Yessim-khan(unknown – 1645) – ruler and outstanding politician of Kazakh khanate, son of Shigay-khan.
Biography
Historical sources have very scanty information about early childhood years of Yessim – khan. When his brother Tauekel-khan was a ruler of the state Yessim sultan actively participated in his military campaigns to conquer lands, which were stretching in the south up to Samarkand. He was elected a ruler of the Kazakh khanate after the death of Tauekel in 1598. Next year in a course of the peaceful talks with Bukhara emirate, Yessim-khan reached an agreement to join to Kazakh khanate Tashkent with neighboring districts. During his term, Turkestan was declared an official capital of the state. However, Yessim-khan’s centralization policy was not supported by a number of powerful sultans-separatists. In 1603 a certain Abd-al-Gafar, originated from Karakalpaks, proclaimed himself a ruler of Turkestan after conquest of Sairam, Axsikent and Tashkent. The first battle of Yessim-khan with Abd-al-Gafar ended by his defeat but the second one was victorious and led to Abd-al-Gafar’s death.
A rapid growth of khan’s authority among common citizens was explained not only by his courage while he successfully defended a state but also by joining new territories to Kazakh khanate along with the gaining of number of cities on SyrDariya river. Unfortunately, in 1613 political situation changed to worse scenario: Tursun khan having used support of Imankuli-khan proclaimed himself a ruler of Tashkent city. Moreover, he had a strong desire to become a leader of the Kazakh khanate but had to oust Yessim-khan as a rival. Finally Yessim-khan lost his throne and was forced to escape to Eastern Turkestan. In 1627 Yessim-khan fought a fierce battle against Jungars (Kalmaks) who were used to make frequent raids to Kazakh lands. For a valiant service demonstrated by Yessim-khan in these campaigns that resulted by Kalmak flight for the Jungar Mountains people called him “courageous Yessim batur”. In this difficult period Tursun khan invaded Turkestan region and took into prison Yessim-khan’s family. In the course of the bloody conflicts between two khans that happened in 1628 Tursun-khan was killed. In the last period of the life Yessim-khan was gravely ill and has been bedridden for years. He passed away in 1645 and was buried in his capital Turkestan.
During the reign of Kasym Khan, who founded the Kazakh state, and finally united Kazakh tribes and clans, emerged the tradition that the descendants of his father Zhanibek, his nine sons, ruled the khanate. This ruling system functioned according to the traditions of the tribal system. Such a system of government has been preserved in history under the title “The light path of Kasym Khan.” The main significance of Kasym Khan’s political reform was as follows: the former Golden Horde, Ak Orda, and the Uzbek ulus of Abulkhair, based on the Mongolian ulus system of government and considered the administrative division of Juchi Ulus as the Right, Left Wing and Middle Ulus, now due to the formation of the Kazakh state made changes in the concept of “wing” as a “side”, “part” or “hundred”. This change was made due to the fact that a single people could not be divided into political uluses or bets. In the new system, the old tradition of the Golden Horde, in which instead of a father his son was to take the throne, also underwent several changes, and any native of the Tore clan from the dynasty of descendants of Zhanibek Khan (younger brothers, grandchildren and siblings) could claim the throne.
Guided by this rule, the descendants of Zhanibek Khan, when the central authority was weakened, reached the point that they had the opportunity to personally elect their own khan for each part of the state. However, being the main factor in the development of steppe democracy, in the end, all this led to the emergence of several khans in the Kazakh steppes. When local tribes supported individual khans, it consequently led to a weakening of the internal political unity of the state. These phenomena began to manifest themselves more often after the death of Kasym khan in 1521, who was recognized by all Kazakh tribes as their ruler.
Thus, when Mamash (1521-1523) and Tahir (1523-1533) were in power of the Kazakh Khanate, local Tore descendants participated in attempts to create small khanates in certain regions, relying on the support of tribes and clans. In the new political system, the leaders of local tribes were not obliged to obey only the sons of Mamash Khan or Tahir Khan. At the same time, the Nogai Horde in the west was able to overcome the political crisis, intensifying again its attempts to seize the land to the river Jem. Thus, the weakening of central authority allowed three khans to ascend the throne in the Kazakh steppe from 1533 to 1538. Ahmet Khan ruled (Khoja Ahmed Khan) In the west, in central regions Togy Khan got the power, and in the southeast Buidash Khan became the suzerain. Later, Khan Haknazar, who ruled in the XVI century, and Tauekel Khan could not put an end to processes of the state’s disunity. After the reign of Tauekel Khan Yessim Khan (Ensegei Boily Yer Yessim- Khan Yessim the Brave) was able to stop the fragmentation of the khanate to unite the Kazakh tribes. He began to actively fight the separatist movements of the Sultans, such as Tursyn, Abylay, Hanzada, Abulaiys, Murat, etc. The current domestic political situation, as well as foreign policy problems – the raids of Kalmyks that had moved from the east, forced Yessim Khan to divide the vast territory inhabited by Kazakhs into three large zones to implement this (Division and management into three Zhuz) reform. In the new system, they began to limit the dominance of the Tore descendants, thereby intending to strengthen the supremacy of influential biis who’s ranks were higher than of the ordinary people.
This reform went down in history as the “Primordial Way of Yessim Khan”. This change led to a revival of the previous rates as it was in the Juchi ulus, but in a new political context. Yessim Khan began this reform with Zhetysu, where he himself led all the affairs of administration. He admitted the fact that Kazakh Khanate was formed of the lands on which the Kazakh tribes had been settled since early medieval period and later was called the Elder Zhuz. It should be noted that after the death of Tauekel Khan, the semi-dependent Oirats rebelled again and tried to conquer Zhetysu territory populated by the Kazakhs. Since 1603, the long wars of the Kazakh Horde with the Bukhara Khanate started. This war required the consolidation of the Elder Zhuz tribes settled on the territory of Zhetysu, where the headquarters of Yessim Khan was located. Similar to the title of Elder Zhuz, the tribes of the central part in Kazakh steppes, conquered during the reign of Kasym Khan, was called the Middle Zhuz, and the Kazakhs of the western region, who broke ties with the Nogai Horde in the second half of the 16th century, became known as the Junior Zhuz. Thus, three ethno-geographical and business, administrative districts were created.
As we have already noted, Yessim Khan came to power in the Kazakh Khanate in fall 1598 after the death of his brother Tauekel Khan. They were sons of Shygay Khan’s second wife, Zhaksim Bik [1]. The father of Shygai himself was the ninth son of Az-Zhanibek, the famous Zhadik Sultan. In the historical epic “Khan Yessim the Brave”, widely known among the people, it is said that from the earliest years Yessim Khan was talented and unique. The following poem vividly describes it:
When he was seven years old
There was a desire to learn.
To fifteen years
Different science has become interesting.
In this age
Superiority and resourcefulness,
He became a conscious person.
If a word was spoken,
“No, that’s not so and that’s not what
People were amazed
This kind of sage [2, р. 137]…
Yessim was a kind and merciful man with a gentle character who patiently solved all problems. His enemies, taking advantage of his good nature, had tried persistently to use all opportunities in their favor. Yessim ‘s coming to power coincided with Kalmyks military raids to the Kazakh lands (1599). Earler, they had been granted Russian citizenship and reached the Volga through Siberia. Shapyrashty Kazbek bek Tauasaruly describes this historical era based on the memoirs of Matai biy contemporary of these events in his work “The entire family tree is before me” as follows: “… this was the time when Yessim Khan came to power after Tauekel Khan … Son of Shygay, Yessim Khan, sparing no effort, tried to unite the Kazakh people. For the first time, he caught the eye when Tauekel attacked Samarkand” [3, р. 902]. In this commotion, those who planned to seize the khan’s throne from Yessim began to act. In fall 1603 a certain Abd al-Gafar, originated from Karakalpaks proclaimed himself a khan in Turkestan. Yessim Khan, in a hurry led the Kazakh sultans, and rushed after him in pursuit and lost the first battle. Intoxicated by a temporary victory, Abd al-Gafar captured not only Turkestan, but also Sairam, Akhsikent, and designated Tashkent as his capital. In 1605, having gathered an army from Kazakh clans and tribes at the foot of Alatau, Yessim Khan unexpectedly attacked his opponents in Karakamys lands. Abd al-Gafar, who had run out of sleep, was killed by Yessim Khan with a saber with a curved blade [4, р. 61-62]. It was time for the recognition of the only khan.
However, in 1613 Tursun-Mukhammed, who was supported by Bukhara Khan Imamkuli, sat on the khan’s throne in Tashkent. Now Kazakh tribes had to recognize his power. In the historical epic “Khan Yessim the Brave”, the following is narrated:
At this time in Tashkent
A lot of people were watching
Katagan talk about namdaryn.
From the Shibani Khan family,
Shah Tursun talk about his Khan.
Karakalpak, Katagan
Samarkand, Jesak, Kokand
Someone would ask about everything [2, р. 141] …
As for the origin of Tursun Khan, eastern sources point out of him as the third son of Jalim Sultan. However, Jalim Sultan was the brother of Khaknazar Khan, which means he was the son of Kasym [5]. Jalim Sultan was killed by his son-in-law Baba Sultan [6]. The historical situation was as follows: Jalim Sultan was known in history as a loyal subordinate to Aknazar Khan. He also participated in the conflict between Aknazar Khan and the Nogais. In 1569, together with Sultan Aknazar and Shigay Sultan, Jalim created an army of 20 armed detachments of the Sultans, who were their relatives, to invade the Nogai Horde and defeat it. After that, Jalim Sultan did not step away from Aknazar Khan. In 1580 while Jalim was busy with the execution of the Aknazar khan’s order he was suddenly killed by his son-in-law Baba Sultan, the ruler of “Sheibanid’s” Tashkent. Together with Jalim Sultan, his both sons and two sons of Aknazar khan died at the hands of the people who carried out the instructions of Baba Sultan. But the situation did not change even after Tauekel Khan avenged them and killed Baba Sultan. The battle for the throne, between Tore after the death of Tauekel Khan, became fiercer [7, р. 90-91].
Thus, as can be seen from these sources, two khans simultaneously ruled in the Kazakh Khanate. To prevent the Kazakhs from dividing into two parts, Yessim Khan first reconciled to this situation and did not touch Tursun’s interests, limiting himself to the administration of the city of Turkestan. Tursun Khan was much older than Yessim Khan. It is important to note that Russian historians showed Tursun Khan as the brother of Yessim Khan [8, р. 136]. This, of course, is an erroneous opinion.
However, the good fame of Yessim Khan, which was known even under Tauekel Khan, did not give rest to Tursun Khan. He constantly thought how to get rid of Yessim Khan. Thus, he decided to use assistance of Imamkuli, the enemy of the Kazakhs, for his own purposes. Due to the provocation of Tursun-Mukhammed, the Bukhara Khan Imamkuli, having penetrated the Syr Darya region, captured Zhetysu and mercilessly killed the Kazakhs. Khan Tursun-Mohammed, who also took advantage of this moment, invaded Turkestan and conquered the local Kazakhs. Thus, unable to withstand the pressure from two sides, Yessim Khan crossed through Zhetysu and fled to the lands of Abdilrahim, Khan of Turfan. Abdilrahim was the son of the Mughal khan Abdirashid, or rather, the grandson of the Mughal khan Said, relatives of the wife of Kasym Khan. These events date back to 1618-1619. Meanwhile, in the Mughal Empire, which was once created by Chagatai and his descendants, the number of heirs to the throne fell sharply, and therefore, the coming of Yessim Khan, as a representative of the Tore clan, greatly pleased the authorities. First of all, in order not to look miserable in the eyes of friends and enemies, he invited Abdilrahim Khan to become his son-in-law. This offer was to Abdilrahim’s liking. Thus, Yessim solemnly married his daughter Ayhanim padishah to Abdilrahim [9, р. 252]. Yessim Khan actively participated in the campaigns of Abdilrahim Khan to conquest several cities in Kashgar region. He also regularly organized campaigns against the Kalmyks, together with the Kazakhs accompanying him. Continuous Kalmyk raids to Kazakh lands became regular starting 1599. So, the main goal of Yessim Khan was to continue his ancestors path to protect their lands from the enemy and restore the unity of the Kazakh Khanate. At this time, the Kazakhs fought with the Kalmyks in the vast steppes of Saryarka. In 1618, Kazakh troops defeated Kalmyks in a bloody battle between the mountains Burkutta and Bolatty. Despite this failure, Kalmyks from time to time continued their raids to Kazakh lands. Two years later, the Kazakhs cohort met again with a large number of Kalmyk military forces and defeated them on the battlefield along Tobol. This war with a saber raised to the sky, was led by Yessim Khan. However, this was not the final victory. The hostility that arose between the Kazakhs and Kalmyks foreshadowed many bloody battles decades later. In the years 1623-24 Yessim Khan arrived to Tashkent. He realized the importance of uniting Kazakhs and Kyrgyz to counter the Kalmyks. At this time, he reached an agreement with Tursun Khan, who ruled one part of the Kazakh lands and became the ruler of the Turkestan territory. Due to his compassionate nature, Yessim Khan was indulgent towards all the tricks that Tursun Khan committed. At the beginning, reconciliation of the two khans took place by initiative of Khiva Abilgazy Bahadur khan. Nevertheless, Tursun Khan fought not only with the Kazakhs, but also repeatedly organized campaigns against Bukhara Khan, who often supported him. For example, in 1623, having gathered 100,000 troops, he opposed Imamkuli, thereby defeating him. In such cases, Tursun Khan first came to terms with Yessim Khan. A common enemy, common interests forced the Kazakh khans from time to time to come to such agreements. In 1624, he even actively participated in the campaign of Tursun Khan in Andizhan. At first, Andizhan was ruled by Hanzad, the son of the Kazakh sultan Keldi Mukhammed. However, despite the fact that the ruler was a Kazakh governor of this area, the region as a whole was under the control of Bukhara Khan Imamkuli. Tursun Khan, in enmity with Imamkuli, considering him his rival, relying on the strong detachments of Yessim Khan, surrounded the fortress of Ahsi. Khanzada, realizing the limits of his capabilities against the Kazakh sultans, asked Imamkuli for help. The bloody battle ended by the defeat of Bukhara Khan. Tursun and Yessim Khan, having captured some more fortresses, plundered them and returned with great booty. Such friendly relations would continue even when Tursun Khan did not take open hostile actions against his ally. The growth of influence and authority of Yessim Khan among Kazakhs did not give rest to Tursun Khan. Yessim Khan was an obstacle for him on the way to rule the entire Kazakh people, as it was before. Therefore, he patiently waited for a better time to destroy Yessim Khan, and prepared for a decisive battle against him, relying on Katagan tribe, whose head he was, to realize this plan. By the years 1626-27, their relationship worsened again. This was mentioned in the work of Abilgazy “Family tree of the Turks” [10]. Tursun Khan was the culprit of the situation. Events developed as follows. Yessim Khan, who restored relations with Tursun, the same year led the large army against Kalmyks. Part of his army consisted of Katagan warriors. Tursun Khan, sending an intermediary to Yessim Khan, vowed that they would now live in peace and that he wished that Yessim Khan would confront enemies in the east, and that he would stop the Kalmyks in the west. He also insisted on the following: “… take my army, take equipment, take supplies, and go down from the great Irtysh, get to the end, and let the land remain ours!” But Yessim Khan was confident: “ … – I will not take from you either an army, or equipment, or supplies. I have enough of what I have. The only thing I am asking keep an eye on my people that are left behind, ”he replied. However, this turned out to be the trap organized by Tursun Khan. He violated the agreement on mutual friendship by sending troops to Turkestan to defeat the possessions of Yessim Khan. The army of Tursyn Khan, having killed a huge number of people, took the wife and children of Yessim Khan to Tashkent. Now Tursun Khan decided to finally get rid of his rival, Yessim Khan. In order to realize this insidious plan, Tursun Khan tried to watch over Yessim Khan, who was returning back from a campaign against Kalmyks, and suddenly attacked him. However, thanks to the people loyal to him, Yessim Khan was informed in advance. Two troops met in the vicinity of Sairam. In this bloody massacre, Tursun Khan, having been defeated, returned to Tashkent with the surviving army. However, having gathered an additional army in the vicinity of Tashkent, he again involved Yessim khan into battle. When the two sides lined up against each other, Yessim Khan called Tursun Khan to a duel, one on one, thereby he wanted to avoid bloodshed between fraternal tribes and clans. Realizing that he could not have defeated Yessim Khan, Tursun Khan fearfully refuses and takes to flight. This time, the military leaders of Tursun Khan, who witnessed the unfair actions of the Khan, and his close nukers, and Kazakh Batyrs, were greatly disappointed by Tursun Khan and began to support Yessim Khan [7, р. 92-93]. Among them were especially active Zhanay batyr and great-grandfather Nauryzbay batyr Suleimen batyr. In the first battles with Tursun Khan Suleiman Batyr, during single fights, one killed up to ten people. One of the direct witnesses of that time, the elder Matai, from whom some stories have come down, according to which the only son of this Suleiman batyr Syykymbay, during the second and third battle, disgracing Tursun Khan, exalted the glorious name of Yessim Khan. It was like this: after a day’s battle, the tired Tursun Khan rested in his headquarters, where Syikymbay entered at night, and having lulled him nakedly cut his mustache and beard, smeared his face with soot, stripped to the goal, fastened a long lasso from behind, collected all his weapons, and left an inscription on the head of the khan: “I did it, the son of Suleimen batyr Syikymbay.” However, it should be noted that wars of Yessim Khan and Tursun Khan brought many troubles to the Kazakhs. Bloodshed divided the relatives into two hostile parts. For instance, Airylmas batyr, whose name later became a war cry for the Katagans, Shanyshkyls and Kanglys, killed Suleimen Batyr, who was his son-in-law and led one wing of the army of Yessim Khan. Such a policy of Tursun Khan, which was aimed at mutual enmity between the Kazakhs, was hostile to his nukers. As a result, they killed him. In one of the historical sources this plot is described as follows: “… in the second war, Tursun Khan fled without a fight from Yessim Khan. As a result, after the persecution of Yessim Khan from Sairamsu to Tashkent, Yessim Khan killed Tursun Khan in the Abat area near Tashkent. After that, the city of Tashkent remained a Kazakh city until today (that is, until the XVIII century – from the author) [3, р. 903]. ” This story is briefly described in the book Bahr al-Asrar, the medieval author Mahmoud ibn Wali [11]. Ch. Valikhanov’s notes also confirm and supplement the above [12, с. 77]. The killers of Tursun Khan, having cut off his head, brought him to the tent of Yessim Khan. Yessim Khan, in turn, sent this head to Imamkuli to Bukhara, with the words: “it is waiting all my enemies.” After the death of Tursun Khan, the city of Tashkent passed to the Kazakhs. Tursun Khan had sons and daughters. The eldest son, having escaped from Tashkent, went to Kashgar under Mughal rule and became the ruler of Kashgar, since the wife of the local prince Abd al-Latif Hanim-padishah was the sister of Tursun Khan. The youngest son of Tursun Khan died in the war against the Imamkuli. Yessim Khan, who captured the daughters of Tursun Khan Aibike, Konyrbike and Nurbike, gave them to his warriors. Yessim Khan brutally cracked down on the Katagan and Kangla tribes who supported Tursun Khan. The Katagans were almost completely exterminated and scattered. Some of them, who were wounded and survived, refused the name Katagan, and began to call themselves shanyshkyly. In turn, the numerous Kanglys, trying to avoid punishment, scattered everywhere. Thus, the Tursun Khan atrocities cost dearly for the Kazakhs. The difficult situation that caused the conflict between Tursun Khan and Yessim Khan is one of the important problems that has not yet been fully studied in the history of the Kazakh people. To study the issue, we turn to one source – the epos “Kazakh ancestor – Batyr Turk” – ” Father of the Kazakh ancestor – Turk”. The monument tells how Tursun Khan re-capturing Tashkent, transferred power to the Uzbeks, and how YYessim Khan removed him from power. Now dwell on this:
“The primordial path of Yessim Khan” issued a decree.
Killing Tursun Khan on a dark night,
Beating the Uzbeks, they returned Tashkent.
By the year one thousand six hundred and thirty
When Yessim Khan regained the old throne.
Aybike, Konyrbike, Nurbike,
Brought with me like a trophy then.
The day they killed Tursun,
At the door, tying his guard
Yessim Khan, the storyteller alone,
Tursun Khan woke him with a song
Where is such a man today, my Illaһ
How this country is offended today.
When Tursun Khan was awakened by his song,
The story of the storyteller Tulegen was as follows:
– Her, katagan, Khan Tursun,
Not you, but a woman.
If you come Kazakh, are you afraid
Even if you lay on the golden throne
You are the batyr that fate has overtaken.
Even if you don’t want to, you have to admit
Tell the truth, or you’ll die.
Khan Yessim the Brave
Will come for your life
Spill your blood
Soon you will take a sip of everything!
After this, Yessim Khan rejoins the throne of the Kazakh Khanate. Fearing and considering him to be their inveterate enemy, the Kalmyks, trying in various ways to deceive, ultimately wanted to get rid of him. Taishi of the Kalmyk Hoshouts Baybagys, together with the merchants and the Derbets, sent ambassadors to Yessim Khan led by Dalai Batyr. They made proposals for establishing friendly relations, but at the same time did not stop robbing the Kazakh steppes. This greatly upset Yessim Khan and increased his anger. That is why, when the Kalmyks once again fraudulently sent ambassadors to Yessim Khan, he killed them and sent a ten thousand detachment of Kazakhs against the Kalmyks. The Kazakh army defeated the Kalmyks, captured two of them, and returned back with their booty. After some time, the Kalmyk raids subsided, and the people lived in peace for some time. Taking advantage of this, Yessim Khan regulated relations with the Western Nogais, and in the east, united with Altyn Khan, with his help he was looking for a way to defeat the Kalmyks. In 1620, Yessim Khan, together with thirty thousand Kyrgyz, unexpectedly launched an attack on the Oirats. In accordance with the agreement, the troops of Altyn Khan were also attacked by the Kalmyks. Having got into such a predicament, the Kalmyks had to flee without a trace along the Black Irtysh. The Russian authorities, who incited them in the past, were now afraid of the Kalmyks moving east and refused to support them. YYessim Khan’s batyrs argyn Agyntai, konyrat Alatau, alshyn Zhyembet, dulat Zhaksygul, shapyrashty Karasai and Aitey, from the biys of Uysun Shapyrashty Daulet bi and great-grandfather Tole bi Dulat Zhanys Kudaiberdi biy took an active part in the bloody massacre over Kalmyks on Black Irtysh. They did a lot to organize the people for the battle against the Kalmyks. In the battles on the right flank of the mountain ranges of the Black Irtysh, Yessim Khan himself took an active part in the battles against the Oirats, rebuffed the enemy and became a model of courage among the people, and they began to call him “Khan Yessim the Brave”. However, the Kalmyk unrest did not end there. In 1627, the Kalmyks, who were defeated and fled through Tobol, exterminated all the Kazakhs living in the area where the Volga flows into the Khazar Sea (Caspian), thereby agitating the Kazakh steppe with horrific events. They slaughtered all Kazakhs to a single resident of the village of Boryk near Sarysu. In this situation, Yessim Khan, collecting all the biys in Turkestan in the Kultobe area, held a council every day and then sent a 20-thousand-strong detachment along the Urals. After that, an expression appeared, like “Every day is advice on top of Kultobe.” They were headed by Agyntai batyr (5 thousand wars), Uysun Karasai batyr (5 thousand wars), Naiman Kokserek batyr (5 thousand wars) and Kangly Sarybuk batyr (5 thousand wars). More than 5,000 people, led by Tercar Jiambet Batyr, joined the Eleci area from the embittered, rushed to brutal battle units. The commander in chief of the Kazakh detachment was Zhiyembet Batyr, who knew the area very well. Kazakhs and Kalmyks fought for 83 days in the desert of the Khazar Sea and in dense thickets of reeds. Trying to reduce the number of people who died on both sides, the first half months they fought only in fights. Each of the above batyrs went out and fought alone on the battlefield for nine or eleven days, and were able to put so many people. However, the Kazakh side also experienced a great tragedy. For example, Alatau Batyr, killing eight Kalmyks in a single match, heading against the ninth, suddenly dies due to a stumbling horse. Losers in this battle, which ended in massacre, the Kalmyks fled down to the Volga basin. And after the defeat in the Black Irtysh, in the east of Dzhungaria, the Kalmyk Batyr Taishi understood that a lot of preparation was needed in order to defeat the Kazakhs. Thus, he took up the unification of all worshiping stone gods on the territory of Dzhungaria. Now the Kazakhs were awaiting new destructive attacks by Kalmyks. In this case, the resistance of the Kazakhs was directly related to the ability to properly manage them. Yessim Khan, who understood this well and took into account the conflict with Tursun Khan, the struggle for power, carried out the so-called reform of the “Primordial Way of Yessim Khan.” It was discussed at one of the above tips on Kultobe. Lining up in one row the red banner that was left as a legacy from the ancestor of Urus Khan and the white banner that his father Shygay Khan raised, he called for unity among his people. Now the Kazakh tribes, going on an expedition to the enemy, on the battlefield, along with the names of their batyrs, should have voiced with a war cry the sacred name of the ancestor Alash, who would later become the common motto of the Kazakh people. The reform of the “Primordial Way” was based on the division of the Kazakh steppes into three parts, surrounded by Kalmyks from west to east, and to introduce a system of government led by the Khan of the Elder Zhuz. This risk was a forced political measure to stop the struggle for the throne, which began during the times of Khan Tauekel and Aknazar, as well as to consolidate and protect the vast Kazakh steppes and tribes. In addition, the reform of the “Primordial Way of Yessim Khan” sought to control the Kazakh Khanate through the leadership of the biys, due to the fact that Kalmyks periodically made trips to the territory of Zhetysu and the Nogai Horde collapsed in the west, thereby transferring the genera of Alchyn under the leadership of the Kazakhs, and also the process of separating the Karakalpaks from the Nogais. As a result, in 1608 there were only about 40,000 Nogais under the rule of the main beater Esterek. To keep the region free from the Nogai conquest, Yessim turned this region into the territory of the Younger Zhuz, in order to preserve the southeast of Zhetysu, which was first ruled by Kazakhs, then Kalmaks, he transformed this region into the territory of the Elder Zhuz. Yessim Khan designated the universal Kazakh capital, the city of Turkestan, as a spiritual and political center. Having carried out this management reform, Yessim Khan was well aware and understood that the conflict with the Kalmyks in the east and west would not be over in near future. At this time, approaching 60 years old, YYessim Khan was bedridden with a serious illness. By 1644, he died and was buried in the city of Turkestan, which he himself proclaimed the capital. It’s worth to note that he did so much for his people that the Kazakhs considered him “the most intelligent khan” and called him “Khan Yessim the Brave”. His ashes rest near the ancestor – Khoja Ahmet Yassaui.
Historical information about the descendants of Yessim Khan is preserved in an epic known among Kazakhs of China. In the epic “Genealogy of Genghis Khan” there are the following lines:
From the Yessim Khan came the Sultanbet, Zhangir,
And Yessim Khan died from the illness.
Instead of his father, Zhangir Khan came,
Fifty-two years have passed since
How the country lived in fun.
From Sultanbet, Orys Khan was born,
The son of Orys Khan Taten.
Khankozh was born from Taten,
Khankozhi has one son of Aryngazy.
From Zhangir go Tauke, Uali two children,
The fight for the throne took place.
After ascending the throne, Az Tauke,
Ualibak was sent to his mother’s relatives [13, р. 352]. .
There is some historical information in this folklore source. Island: Khan was ill for a long time. It should be noted: Yessim Khan was bedridden for a long time because of his illness. Therefore, Zhangir Khan had to rule the khanate and during the life of his father. That is why, despite the fact that the author’s life did not last long, he pointed out that Zhangir Khan had ruled the Kazakhs for fifty-two years. He also mentioned that Zhangir Khan had two children, the eldest of whom was Az Tauke, who subsequently ruled the country, and his second son, Ualibak, resentfully went to his mother’s relatives. This information not only confirms the data that we know, but also supplement them with new information. About the descendants of Yessim Khan, they are described in more detail in the epos of Chinese Kazakhs “Kazakh ancestor – Batyr Turk” – “ Father of the Kazakh ancestor – Turk”.
There are the following lines:
… Salkam Zhangir was the son of Yessim,
He was a shelter for many people.
From the Kalmyk wife Zhangir –
Az Tauke was a sage of society
One of his wives was the daughter of Kayyip Khan,
From her was the son of Ualibak.
How Az Tauke came to power
They say he left with resentment in Urgench [13, р. 67].
The epos contains very important information: the mother of the great heir Zhangir, who succeeded his father Yessim on the throne, was Kalmyk, and his brother Ualibak migrated to Urgench, offended by his relatives, who fought with Az Tauke for the throne. Kazybek biy Tauasaruly in his work “The whole family tree is before me”, described the official accession of Zhangir Khan on the throne of the Kazakh Khanate instead of his father Yessim Khan. He was drawing on the recollections of his grandfather Matai biy, who lived in the 17th century, and was a contemporary of Yessim Khan. So, he provides the following information: “In 1018, the snails (the date is given in Hijra, redefined as 1640 – authors’ note) began to rule over Kazakhs Zhangir khan, the son of Yessim Khan because Yessim Khan was sick. Five years before this event, in the year of the pig, the leaders of the Kara Kalmyks Talai, Kuzha, Torgash taisha united, attacked the Kazakh lands, destroyed many Kazakhs, and captured Zhangir, son of Yessim Khan. Their captive Zhangir was about a year. Thus, giving the Kalmyks a break, Talai Taishi again attacked the Kazakhs. As the saying goes, “An idler awaits death,” the Kazakhs tied Talai Taishi to the branches of four trees, which ultimately tore it into four parts. Yessim Khan, who was then fifty years old, said: “I divide Kalmyks into four parts.” But that year he died and did not have time to fulfill his dream. Now the rise of Zhangir to power among the Kazakhs excited the Kalmyks. They were very afraid of Zhangir, who had been captured by the Kalmyks for about a year, and knew a lot about their condition … ” [3, р. 909]. It should be noted here that in the above-mentioned sources, two facts related to the last years of the life of Yessim Khan involuntarily attract attention. The first is that Yessim Khan, father of Zhangir Khan, did not sit on the throne until 1640 due to illness, and the second is that Yessim Khan died at the age of 50, and did not reach senior age. Historians who do not pay attention to traditional sources, still indicating the date of death of Yessim Khan, as Mahmoud ben Wali said, write the date 1038 in hijra (i.e., 1628) [14, р. 219]. Even in Russian sources, Zhangir, the son of Yessim Khan, until 1635 is referred to as the Sultan [15, р. 45]. If Yessim Khan died in 1628, then why his son Zhangir until 1635 was titled as Sultan instead of Khan? The historian A. Khasenov, in his book “Kazakh tarikhynyn bes mynzhyldyk bayany” claims that Yessim Khan died in 1645 [16, р. 193]. In Appendix 56 of the volume “Babalar Sozi”, regarding the date of death of Yessim Khan, the date 1645 is also given [13, р. 67]. And this date is closest to historical reality.
Merits
The period when Yessim-khan was a leader of the state had become a peak of the power of Kazakh khanate. Courageous warrior, outstanding general and talented statesman Yessim-khan made a significant contribution to the further improvement of the state system. He strengthened the military power of Kazakh khanate to form a centralized state. The territory of the state under Yessim-khan leadership covered a huge area with the new acquired region of the cities along SurDariya river. Due to his efforts Turkestan was transformed into a political and spiritual capital of the state. Yessim-khan had to constantly confront domestic and external threats while he was actively reforming state system of the Kazakh khanate.
A body of legislation that had been created during his reign was widely known among common citizens as “Yessim khan’s old path” («Есім ханның ескі жолы»). It represented somewhat of steppe constitution which limited political privileges of Chenizkhan descendants while enlarged the rights of biis- tribal chiefs. Yessim khan implemented in early XVII century new administrative organization called zhuses which were economic-territorial units. This system replaced the previous ulus organization that was inherited from the Chengiskhan’s Mongol empire. Biis were the leaders of zhuzes: they formed a Council of biis to limit khan’s power being a deliberative body. A main body of legislative power was Maslikhat, it was composed of the representatives of all Kazakh communities and the most respected sultans. Maslikhat held a meeting once a year mainly in fall in Ylitau Mountains or Kultobe range near Turkestan. Maslikhat as legislative body approved all laws produced by Yessim-khan after peer discussion. The most prominent representatives of Kazakh society participated in these discussions in order to adopt the laws. Due to its fundamental character steppe constitution was widely spread in the Kazakh society and supported by its overwhelmed majority. Yessim-khan’s legislation had been formed in the time of troubles when was created Kazakh centralized state. This code of laws supported the unity of the nation during Jungar invasions to provide an effective defense of the state interests. The latter facts are the most valuable to realize the outstanding contribution of Yessim-khan into the building and development of the Kazakh khanate.
Memory
A number of the streets in Nur-Sultan, Turkestan and other cities of the Kazakhstan were named in honor of the famous khan.
References:
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Author: Omarbekov T.O., Doctor of Historical Sciences
| Есім хан – (т.ж.б. – 1645) – Қазақ хандығының ханы, және аса көрнекті қайраткері, Шығайдың ұлы. |
| Есим-хан (г.р.н. – 1645) – хан и выдающийся деятель Казахского ханства, сын хана Шигая. |
| Yessim–khan(unknown – 1645) – ruler and outstanding politician of Kazakh khanate, son of Shigay-khan. |