Invasion
Erdeni batur had carried out an offensive on the eastern parts of the Kazakhstan, [15] devastating several of the towns situated between Turkistan and Tashkent, killing many and taking large numbers of prisoners. [16] The total number of the dead and captured was estimated at 30,000. An army of 20,000 under 'Abd al-'Azīz was sent to counterattack but, according to Gribov's informants, the Prince suffered a major defeat, he managed to escape. [17]
Then marched on Turkistan with an army estimated at 50,000. [18] [19] 31 After capturing two complete Qazaq tribes settled in the Ala-Tau, the Ala-Kyrgyz and the Tokmak, a total of some 16,000 people living between the Issyk-kul lake and the Chu river, he plundered Turkestan and the surrounding area, leaving much destruction in his wake. [20] Jangir marched against him, but first he wrote to Nadir Muḥammad whom he had helped the previous year against the Kyrgyz, asking for his assistance. [21] As expected the khan responded at once. He instructed Yalangto'sh to march from Bukhara in support of the Kazakh khan and similar orders were sent to 'Abd al-'Azīz in Samarqand and to 'Abd al-Raḥmān Bī Ūshūn who had remained near Andijan since 1642. [22] By the time they arrived Jangir, who only had 600 men with him, had managed to inflict a crushing defeat on his enemy. Having positioned half his troops in a mountain gorge with an earthen rampart in front of them, he hid with the rest of his men. When the Dzungars arrived, they naturally attacked the entrenched Kazakhs who fought back fiercely. Then Jangir attacked from the rear, using his firearms so effectively that he killed some 10,000 men. [23] At this stage Yalangto'sh arrived on the scene and, faced with an additional 20,000 fresh troops, the allies decided to retreat with their prisoners. [24] While this was going on, a large Dzungar contingent had ambushed and very nearly seized 'Abd al-'Azīz near Tashkent. He was only saved by the timely arrival of Yalangto'sh and 'Abd al-Raḥmān BI, who repelled and pursued the Dzungars, taking 1,000 prisoners. [25] [26] [27]
Later, Erdeni batur continued his campaigns in 1646, counterattacking Jangir's liberation forces and capturing Sairam and Turkistan; forcing subjugation to the Kazakhs. [28] Later Jangir asked Bukharan assistance once more with Abd al-'Azīz arrived in the area with an army, They repelled the Dzungar army, leaving Erdeni disappointed by Abd al-'Azīz's claims. [29]
This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Dzungar Khanate