Mu'izz id-Din Mūhammed Rahim-Bek Bahadur (, ,

romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

: ''Muizziddin Mūhammed Rahim-Bek Bahadür''),also spelled as Raiymbek Batyr, was a famous Kazakh warrior from the 18th century. The term '' Bahadur'' is an honorific term meaning "hero" in the

Kazakh language Kazakh is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch spoken in Central Asia by Kazakhs. It is closely related to Nogai, Kyrgyz and Karakalpak. It is the official language of Kazakhstan, and has official status in the Altai Republic of Russia ...

, meaning that Rahim-Bek Bahadur's given name was simply Muizziddin Muhammed Rahim-Bek. He actively resisted the Dzungar invasion of Kazakh territories and played a major role in maintaining Kazakh freedom and independence. Rahim-Bek saw the Kazakh Khanate as a hub of

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

culture and felt that it was necessary to maintain its sovereignty at all costs. Thus, he came to view the Kazakh-Dzungar Wars as a

jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...

in defending the land that is now the Muslim nation of

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

. Rahim-Bek was the grandson of a Kazakh diplomat, and prevailed on the Russian

czarina Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; ; ; ) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (monarch) of Bulgaria, Serbia, and Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife. ...

Anna Ivanovna Anna Ioannovna (; ), also russified as Anna Ivanovna and sometimes anglicized as Anne, served as regent of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia from 1711 until 1730 and then ruled as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740. Much of her administration ...

asking for protection from the Dzungars, one of the Oirat (West Mongolian) tribes that were the last remnants of the

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

horse archer empire. He was instrumental in bringing the

senior juz Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

into a closer relationship with Russia in exchange for protection from the Dzungars. This was a move that Kazakh rulers Abu'l Khair Khan and Abu'l-Mansur Khan worked to establish in the latter years of the Kazakh Khanate. He is the subject of a two-volume historical novel bearing his name. His name is commonly given to public features in Kazakhstan such as streets and mosques.Medeu district website (district of

Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...

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Youth of Raiymbek Batyr

In Almaty, Raiymbek Batyr, who struck fear into his enemies with his roaring voice from a young age, was born in 1705.By the age of 15, he had mastered archery, sword fighting, and wrestling—skills essential for a warrior. He soon began participating in campaigns against the Dzungars. His comrades quickly noticed the young warrior’s bravery and strategic mind. His main principle was to achieve victory with minimal losses. This strategy was first successfully implemented in the battle along the Ili River. Captives held by the

Dzungar people The Dzungar people (also written as Zunghar or Junggar; from the Mongolian language, Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') are the many Mongol Oirats, Oirat tribes who formed and maintained the Dzungar Khanate in the 17th and 18th centuries. H ...

were freed, while many enemy soldiers were taken prisoner. Raiymbek liberated Sögeti, Oyrantöbe, and Jalaǵash from

Dzungar Khanate The Dzungar Khanate ( Mongolian: ), also known as the Zunghar Khanate or Junggar Khanate, was an Inner Asian khanate of Oirat Mongol origin. At its greatest extent, it covered an area from southern Siberia in the north to present-day Kyrgyz ...

control. As the enemy fled in terror, the Dzungars lamented: ''"Oyrantöbe is ruined, Sekер and Barak are destroyed. Raiymbek came and cut through necks like apples."'' After this victory, Raiymbek continued his campaigns, freeing Zhinishke, Taushilik, Karabulak, Ush Merke, Kengsu, and Karkara.

Raiymbek Batyr’s Aid to the Middle Jüz

One of Raiymbek Batyr’s significant campaigns was his mission to assist the Middle

Jüz A jüz (; , , also translated as ' horde') is one of the three main territorial and tribal divisions in the Kypchak Plain area that covers much of the contemporary Kazakhstan. It represents the main tribal division within the ethnic group of the ...

. Upon receiving a proposal from Qabanbai Batyr to block the area between Tarbagatai and

Tacheng TachengThe official spelling according to (), also known as Tarbagatay, Chuguchak or Qoqek, is a county-level city and the administrative seat of Tacheng Prefecture, in northern Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. The Chinese name "Tach ...

, preventing the enemy from regrouping, Raiymbek immediately set out on horseback. He played a key role in liberating Sarytau and Üygentas, then followed the Ili River back toward Qorghas. Historian Mambet Koigeldiev notes that this fact is also documented in the research of Zeinolla Sanik in Xinjiang. Raiymbek, who came from the Alzhan clan of the Alban tribe, inherited the warrior spirit of his ancestor, the fearless Hangeldi Batyr. Recognizing his fiery determination,

Jalairs Jalair (; ; ), also Djalair, Yyalair, Jalayir, is one of the Darliqin Mongol tribes according to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's ''Jami' al-tawarikh''.They lived along the Orkhon River in modern day Central Mongolia.History of Mongolia, Volume II, 2003 ...

Oraq Batyr gifted him a swift horse and a fine steel sword. From a young age, Raiymbek showed exceptional bravery, calling his own name in battle as he raced forward. This indomitable spirit later became a sharp blade against the

. At 17, mounted on his steed Kököinag, he became a terror to the enemy. One of his most famous feats took place at Oyrantöbe, now marked at the 167th kilometer of the Almaty-Narynkol highway, where he challenged Dzungar warriors to single combat, throwing them into chaos like wolves among sheep. Many have heard of the Badam River, but few know that it is named after Badam-Bakhadur, a Dzungar noble who was defeated by Raiymbek. Similarly, the place name Kegen is believed to originate from the Dzungar prince Gengen, though some sources claim "Gengen" was a religious title. In 1729, Raiymbek fought alongside legendary Kazakh warriors such as Nauryzbai Batyr, Ötegen, Qabanbai, and Bogenbay Batyr at the Battle of Añyraqai, crushing the army of Sary Myngzhan. Later, at the Itempes River, he led his forces to destroy the army of Shona Doba.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batyr, Raiymbek 18th-century people from the Kazakh Khanate 1705 births 1785 deaths

Youth of Raiymbek Batyr

Raiymbek Batyr’s Aid to the Middle Jüz

See also

References