Battle of Turkistan (1718)

The Battle of Turkistan was a military battle on the city on Turkistan between the Dzungar Khanate and the Kazakh Khanate in 1718, during the Kazakh–Dzungar Wars.

Background

During the Fourth Kazakh–Dzungar War, the Battle of the Ayagoz River took place in 1717, in which Kazakh Militias of 30,000 men led by Kaip Khan and Abulkhair Khan on the Ayagoz river of the Abai region. Which caused a Kazakh defeat, and let the Dzungars occupy Sary-Arka. Later allowing the campaign on 1718.

Battle

In 1718, Dzungar army of 2,500 men had campaigned on the Bugyn, Chayan, and Arys rivers. Attacking the Middle and the Senior jüz, on the rivers and later into Syr Darya, as they battled and fought a Kazakh militia of 30,000 men. After the battle, a massacre followed with Dzungars reportedly "slaying the Kazakhs".

Aftermath

About who won the battle is disputed, as Dr. Vecihi Sefa states it is a Dzungar victory — claiming that Dzungars defeated Kazakhs again after Ayagoz battle. However, Galiev V. Z states that the Dzungars were defeated, due to being outnumbered and lack of supplies to confront the Kazakhs.

Later the war ended as the Dzungars had finished raiding the Kazakhs, later in 1723, the Dzungars peaced with the Qing dynasty, allowing them to invade Kazakhstan and cause the Barefooted Flight.