Kazakh Khanate

Kazakh Khanate
قزاق خاندیغی
Қазақ Хандығы
Qazaq Handyğy
1465–1847
Territory of the Kazakh Khanate
Capital
Common languagesKazakh
Religion
Sunni Islam
Demonym(s)Kazakh
GovernmentSemi-elective monarchy
Khan 
 1465–1480
Kerei Khan (first)
 1841–1847
Kenesary Khan (last)
History 
 Kerei and Janibek founded the Kazakh Khanate
1465
1643–1755
1643
 The invasion of Galdan Boshogtu Khan to Kazakhs
1680–1684
 War against Cossacks
1709–1724
1723–1727
1729/1730
 Abulkhair Khan of the Junior Zhuz took Russian citizenship
1731
 Kazakh-Qing Wars
1756–1757
 Abylai became the khan of all three zhuzes
1771–1781
 Dissolution of the Khan's rule in the Middle Zhuz and Junior Zhuz
1822–1824
1847
Area
 Total
3,000,000 km2 (1,200,000 sq mi)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Uzbek Khanate
Moghulistan
Russian Empire

The Kazakh Khanate (Kazakh: قزاق خاندیغی, Қазақ Хандығы, Qazaq Handyğy), in eastern sources known as Ulus of the Kazakhs, Ulus of Jochi, Yurt of Urus, was a Kazakh state in Central Asia, successor of the Golden Horde existing from the 15th to the 19th century, centered on the eastern parts of the Desht-i Qipchaq.

The khanate was established by Janibek Khan and Kerei Khan in 1465. Both khans came from the Turco-Mongol clan of Tore which traces its lineage to Genghis Khan through dynasty of Jochids. The Tore clan continued to rule the khanate until its fall to the Russian Empire.

From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the Kazakh Khanate ruled and expanded its territories to eastern Cumania (modern-day West Kazakhstan), most of Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan and the Syr Darya river with military confrontation as far as Astrakhan and Khorasan, which are currently in Russia and Iran, respectively. The Khanate was later weakened by a series of Oirat and Dzungar invasions in the 17th and 18th centuries. These resulted in a decline and further disintegration into three jüz, which gradually lost their sovereignty and were incorporated to the expanding Russian Empire in the 19th century.

The establishment of the Kazakh Khanate marked the beginning of Kazakh statehood whose 550th anniversary was celebrated in 2015.