Early Nomadic Culture to Modern Independence - History of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is one of Central Asia's five former Soviet republics and the largest of the newly independent states in the area. Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, and Turkmenistan surround this country. Presently, the capital of Kazakhstan is Astana. Kazakhstan has been associated with richness in arable land as well as minerals in the world. It is the country that occupies the ninth biggest territory in the entire world.

Thus, the history of Kazakhstan encompasses its ancient ages, the period of the Soviet Union and finally, the era of independence. Let us bring a deeper focus into this interesting story by looking at the major epochs that define this enormous country.

Early Inhabitants and Ancient Civilizations

Various nomadic people have occupied Kazakhstan since the Paleolithic era. One notable civilization in prehistoric Kazakhstan was the Batai culture, which existed between 3700 BC and 3100 BC. This civilization was one of the first to domesticate horses.

It was also known for producing ceramics and polished stone tools. During the Neolithic era, the people became pastoral. Historians agree that the Kazakh region was integral to the terrestrial Silk Road.

In recent prehistoric periods in the Iron Age, Indo-European and Indo-Iranian groups such as the Scythians, the Saka, and the Massagetae dominated the region. From the 6th century to the 11th century, Turkic Nomads began to enter the area. The Turkish people assimilated into the Iranian locals in the region, thereby making the demography predominantly East Asian.

The Mongol Empire and the Kazakh Khanate

Relying on historical sources, the Mongol Empire occupied the territory of present-day Kazakhstan in the 13th century. When the Mongolian empire fractured, the western Mongol state called the Golden Horde took over the land and ruled for over two hundred years. Islam was adopted as the official religion during the Golden Horde era.

Some scholars argue that the contemporary Kazakh identity formed in the period between the 13th and 15th centuries. The Golden Horde deteriorated due to poor leadership and corruption, and the Kazakh Khanate emerged as the new leader in the region.

The Khanate was popular because of its victories over regional enemies. Its reputation spread as far as Western Europe. The Kazakh Khanate lasted from 1465 to 1847 when Russia conquered it.

Russian Expansion and Soviet Era

The Russians had planned an invasion of Afghanistan in the 18th century. To get there, they had to take control of Kazakhstan first. In the 17th century Russian traders and military men built forts in the northwestern part of the present Kazakhstan. The Russians were able to seize the Kazakh Khanate, as civil war had weakened the Khanate.

Between the 1820s and 1840s, the Russians controlled a large fraction of the Kazakh land while leaving little for the Nomadic tribes. However, several uprisings slowed down Russia's occupation of Kazakhstan.

Nevertheless, Russia prevailed and conquered several Central Asian countries during that period. The establishment of Russian farms in Kazakhstan territory in the early 20th century affected the Kazakh nomadic way of life.

In the middle of the First World War, Russia began to conscript Kazakhs and other central Asians to supplement the waves of attack from Germany. As a result, many Kazakhs joined anti-conscription movements where thousands lost their lives. Others escaped to China and Mongolia.

The Communists eventually took control of Russia and Kazakhstan and folded both nations into the Soviet Union in the 1920s. Until 1991, the territory of today's Kazakhstan was called the Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic.

Kazakhstan was the second-largest republic by landmass in the Union of Soviet Socialist Countries. Two terrible famines that occurred due to the soviet union's policies led to many deaths in Kazakhstan. The period of the communists was a dark era in the memory of the Kazakhstan people.

Eleven concentration camps were present in the country to house political dissidents. The Soviet Union imprisoned Some Kazakh elites at the time. Also, people from the western regions of the Soviet Union migrated to Kazakhstan during that period.

Independence and Modern Development

The Soviet Union fell in 1991, and Kazakhstan became an independent Republic. Nazarbayev, who was serving as the head of the Kazakh Soviet Republic, emerged as the first president of the newly formed country through an unopposed election in December 1991.

He was the president of this country for almost 27 years and stepped down in 2019. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev succeeded him.

Conclusion

Kazakhstan has evolved over thousands of years of spectacular history. Modern-day Kazakhstan maintains close ties to Russia for its economic and national development. This country seems poised to weather the political and economic challenges of the 21st century.