Abulkhair

Born 1412; died 1468. Uzbek khan (from 1428) of the Dzhuchi house.

Abulkhair founded a vast state, uniting the Uzbek, Kipchak, and other nomadic tribes and encompassing territory from Siberia to Syr-Darya. In 1447 he strengthened his position in Syr-Darya by seizing Sygnak, Uzgend, and other cities. He frequently interfered in the wars of the Timurids. Around 1463–64 he suffered a severe attack from the Kalmyks. The state that Abulkhair had created fell apart after his death but was later restored by Muhammad Sheibani.

Born 1693; died 1748. Kazakh khan of the Lesser Horde.

In the 1720’s, Abulkhair led an all-Kazakh popular militia against the Dzungars. In 1731, together with the elders, beys, and sultans of the Lesser Horde and some of the sultans of the Middle Horde, he swore fidelity to Russia; thus the voluntary annexation of Kazakhstan to Russia was begun.