Report to the Governor of the Semirechye Region on the Extraordinary Congresses of Susamyr and Sonkul
REPORT OF THE SENIOR OFFICIAL FOR SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS OF ARTILLERY CAPTAIN REINTAL TO THE MILITARY GOVERNOR OF THE SEMIRECHYE REGION ON THE EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESSES OF SUSAMYR AND SON-KUL
March 7, 1870
The deviation from the rules outlined in the project (Regulations on Extraordinary Congresses) at the Susamyr and Son-Kul congresses lies in the fact that the most significant decisions were made not by the bies, but by influential individuals with the worst intentions and selfish motives. The inclusion of these individuals in the role of judges served as the source of all other disorders and misfortunes for the Kyrgyz. Although the people had not yet grasped their rights regarding the court, they understood that the actions of the congress were not in accordance with the law, as they contradicted common sense, and since the Russian authority was present at the congress, witnessing everything, they could not protest.
Thus, the Kyrgyz were convinced that Shabdan Jantayev was at the congress "as the district chief," and therefore had the right to do whatever he wanted: to make decisions, seize livestock, and drive away petitioners, and most importantly, to send people to the guardhouse.
At first, the people did not believe that Shabdan could hold such an important position, especially in the presence of Major Lisovsky, who was at the congress, but Shabdan demonstrated his authority in practice. When they became convinced of Shabdan's power at the congress, they also believed that Shabdan's jigit, Bayake, could also make decisions, that the Sart Tuguluk-Khodzha was a real bie, and that the aksakal Matkerim did not come to the congress on his own, but was sent there to execute decisions, i.e., to account from the defendant and pass it to the plaintiff, retaining 1/10 of the claim for this work. When the people saw themselves completely powerless before Shabdan, Bayake, Tuguluk-Khodzha, and Matkerim, the bies, who were more cunning and malicious, understood that they too could act at their discretion. A single united party formed from Shabdan, Bayake, Tuguluk-Khodzha, the aksakal, and the bies Dzhienchura, Baktiar, and Shaake; other bies, if they were allowed to attend the decisions, were warned that for any inappropriate word they would be sent to the guardhouse and would not be entitled to a bie title. With the establishment of such an order at the congress, decisions began to be made, causing discontent among those who provided me with their testimonies presented to Your Excellency in the original. The people do not believe that decisions made without consulting witnesses, based on the interests of the decision-makers, especially Sart Tuguluk-Khodzha and the former aksakal Matkerim, can be final.
According to the Kyrgyz, the congress itself increased the number of disputes. The volost administrator of the Ketmen-Tyubinskaya volost, Kerimbek, in his testimony about the congress at Susamyr, stated to me that the village elders have registers of incorrectly resolved cases and with these registers were waiting for Your Excellency at the Naryn bridge to request the appointment of a new congress that would address their grievances at the congress. Kerimbek's quite bold statement, given to me at the end of January by the river Sukuluk, was confirmed by testimonies in other volosts at different times, which lends credibility to his statement.
The testimonies of the Kyrgyz regarding the extraordinary congresses at Susamyr and Son-Kul presented here are contained on 4 1/2 sheets, sealed and bound. Signed by Captain Reintal.
Verified by the clerk [signature]
Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan. F. 44. Op.1. D.5652. L. 5-6 ob. Certified copy.
