L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, a dissertation defense for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Бейсембаева Акмарал Рашидкызы on the topic ««Life and state activities of Uali Khan (the second half of 18th – the beginning of 19th centuries)»» by specialty «6D020300 – Тарих».
The dissertation was carried out at the «History of Kazakhstan education department» of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University.
The language of defense is russian
Official reviewers:
Temporary members of the Dissertation Committee:
Scientific advisors:
Kabuldinov Ziyabek Ermukhanovich, General Director of the «Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology», doctor of historical sciences, Professor, Academician of the NAS RK, Republic of Kazakhstan.
Plahotnik Tamara Yuryevna, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of World History, Sociology, and Political Science at Omsk State Pedagogical University, Russian Federation.
The defense will take place on December 26, 2025, at 02:30 PM in the Dissertation Council for the training direction «8D022 – Humanities» in the specialty «6D020300 – Тарих» of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. The defense meeting is planned to be held online.
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84950046687?pwd=SwZdGGE5hMwOQoax0RAtSsv3PtTNkP.1
Address: Астана қ., А.Пушкин көшесі, 11, 324-аудитория
Abstract (English): Relevance of the study. The dissertation research is devoted to the Kazakh ruler, warrior, and diplomat Uali Bahadur Sultan bin Abylai, who fulfilled his duty to his people by defending the Kazakh lands throughout his forty-year reign. The name of Khan Uali, a representative of the elite of eighteenth-century Kazakh society, is closely associated with a complex period in the history of Kazakhstan – its incorporation into the Russian Empire. Until recently, the activities of Khan Uali had not been properly reflected in studies on the history of the Great Steppe. In 2017, the historical monument – the Mausoleum of Khan Uali – was included in the list of sacred sites of Kazakhstan. In the 1740s–1780s, the Kazakh Khanate experienced pronounced processes of decentralization, which drew the khanate into a complex configuration of foreign-policy interactions. In the struggle to preserve political sovereignty, a key role in formulating and implementing strategic decisions was played by the most influential representatives of the ruling elite, among whom Khan Abylai and his successor Sultan Uali occupied a central place, becoming two of the most prominent figures in the political landscape of the Great Steppe. The question of the historical role and state activities of several prominent representatives of the steppe aristocracy remains insufficiently explored both in academic scholarship and in public perception. While the figure of Khan Abylai has rightfully taken a prominent place in domestic and foreign historiography, many of his contemporaries and closest associates have still not received adequate coverage in historical research. Sultan Uali received excellent military and diplomatic training and was proficient in several Eastern languages. The dissertation presents collected materials concerning his participation in military campaigns against the Dzungars and the Central Asian khanates, as well as his role in Kazakh diplomatic missions to the Qing Empire. From the early 1770s onward, Sultan Uali is repeatedly mentioned in official correspondence with representatives of the Russian Empire, which indicates Abylai’s trust in his son in matters of conducting independent diplomatic negotiations and administering his lands. Sultan Uali acted as a defender of his people’s interests, preventing or taking part in the resolution of issues along the Kazakh–Russian frontier. After the death of Abylai, Sultan Uali was elected khan and assumed governance over the Kazakhs of the Middle and part of the Senior zhuzes. In domestic historical scholarship, undocumented stereotypes have taken shape regarding the personal weakness and incompetence of the last khan of the Middle Zhuz. At the same time, the materials presented in this study make it possible to partially reconsider the established assessments of Khan Uali’s political portrait and thereby arrive at a more balanced and multifaceted understanding of his role. Already in the early period of his reign, Khan Uali achieved formal recognition from the two major powers of the time – the Qing and Russian Empires – which demonstrates his aspiration to maintain and further develop the diplomatic line established by Khan Abylai, based on flexible maneuvering and balanced interaction with external centers of power. The name of Khan Uali, the successor of Khan Abylai, is inseparably connected with an important stage in the history of Kazakhstan in the second half of the 18th to the early 19th century. Despite the limited number of surviving sources, which allow only a fragmentary reconstruction of the events of that time, they nevertheless provide a certain basis for restoring the life path and political activity of this ruler. Khan Uali was the last officially recognized ruler of the Middle Zhuz to receive international recognition, which gives his figure particular significance in the context of the foreign-policy relations of the Kazakh Khanate during the specified period. The aim of the dissertation research is to determine the role and significance of Khan Uali in the history of the Kazakh Khanate of the second half of the 18th to the early 19th century by creating (reconstructing) a comprehensive biography of the historical figure under study. To achieve the set goal the following research objectives were determined: – to conduct a source-critical analysis of archival materials; – to carry out a historiographical analysis of domestic and foreign literature of the 18th–21st centuries related to the study of the life and activities of Khan Uali; – to analyse Abylai’s relations with the Russian and Qing Empires and the states of Central Asia; – to examine the formation of Sultan Uali as a statesman and as the khan of the Middle and part of the Senior zhuzes, and to present the process of his election to the khanate after the death of Abylai; – to reveal the internal policy of Khan Uali in the Middle Zhuz and his relations with the nobility of the Senior and Junior zhuzes; – to characterise the economic and trade activities of the khan and to determine the essence of the 1795 political crisis in the Middle Zhuz and its consequences; – to determine the place of Khan Uali within the foreign-policy orbit of the Russian and Qing Empires; – to analyse the socio-economic situation in the Middle Zhuz and Uali’s foreign policy in the early 19th century; – to highlight and assess the colonial policy of the Russian Empire aimed at weakening the khan’s authority in the Middle Zhuz. The object of the dissertation research is the political and socio-economic history of Kazakhstan in the second half of the 18th to the early 19th century. The subject of the dissertation research is the study of the life and various aspects of the state activity (military-political and economic) of Khan Uali in the context of key historical processes, as well as the political and socio-economic trends in the development of Kazakhstan in the second half of the 18th to the early 19th century. The theoretical and methodological basis of the thesis is a set of theoretical and methodological principles and approaches characteristic of historical-biographical research. The study is built upon the principles of historicism and the interrelation and interdependence of historical phenomena and processes in their chronological sequence. The main methodological principle of the research is the systems approach. The theoretical and methodological foundation of the work is formed by the studies of leading Kazakhstani, Russian, and foreign scholars on the history of Kazakhstan in the second half of the 18th to the early 19th century. The interdisciplinary nature of the study makes it possible to apply historical-genetic, historical-systemic, and typological methods. The source base of the study is extensive and includes a complex of published and unpublished materials relating to the history of Kazakhstan in the second half of the 18th to the early 19th century in general, and to the activities of Khan Uali in particular. A significant part of the sources on the topic of the dissertation was identified in the collections of the Historical Archive of the Omsk Region (IAOO, Omsk, Russian Federation), the United State Archive of the Orenburg Region (OGAOO, Orenburg), the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire (AVPRI, Moscow), the Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA, St. Petersburg), the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (RGADA, Moscow), the Russian State Military-Historical Archive (RGVIA, Moscow), the Central State Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan (CSA RK, Almaty), the National Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NA RK, Astana), the State Archive of the City of Astana (SACA, Astana), and in the «Archive of the Cabinet of Ministers» of the Institute of History and Philology of Academia Sinica (ACM IHP AS, Taipei, Taiwan). Scientific novelty of the study lies in formulating and solving a comprehensive problem related to the life and state activity of Khan Uali. For the first time, the study undertakes a historical analysis of previously unexplored stages of his life. For the first time in Kazakhstani and Russian historiography, issues of the development of bilateral relations in the second half of the 18th – 19th century are examined through the prism of the activity of the historical figure of Khan Uali. The research was conducted on the basis of new archival materials and Russian, Chinese, and other sources introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time. The scientific novelty and significance of the research are as follows: 1) for the first time in domestic historiography, a comprehensive analysis of the biography, state activity, and personality of Khan Uali in the second half of the 18th – early 19th centuries is presented; 2) it has been proven that Sultan Uali was elected to the khanate not in August 1781, as traditionally dated after the notification of Empress Catherine II, but earlier. At the end of 1780, at a gathering of elders, Abylai’s will regarding his successor – Sultan Uali – was announced. In the spring of 1781, during the memorial ceremonies for the great Abylai Khan, at a congress of Kazakh sultans, elders, biys, and batyrs, Uali was elected khan and raised on the white felt; 3) using a broader range of source material than in existing scholarly literature, several aspects of Uali’s political biography are examined, including his formation as a statesman, the process of his election as khan, relations with the Russian and Qing Empires, and direct involvement in resolving border issues, livestock theft, raids, and more; 4) certain positions on a number of issues related to the internal and external policy of the Middle and part of the Senior Zhuz in the second half of the 18th – early 19th centuries have been clarified; 5) previously unused materials from the archives of Kazakhstan, Russia, and Taiwan have been introduced into scholarly circulation; 6) an author’s interpretation of selected events from the life and activity of Khan Uali is proposed, which may contribute to revising the established perception of this historical figure. The chronological framework of the study covers the period from the mid-18th to the early 19th century. The territorial framework of the study corresponds to the historical boundaries of the Middle Zhuz and part of the Senior Zhuz. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the geopolitical situation of the period under study, adjacent border areas of the Russian and Qing Empires are also included. Based on the results of the research work, the following conclusions are put forward for defence: 1. Abylai’s relations with the Russian and Qing Empires and the states of Central Asia were characterized by complex diplomacy and strategic planning aimed at protecting the interests of the Kazakh people. 2. The formation of Sultan Uali as a statesman and his election as khan after the death of Abylai demonstrate the continuation of a political course directed at preserving the influence of the Kazakh khanates under the pressure of neighboring great powers. 3. Khan Uali’s internal policy in the Middle Zhuz was aimed at strengthening authority and ensuring stability; however, the complicated relations with the nobility of the Senior and Junior zhuzes, especially in the context of the political crisis of 1795, led to tensions and conflicts. 4. Khan Uali was situated within the foreign-policy orbit of the Russian Empire, which required him to balance internal affairs with the interests of neighboring empires. Uali’s foreign policy was also significantly shaped by the actions of China, which influenced his relations with the peoples of the Volga region, Siberia, and Central Asia. 5. The socio-economic situation that developed in the Middle Zhuz in the early 19th century had a substantial impact on the nature of Khan Uali’s foreign-policy course. His diplomatic strategy was oriented, on the one hand, toward mitigating internal socio-economic contradictions and improving the living conditions of the population under his authority, and on the other hand, toward restraining the growing political and administrative pressure exerted by the Russian Empire on the Kazakh territories under his rule. 6. The colonial policy of the Russian Empire aimed at weakening khan authority in the Middle Zhuz, Uali’s political intentions to secure the khan title for his heir, as well as the khan’s death, became key factors influencing the further development of the Kazakh Steppe and the dynamics of the political situation in the region. The main provisions and conclusions of the dissertation are stated in the reports presented at international scientific-practical conferences and are reflected in 29 publications, 11 of which are published in the journals included in the list of editions recommended by the Authorized Body for the publication of the results of dissertation research. Structure of the work. The structure of the dissertation is determined by the objectives set in the research. The work consists of an introduction and three chapters: the first chapter includes two sections, the second chapter consists of two sections, and the third chapter contains two sections. The dissertation also includes a conclusion, a list of abbreviations, a list of references, and appendices. The first chapter examines the socio-political situation in the Kazakh Khanate in the second half of the 18th century and the formation of Uali as a statesman. The second chapter discusses the features of Khan Uali’s internal and external policy in the 1780s–1790s. The third chapter analyses the processes of weakening of khan authority in the early 19th century. The conclusion provides a concise justification of the findings submitted for defence. A list of references is included. The dissertation research corresponds to the current directions of development in historical scholarship, as well as to state programmes related to the advancement of education and science.
Conclusion of the Research Ethics Committee
Defense of the dissertation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wW3w1WBBgc&t=6751s
