Muhammad Kyrgyz

The situation in Central Asia. In the early 16th century, feudal fragmentation intensified not only in Eastern Turkestan but also in Central Asia. After the death of Shaybani Khan, the Uzbek Khanate split into two - the Bukhara and Khiva Khanates. Later, this process affected other feudal possessions as well. Dispersed and weakened, the states of Central Asia and Eastern Turkestan could no longer protect their borders, which increased the threat of attacks from neighbors.

Like other nomadic peoples, the material and military-economic resources of the Kyrgyz were limited, but there were noticeable improvements in the economy and culture. Undoubtedly, this was facilitated by the fact that even before the formation of the khanate, the Kyrgyz had an independent statehood.

During this period, the process of feudalization was actively underway in Kyrgyz society. The political activity and economic power of the tribal aristocracy—the biys—grew. The exploitation of the masses intensified, as more and more people fell into dependence and subjugation to the feudal lords. In the conditions of patriarchal-feudal relations, this dependence among the Kyrgyz, unlike in Western European countries, took on a particular form.

The political role of the Kyrgyz in the Tien Shan also became more active. The existing law, which stipulated that power was passed only to the descendants of Genghis Khan—the Chingizids—was abolished. Now the Kyrgyz could elevate emirs from their own people to the throne. In the early 16th century, they declared Muhammad Kyrgyz as their ruler.

Struggle for independence. Muhammad began the struggle for the complete liberation of Kyrgyzstan from the rule of the Mongol khans. Taking advantage of the intensified discord among the contenders for dominance in Moghulistan, Muhammad actively intervened in the affairs of Eastern Turkestan. He supported one of them—Sultan-Said. In 1514, Sultan-Said, with significant military assistance from Muhammad, conquered the cities of Kashgar, Yarkand, and Hotan. In a short period, his power spread over all of Eastern Turkestan, and the borders of his possessions expanded—from the region of Kuchu-Ak-Suu to the foothills of the Kunlun and Nan Shan mountains on the border with China.

However, soon the treacherous ruler of Moghulistan turned his forces against his former allies—the Kyrgyz. Their land, rich in pastures, was a tempting prize for him. In 1517, Sultan-Said, accusing the Kyrgyz of disrespecting Islam and plundering Muslim cities, violated the treaty of alliance and unexpectedly invaded the possessions of the Kyrgyz with a strong army.

The capture of Muhammad. Muhammad hastily gathered troops and met the former ally on the shores of Issyk-Kul, in the area of Barskoon, where his headquarters was located. His army was not inferior to the Mongols in armament and organization, but the enemy had a numerical advantage. Muhammad attempted to negotiate with the Kazakhs for a joint struggle against the Mongol khans, but this effort was unsuccessful.

The Kyrgyz were defeated in battle. Part of the army was captured, while the other part retreated. Muhammad was captured and imprisoned in the Kashgar dungeon.

The Mongol khan was confident that this victory would allow him to rule peacefully in Kyrgyzstan, but life had other plans. The power of the khan's viceroy was unstable. The Kyrgyz, despite the defeat, did not wish to reconcile with the situation. They made every effort to create a military alliance with the Kazakhs to strike against the Mongols. Then the ruler of Moghulistan decided to use Muhammad to implement his plans. In 1522, Sultan-Said freed him from captivity and, with his consent, sent him as the khan's viceroy to Kyrgyzstan. Along with him to the Tien Shan, he sent his son Rashid, who was to become the true ruler there. At the same time, Sultan-Said resettled a significant group of Mongol feudal lords to Kyrgyzstan: they were to guard Rashid and form the core of the Mongol military units.

It seemed that everything was going according to plan. All the tribes of the right and left wings of the Kyrgyz recognized Muhammad's authority. However, in reality, Muhammad did not carry out Rashid's orders. He secretly sought ways to get closer to the Kazakhs and Uzbeks to expel Rashid and free himself from Mongol rule.

In 1524, Muhammad formed an alliance with the Kazakh sultan Tahir. However, at a crucial moment, Sultan Tahir did not provide support to Muhammad. The Mongol khan learned of the negotiations between the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs. Muhammad was captured again and sent back to Kashgar, where he remained imprisoned until Sultan-Said's death in 1533.

After Sultan-Said captured Muhammad, the Kyrgyz completely ceased to recognize Rashid's authority and formed a strong military-political alliance with the Kazakhs of Semirechye. In 1525, the Mongol khan was forced to send troops into Kyrgyzstan to strengthen Rashid's position.

The Kyrgyz-Kazakh alliance. As soon as the main forces of the khan returned to Kashgar, the Kyrgyz rose again against Mongol rule. The troops of Kazakh sultan Tahir provided significant support to the Kyrgyz this time. In 1526, Rashid, along with his advisors and troops, was forced to flee from Kyrgyzstan. The khan's troops sent to help him reached At-Bashi but did not dare to engage in battle with the combined forces of the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs. The Kyrgyz, who expressed a desire to leave with them, were left in At-Bashi, while the khan's troops left the territory of Kyrgyzstan. To avoid leaving empty-handed, they took with them 100,000 sheep belonging to the Kyrgyz tribes, which is why this campaign was popularly dubbed the "sheep raid."

In 1527, the Kyrgyz raided Eastern Turkestan and in retaliation seized numerous herds of horses from the Mongols. Sultan-Said was never able to defeat the rebels and fully subjugate the Kyrgyz.

During the rule of Sultan-Said's son Rashid (1533–1565), who had once been the viceroy in Kyrgyzstan, the devastating raids of Mongol feudal lords on Kyrgyz lands intensified. The Mongols still maintained their influence in Eastern Turkestan and received substantial support from the Uzbek khans of Mawarannahr. Therefore, in campaigns against the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs, Rashid Khan often used large military detachments, which posed a serious threat to the independence of his opponents.

In 1537, a major battle occurred between the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs against the combined forces of Rashid Khan and the Uzbeks. The Kyrgyz and Kazakhs suffered enormous losses: many Kyrgyz warriors were killed, and the detachment of Kazakhs under the command of Tugum Khan was completely destroyed. According to sources, about 30 Kazakh sultans died in this battle.

But this was only a temporary victory for Rashid Khan. By recognizing the Kazakh khan Khakk-Nazar as their ruler, the Kyrgyz made it clear to the Mongols that they did not intend to recognize their authority and would continue to resist. Rashid Khan's son Abd al-Latif undertook a series of military campaigns against the Kyrgyz. In one of the battles, he was killed. The Kyrgyz and Kazakhs achieved victory over the Mongols.

However, soon discord arose between the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs, and their alliance began to crumble. Rashid Khan skillfully took advantage of the favorable situation: gathering a large army, he attacked and defeated the forces of the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs. In the battle, Khakk-Nazar was killed.

Thus, in the middle of the century, the Kyrgyz-Kazakh alliance collapsed. Unable to withstand the powerful onslaught of the Mongols, the Kazakhs retreated to the rivers Ili and Sary-Darya. The Kyrgyz remained in the Tien Shan and continued the struggle. The Mongol rulers were unable to subjugate them—the Kyrgyz defended their independence.