The Kazakh khanate and the Qing (Chinа) еmpire: а study of Chagatai language sources

Abstract

The 18th century was a difficult period in Kazakh history. The collapse of the Dzungar Khanate changed the geopolitical situation in the region. The Qing Empire conquered Dzungaria and established control over the southern and northern regions of the Tien Shan. In 1757, the Kazakh Khanate officially established diplomatic relations with the Qing Empire. To effectively manage the region, the Qing Empire created the position of General of Ili in 1762. This position became central to diplomatic relations between the Kazakh Khanate and the Qing Empire. Following the lengthy war with the Dzungar Khanate, both countries deemed diplomacy more important than hostilities. Ambassadors were sent, and the exchange of letters became frequent. The letters written by the Kazakh khans and sultans covered a wide range of issues. These letters were written in the Chagatai and Todo-Mongol scripts. The letters from the local Jiangjun and Ambans of the Qing Empire, on the other hand, were written in Manchu and Chinese. Thus, a collection of archival documents in the Chagatai, Todo-Mongol, Manchu, and Chinese languages was formed, testifying to the historical connections between the Kazakh Khanate and the Qing Empire. The First Historical Archive of China contains many documents written in Chagatai, Todo-Mongol, Manchu, and Chinese, including "Imperial Decrees Stored in the Military Administration", "Statements of the Grand Dukes with the Emperor’s Cornerstones Stored in the Horde" and "Copies of the Declarations of the Grand Dukes Stored in the Military Administration". This article focuses on letters written by Kazakh leaders in the Chagatai script. We analyse the research of domestic, Soviet, Chinese, and Japanese scholars on the Chagatai script and provide a historiographical review. Particular attention is paid to the work of historians and documentarians Ezhenkhanuly and Abdylashimuly, who compiled their work based on documents from the First Historical Archive of China. We analyse the facsimile of the letters in Chagatai script and review the content of the letters, the issues they raise, and their features and peculiarities. The work's main goal is to thoroughly document the process of incorporating Chagatai-script documents into the research corpus. Research methods include analytical and synthetic methods, as well as a historiographical analysis of the research corpus. This study's novelty lies in its comprehensive analysis of these letters' content. Tasks include identifying the characteristics and content of the khans' and sultans' letters, revealing information about them, analysing historical scholars' works, and conducting a brief historiographical review. The results of the research will discuss the nature and characteristics of these letters.