Historical Preconditions for the Convergence of the Kyrgyz with Russia
Until the mid-19th century, the Kyrgyz people were under the rule of the Kokand Khanate. The Kokand khans encouraged inter-tribal strife among Kyrgyz feudal lords to weaken the Kyrgyz in political and military terms; Qing China sought recognition of its supremacy over Kyrgyz lands; military raids and threats from neighboring Kazakh and Uzbek feudal lords—all these circumstances forced the Kyrgyz to look towards Russia. Russian capitalism aimed to seize new markets and sources of cheap raw