Ablai Khan
| Ablai Khan | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khan | |||||
 |
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| Reign | 1771–1781 | ||||
| Coronation | 1771 | ||||
| Predecessor | Abul-Mambet Khan | ||||
| Born | 1711 | ||||
| Died | May 23, 1781 (aged 70) | ||||
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| House | Urus Khan | ||||
| Father | Korkem Wali | ||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||
| Full name | |
|---|---|
| Wali-ullah Abul-Mansur Khan |
Wali-ullah Abul-Mansur Khan better known as Ablai Khan (Kazakh: Абылай (Әбілмансұр) хан) (1711 — May 23, 1781) was a Kazakh khan of the Middle jüz of Kazakhstan.
Born as Wali-ullah Abul-Mansur Khan, Ablai Khan belonged to the senior branch of descendants of the 15th century founder of the Kazakh state, Janybek Khan. In the first half of the 18th century, Ablai Khan proved to be a talented organizer and commander as he headed detachments of the Kazakh militia fighting the Dzungars. He participated in the most significant battles against the Dzungars from the 1720s to the 1750s, for which he was declared a "batyr" ("hero") by the people.
Ablai's activity aimed to create a strong and independent Kazakh state. He headed the unified forces of the Kazakhs and furthered the centralization of state power in Kazakhstan. Until his election as the khan of the three jüzes, Ablai had to compete with Khan Abul Mambet and his descendants of Middle jüz for leadership. Initially, Russia recognized Abul-Mambet Khan as the Khan of Middle jüz, while Ablai was supported by China. Ablai's talent in playing China against Russia gradually made him the unrivaled Khan of the steppe. Unlike Abul Khair Khan of Little jüz, Ablai never submitted to Russian rule. In 1771, at the meeting of the representatives of the three jüzes, Ablai was elected as the Kazakh khan. The Russian Empress requested that the title of khan should be recognized and officially approved by Russia. To that end, she sent an official letter to Petropavl, where Ablai was expected to receive the title in 1779. He never showed up at the fort, declining Russia's request to appoint him as the khan of Middle jüz. In contrast to Ablai, other khans and sultans had been competing for the lavish gifts and stipends of the Emperors of Russia in return for their submission.
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