28 Facts About Ormon Khan

Ormon Khan was the first and only khan of the Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate, ruling from 1842 until his death in 1854.

In 1854, during a conflict with a rival Kyrgyz tribe, Ormon Khan was captured in battle and executed.

Ormon Khan Niyazbek uulu was born around 1792 in the Issyk-Kul valley of Kyrgyzstan.

Ormon Khan was a member of the powerful Sarybagysh tribe, and his family was very influential in the region.

Ormon Khan was trained in horseback riding and fighting with sword and spear from a young age, and he was skilled at kurash wrestling.

At 25, Ormon Khan had risen to become the chief of the Sarybagysh tribe.

At the kurultai, Ormon Khan argued that the tribes of northern Kyrgyzstan would be stronger united against external threats, including Kokand and the encroaching Russian Empire, which had been constructing outposts nearby.

The chiefs in attendance agreed, and at the suggestion of the Sarybagysh chief Jantay Karabekov, Ormon was declared khan of the northern Kyrgyz tribes, the Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate.

Ormon Khan created an official legal code, referred to as the Ormon ukuu, meaning Teachings of Ormon or Ormon's Edification.

Ormon Khan established a diplomatic corps, which acted as a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by a diplomat named Bayserke, who was tasked with travelling to Kokand with important tasks.

Ormon Khan instituted restrictions on merchants from the Uzbek cities of Ferghana and Tashkent who wished to conduct business with the Kyrgyz.

Ormon Khan was regarded as a "shrewd political and military leader" by the Russians.

Ormon Khan advocated for the worship of Islam, teaching mullahs about the religion.

In 1842 and 1843, Ormon Khan army destroyed the Kokand fortresses in the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions, driving out the Kokand cavalry.

In 1844, Ormon Khan's forces captured the fortress at Bishkek, a local stronghold for the Kokand army.

Kenesary sent ambassadors to Ormon Khan, requesting an alliance to fight against both Russia and Kokand.

However, after consulting with tribal elders, Ormon Khan rejected Kenesary's proposal and began raiding subjects loyal to the Kazakhs.

Ormon Khan was personally given a golden saber and was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the Imperial Russian Army.

In 1848, Ormon Khan requested assistance from the Russian bailiff of the Golden Horde, Baron Wrangel, in a war against Kokand; in exchange for Russian aid, Ormon Khan would become a Russian citizen.

In 1852, the Russian governor of Western Siberia, General Gustav Khristianovich Gasford, wrote that Ormon Khan should be rewarded for his services to the Russian Empire by receiving the Kazakh lands in the Trans-Ili Valley.

Gasford intended to force the Kazakhs to need to ask for Russian assistance, as well as to allow Ormon Khan to pacify the region for Russian colonization.

However, Ormon Khan's army were defeated by the Bugu, and Ormon Khan was captured.

However, Balbay-baatyr, a Bugu leader who had been a longtime rival of Ormon Khan, stabbed Ormon Khan with a spear, mortally wounding him.

Ormon Khan was transferred to his daughter's yurt, where he died in her arms.

The exact location of Ormon Khan's body is unknown, as his relatives buried him in secret so his body would not be abused.

Ormon Khan is believed to be buried either in a pasture near Semyonovka or above the village of Grigor'yevka in the foothills of the Kungoy Ala-Too Range.

In 2002, an equestrian monument of Ormon Khan was installed on Chinghiz Aitmatov Avenue in Bishkek, and in 2012, the Kyrgyz Post Office issued a stamp featuring Ormon.

Several of Ormon Khan's descendants maintain positions in the Kyrgyz government and academia, including Kyrgyz National University professor Ryskul Zholdoshev, film director Melis Ubukeyev, and Supreme Council speaker Kanatbek Isaev.