Baitik Batyr () (,

Chüy Valley The Chüy Valley (; ; ) is a large valley located in northern Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan, in the northern part of the Tian Shan. It extends from Boom Gorge in the east to Muyunkum Desert in the west. It is long and has an area of about . ...

— 1886) was a Kyrgyz politician of the 19th century who defended the demands of the Kyrgyz people from the

Khanate of Kokand The Khanate of Kokand was a Central Asian polity in the Fergana Valley centred on the city of Kokand between 1709 and 1876. It was ruled by the Ming tribe of Uzbeks. Its territory is today divided between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, a ...

, but at the same time supported the aggressive campaigns of the neighboring

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

in the

Biography

Childhood

Baitik was born in 1820in the

of modern

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

. He was one of nine sons from the third wife of Kanai Batyr, the leader of the . Baitik's childhood fell on the beginning of the

Kokand Kokand ( ) is a city in Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan, at the southwestern edge of the Fergana Valley. Administratively, Kokand is a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlement Muqimiy. The population of Kokand was ap ...

expansion. He personally saw the arbitrariness of foreigners, the discontent of his relatives and friends. Baytik grew up as a proud, resolute, strong-willed and courageous young man. He was tall and broad-shouldered. Baitik was the organizer of all kinds of children's games, races on young bulls, wrestling and other competitions. With his activity and leadership qualities, he drew the attention of his father and the aqsaqals of the tribe. Kanai Batyr died when Baitik was only 15 years old. Further formation of him as a person was under the influence of his paternal uncle Jangarach Biy, to whom the leadership of the Solto tribe passed.

Adult life

By the beginning of the 60s of the 19th century, the rivalry between the

and the Khanate of Kokand for influence in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

intensified. At this time, the Kokand people intensively began to strengthen their fortresses in the Kyrgyz lands. So, in 1860, only in the Chüy Valley, they concentrated 5,000 . The Russian troops moving south were led by Captain . At the same time, Baitik Batyr took over the reins of power from the Solto tribe.

The capture of the Pishpek fortress

The separate skirmishes that took place between the Russian troops and the Kokand sarbaz revealed the advantage of Russian weapons. In the struggle against the Kokand yoke, it was reasonable for the Kyrgyz people to rely on the mighty Russian Empire. By that time, representatives of the Kyrgyz tribes and were already negotiating the adoption of Russian citizenship. Protest moods among the Kyrgyz of the Chüy Valley especially intensified after the appointment in early 1861 1861 as the governor of the Kokand Khan Rakhmatulla. He imposed additional taxes on the Solto, and held the son of Baitik Batyr Baisal as a hostage in the Pishpek fortress. Rumors about alleged bullying of his son also reached the Batyr. All objective and subjective factors, as well as foreign policy circumstances, spoke of the brewing of a decisive battle against Kokand dominance. Rahmatullah understood this too. Baitik Batyr's invitations to take part in this or that celebration or commemoration always refused. A convenient case of reprisals against Rahmatullah presented itself only in late August — early September 1862. Having lulled the vigilance of the Kokand governor through his close circle, Baitik Batyr invited him to the feast of circumcision () in the vicinity of Pishpek. Rahmatulla arrived on that escorted by reinforced guards in the amount of 60 sarbaz. In which case, he counted on the proximity of the fortress, which was only 8-10 kilometers away. By the beginning of the feast, Baitik prepared 500 selected horsemen led by Korchu Batyr from the Bolokbay clan, Baigazy and Kokum from the Talkan clan. By the beginning of the meal, the elastics and bridles of the entire Kokand cavalry were cut off. On a signal given by the leader, his jigits attacked the Kokand people. Rahmatullah himself was helped by his bodyguards to escape. According to eyewitnesses, he had an excellent pacer. Faithful horseman Baitik Batyr Kokum set off after him with a lance at the ready on the famous winner of the races Ker-Kashka. Halfway to the fortress, Kokum caught up with Rahmatulla and plunged a pike into him. The Kyrgyz surrounded the Pishpek fortress. Due to the fact that they were not able to take it by storm, Baitik Batyr sent his brother Satylgan to Vernyi for help. Russian troops led by Colonel G.A. Kolpakovsky arrived in early October. The siege of the fortress lasted 12 days. It was attended not only by the subjects of Baitik Batyr, who allocated 500 people daily for the destruction of the fortress, but also by the horsemen of the Sarybagysh Jantai Batyr.

Accession of Northern Kyrgyzstan to Russia

The capture of Pishpek by Baitik Batyr with the help of Russian troops was a decisive event in the course of the voluntary entry of the Kyrgyz tribes of northern Kyrgyzstan into the Russian Empire. This was a wise and far-sighted decision of the Kyrgyz leaders, who soberly assessed the geopolitical circumstances and the national interests of the Kyrgyz people. After the capture of the Pishpek fortress, the jigits of Baitik Batyr actively participated in the destruction of the Oluya-Ata fortress. The decisive actions of the baatyr were also supported by his elder brothers Baiseit Batyr and Boshkoy Batyr. Communication with them was maintained by the commander of the Russian detachment in Merki, Colonel M.G. Chernyaev. In 1867, Baitik Batyr, as part of a delegation of the peoples of Central Asia, was invited to

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. He was given the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of the

Russian army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

. He was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus and a ring with a diamond.

Political activity

In 1862, after the entry of the Solto tribe into Russia, Baitik Batyr received the title of Senior '' Manap'' from the Russian administration. He wore it until its abolition in 1866. In 1870, he received the position of junior assistant to the head of the Tokmak district on behalf of the population. This post was abolished in 1877.

Legacy

*In the capital of Kyrgyzstan, one of the main streets is named after him. *The village next to the family cemetery of the descendants of Kanai Batyr bears the name of Baitik Batyr. *The mountain next to his headquarters is also called Baitik-baspoltogu.

References

{{authority control 1886 deaths Ethnic Kyrgyz people (individuals) 1820s births People from the Khanate of Kokand 19th-century politicians from the Russian Empire Muslims from the Russian Empire