The Kipchaks and Amir-i Leshker Alimkul in the Khanate of Khoqand

In 1842, while the Bukharans occupied the Kokand Khanate, the Kipchaks and the Kyrgyz allied together, succeeded in expelling the Bukharans from the borders of the Kokand Khanate, and brought Shirali Khan to the administration of the country. Thus, the Kyrgyz and Kipchaks, who could not take their share of political duties for many years, completely seized the country's administration. However, at the end of 1852, at the beginning of 1853, the Sarts under the leadership of Hüdayar Khan gave a heavy blow to the Kipchaks and removed this nomadic tribe from the country's administration. As a matter of fact, the Kipchaks started to recover from 1858 and in 1863 they came back to the rule of the Kokand Khanate under the leadership of Amir-i Leshker Alimkul. After Amir-i Leshker Alimkul came to the administration of the country, he tried to treat all tribes and peoples of the Khanate equally, to put the disordered khanate in order and to stop the invasion attempt of the Russians in order to avoid the mistakes made before him. However, the rivalry and struggles between the nomadic, semi-nomadic and sedentary peoples that make up the Khanate of Kokand were the biggest factor that hindered the plans of Amir-i Leşker Alimkul. Amir-i Leshker Alimkul himself was from the nomadic Kipchaks, and therefore he could not get the full (Sart) support of the people in the settled life style. Some of the Sarts, even despite the Russian danger, sought to bring Hüdayar Khan, who took refuge in Bukhara, to the rule of the Khanate, in order to keep the Kipchaks away from domination. On the other hand, among the nomadic society, there were those who went into opposition because of the harsh policy of Amir-i Leşker Alimkul. Taking advantage of these polarizations among the people, the Russians continued to occupy the cities and castles of the Kokand Khanate one after another. In the Battle of Tashkent, which took place in May 1865, Amir-i Leshker Alimkul, who could not get the support of his own people, was killed and the city of Tashkent was under the control of the Russians. With the fall of Tashkent, the Khanate of Kokand turned into a vassal state under the Russians and was completely destroyed in 1876.