Kamal Blockade

Kamal Blockade — the punitive campaign of Russian troops led by N. F. Vishnevsky against the Kazakh rebels led by Kenesary Khan, who had fortified themselves on the territory of Lake Balkhash. The final phase of the confrontation between Kenesary Khan and the Russian Empire against the backdrop of his own uprising.

Kamal Blockade
Part of Kenesary's Rebellion
Date 1845 — October 1846 Location Lake Balkhash, Kamal Peninsula Result Blockade lifted[1] Territorial changes After leaving for the central Senior Jüz, Kenesary Khan invaded Kokand and Northern Kyrgyzstan
Belligerents
Kazakh Khanate	Russian Empire Ağa (Senior) sultans [ru]
Commanders and leaders
Kenesary Khan	Nikolai Vishvesky [ru]
Strength
c. 10,000[2]	approx. 1,150[3]

Prelude

In 1845, Kenesary Khan invaded the Kokand Khanate (present-day Southern Kazakhstan) and laid siege to the Kokand fortresses of Zhanakorgan, Zhulek, Sozak, and others. Another part of the Kazakh army advanced toward Turkestan and Tashkent. Kenessary's main forces moved on the Ak-Mechet fortress and besieged it.

Further advancement was delayed due to the outbreak of disease within his army, which claimed the lives of a significant number of soldiers. Afterwards, Kenesary retreated to the southeastern Kazakhstan, where he was met by Kazakhs from the Uysun, Zhalayyr, and Naiman tribes.^[4]

Campaign

Six Russian detachments and four militias of pro-Russian aga-sultans were formed to fight against Kenesary. Overall command of these forces was assigned to Russian Major General Nikolai Vishnevsky.

However, the joint campaign of the Russian troops and the sultans ended in failure. Kenesary, with his army fortified on the inaccessible Kamal Peninsula on Lake Balkhash, prevented them from approaching.

Vishnevsky and the Kazakh sultans decided to blockade the peninsula and Kenesary's detachments. But Kenesary managed to break through to the left bank of the Ili River,^[1] after which he moved to the Chu River, and from there he migrated to the central regions of the Senior Jüz, located in the foothills of the Alatau Mountains and along the Chu River.^[4]

Aftermath

Toyshibek, Sauryk, Suranshy, and Bayzak (batyrs of the Senior Jüz)— joined Kenesary's forces with their detachments and began joint preparations for the struggle against the Khanate of Kokand and the Russian Empire. Kenesary sent out proclamations to even the most remote Kazakh clans, calling on them to join the uprising. Regarding these letters, the Orenburg Military Governor wrote:

Kenesary invites the Kirghiz (Kazakhs), in order to avoid falling under Russian rule, to leave the steppe under the jurisdiction of the Orenburg administration and join him in his new place of settlement — on the Chu River.^[4]