Military art of Kazakhs in the period of Kenesary Kasymov’s movement

Abstract

This article studies the history of military art of Kazakhs in the period of national liberation movement under the leadership of khan Kenesary Kasymov. The protest of the Kazakh people under the leadership of Sultans Sarzhan (1824‒1836) and Kenesarу (1837‒1847) Kasymovs is one of the most large-scale military and political events of the first half of the XIX century not only in the history of Kazakhstan, but also in the whole Eurasia. In this movement, which lasted for more than 20 years (1824‒1847), the military talent of Kenesary,
the grandson of Abylai Khan, was especially bright. Military art and weaponry are of great interest, as they reflect not only the level of technical achievements, but also the specifics of socio-economic and sociopolitical development of society, its military-theoretical thoughts. This article studies the topic of armament and military equipment of the Kazakhs, some tactics used by the rebels are also considered. Further, the article analyzes the peculiarities of the military art of the Kazakh people in the first half of the 19th century. By means of studying the armament and tactics of Kazakh warriors it is possible to trace the peculiarities of the state system and its structure. The paper shows the main events of military actions in the period from 1824 to 1847 in chronological sequence and military traditions. The appeal to military history and art has important scientific and practical significance. From time immemorial, our ancestors defended their native land at the cost of their lives, defended the independence and territorial integrity of our state. They bequeathed us a rich legacy that we are obliged to cherish and protect. In protecting our independence, we must ensure the national and military security of the country. Therefore, an appeal to the experience of the military art of our ancestors, its research is necessary for the formation of a scientifically based approach to the study of military history, ideological and patriotic education of the younger generation. The study of the historical experience of the military past of the Kazakhs in the XIX century shows that the nomads had a high level of military art. This statement is proved by the fact that the struggle of the tsarist troops against the Kazakh sultans of
Sarzhan (1824‒1836) Kenesary (1837‒1847) Kasymovs did not achieve the main goal — the capture of the Kazakh sultans. Sarzhan Kasymov died at the hands of the ruler of Kokand, and Kenesary — Kyrgyz manaps. Numerous well-armed punitive detachments were sent against the rebels, but none of them managed to capture the leaders of the uprising and stop the rebellion. Excellent possession of weapons, knowledge and use of their own military tactics, strict discipline demonstrate the high level of military art of the nomads