CINEMA AS BRANDING - Tourism in Central Asia: Cultural Potential and Challenges - page 192

The situation changed in the 17th century following the growth of
Russia's interest in Asian markets. The Kazakhs populated 'a transit hall'
between Russia and its newly articulated ambition. By the time the Jun-
gars launched the war against China in 1731, the Russians were ready
to act. Abulkhair, the khan of Qushi jüz (1693-1748), during the same
year was taken to oath and confirmed his loyalty to the Russian Empress.
This development did not produce faithful subjects as was expected on
the Russian side. But it added a new dimension to the steppe politics. The
Russians sought control over military and political undertakings by the
Kazakhs while the Kazakhs used their relationship with Russia against the
Jungars (ibid: 152-163).
This is when Ablai emerged on the political scene. He swore loyalty
to the Russian Empress in 1740 and then was captured by Galdan Ceren.
Oral tradition highlights Ablai's status and political skills as the factors
that motivated Galdan Ceren to let him go. In the film, it is an apex of his
struggle ending with Ablai being rescued by the Kazakh woman. In fact, it
was the Russian authorities who made this rescue happen in 1743. 30 Two
years later, Galdan Ceren died. A power shift occurred among the Kazakhs
as well: Barak sultan killed Abulkhair khan in 1748 in a final stroke of
their disagreement on the choice of political partners. He subsequently
died two years later. Barak's death cleared the field for Ablai but he was
not in position to become a khan due to his distant location within the Töre
genealogy. 31
Nevertheless, Ablai remained a powerful figure perhaps the most pow-
erful man in the Orta jüz (Valikhanov 1985). During the early 1750s, he
secretly offered sanctuary to Amursana, a promising contestant for the
Jungar throne. The Chinese wanted Amursana dead and did not want an
alliance of Jungars and Kazakhs. They threatened Ablai but as the Em-
peror admitted belatedly he “made fools of them” (Perdue, 2005). Once
Ablai realized that Amursana had no chance of victory, he had him leave,
engaging with the Chinese who opened the Urumchi market for Kazakhs
(Benson and Svanberg, 1998; ibid: 287). In 1756, Ablai swore loyalty to
the Chinese Emperor becoming a subject of two empires simultaneously.
A year later, in 1757, the Chinese massacred the Jungars leaving the
Kazakhs the sole players in a buffer zone between Russia and China.
30 Suleymenov and Moiseev (2006: 175). The source of information is Kazakhsko-russkie otnosheniya
v XVI-XVIII vv. Alma-Ata (1961: 258-262).
31 Ablai came from a junior line of Orta jüz sultans (Valikhanov 1985: 111).