First Civil War (Kazakh Khanate)

The 1st Kazakh Civil War (1522-1538) was an internecine war in the Kazakh Khanate betweets descendants of Janibek Khan. The war started just after the death of Kasym Khan.

Background
In the early 16th Century Kasym Khan had united all tribes and nations of Eastern Cumania into one state — the Kazakh Khanate. It was a regional superpower, which could withstand a war with any neighboring country. However the unity of the khanate relied on Kasym Khan's personal authority, and after his death an internecine war started between descendants of Janibek Khan for the throne. This war named after civil war between Janibek's descendants.

History
Kasim-khan's heir, Mamash Khan, was unable to resist the Nogai Horde, which conquered the territory of the Torgay River. After Mamash Khan's death, during the reign of Taiyr Khan, the Oirat invasion of the Kazakh Khanate began. Taiyr Khan failed to suppress powerful sultans of the Kazakh Khanate, such rulers as Zhetysu Buydash Khan, ruler of Sighnaq Ahmet.

Taiyr Khan was defeated by the ruler of Moghulistan, Keldi-Muhammad, and fled to Kyrgyzstan, where he died. Then, Tughum Khan became the new ruler of Kazakh lands. But his government was not recognized by Zhetysu Buydash, ruler of Sygnak Ahmet, and both declared themselves as khans. The son of Kasym Khan, Sultan Hak-Nazar, the ruler of Sozak, recognized Tugim as khan.

Ahmet began a campaign against the Nogai horde. Ultimately, he was defeated by the Nogais and was captured by them with fifteen of his sons. In 1535, Ahmet was killed by Orak Baghatur. Sultan Hak-Nazar captured Ahmet's territories. The western border of the Khanate passed through the Aral Sea.

Sultan Hak-Nazar inflicted a crushing defeat on Buydash Khan, who fled to Moghulistan. Hak-Nazar got the western part of Zhetysu.

In 1538, after the death of Tugim Khan, Khak-Nazar became khan and the civil war ended in his victory.

Results
The Kazakh Khanate reached inner unity. Nevertheless it has lost nearly half of their territory - Western Kazakhstan was captured by the Nogai Horde, Eastern Kazakhstan by Four Oirat, Northern - by the Khanate of Sibir, Moghulistan obtained Western Zhetusy whilst the Khanate of Bukhara got Tashkent.