Russian political legacy

Kazakh lands were included for the first time into a centralized imperial system- political, economic, social, judicial, military, ideology, culture, religious.

Changes:

1) loss of statehood- Kazakh khanate split into 3 parts- Junior Juz- under Russian control, Big juz- under Kokand, Khiva and Bukhara, Middle juz- split into 3- Jungaria, Kokand and Russia.

2) denial of political rule for the traditional political elite- chingizids/tore – khans and sultans, and appointment by the Russian administration under new imperial tradition.

1822- elimination of khan power in Middle Juz, in 1854- in Bukey Horde.

In 1820-1850s were made administrative change and set up lower and middle administrative governance: Orenburg border and West-Siberian system of prikaz administration. Each was divided into distances and auls. With new administrators- Russian and local, elected and selected.

3) territorial losses- creation of Qazak settlements and confiscation of lands under the state control for imperial needs

4) In 1863 was elaborated a new imperial policy, announced in the Gorchakov Circular, asserting the right to annex "troublesome" areas on the empire's borders. This policy led immediately to the Russian conquest of the rest of Central Asia and the creation of two administrative districts, the General-Gubernatorstvo (Governor-Generalship) of Russian Turkestan and that of the Steppe.

Political ceremonies:

Vassalage conditions (set up by khan Abulkhair) and Oath of loyalty to the Russian crown since 1730s.

Objective:

From Russian side: to civilize and protect the uncivilized people, set up rational political order, upgrade their social, economic and cultural level, introduce legal system.

Oath taking ceremony- Abulkhair khan gave an oath to the Russian crown 3 times.

Khan Abulkhair

Conditions of protection from the Russian side: 1) service, payment of taxes – yassak, like Bashkirs; 2) do not raid Russian settlements and subjects; 3) protection from enemies by Russian empire; 4) return captive Bashkirs and Qalmyks and live in peace with them.

Conditions of Abulkhair khan: 1) military aid to Russian government; 2) pay yassak in furs and leather; 3) built for him a fortress in the mouth of the Or river; 4) fix khan title for him and his offspring and 5) protect from raids of Bashkirs, Qalmyks and Yaik Qazaks.

Elimination of khan power and title as part of the gradual loss of statehood:

1) stage by stage- from late XVIII century to end of XIX; 2) at initial stage- selection of khan candidacy and control over election procedure; 3) salary and control over intra-tribal politics and stimulation of inter-tribal political struggle (murder of Abulkhair khan by Barak sultan); 4) manipulations by khans (case of the Bukei Horde management).

Kazakh sultans/tore were to become a pillar of Russian imperial power as part of the Russian aristocracy for service to the administration with hereditary rights. By census of 1897 there were 876 hereditary (I category, tore)and 94 personal nobles (rewarded by title by the Russian administration, II category). In Steppe kray- 752 and 51; in Turkestan – 124 and 43. They made up 7.3% of the Russian nobility in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

But efforts of the Russian administration to smoothly incorporate not only aristocracy but Kazakh lands met serious resistance led by tore- clan of Abylai khan- Kassymovs, etc.

Russian administration reaction: do not rely on sultans and create a new pillar put of non-tore. The provisions of the Siberian committee on elections of aga sultans (1855): “Let non-sultan groups, with 3 years service to the Russian administration, participate in the aga sultan volostnoy elections, as well all reputable Kyrgyzes (9 years of service) and all those willing and having some experience”.

Effects: since mid XIX century high posts were occupied by non-sultans- rich and reputable- batyrs, biis, tribal chiefs.

Case: in early decade of XIX century among 87 volostnoys were 43 sultans and 44 of other groups; by 1856 out of 106 posts were 11 sultans.

New: creation of new bureaucracy loyal only to the Russian regime, erosion and eradication of the traditional political elite, culture and traditions.

Kazakh people saw the major political force and source not in chingizids but in the Russian administration and its officials.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 854