History of South-Kazakhstan region

Since an ancient time the South Kazakhstan takes a peculiar place in the history of Kazakhstan and of the whole Middle Asia. Territory where the Great Silk Way passed through was flourished in all relations. The cities: Otyrar, Isfidzhab (Sairam), Syganak, Sauran, Sozak, Turkestan (Jassy) became not only commercial centres but also the centres of science and culture.
The pride of the territory is Abu-Nasyr Al-Farabi, the second Aristotel of the East, born in Otyrar,Korkyt ata and Kozha Ahmet Jassaui. The signs of the past centuries are left as architectural monuments in the form mausoleum of Kozha Ahmet Jassaui, Arystan baba, Iskak baba, Abdel-Aziz, Meralibaba, Karashash Ana, Ibragim Ata and medrese of Appak Ishan.
During many centuries Turkestan (Jassy) was a concentration of religious ideas, a large Moslem centre, and in the XVI – XIX centuries it became a residence of the Kazakh khans.
The outstanding legislators of Kazakh people: Tole bi, Kazybek bi and Aiteke bi, worked out a famous monument of the Kazakh’s common law “Zheti Zhargy” in this city.
In a new history the South-Kazakhstan region was formed as administrative unit in 1932. There are 4 cities: Shymkent, Turkestan, Kentau and Arys, and 11 rural districts on its territory with an area of 117,3 thousand sq. km.
The region is multinational, about 100 nationalities and nations live there.Ethnic structure of the population was determined by the history of the region where a development of industry plays an important part.
So, in 1885 the largest (for that time) industrial enterprise – santonin plant (now it is SJC “Chimfarm”) was built, where santonin (dermene) was worked over. This medicinal plant was grown only in the south of Kazakhstan in the valley of the river Arys near the city Shymkent.
The giant of the coloured metallurgy – Shymkent lead plant was built in the first years of the formaion of Soviet power.
In the end of 1941, at an early beginning of the Great Patriotic War many enterprises from Moscow region, Krasnoyarskyi krai, Kiev, Kharkov, Rostov-Na-Dene, Voronezh, Kremenchug were evacuated to Shymkent. At all during the war 17 plants and factories with the number of workers of 20 thousand were shifted to Shymkent from front lines, they became the basis of 255 large and middle industrial enterprises, representing different fields.
Nowadays the greatest enterprises of the Republic Kazakhstan are South-Kazakhstan joint stock companies as “Shymkentnefteorgsynthesis”, “Uzhpolymetall”, “Achpolymetall”, “ShymkentShina”, “ShymkentCement”, “Kentau excavator plant”, “Shymkentasbocement”, “Shymkentmai”.
Practically the objects and enterprises of industrial infrastructure as electrical energy, water communications and transport connections were born and developed in the same time with industry. According to the geographical location the region can be called as south doors of Kazakhstan, because its modern borders close in the south by borders of the Republic Uzbekistan and it is situated on the axis of international transport main lines as Orenburg-Tashkent and Turkestano-Siberian.
There are stones on the mountains of Tulkubas district which had and kept the parts of flora and signs of some fauna with the age of more than 100 million years.
In the same time in our region at the place of Koshkurgan near Turkestan were found evidences of human activities of the ancient stone century (of paleolite).

Ancient history
The similar monument Shoktas was discovered by the Kazakhstani-Russian archaeological expedition. The evidences of the ancient human settments in the region were given by H.A. Alpysbaeb, a famous archeologist, a discoverer of the Paleolithic culture centre in the South of Kazakhstan. The important input to the science was made by the discovery of the multi-layered Paleolithic site Karasu in Baidibek district located in the north-eastern part of the region. The territory of the region is mentioned in the scientific works on ancient history: during the archaeological excavates more than 20 sites of an ancient man with many labour tools of the Stone Age were found there. The South-Kazakhstani scientists discovered 6 cultural layers of middle- and upperpaleolithic Age. Apart from the numerous stone things, bone remains of animals, remnants of camp-fires, parts of ochre were found. There are only few analogous monuments of the Ancient Stone Age in Kazakhstan.
In the mountains of the small Karatau in 1958 a upperpaleolitical cave Ush Bas (Suzak district) was discovered. On the rock floor of the cave near the camp-fire a make from alevrolit was found which on one of its sides had 10 notes (slicings). Such kinds of makings with notchings were used in caunting operations. The analogous make of bone dated by Neolith (VI-III B.C.) was found in the cave Karaungur (Tulkubass district). There were discovered stone labour tools, arrow-heads, bone-made items, circle-bottomed ceramics covered by paint. Such discoveries are isolated cases for the South of Kazakhstan which puts cave site in the row of the unique archaeological monuments of the country. The searches of the stone industry of the Mesolithic and Neolithic Ages are still held nowadays.
There are a few explored monuments of the Bronze Age in the region. At first it is a burial ground Tau Tary in the natural boundary Baba Ata (Suzak district). Analysis of the findings from the burial ground allows to date it by the beginning of the middle stage of Andron culture (XI-IX B.C.). Artifacts of the burial ground Sherbai situated in 6 km from Turkestan was dated to XVII-XIV B.C.
In VIII-Ш B.C. the Sacian culture was spread on the territory of thr region.
The archaeological researchers on the burial ground Koshkar Ata and in the zone of the Bugun Reservoir give us the introductions of material culture, way of life, economy and beliefs of the Ancient Sacians. All these found a bright reflection in the rock paintings - petrogliphes. They are the Arpauzen and Koibagar (Suzak district), Boraldai paintings (Baidibek district), petrogliphes of Kaska-Bulak (Tulkubass district) and others.
On the territory of Tolebi district there were also found the evidences of Sacian tribes’ inhabitance (distant ancestors of Kazakhs of XIII B.C.), and later makings of Uisuns, they were one of the Kazakh ancestors of Senior Zhus. The sources give evidences that the generation of the legendary foremother of Senior Zhus -Domalak ana, one of the wives of Uisuni Khan Baidibek, in the Middle Ages wandered in the river basin of Large and Little Bugun.

History of A.D. Times

The Arys culture covers the period of the IV B.C.-VI B.C. and fixes the political and ethnic processes in the South of Kazakhsan. Materials of that time give the base to outline the possessions of Kancguis by the territories of Arys-Badam Area, and to connect the capital Bityan with the city Karaspantobe (Ordabasy district).
Starting from the middle of VI B.C. on the territories of the present Kazakhstan the early-feudal countries of Turkic people, Turgeshes, Karlucks, Kimaks and Kipchaks appeared,developed and died. VI-XI cc. are characterized by struggle of the nomads toward state organization. The foundation of the Western-Turkic, Turgesh and Karluk Kaganates is the bright evidences to that.

Bloom of Cities

Among the historical-cultural regions which were formed in the period of the early Medieval time there was an area of modern Shymkent, too. In 8 km. from it “the City on a White River” – Isphydzhab (Sairam)- was situated. Already in the VII c. “the City on a White River” was mentioned in the sources among the cities situated on the Great Silk Way. It is included into the routers of the VII – IX cc. as a large commercial centre equally with Otyrar (Farab), Taraz and others. The sources also tell us about cities as Shavgar (Turkestan) on the Syrdarya, Gazgird, Sharab, Buruhket, Tamtauns and Abardzhadns.
In the second half of the IX c. in the South of Kazakhstan a rapid growth of cities and flourishing of urban culture begun. First of all, Otyrar is singled out. The written sources and archaeological excavations gave a dynamic picture of its history, life and death of the XVII-XVIII c.c. Arsubaniket, the area of the current Koltogan village, refers to the region’s cities of the Middle Age.However, the most famous one was Turkestan (the ancient name of which is Shavgar). According to the written sources, it was situated in one day’s march from Otyrar along the Syrdarya, near nowadays Turkestan.
In the XII-XIII cc. the city had lost its trade and cultural importance and the center of the distric was moved to Jassy (Turkestan). 30 km from Turkestan there are ruins of the largest medieval city Sauran dated to the VI-VIII cc. At that time the leading cultural center of Kazakhstan was the South where original culture of town-planning arose, a handicraft industry was developed, a caravan trade was widened.

Mongol Invasion

In 1219-1224 Kazakhstan and Central Asia were included to the Chenghis Khan Empire. The South of Kazakhstan has become a part of possessions of Chagatai’s son and of his descendants. Since XIV c. The Arab alphabet was spread, an Islam became a ruling religion.

Division of the Nomadic Tribes

In the first quarter of the XV c. on the territory of the south-western Kazakhstan so called “khanate of Nomadic Uzbeks” headed by the khan Abulhair, was formed. The capital was Syganak. However, the Kazakh khanate which was formed in the second half of the XV c., strived to conquer Cyrdarian lands, a basin of the river Arys. During several centuries this territory became an arena of struggle between Kazakh (Dzhuchids) and Uzbek (Shaibanids) feodal lords.
At the beginning of the XVI c. this region got under the power of the Kazakh khan Kasym, then under power of the Tashkent sovereign Baba Sultan and after him Bokhara ruler Abdallah. In 1597-1598 Kazakh khan Tavakkul having destroyed Abdallahkhan’s troops, conquered Tashkent, Samarkand, Sairam, Turkestan. During his ruling all this territories became a part of the Kazakh khanate, and a capital was an ancient Jassy.

Formation of the Kazakh State System

By XV-XVI cc. a centuries-old process of formation of the Kazakh nation and of its ethnical territory had finished. The important feature of the Kazakh society was its division into zhuzes.
The tribes of the Senior Zhuz occupied the territory from Syrdarya till Semirechie. It consisted of Uisuns, Kahglys, Dulats, Albans, Suans, Sergelies,Ysty, Oshakty, Shaprashty, Zhalairs. Since the middle of the XV c. and till the beginning of the XVII c. the Kazakh Khanate was a single political unit. The main field of economy was half nomadic cattle-breading.

Dzungarian invasion

Dzungarian invasion started in the XVII c. brought to Kazakh people innumerable disasters. The struggle between Kazakh and Dzungarian rulers continued more than centuries. Threat to the national independence made the Kazakhs to unite. Unification of all zhuzes occured at the public meeting in 1726 at the place of Ordabasy (“Main Orda”, “Main Headquarters”) thanks to the efforts of three zhuz bies- Tole bi, Kazybek bi and Aiteke bi, who played a historical role in unification of Kazakh people. In 1729-1730 Dzungars were beaten, and a considerable part of the territory of the Junior and Middle zhuses was freed.

Joining to Russia

The Dzungar-kazakh wars made Kazakh rulers to the union with Russia. In 1730 khan of the Junior zhuz Abulhair submitted an application to Russian Empress Anna Ioanovna about the acceptance of a citizenship which was signed on the 9th of February, 1731. In 1733-1734 the Middle and Senior zhuses were accepted into the Russian citizenship. In reality, the process of joining lasted more than 100 years.
On the border of the XVIII – XIX cc. the Kokand Khanate was formed in the Central Asia. Alim Khan (1801-1809) launched an aggressive crusade to the South of Kazakhstan seizing some built-up areas including Shymkent, too.
At the end of the XVIII and beginning of the XIX c. many territories of the Middle and Junior zhuzes were included into Russia. In 1824 Semirechie was included into it, too. And only the territory of the South Kazakhstan was under the ruling of the Kokand khan. In the second half of the XIX c. the tsar’s government intensified its activity in the Central Asia.
An attack of Russian armies started in spring of 1864. During summer Russian armies destroyed Kokands and defeated cities: Turkestan, Aulie Ata (currently Taraz) and Merke. On the 22nd of September of 1864 Shymkent was taken by storm. Thus, the process of actual joining of Kazakhstan to Russia was finished by invasion of the Senior zhuz.

Development of Economics

Since 1867 Shymkent became a chief city of an uyezd of the Syrdarian region. The economical characteristics of Shymkent is given in the guide-book on Turkestan region (1901): “It feeds Tashkent with Sairam wheat, by pure cow milk. The Volga cloth factories received its wool, the foreign plants-leather, sausage and instrumental masters- intestines. …The city is famous for horse trade”.
Up to the beginning of the XX c.there were 3 oil-mills, 5 tanneries, 15 brickworks, 26 mills in Shymkent. The largest industrial enterprise was a santonin plant (now-OJSC “Chimfarm”) built in 1885. There were 4 cotton-refineries, 15 forges and 15 soap boiling factories. In 1915 a division of the Semirechensk railway Arys-Shymkent was put onto exploitation. In September of 1914 by the Decree of Senate Shymkent was given a new name- Chernyayev. And only in 1921 its previous historical name was returned.

Colonial Policy

Military-Cossack colonization of the region was replaced by mass migration of peasants from Russia. The resettlement to the region started in 70-s of the XIX c. Thousands of migrants with their families and with poor bag and baggage moved to the borders of the Tsar’s Russia – to the Central Asia and Kazakhstan. According to the data of 1906, in the Shymkent uyezd there were 18 peasant villages created in the period of 1887-1899 with population of 8062 people. The largest villages were Vannovka, Voznesenovka, Vysokoye, Antonovka on the territory of the present Tulkubass district, Belye Vody in the Sairam district.
Withdrawal of the Kazakh lands (their territory in Syrdarinsky region since 1895 till 1905 was 500 thousand desyatinas), a number of administrative reforms provoked dissatisfaction of the local population (including Chernyaevskii (Shymkent) uyezd) by politics of the tsar’s government, which was taken to the national-liberation rebellion of 1916.

Fall of Empire

The Victory of the February Revolution of 1917 completed Russian Empire’s collapse. On the 30th of March Mustafa Chokai was appointed a commissar of the Provisional Government in Turkestan. In Shymkent the Soviet of soldiers, and in May –Soviet of labour deputies was formed, a chairman of which was Bolshevik N.Morozov.

Soviet Authority

Turkestan Autonomous Republic was proclaimed to be in the structure of RSFSR on the V Extraordinary Congress of the Turkestan krai’s Soviets (April-May, 1918).
In 1924 there was a national-governmental delimitation of the Central Asia and Kazakhstan. There appeared Syrdarinskaya guberniya with 6 uyezds: Shymkentsky, Aulie-Atinsky, Turkestansky, Tashkazahsky, Kazalinsky, Akmechetsky. The population of the province was 742 thousand people (90,5% -local).
The XIV Congress of VKP (b) (1925) appointed a course to the industrialization. One of the largest objects of industrialization was the construction (1927) of the Turkestan- Siberian railroad (TurkSib) with the length of 1445 km. The construction acquired national character. The Committee of support to a construction was ruled by Turar Ryskulov. Road construction was completed in April of 1930. In 1931 a construction of the largest enterprise – of the Shymkent lead plant started, and also Achisai, Kantagy mines, concentrating factories, Shymkent WEC, Lenger coal mines, railroad lines, labour villages were built.

Nomads’ tragedy

Tragedy was a forcible settlement of the cattle-breeding nomads and half nomads of the Turkestan, Keles, Badam, Karatas regions. At the same tome, the huge collective farms were created. A real catastrophe was broken out in a stock-breeding as the quantity of cattle from 40,5 mln. heads was reduced to 4,5 mln. Mainly camel-breeding, horse-breeding and sheep-breeding were suffered. All these led to hunger of 1931-1933. Out of 6,5 mln. people of the Republic 2,1 mln. people died. Escaping from the hunger and repression more than 1 mln. people migrated over the country borders.
Formation of the South-Kazakhstan Region.

During the difficult political and economical periods the experiments with administrative- territorial division were realized. In January of 1928 Syrdariinsksya guberniya was reorganized into Syrdarinsky okrug with 21 districts. Then by the Decree of VCIK from the 23rd of July, 1930, the division into okrug was liquidated and district division was introduced. On the territory of the Syrdarinskii okrug already 18 districts were left. In 2 years- in 1932 on the territory of Kazakhstan 6 regions including South-Kazakhstan, were formed. So Decision of VCIC from the 10th of March, 1932 on this problem became a birthday of the region. In 1938 the region again had undergone administrative-territorial changes: from its structure Kzyl-Ordinskaya and then in 1939 – Zhambyl regions stood out. In May of 1962 the South-Kazakhstsn krai with the centre in Shymkent was formed. It included Zhambyl, Kzyl-Orda and Shymkent regions. In December of 1964 the krai was abolished but Shymkent region kept its name. On July 6, 1992, according to the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the RK it was taken its previous name- South-Kazakhstan region.

On the Way of Socialism

In 30-40s the high attention was paid to the development of non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical and coal-mining industries. In 1934 the Shymkent lead plant gave its first production, it was the first in the Union according to the capacity and the third in the world. In Lenger, Keltemashat, Boraldai the coalfields were assimilated. Changes took place in the development of a cotton-growing, too. Along with economy the culture of the region was also developed. In 1934 the Drama Theatre begun to function.

Stalin’s Repressions

As a result of the mass political repressions of 30s, 40s and 50s more than 3 thousand inhabitants of the region were suffered. 36 of the 58 leading workers were sentenced to a death penalty. Among there were the first secretary of the obkom of party A.Dosov, a chairman of the Oblispolkom V.Sluchak, an executive secretary of the oblispolkom B. Irzhanov, the editors of the regional newspapers P.Grehnev, R.Zhumankulov and many others.

The Second World War

On June, 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War started. Together with all people of the large country the South-Kazakhstani people shared the difficulties of the war years. During the first months of the war 26 industrial enterprises including the Voronezh plant of press-mashines, Kharkov hasiery and mirror factory, Podolsk rolling –caster plant, Kiev chemical and pharmaceutical plant, Moscow alkaloid plant, Kremenchug energy station were transferred there.
Some of the enterprises were located in the districts of the region: the glass works was located in the state farm “Kujuk”, the tractor workshop in Sairam district, the power station in Turkestan district, a cotton-spinning factory in a cotton collective farm “Pahtaral”.
In 1942 all evacuated enterprises had already given their productions.
The Architecture Academy of the SUSR, the Institute of the World Economy and Politics, the Institute of Geography, the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Medicinal Plants (VILAR) were also evacuated to the region. The theatre named after Mossoviet was evacuated there, too.

Contribution to the Victory

47 of our countrymen were given a title of a Hero of the Soviet Union, 9 countrymen became a holder of an Order of Fame of the I, II, III degree.
From the very beginning of the war the region did its ponderable bit in military and economical preponderance of the SUSR over Germany. According to the counts of specialists, 7 of 10 bullets were founded from Shymkent lead.
The South-Kazakhstan region became the most important agricultural zone of the country. It provided the front and large industrial cities as Ural, Siberia and Povolzhie with bread, butter, wool and it sent fruits and vegetables to the front. During the war years the collective farms had given to the country 2 mln. poods of meat, 800 thousand litres of milk, 100 thousand hids of cattles and more than 1 mln. of sheep’s and goat’s hides, 44 thousand 80 poods of wool, 2 mln.120 thousand poods of bread.
According to the counts of specialists it was possible to fit out with uniform 7 mln soldiers of the Red Army with fabric made in the region. In June, 1942, the workers of the region sent to inhabitants of Leningrad 287 units of cattles, 160 cwt. of sausage, 35 cwt. of butter and 80 cwt. of vegetable oil, 120 cwt. of flour, 270 cwt. of dried fruits and vegetables, 30 cwt. of nuts, 170 cwt. of confectioneries, 560 l. of wine.
Many Kazakhstan people did their own contribution into the Victory. Thus, the legendary wrestler, Hadzhimuhan Munaitpasov, ranted 100 thousand rubles for the construction of an airplane named after Amangeldy Imanov. For the construction of striking techniques, a chairman of the collective farm “Aktas” B.Ondasynov granted 166 thousand rubles from his own savings, a chairman of the collective farm “Berlik” A.Zhusipov - 65 thousand rubles, a chairman of the collective farm “Kzylabad” M.Izbasarov - 170 thousand rubles.

Post-War development

The 50-60-s years were pointed by the economic growth. The economical reforms, introduction of a cost-accounting, economical and material stimulation, granting economic independence, a number of changes in agrarian politics, gave positive results. Plants such as astrakhan, hydrolysis, excavator, “Electroapparat”, a cotton establishment, a garment factory “Voshod” were built in a short time.
The Cement plants of Shymkent and Sastobe gave their productions. The Tashkent-Shymkent gas pipeline was constructed. A chemical industry got a rapid development. The Phosphorous and tyre factories were put into commission. In the beginning of 80-s the oil-refining plant was built, and an oil pipe-line Omsk-Pavlodar-Shymkent was put into operation. The Food industry was developed, some milk factories, meat and fish factories, brewery and bread-baking plans were built. In 1987 there were more than 170 industrial enterprises in the region.
The total volume of the sold production was 7,86 mlrd. rubles.

Virgin Lands

In 1954 virgin and fallow lands begun to be reclaimed. An intensive reclaimation of the Kzylkum massif begun with putting into commission of the Shardara reservoir. Cotton-growing, gardening, grape-growing, vegetable-growing, melon-growing were developed. By 1980 the land area of the region was about 12 mln hectares, and 10,3 mln hectares of which were taken under farming areas. The fine-fleeced and astrakhan sheep-breeding took a leading place.

Education and Culture

The preparation of specialists for the region was held by 2 institutes such as Chemicaland Technological and Pedagogical. Some higheducational institutions such as mining-metallurgical, industrial, cooperative, auto - mechanical, hydromelioration technical colleges, musical and art schools were opened. During the Soviet time 900 schools were built.
The pedagogue M.Tasova was awarded a title of the Hero of Socialist Labour for her making an important contribution to education and upbringing of the youths. The doctor A.Buvanova was also awarded a title of the Hero of Socialist Labour for her making a great contribution to the development of health and care. The region is proud of its fellow-countrymen,as a linguist and a corresponding member M.Balakayev, a doctor of geological science P.Tazhibayeva, a turkologist and an academician S.Kenesbayev, doctors of philological science K.Bektayev and A.Baitanayev were born here. The name of T.Tazhibaev, a Doctor of Ppedagogical science and an academician, the minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakh SSR in 1944-1957-s, and then a Counsellor of the Embassy of the SUSR in India, was entered into the history of the region.
The construction of the building of Kazakh and Russian drama theatres in 1967 was an event in a cultural life of the region. National artists of Kazakh SSR such as A.Abdullina,Zh.Serikbaeva worked there. The 60-80-s are famous for the flourishing of the creation of the writer O.Malkarov, of the national akyns: K.Umarova, A.Kalybekova, of the writers A.Zhylkyshieva, N.Suleimenov, N.Esengaraeva, O.Postnicova,Y.Kungurtsev, M.Baigut. The founders of the Kazakh theatric art the national artists of the USSR as H.Bukeeva, G.Hairullina, K.Dzhandarbekov, a poet and a public figure M.Shahanov, a composer S.Kaldayakov, the writers F.Chirva and Z.Edilbaev are our fellow-countrymen.

Collapse of the Soviet Union

In the beginning of the 90-s in the life of Kazakhstan, as of other Soviet Republics, the historical changes connected with the collapse of the USSR had happened. It was for the first time in the centuries-old history Kazakhstan received a real independence.
In 2002 the region celebrated its 70-years anniversary from the day of its formation.