Failures of the Kyrgyz Rebels in Their Struggle Against Punitive Forces
The rebels occupied the kystaks of Akhmat, Nanai, and Kuk-Yar, whose residents joined them. The uprising quickly grew. It was supported by the local Uzbek labor population, who were suffering under the oppression of the khan and his officials. The rebels approached the city of Namangan. A punitive detachment was sent against them, led by the bek of that city. However, not daring to engage with the numerous rebels, this detachment remained for two days in the kystak of Safit-Bulyaan. Meanwhile, the rebels attacked its positions at night between Safit-Bulyaan and Ala-Buka, inflicting significant damage. The next day, the punitive detachment was forced to engage in battle. It moved towards the Ala-Buka River, which was occupied by the rebels. The latter went out to meet the khan's troops. They met a few versts from Ala-Buka, separated by a wide ravine with steep banks. Both sides filled the air with fierce war cries, and gunfire could be heard in the evenings, but neither side dared to cross the ravine. Finally, the participants of the uprising grew tired of this, and some began to descend into the ravine. "Seeing such bravery, the beks were among the first to flee, followed by their troops," the Kyrgyz pursued them, caught up with the stragglers, and slaughtered them." In this battle, the punitive detachment was defeated. The rebels occupied the kystaks of Kukumbay and Yumalah-Sheikh, whose residents sided with the rebels.
However, the rebels were unable to act more organized and consolidate their successes. Soon they suffered defeat in a battle with the punitive detachment sent by Khudoyar-khan from the cities of Namangan, Turs-Kurgan, and Yaiy-Kurgan. After the defeat, Pulat-khan fled to Chatkal. A punitive detachment was sent to capture him. But Pulat-khan managed to escape from the pursuit safely. He was accompanied by several hundred rebels. The khan's punitive detachment subjected the Kyrgyz ails, whose residents participated in the uprising, to severe plunder.
Almost simultaneously with the kutluk-seitovs and Naymans, the Kyrgyz who were nomadic north of Namangan rose up, defeating the khan's detachment led by bek Gadaybay and approached the city of Namangan. But they too suffered defeat in the struggle against the punitive detachment.
Soon the nomads of Laylyak rose up. The reason for this was as follows. The khan's tax collectors came to the residents of Laylyak and demanded payment of the zyakst. The Laylyak residents appealed to the head of the tax collectors, asking for a seven-day deadline to pay the tax. The latter not only did not satisfy this request but, on the contrary, threatened to report them to the khan as disobedient rebels. This khan's official ordered his dzhigits to disperse the crowd of people gathered around him. The dzhigits began to beat the unarmed people.
Unable to withstand the violence of the khan's tax collectors, the locals killed the head of the tax collectors and four of his guards.
All property and livestock taken by the tax collectors from the local population were returned to the dykans.
As always, Khudoyar-khan sent a punitive detachment with orders to severely punish the rebels. In the ensuing clash, the rebels achieved victory. Then the enraged khan sent a stronger detachment of 1,000 sarbaz under the command of Abdurakhman Aftoba-chi. The latter did not dare to engage in open battle with the rebels, whose numbers exceeded his troops several times. He hoped to suppress the uprising through cunning. For this purpose, Aftoba-chi entered into negotiations with the rebels, assuring them of his sympathy for their cause and persuading them to disperse, promising to resolve the matter peacefully. The rebels, naively believing him, began to return to their ails. This was exactly what the punitive forces were waiting for, who rushed at the disunited rebels and defeated them. About 400 people were captured and brought to Kokand, where they were executed.
In the second half of 1874, the fragmented uprisings of the Kyrgyz continued in various regions of southern Kyrgyzstan, often spreading to the territory of Uzbekistan, especially Fergana. The uprising was raised by the herders who were nomadic in the south of Laylyak, in the Kiyaksay area. Four thousand people led by Mamyrbay attacked a fortress located near the city of Andijan. But this uprising was not successful.
Iskak Hasan uulu Pulat-khan