Battle of Tashkent (1586)

The Battle of Tashkent (1586) was a military battle between the Kazakh Khanate led Tauekel Khan against the Khanate of Bukhara's militia residing on Tashkent.

After the death of Shigay Khan in 1582, power passed to Tauekel. He continued to recognize vassal dependence on Abdullah, but by early 1583, the situation had changed. While returning from a campaign in Andijan and Fergana, Tawakkul began to suspect that Abdullah harbored ill intentions toward him. Not wanting to risk the consequences, he left and retreated to Desht-i-Kipchak.

It is known that Abdullah had promised the Kazakhs four cities in Turkistan but failed to fulfill this promise after securing his rule. This betrayal may have further influenced Tauekel's decision to sever ties with the ruler.^[1]

In 1586, Tavakkul began his struggle for control over the cities in the Syr Darya region. He attempted to capture Tashkent, taking advantage of the fact that Abdullah Khan's main forces were concentrated in the south. Tavakkul attacked the northern territories of Mawarannahr, posing a threat to key centers such as Turkestan, Tashkent, and even Samarkand. The hastily assembled Tashkent militia was unable to put up significant resistance and was swiftly defeated by the nomads.^[2] The armies clashed in Sharabkhan, located in the Tashkent district. The Kazakh warriors were poorly equipped: "fur coats and felt cloaks served them as armor and cuirasses." Overconfident in their advantage, the Tashkent forces recklessly launched an attack on the steppe warriors but met fierce resistance, were overwhelmed, and suffered a crushing defeat.^[3] After defeating the Tashkent militia, he chose not to engage in further battle when Ubaydullah, the brother of Abdullah Khan, marched from Samarkand. As a result, Tauekel was forced to retreat, and his first attempt to seize Tashkent ended in failure.^[4]