ALIMBEK-DATKA
The power of the khan's deputy in the Andijan province, Alimbek-datka, is strong. The entire Alay is in his mighty fist.
After all, he is the tribal leader of the southern Kyrgyz from the Bargy clan of the Adigens tribe. Other southern Kyrgyz tribal leaders, the chieftains of the Kipchaks, the most noble nobles of the Kokand Khanate, flirt with him and respectfully listen to the voice of the "ilbirs" - the lord of the mountains.
Alimbek himself is filled with the awareness of his power. His ambitious thoughts feel cramped in the mountainous Alay and the Andijan province. He is now contemplating supreme power over all of Tian Shan, the position of the first vizier of the khanate. And this is not mere fantasy. Intricate intrigues are being woven, alliances are being formed with other feudal lords, and supporters are being recruited. All these affairs force him to leave his native pastures for a long time. However, the datka is confident in his rear, for managing the tribe and all the nomads of Alay remains his devoted and wise wife, Kurmandzhan.
Unfortunately, we do not even know approximately when Alimbek was born. However, it is known that in 1830 he was already endowed with great powers and chose as his wife a 19-year-old beauty from Alay, Kurmandzhan. But we will talk about her later.
In 1845, Alimbek, tormented by ambitious plans, organized a rebellion of the Osh Kyrgyz against Sheraly-khan, hoping to replace him with a more compliant appointee, under whom he would no longer play a secondary role. The actual power at the court was held by the lame chieftain of the Kipchaks, Minbashy Musulmanqul, who managed, as we have seen above, to push all other rivals away from the khan.
The confrontation between the two leaders of nomadic groups led to the brutal suppression of the rebellion. Alimbek, timely warned by his wife of the mortal danger, was forced to flee. While Musulmanqul dealt with the rebels, other disgraced feudal lords - datka Rahmatulla-mirza and the hakim of Isfara, Satybaldy, called Alimbek to Kokand and killed Sheraly-khan. The son of the former ruler of Kokand, Alim Murad, was elevated to the throne. But the population did not support Murad. The hastily returned Musulmanqul executed Murad and proclaimed the minor Khudoyar as khan.
Alimbek fled again. But his relentless energy sought an outlet. In 1847, he went to Xinjiang. There he raised a rebellion against the Qing authorities led by the heir of the former theocratic rulers of Kashgar, Khoja-Tyura.
The Qing authorities, having received reinforcements, crushed the rebels. Alimbek and Khoja-Tyura escaped safely and found refuge once again in the same pastures of Alay. (The rear of the tribal leader is strong!). But the ordinary rebels - Uighurs, Kyrgyz, abandoned by their leaders, perished by the thousands. Some of them, fleeing from hunger, headed to Fergana. At the Terak-Davay pass, they were caught by a snowstorm. Many children, women, and the elderly froze to death.
The survivors reached Osh, where they were forced to sell their daughters for 2 tily to avoid starving to death.
Then came the time for reconciliation with the Kokand khan Khudoyar, who had brutally dealt with his annoying father-in-law Musulmanqul and the Kipchaks, whom he arranged a real massacre against throughout Kokand. About 20,000 Kipchaks were killed, and Musulmanqul was executed. Khudoyar's independent rule began. Alimbek became an influential courtier. In this role, he demanded submission to Kokand from the southern Kyrgyz tribes. The Kyrgyz manaps complained to the Russian authorities: "...the Kokand Alimbek sent us a letter threatening that if we do not have kinship with him, he will come to us and punish us with weapons."
However, Alimbek had other plans. He intended to unite all Kyrgyz into one entity and create a Tian Shan khanate of the Kyrgyz. Of course, he envisioned himself at the head of such a khanate. An interesting document has survived - a directive from Russian Emperor Alexander II to his West Siberian Governor-General Dyu gamel, stating that in case Alimbek sought help, he should not be rejected and efforts should be made to maintain friendly relations with him. It was advantageous for Russia at that time to have a political counterweight to the Kokand Khanate in Tian Shan. We do not know the further development of events. No documents have survived, or they have not yet been uncovered. Most likely, Alimbek himself abandoned such an idea and directed his energy towards gaining full influence at the khan's court.
His friendship with Khudoyar-khan did not last long. In 1858, the Alay tribal leader participated in a coup and elevated the khan's brother Mallya-bek (ruled: 1858-1862) to the throne. Khudoyar fled to Bukhara.
Power in the khanate practically passed into the hands of Alimbek and the Kyrgyz feudal lords who supported him. It seemed that the goal of his life had been achieved!
Success went to his head. Alimbek stopped considering other dignitaries and made deadly enemies among them. In 1860, while moving through Bishkek to Uzun-Agach to fight the Russian troops, he did not share power over the combined forces with the Tashkent governor Kaanat and did not participate in the battle near Uzun-Agach. The Kokand troops suffered a crushing defeat. But Alimbek and his warriors, the main core of which consisted of Kyrgyz militias from the Andijan province and Tian Shan, returned home without losses. For this, Mallya-khan sentenced him to death. Fearing retribution, Alimbek hid among his relatives, the Kyrgyz. He attracted the entire clan of the Soladygene wing to his side and went with them to the upper reaches of the Naryn. Here he was joined by the manaps of the Sarybagysh, Umbeg-Aly, Aji, Adyl, and Tyuregeldy. With combined forces led by Alimbek, the Kyrgyz rose against the khan. Upon learning of this, Mallya-khan ordered the Tashkent governor Kaanat to send 40 dignitaries to Alimbek on a peacekeeping mission. All of them had their heads cut off. A punitive detachment sent afterward was also defeated. Such were the cruel customs of the era.
Alimbek found supporters among the khan's courtiers, eager for power and new privileges. The conspirators killed Mallya-khan and proclaimed Shahmurad as khan. However, Kaanat invited Khudoyar-khan from Bukhara to Tashkent, who was re-proclaimed khan in May 1863. In the series of these palace coups, an inevitable denouement also awaited Alimbek. He had set traps for his enemies many times, but this time he fell into one himself.
Power in Aalay did not fall from the hands of the Kyrgyz. And the title of datka and the right to govern the Aalay Kyrgyz passed to Alimbek's wise and energetic wife - Kurmandzhan.
Myths and Legends