Kazakh–Dzungar War (1739–1741)

The Kazakh–Dzungar War of 1739–1741 (also known as the last major Kazakh–Dzungar War)^[7] was a military conflict between the Kazakh Khanate and the invading Dzungar Khanate, marking the final major conflict in the series of the Kazakh–Dzungar Wars that spanned from the 17th to the 18th centuries.^[7]

The Dzungar forces of about 24,000 men had invaded Middle Jüz, and they were unable to repel the invasion,^[2] as they faced catastrophic losses from the Dzungars,^[6] As well Kazakh settlements on the Dzungar border were expelled, allowing the Dzungars to occupy the Syr Darya and Ishim Rivers.^[2]

In the Fall of 1731, the Kazakhs repeatedly raided the Dzungar border, which started a series of raids and campaigns between the two nations. As the Kazakhs started raiding the Altai Mountains,^[8] taking Russian trade caravans, diplomats, and Uyghur merchants as hostages.^[9] In 1732, the Dzungars invaded the Middle Jüz, but they were defeated^[10] and the Kazakhs also raided the Dzungars.^[8] Another Dzungar army invaded the Senior Jüz and captured the cities of Sayram, Turkistan, and Tashkent.^[11] In 1734, the Senior Jüz managed to recapture Sayram, Turkistan, and Tashkent.^[12] The Dzungar later captured the following cities again and subjugated the Senior Jüz.^[13] After those events which the Third Dzungar–Qing War ended,^[14] Galdan Tseren invaded the Kazakh Khanate again in 1739.^[15] The Dzungars took advantage of the Kazakh disunity among the Jüz, as the Senior Jüz was subjugated in 1735 and the Junior Jüz remained neutral.^[6]

In late 1739, the Dzungars of about 24,000 men led offensives against the Kazakhs, which they attempted to cut off the Kazakh support routes from the Russian Empire, as the Kazakhs had become a Russian protectoracy to repel any possible Dzungar attacks into Siberia in return.^[9] The Dzungar commanders sent representatives to the Russians to send about 2,000 Dzungar forces in pursuit of the Kazakh hordes from the Irtysh to the Om.^[16] This led to the Russian government supplying the Kazakhs with gunpowder weaponry to prevent a possible Dzungar invasion of Russia.^[1]

In the fall of 1740, the Dzungars resumed their offensives,^[1] and in late February of 1741, another 30,000-strong army led by General Septen and Galdan Tseren’s son Lama Dorji attacked the Kazakhs, which devastated several livestock and uluses.^[2] During which Kazakh sultans, including Ablai Khan, who commanded a reconnaissance detachment of 200 men, were captured, along with 3,000 men.^[2] Oljabay Batyr defeated the Dzungar commander Septen, whilst the Dzungars on the Syr Darya were later defeated.^[17][7] However, V.V. Barthold puts the war as a Dzungar victory in contrast to Kadyrbaev's statement of Kazakh victory.^[5]

Following these events, the Dzungars invaded the Khanate of Kokand, as they sieged the city of Kokand in 1745.^[18] The Dzungars soon fell into a civil war, as Lama Dorji seized the Dzungar throne and later competed against the Dawachi and the Khoid prince, Amursana. This allowed for the Qing dynasty to invade the Dzungars with Mongol–Manchu army of 50,000 men in 1755.^[19] Meanwhile the Kazakh Khan, had also taken the opportunity with supporting Amursana against Lama Dorji and Dawachi during 1752–1755 and defeating the Qing army in the Battle of Shiderty, killing about 17,000 men.^[20] Eventually, the Kazakhs were able to recover their lost territories after the collapse of the Dzungar Khanate, destroying their remnants by 1758.^[4]

• Kushkumbaev, Aibolat (2001). The Military Affairs of the Kazakhs in the 17th–18th Centuries (in Russian). Almaty: Daik-Press. p. 182. ISBN 9965-441-44-8.
• Moiseev, Vladimir (1991). Pishchulina, Klavdiya (ed.). The Dzungar Khanate and the Kazakhs (17th–18th Centuries) (in Russian). Alma-Ata: Gylym; Institute of Uighur Studies, Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. p. 238.
• Kadyrbaev, Alexander (2023). "On the History of Relations between the Volga Kalmyks and the Oirats of Dzungaria with the Nogais, Turkmens, and Kazakhs in the 17th–18th Centuries". Bulletin of Kalmyk University (in Russian). 3 (59): 6–16. doi:10.53315/1995-0713-2023-59-3-6-16.
• Barthold, V. V. (1962). Four Studies on the History of Central Asia. Vol. 1. Brill. p. 162. ISBN 978-90-04-00149-7. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Adle, Chahryar (2003). History of Civilizations of Central Asia (5th ed.). UNESCO, Adle Chahrayar. p. 934. ISBN 978-8120820463.
• Levi, Scott (2017). The Rise and Fall of Khoqand, 1709 – 1876: Central Asia in the Global Age. University of Pittsburgh. ISBN 978-0822965060.
• Sarsembayev, Marat Aldangorovich (2015). THE KAZAKH KHANATE AS A SOVEREIGN STATE OF THE MEDIEVAL ERA (in Russian). Astana. ISBN 978-601-7366-19-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)