Alash (party)

Political party in Kazakhstan

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

Part of a series on the

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

Topics

* Culture
* Geography
* Healthcare
* Religion
* Buddhism
* Eastern Orthodoxy
* Islam
* Judaism

Other

* Outline of Kazak military history
* Bibliography of Kazak history

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Part of a series on the

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

|

Turkic Khaganate|  557–603
Sasanian Empire|  559–628
Western Turkic Khaganate|  603–657
Eastern Turkic Khaganate|  603–630
Tang China|  657–751
Second Turkic Khaganate|  682–744
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
Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate|  1842–1867

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 the White Army that was occupying territory of the Alash Autonomy, and formed the Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic.

## Etymology

[edit]

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".

## History

[edit]

### Formation and Existence of Party

[edit]

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 during Kazakh ASSR

[edit]

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.

One of the last photos of Akhmet Baitursynov. Harsh prison conditions made him age prematurely.

Former Alash members started translating textbooks for schools. During Asharshylyk, the Kazakh elites engaged in large protests against the Soviet political system, criticizing propaganda and the total ignoration of famine. They wrote two letters to the Soviet government. First "The letter of five" written on 4 July 1932, by Gabit Musirepov, Mansur Gataulin, Embergen Altynbekov, Mutash Dauletkaliev and Kadir Kuanyshev. Second "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 the detained age faster, which is visible in the last photos of them. In the period of 1935-1938 most of the Kazakh elite was shot.

## Legacy

[edit]

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

## See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Galick, David (29 March 2014). "Responding to the Dual Threat to Kazakhness: The Rise of Alash Orda and its Uniquely Kazakh Path". The School of Russian and Asian Studies. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
2. ^ "Памятник лидерам Алаш Орды установили в Нур-Султане". tengrinews.kz. 4 July 2021.

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