Alash (party)

Alash Алаш партиясы
Leader	Alikhan Bukeikhanov
Founded	1917
Dissolved	1920
Split from	Constitutional Democratic Party
Headquarters	Alaş-Qala, Alash Autonomy
Ideology	National liberalism Constitutionalism Nationalism Anti-communism Anti-Sovietism
Political position	Centre to centre-right
Colors	White, yellow, red
Politics of Kazakhstan Political parties Elections Politics of Russia Political parties Elections

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History of Kazakhstan
Ancient Scythia Saka Wusun Kangju Kingdom Huns
Khanates Rouran 330–555 Turkic (Göktürks) 552–745 Karluk 665–744 Kimek 743–1220 Oghuz 750–1055 Kara-Khanid 840–1212 Qara Khitai 1124–1218 Mongol Empire 1206–1368 Golden Horde 1240s–1446 Uzbek Khanate 1428-1465 Kazakh Khanate 1465–1847
Post-nomadic period Russian Turkestan 1867–1918 Governor-Generalship of the Steppes 1882–1918 Alash Autonomy 1918–1920 Kirghiz ASSR 1920–1925 Kazakh ASSR 1925–1936 Kazakh SSR 1936–1991 Republic of Kazakhstan 1991–present
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History of Kyrgyzstan
Timeline
Early history Achaemenid Empire 542–330 BC Macedonian Empire 329–312 BC Seleucid Empire 312–189 BC Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 250–152 BC Xiongnu 204–53 BC Han China 101 BC–185 AD Kushan Empire 30–375 Former Liang 301–376 Rouran Khaganate 330–555 Former Qin 383–386 Later Liang 386–403 Hephthalites 440–560
Medieval history Kyrgyz Khaganate 539–1207 Göktürk Khaganate 557–603 Sasanian Empire 559–628 Western Turkic Khaganate 603–657 Tang China 657–751 Umayyad Caliphate 706–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–875 Uyghur Khaganate 791–840 Tibetan Empire 794–842 Kara-Khanid Khanate 840–1089 Seljuk Empire 1089–1141 Qara Khitai 1141–1212 Khwarazmian Empire 1212–1221
Early modern history Mongol Empire 1218–1266 Chagatai Khanate 1266–1347 Moghulistan 1347–1514 Golden Horde 1368–1446 Timurid Empire 1370–1505 Uzbek Khanate 1437–1471 Kazakh Khanate 1465–1757 Khanate of Bukhara 1501–1709 Yarkent Khanate 1514–1705 Dzungar Khanate 1680–1758 Khanate of Kokand 1709–1876 Qing China 1757–1841 Emirate of Bukhara 1841–1876
Russian Vassalage Russian Empire 1876–1917 Urkun 1916–1917 Turkestan Autonomy 1917–1918
Soviet rule Turkestan ASSR 1918–1924 Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast 1924–1926 Kyrgyz ASSR 1926–1936 Kyrgyz SSR 1936–1991
Independent Kyrgyzstan 1st Kyrgyz Revolution 2005 2nd Kyrgyz Revolution 2010 3rd Kyrgyz Revolution 2020
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Alash (Kazakh: Алаш партиясы, Alaş partiası; Kyrgyz: Алаш партиясы, romanized: Alash partiyasy) was a political party and liberation movement in the Russian Republic and Soviet Russia, and the ruling party of Alash Autonomy on the territory of present-day Kazakhstan and Russia. They advocated for equal treatment between Kazakhs and Russians and the cessation of Russian settlement on the Kazakh lands. It was notably the first modern organized political Kazakh and Kyrgyz elite group.^[1]

Alash party attempted to reinforce Kazakh identity rather than embracing Russian identities. Western secularism and ties to the Muslim world were the major dividing issues among the party intelligentsia and the Kazakh elites, through the Russian Civil War.^[1]

Chairman of the party and president of the Alash Autonomy was Alikhan Bokeikhanov. Prior to the formation of Alash party, he and other notable members of the party were members of the liberal Constitutional Democratic Party,^[1] which they maintained some relations with.

Alash party ceased to exist on 26 August 1920, after the Bolsheviks defeated White Army that was occupying territory of the Alash Autonomy, and formed the Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic.

The word "Alash" means tribesman or relative in Turkic languages, but according to some sources, Alash may be used as a synonym to "Kazakh". Qadyrgali Jalaiyr - Kazakh chronicler and politician, often used Alash as the word to replace Kazakh.

The party had plans to unite all Turkic peoples of Central Asia and create an independent state. For that they didn't want Kazakhs to be titular nation, so they decided to choose word Alash, creating a new Turkic identity between nations. However, this plan didn't work out. Kazakh politician Mustafa Shokay commented the first congresses of Alash: "Congress became a symbolic scene to show our unity, by common goal to unite great Turkic peoples".

The party was founded by the former Constitutional Democratic Party members, thus making the party one of the successors of the Constitutional Democrats.

After February Revolution, Russia has weakened, and Kazakh elite used the moment to found a party. At all-Kazakh congress in Orenburg from 21 to 28 July 1917, party was organized and main questions were answered such as form of government of Russia, which they decided that Russia should become federal parliamentary republic.

Alash Party was founded in December 1917, the information of founding of party was published on Qazaq journal. Alash won elections in most of regions of Kazakhstan, de facto founding an Alash Autonomy.

Alash party ceased to exist on 26 August 1920, after the Bolsheviks defeated White Army that was occupying territory of the Alash Autonomy, and formed the Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic. However, Kazakh elite decided to continue working to improve Kazakhstan. Some of former Alash members joined Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Former Alash members started translating textbooks for schools. During Asharshylyk, Kazakh elite showed big protest towards Soviet political system, criticizing propaganda and totally ignoration of famine. They wrote two letters to Soviet government. First is "The letter of five" written on 4 July 1932, by Gabit Musirepov, Mansur Gataulin, Embergen Altynbekov, Mutash Dauletkaliev and Kadir Kuanyshev. Second is "The letter to J. V. Stalin", a letter written by Turar Ryskulov to Joseph Stalin.

In the 1930s, most of elite was caught and sent to Gulags for alleged support of nationalistic ideas. Intolerable prison conditions and constant stress in prison made detained age faster, which is shown on last photos of them. In period of 1935-1938 most of Kazakh elite was shot.

On 4 July 2021, a monument dedicated to the Alash movement leaders Akhmet Baitursynov, Alikhan Bukeikhanov and Mirzhakip Dulatov was unveiled in Astana.^[2]

• Akhmet Baitursynov
• Alash Orda
• Basmachi movement
• Ismail Gasprinski
• Jadid
• Pan-Turkism
• Ush Zhuz