The uprisings and revolts that took place in Kyrgyzstan, as well as in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan in the 19th century, had deep socio-economic roots. They were prepared by the entire course of historical development of the region's population during the period in question and stemmed from the socio-economic and political situation that had developed in the region in the 19th century.
The historical conditions under which the struggle of the masses for social and national freedom arose and developed were characterized by the dominance of patriarchal-feudal structures and the penetration of capitalist relations, the presence of tribal customs, the beginning of the disruption of the patriarchal isolation of the region, the intensification of dual oppression, the exacerbation of social contradictions, and the emergence of revolutionary ideas. The increasingly arbitrary and violent actions of the local oppressors, the Kokand feudal lords led by the khan, and later the harsh oppression of the tsarist authority provoked dissatisfaction, outrage, and resistance from the masses, which often manifested in open uprisings.
The common fate and goals of the working Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Kazakhs resulted in repeated attempts to unite in a joint struggle against feudal-khan oppression and tsarist exploiters.
The liberation struggle of the Kyrgyz found a lively response and support from the Uzbek, Tajik, and Kazakh working people, and vice versa.
The uprisings and revolts of this period, caused by dual oppression, had an anti-feudal and liberation character. At their core was the unresolved land issue, which gave them an agrarian character. It is no coincidence that these uprisings mostly occurred in an unorganized manner, without unified leadership, and had a spontaneous, local character. Their driving force consisted of ordinary herders and laboring peasants, who were suffering under dual oppression. Often, representatives of the feudal nobility participated in them, pursuing their personal interests. In some cases, they even managed to take control of one or another uprising. However, this did not change the character of the uprisings, whose driving forces remained the working masses.
Representatives of the feudal nobility were unable to exploit the broad popular uprisings for their personal interests and direct them along a reactionary path.
The aforementioned uprisings and revolts had their specific features, conditioned by the particular historical circumstances in which they occurred.
Anti-Feudal and Liberation Character of the Struggle of the Working Population Against the Kokand Feudal Lords
The first half of the 19th century was characterized by the aggressive actions of the Kokand khans and the establishment of their power in Kyrgyzstan and some southern regions of Kazakhstan. Naturally, during this period, the focus of the struggle of the Kyrgyz people was directed against the Kokand feudal lords led by the khan. This struggle had a liberation character. It found sympathy and support from the Uzbek working people, who were also suffering under the harsh feudal-khan oppression.
The uprising of the 1870s had a somewhat different character and specific features. This was a period of the fall of the Kokand Khanate and the incorporation of the region into Russia. The struggle of the working people against feudal-khan oppression took on a particularly acute character. It encompassed not only the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan but also a significant part of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Tajik working population actively participated in it, uniting in a common struggle against the power of the Kokand khans and the feudal lords surrounding them.
The rebels, fighting against feudal-khan oppression, sought support and protection from Russia, with even the Kyrgyz rebels expressing a desire to accept Russian citizenship. However, the tsarist authority, based on its socio-political interests, deemed it necessary to refuse the rebels and support the power of the Kokand khans. This led to the situation where the rebels had to fight not only against the Kokand khans but also against their protector—the tsarist authority. Although the uprising in the 1870s ended in defeat, it objectively led to the destruction of khan power, the liquidation of the Kokand Khanate, and the incorporation of its territory, including the southern part of Kyrgyzstan, into Russia, which had significant importance in the historical development of the region.
The uprisings of the working masses of the indigenous population of the region in the 1880s-90s occurred in the context of the disintegration of patriarchal-feudal structures and the penetration of capitalist relations, the emergence of the working class and national bourgeoisie, the intensification of feudal and colonial oppression, and the growing discontent of the working people. They had an anti-feudal and anti-colonial character.
The uprisings of the Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Tajik peasants, known as the "Andijan Uprising," occurred on the eve of imperialism, when the national movement began to merge into the stream of the all-Russian revolutionary movement.
It had a distinctly anti-colonial character, although it was not free from the religious coloring imposed by representatives of the feudal nobility. During this period, revolutionary ideas began to penetrate the region, calling on the working people to engage in a more decisive and organized struggle against local exploiters and tsarist autocracy.
The Uprising of 1916 - An Important Role in the Life of the Kyrgyz People