The Struggle of the Workers of Kyrgyzstan Against Social and National Oppression in the 19th Century.
The Struggle of the Kyrgyz People Against Feudal-Khan Oppression and Tsarist Colonizers in the 19th Century
The struggle of the workers of Kyrgyzstan against social and national oppression in the 19th century deserves attention. During this period, the working masses of the region suffered under the oppression of the bai, manap, and Kokand feudal lords led by the khan, and from the 1870s, under the tsarist colonizers. The increasingly oppressive dual burden caused discontent and outrage among the working population. The people's anger often erupted into open struggle, encompassing not only Kyrgyzstan but to a certain extent Uzbekistan, especially Fergana, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. The struggle of the Kyrgyz people against feudal-khan oppression found a lively response and warm support from the Uzbek, Tajik, and Kazakh workers, who were also suffering under the unbearable dual oppression. In the 1870s to 1890s, there were joint uprisings of Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Tajik workers against feudal-khan oppression and tsarist authority. However, these uprisings, despite their relevance and significant importance for the international and patriotic education of the younger generation, remain poorly studied to this day. In fact, the uprisings of the Kyrgyz people against feudal-khan oppression in the first half and mid-19th century, as well as the participation of Uzbek and Tajik workers in them, have remained largely unexplored. Indeed, the uprisings of the peoples of Central Asia that occurred in the 1870s to 1890s have found some reflection in certain published works, which we referenced on the previous page. However, these works do not adequately address the joint nature of the uprisings of the Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Tajik peoples and do not sufficiently demonstrate the common struggle of these peoples against feudal-khan oppression and the exploitation of tsarist power. Moreover, the course and nature of these uprisings have not received comprehensive coverage. Furthermore, there is significant discrepancy in the assessment of these uprisings.
Therefore, the author set out to illuminate the struggle of the Kyrgyz people against feudal-khan oppression and tsarist colonizers in the 19th century. One of our important tasks is to show as widely and fully as possible the participation of Uzbek, Tajik, and Kazakh workers in this struggle, as well as to reveal the commonality of their goals and joint participation in uprisings against the exploiters. We consider it our duty to draw attention to the beginning of the penetration of revolutionary ideas into Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, at the end of the last century. These ideas, like a spotlight, carved their way through the darkness, gradually but surely prompting the indigenous working population to a more decisive struggle for national freedom.
The basis of this research consists of official documents stored in the country's archives and some manuscript sources and folklore materials, a significant portion of which is being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. Most of the archival documents are official documents (reports, communications, accounts, letters, telegrams, personal correspondence, diaries, memos, etc.) originating from tsarist officials—commanders of punitive detachments and districts, military governors of regions, general governors, and other high-ranking individuals. Against their will and desire, they left behind a considerable amount of factual material that represents a certain scientific interest. Without them, it is impossible to describe the course of popular uprisings, identify the causes of defeat, and specific characteristics. These documents are stored in the archives of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Almaty, Omsk, and Bishkek.
However, they often contain quite contradictory, and sometimes mutually exclusive information; they justify and idealize the colonial policy of tsarism, smooth over social contradictions, and characterize popular uprisings as a rebellion lacking social-economic and political grounds, distorting actual facts. Therefore, they should be approached critically and compared with other materials to reveal the truth.
We have also utilized literary sources related to the issue at hand. They too require a critical approach. For literature passed through tsarist censorship and pursued specific goals related to the interests of power.
There is no need to characterize the sources used in detail, as they are indicated in the footnote scientific reference apparatus.
The monograph is intended for a wide audience interested in the history of Kyrgyzstan.
The Contribution of the Kyrgyz to the Struggle of the Peoples of Eastern Tian Shan and Eastern Turkestan Against the Oirat-Dzungar Conquerors
