Pursuing an aggressive local colonial policy by the Russian Empire served as an impetus for unleashing, one after another, the Kazakhs from the Younger and Middle Zhuzes, which had flared up since the 18th century. One of the very first liberation movements was the uprising in the Younger Zhuz (a group of Kazakh tribes and clans united in three tribal unions: alimul, bayul and zhetyr) led by Syrym Datov. This performance flared up at the end of the 18th century and dragged on for almost 20 years (1783-1803). All these years were accompanied by active anticolonial actions. Briefly about the uprising of Syrym Datov is described in the article.
Preconditions for the development of conflict
The beginning of the 80s of the XVIII century was marked by the development of a difficult situation in the Younger Zhuz:
- Colonial pressure from the authorities of the Russian Empire increased.
- Inland territories were constantly subjected to seizures from the Ural Cossacks.
- The influence on officials of Kazakh origin who served on the throne provoked the development of Kazakh-Bashkir and Kazakh-Kalmyk conflicts.
- The head of the Younger Zhuz Nurali and the rulers subordinate to him could not independently control the internal political situation.
Prolonged political disagreements led to the fact that a group of leaders stood out in the Zhuz, which included the biys and batyrs. They believed that one should adhere to the political values of their ancestors and stop serving tsarism. At the head of this opposition was Raw Date.
Goals
The main purpose of the uprising led by Syrym Datov was the desire to end the colonial occupation of the Kazakh territories and return all the lands that had been occupied earlier, since the Kazakhs were deprived of almost all the fertile territories. As a result, common people have reduced yields, and pastures for livestock have also disappeared. In addition, it was decided to stop the arbitrariness of the Khan's family and the Ural Cossacks, who for many years infringed on their rights and levied exactions on local residents.
Causes
The main reasons for the uprising of Syrym Datov include the following:
- sharply arisen land question;
- royal ban on crossing the Urals by Kazakh herders;
- significant infringement of elders of labor in their rights;
- open robberies and violence of the khan, sultans, Ural Cossacks and tsarist power in relation to the common people;
- gradual weakening of the power of the khan in the Younger Zhuz.
These reasons became the impetus for the unification of the people into one liberation movement.
The reason for the uprising
Pasture icing and heavy snowfall in the winter of 1782 caused a massive mortality of cattle. Impoverished due to constant robberies, ordinary people fell into an even more difficult situation. In addition, that same winter a new decree of the king was adopted, which allowed the Kazakhs to cross the Ural and Irtysh rivers, however, for this they had to have special permissions signed by the tsarist administration. This permission further untied the hands of the local authorities, and simple shepherds in order to receive this document had to bow to the officials and undergo additional levies.
All the fertile lands of the Kazakhs were captured by the Cossacks, and in order to further infringe on the people, they were forbidden even to rent these lands from the invaders. Some of the lands, which were not the best, could still be leased to them, however, a disproportionate fee and security deposit were charged for this.
The course of the uprising of Syrym Datov
Frequent mutual raids of detachments on Kazakh villages and batyrs on enemy fortresses were added to the tense situation in the steppe. By mid-1783, clashes were ongoing. In one of them was captured by Raw Dates, whose freedom was later redeemed by Khan Nurala. The reason was not only that he was the husband of the sister of the khan, but also that he had serious authority among the steppe inhabitants.
Returning from captivity, Syry, along with other influential personalities (Barak, Tilenshim, Orazbay and Zhantor) led the rebellion of the common people. From the very beginning, the rebellion led by Syrym Datov was joined by the tribes of baibaktov, tabyn, shekty, ketey and sherkes, who belonged to the Younger Zhuz. Together, the batyrs at the beginning of the rebellion had 6,200 sarbazes.
At this time, the performances of the Kazakhs were massive, still. Mostly the riots were aimed at fighting tsarism near the Orsk fortress and the line below the Urals. The main center of the uprising was the Sagyz River, where the main forces of the rebels were concentrated. The main driving force of the liberation movement was people with authority among the people: elders, rulers of the clans, the biys, and the Sharua. They saw the reason for all the troubles in the fact that Khan Nurali held all power in his hands and did not take into account the needs of the people. Such actions of Syrym became the cause of disagreements with the khan, which later led to a complete break.
By the spring of 1785, the uprising had expanded significantly among the masses and swept almost the entire Younger Zhuz. Seeing the new leader, the people turned away from the khan, which led to a clear crisis of his power and the conviction of the tsarist government in its powerlessness. In the same year, the imperial authorities appointed the new Simbirsk and Samara governor O. A. Igelstrom. Having organized a congress of elders of the entire Younger Zhuz, he posed two main questions: the liquidation of the power of the khan and the division of the zhuz into three main hordes.
Despite all the actions of Igelstrom, the uprising did not end. The rebels continued their raids on the villages. And in the spring of 1786, Khan Nurala had to flee, and in the summer of that year, Empress Catherine II removed him from power by decree.
For this reason, the implementation of the “reforms” of Igelstrom met with serious resistance from the sultans. At the head of this resistance was the brother of the estranged Nurala, Sultan Yeraly, who demanded the return of the khan to his former place and help in suppressing the uprising of Syrym Datov.
The policy of strengthening the khan’s power in 1792 led to even more mass demonstrations, as it involved more and more ordinary people in the liberation movement. Nevertheless, watching the khan gain power again, some sultans began to abandon their original ideas and stopped participating in the struggle. The uprising of Syrym Datov turned into a guerrilla war. Despite all these events, the anti-colonial movement continued, and in 1797 Khan Yessim, who was appointed Khan of the Younger Zhuz by Igelstrom, was killed by participants in the rebellion.
Seeing that without the khan’s power, the tsarist regime could not cope with the Kazakhs, in the autumn of 1797 a decision was made to appoint Aishuak as the new khan. This moment was a turning point in the uprising of Syrym Datov, since it became the beginning of the end for the rebel. Despite the fact that he retained a place in the khan's council, the sultans did not stop persecuting him. And so Syrym was forced to flee to the city of Khiva, where he died in 1803.
Reasons for the defeat of the uprising
The reasons for the defeat of the liberation movement were many. However, the following are considered the main ones:
- sharp contradictions between tribal tribes;
- disagreements between elders in the Junior Zhuz;
- differences in the requirements of nomads;
- insufficient quantity and quality of rebel weapons.
Effects
One of the main positive consequences of the uprising of Syrym Datov was that the Kazakhs were allowed to freely cross the river. Yaik, where the Bukeev Khanate subsequently arose.
This uprising became the largest end of the 18th century and the first open anti-colonial movement. The rebels showed that the power of the khan is very weak and does not contribute to the imperial policy in the Kazakh territories, which leads to a reluctance to cooperate with it.