bilig-23/ Autumn 2003

THE RUSSIFICATION POLICY IN KAZAKH LANDS
DURING THE TSARISM

Alau ADİLBAYEV
Ankara University
Institute of Social Sciences

       Beginning from the 18th century, Tsarist policies on Kazakh land overwhelmingly widened and were applied for long period. Tsarist Russian Empire was intending to take over Kazakh land. Tsarist Russian Empire sought to control Turkish and Muslim Nations through removing national values of these nations such as mother tongue, religion, blood ties and through its domination policy. For the sake of realizing these policies, Russia aimed to reach them by means of education, missionary activitles and settlement of Russian immigrants on the Kazakh land. The Russian education policy was intended to open schools where newly russified generation accepting "cultural dominance" of Russia would be brought up. Christian missionary activities were carried out among the Muslim Kazakhs. As the consequences, new generation lost its own language and religion, which led to estrangement of this nation from its spiritual values.

Key Words :  Russification, missionary activities, Christianization, education policy, alphabet change, settlement of the immigrants, Ilminsky, the Kazak people.