HISTORICAL EVENTS IN THE ILI REGION IN THE 18TH–19TH CENTURIES: THE RESETTLEMENT OF THE SEMIRECHYE KAZAKHS TO ILI AND THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE’S ADVANCE ON THE ILI VALLEY

This article examines the political situation in the Ili region during the 18th–19th centuries. From the latter half of the 18th century, the Ili area became part of the Qing Empire, where a new military and administrative system was established, emphasizing the region’s strategic importance. To secure the area, the Qing authorities deployed troops composed of various ethnic groups and enforced strict border and internal settlement policies. The main objective of the study is to explore the political, ethnic, and military-administrative history of the Ili region during the 18th–19th centuries and to reveal the influence and settlement process of the Kazakhs in this territory. Research Methods: Historical-chronological method – to systematize the socio-political history of the region by stages; source analysis – based on archival materials, Russian imperial statistical data, Qing court chronicles, and official records; comparative analysis – drawing upon the works of scholars from Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Europe, and the United States; archival and documentary methods – analysis of historical writings and records about the Ili region; statistical method – using census data to analyze the ethnic composition, the ratio of sedentary and nomadic populations, and the quantitative aspects of migration processes. Research Objectives : To describe the geopolitical situation of the Ili region; to specify the Qing Empire’s military and administrative structures in the area; to determine the causes and stages of Kazakh migration to the Ili valley (1830–1871); to outline the history, ethnic composition, and socio-political structure of the Ili Sultanate; to analyze the agreements between the Russian and Qing empires concerning the transfer and partition of the Ili territory. Research Results. The study traces the historical trajectory of the Ili region from the collapse of the Dzungar Khanate to the colonial policies of the Qing Empire. It reveals the formation, governance, and colonial practices of the Ili General Administration based on archival data. The political and ethnic dimensions of Kazakh and Kyrgyz migration to the Ili region are explored. The creation, population, and dissolution of the Ili Sultanate are systematized. The role and influence of the Kazakhs in the Ili region, particularly during the Ili uprising, are substantiated with documentary evidence. The political dynamics and territorial disputes between the Russian and Qing empires are clarified. The contributions of historical figures (Sauryk, Zheten, Balbai, Düräli) to the national liberation struggle are examined.