Battle of Turkistan (1652)

Not to be confused with Struggle for Turkistan.

Battle of Turkistan
Part of First Kazakh-Dzungar War of the Kazakh–Dzungar Wars
Date 1652 Location Turkistan, Syr Darya, Kazakhstan Result Dzungar victory
Belligerents
Kazakh Khanate	Dzungar Khanate
Commanders and leaders
Salqam Jangir Khan   † [1]	Galdamba Batur
Units involved
10,000-20,000 [2]	3,000 [1]
Casualties and losses
Heavy [3]	Light [3]

The Battle of Turkistan is a battle that occurred in 1652, by the Khoshut commander Galdamba of Dzungar Khanate against the Kazakh Khanate's leader, Jangir khan killing him in battle. ^[1]

Background

During the First Kazakh-Dzungar War, the khong taiyishi of the Dzungars, Erdeni batur invaded kazakhstan and captured Jangir Khan as POW at the battle of Urmity. ^[4] Later after he was released—Erdeni continued his offensives and plundered the Syr Darya region, ^[5] Jangir khan asked Yalangto'sh Bakhodir for assistance for the Battle of Orbulaq, defeating the Dzungar army. ^[6] With a defeat by the Kazakhs, Erdeni Batur had asked Galdamba batur of the Khoshuts to campaign against them, which he agreed and sent out with 3,000 men. ^[1]

Battle

The young commander first intercepted Jangir's army at the city of Turkistan, ^[1] then he charged at the Kazakhs leading to a fierce battle, during that Jangir Khan was killed in battle ^[1] whilst the Kazakhs presumably suffered heavy casualties from the battle. ^[7] This opened Galdamba to campaign on the Alatau region ^[1] until an Uzbek relief force arrived at Chu river. ^[8]

References

1. Altangerel, Chulunbatyn. Дэлхийн талыг эзгэн үе эрхшээсэн түүхт Монголын зэвсэг, дайн, хил хамгаалалтын толь[A look at the weapons, warfare, and border defenses of the historical Mongols, who conquered half the world] (in Mongolian). Chulunbatyn Altangerel. p. 107.
2. Baytasov, Rakhmetolla (2022-05-11). Notes on ancient and modern ethnic groups. Litres. ISBN   978-5-04-441122-7.
3. Позднеев, А. М. (1880). Образцы народной литературы монгольских племён. Выпуск I[Samples of Folk Literature of Mongolian Tribes. Issue I] (in Russian). Санкт-Петербург.
4. Khodarkovsky, Mikhail (2002). Russia's Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500–1800. Indiana University Press. p. 123. ISBN   0-253-21770-9.
5. Burton, Audrey (1997). The Bukharans;A Dynastic, Diplomatic and Commercial History 1550-1702. Audrey Burton. p. 258. ISBN   978-0-7007-0417-0.
6. Материалы по истории русско-монгольских отношений. Том II[Materials on the History of Russian-Mongolian Relations. Volume II] (in Russian). Москва: Издательство Академии наук СССР. 1959. pp. 234, 237, 239.
7. Позднеев, А. М. (1880). Образцы народной литературы монгольских племён. Выпуск I[Samples of Folk Literature of Mongolian Tribes. Issue I] (in Russian). Санкт-Петербург: Типография Императорской Академии Наук.
8. Позднеев, А. М. (1880). Образцы народной литературы монгольских племён. Выпуск I[Samples of Folk Literature of Mongolian Tribes. Issue I] (in Russian). Санкт-Петербург.