Kazakh Famine of 1930-1933 or the Kazakh Catastrophe, a devastating humanitarian crisis that occurred during Joseph Stalin's collectivization and agricultural policies in the early 1930s.
The Soviet government implemented rapid collectivization and agricultural reforms aimed at transforming traditional farming practices and establishing collective farms. These policies included the forced requisition of grain, livestock, and other agricultural products from peasant farmers to meet unrealistic production quotas set by the state. The collectivization policies had a particularly devastating impact on Kazakh nomadic herders, who relied on livestock farming for their livelihoods. The combination of forced collectivization, grain requisitioning, livestock losses, and environmental factors such as drought and crop failure resulted in widespread famine and starvation in Soviet Kazakhstan. Millions of people, primarily ethnic Kazakhs, suffered from hunger, malnutrition, and disease. Many rural communities were decimated, with reports of mass starvation, cannibalism, and social upheaval.
The Kazakh Famine of 1930-1933 had profound and long-lasting consequences for Kazakhstan's population, economy, and society. According to Kazakh national leader Alikhan Bukeikhan, due to famine, the number of Kazakhs decreased from 6.47 million in 1924 to 2.1 million in 1937. The famine also disrupted traditional Kazakh social structures and weakened cultural ties.
KAZAKHSTAN DURING THE WORLD WAR II
April 1994
Kazakhstan played a crucial role in supporting the Soviet Union's war effort during World War II.
Kazakhstan did not only sent thousands of its sons and daughters to the front. It contributed greatly to the preservation and expansion of Soviet industry. Kazakhstan's mines and quarries supplied raw materials to Soviet factories producing weapons, ammunition, machinery, and other war materials. Many industrial enterprises were evacuated from western Soviet territories to Kazakhstan to protect them from the advancing Nazi forces. These evacuations led to the establishment and expansion of industrial facilities in Kazakhstan, including factories, plants, and workshops. Kazakhstan provided a significant portion of the Soviet Union's wartime labor force. The region's population, which included ethnic Russians, Kazakhs, Ukrainians, Germans, and other ethnic groups, contributed manpower to various industries, construction projects, and military units. Thousands of workers, engineers, and specialists from other parts of the Soviet Union were also relocated to Kazakhstan to work in its factories and mines. Kazakhstan provided refuge and shelter to millions of Soviet citizens who were displaced by the war. They found safety and support in Kazakhstan's towns, villages, and collective farms. The hospitality and solidarity of the Kazakh people helped alleviate the suffering of those affected by the war.
"A savage division fighting in violation of all regulations and rules of engagement, whose soldiers do not surrender, are extremely fanatical and are not afraid of death."
— Erich Hoepner, Commander of the 4th Tank Group, Colonel-General
to his superior, Field Marshal von Bock, Commander of Army Group Center
about Panfilov Division, The Red Army unit, originally formed in Kazakhstan, which played a key role in the defense of Moscow
to his superior, Field Marshal von Bock, Commander of Army Group Center
about Panfilov Division, The Red Army unit, originally formed in Kazakhstan, which played a key role in the defense of Moscow
MODERN TIMES
Independent Kazakhstan
Like all Soviet republics, Kazakhstan gained full independence only after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991, although several years before this event, anti-government riots had already been attempted in Almaty city.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan declared independence, becoming a sovereign nation. Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had been the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan since 1989, became the country's first President. Since independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a path of political and economic reform, focusing on modernization, diversification, and international cooperation.
In the decades since independence, Kazakhstan has made significant strides in economic development, education, and diplomacy. The country has become a major player in regional affairs, promoting stability and cooperation in Central Asia. Kazakhstan's rich cultural heritage, strategic location, and abundant natural resources continue to shape its identity and influence its trajectory in the 21st century.
Сhildren of multinational Kazakhstan
HISTORICAL FACTS
- Kazakhstan has been inhabited since Paleolithic era.
- Horses were first domesticated in the territory of modern Kazakhstan.
- Kazakhstan is the birthplace of the brilliant scientist al-Farabi (philosopher, mathematician, physicist, astronomer, music theorist), who due to his role in the development of philosophy and science,received the honorary nickname "The Second Teacher" after Aristotle (the "First Teacher").
- Ancient cities of Kazakhstan such as Otrar, Ispidzhab and Taraz were important trading centers on the Great Silk Road. They facilitated the exchange of cultural and commercial traditions between East and West.
- The first human spaceflight took place from the Kazakhtan Baikonur cosmodrome, the first and largest cosmodrome in the world.
- Kazakhstan voluntarily abandoned the world's fourth largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and closed the world's largest nuclear test site.
Materials from open Internet sources.
All rights for images and videos belong to their authors and copyright holders.
All rights for images and videos belong to their authors and copyright holders.
- amazon.com:
"Drawing on archival materials from Russia and Kazakhstan and a wide range of nineteenth-century periodicals in Russian and Kazak, Campbell tells a story that highlights the contingencies of and opportunities for cooperation with imperial rule. Kazak intermediaries were at first able to put forward their own idiosyncratic views on whether the steppe was to be Muslim or secular, whether it should be a center of stock-raising or of agriculture, and the extent to which local institutions needed to give way to imperial institutions". - by Alun Thomasamazon.com:
"Rather than the sedentarisation campaign being an inevitability born of deep-rooted Marxist hatred of the nomadic lifestyle, Thomas demonstrates the Soviet state's treatment of nomads to be far more complex and pragmatic. He shows how Soviet policy was informed by both an anti-colonial spirit and an imperialist impulse, by nationalism as well as communism, and above all by a lethal self-confidence in the Communist Party's ability to transform the lives of nomads and harness the agricultural potential of their landscape". - by Rico Isaacsamazon.com:
"Drawing on an analysis of Kazakh films from the last century, and featuring new interviews with directors and critics involved in the Central Asian film industry, his book traces the construction of nationalism within Kazakh cinema from the country's inception as a Soviet Republic to a modern independent nation.".
find more at
https://e-history.kz/eng
https://e-history.kz/eng
