Delayed Decolonization

Abstract

This chapter presents an urgent problem for Kazakhstan, which is delayed decolonization.

Understanding nineteenth–twentieth century’s events, i.e. the colonial period while state independence restoration, was selective in Kazakhstan, or even completely hushed up. The exception is individual publications of scientists concerning the revision of some events of the recent historical past, the trauma issue, the state of the Kazakh language. This chapter attempts to define the colonization process of Kazakhstan why it is important to go through it, without which the country’s true independence is problematic.

Glossary

Akyn

is a poet-improviser.

Alash Orda (1917–1920)

a party created in 1917 by educated, progressive-minded Kazakhs who dreamed of a democratic path for the development of Kazakhstan, aiming to achieve autonomy and end the colonial policy.

Asharshylyk (lit. famine)

an artificially created famine of 1921–1923 under the conditions of war communism and a famine of 1931–1933, which occurred as a result of the expropriation of livestock, collectivization, the forcible sedentarization of Kazakhs, and the suppression of armed resistance to the policy of Soviet power.

Aul

is a traditional rural-type settlement, a community of close relatives, a camp among the Turkic peoples.

Basmachi (from Turkic basmak—to raid, to attack)

a term filled with negative semantics was used by Soviet ideologists and historians to refer to the rebels of the Muslim peoples of Central Asia who opposed the establishment of Soviet power.

Biy (lit. to know, to rule)

is an authoritative person, a judge, and an expert on Kazakh society, its structure, the system of customary law, traditions, and the history of the people.

Desyatina

1.09 hectares.

Dombra

is a Kazakh stringed musical instrument.

Enemies of the people

convicts under Article 58 for anti-Soviet activities.

Glavpolitprosvet

the main political and educational committee of the People’s Commissariat of Education.

GULAG

Main Directorate of Correctional Labor Camps, a division of the USSR People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs.

Institute of HA&E of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR

Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.

Khan

the title of the monarch, ruler, sovereign person among the Turkic peoples.

Kobyz

is an ancient Kazakh stringed bowed musical instrument.

Kyrgyz

Kirghiz, Kyrgyz-Kaisaks, Horde, and foreigners are ethnonyms that were used to call the Kazakhs in the Russian Empire instead of using their real name.

Middle Zhuz (zhuz—union, hundred)

conditionally Kazakhs consist of three zhuzes, each of which is a confederation of kindred clans. The term “zhuz” was introduced in the eighteenth century. This tripartite structure is based on the traditional composition of the Turkic army from the center, left and right wings.

Native

local, indigenous; the Russians called the locals “natives”.

Nevada-Semipalatinsk

is an anti-nuclear movement that arose in February 1989, whose task was to stop nuclear tests and close the test sites on Kazakh soil. The appeal of the movement was supported and signed by 2 million citizens of Kazakhstan.

Pood

a Russian measure of weight equal to 16.4 kilograms.

Raise on a koshma

the ceremony of raising to the title of khan, which consisted in raising the newly elected khan sitting on a white felt mat (koshma). Koshma was raised by representatives of clans, batyrs.

Sarbaz

is a soldier, warrior, and fighter.

Shanyrak

the events of July 2006, when the authorities decided to demolish the houses of the residents of the Shanyrak and Bakai settlements in order to release expensive land near Almaty. Residents of the villages organized self-defense, trying to prevent the demolition of the house by bulldozers. The clashes ended tragically, four participants received prison terms ranging from 14 to 18 years, and twenty people received suspended sentences. The villages were saved.

Shezhireshi

chronicler, specialist in the genealogy of the Kazakhs.

Sultan

the title of nobility from among the descendants of Shyngyskhan, who could claim to be the head of tribal associations or participate in the struggle for the title of khan.

Surfdom

the norm adopted in Russia in 1861 forbidding peasants to leave the land, hereditary subordination, belonging of the peasants to the landowner.

Ten-verst strip

Kazakhs were forbidden to settle and use pastures in the territory adjacent to the borderline of Russian fortresses. This territory was 10 versts along the entire line towards the Kazakh lands. One verst is equal to 1.06 kilometers.

The Alashordyns

an educated national elite, united in the Alash-Orda party and declared in 1917 the autonomy of the Kazakh republic under the name Alash.

The Bolsheviks

the radical wing of the Russian Social Democratic Party, carried out a coup in October 1917.

The Novoiletskaya line

a line of outposts along the Ilek River, associated with the advance of the Russians deep into the western part of the Kazakh Steppe in 1810–1822.

The Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks

the highest party body (1918–1952).

The Solovetsky camp (Solovki)

is a labor camp for the isolation, detention and re-education of especially dangerous political and criminal criminals, located on the Solovetsky Islands and functioning in the 1920s–1930s.

The Stolypin agrarian reform

a set of measures to reform Russian agriculture, within the framework of which Russian peasants were given the right to leave the community, and the issue of lack of land was solved by providing them with land plots in Kazakhstan and Siberia.

Western region of Kazakhstan

includes Tugai, Ural regions, the inner horde, Mangyshlak region.

Yurt

a portable frame dwelling with felt covering among nomads.

Zheltoksan (lit. December)

is a public association of participants in the December events of 1986 when student youth and university teachers took to the central square of Alma-Ata to protest against the appointment of a protege of the Kremlin as the head of the Kazakh Republic, discrimination against Kazakhs, the Kazakh language and culture. The rally was crushed by the army, students were beaten with sapper shovels, taken out of the city, and thrown into the winter steppe, then courts followed, and expulsions from universities.

Zhetysu (lit. Seven rivers)

the southeast of Kazakhstan with seven large rivers, the territory from north to south is 900 km, from west to east 800 km.

Zhyrshi

is a chronicler, a specialist in the genealogy of the Kazakhs.