Bukey Horde

Located north of the Caspian, between the Volga and Ural rivers, the Bukey (Bukei) Horde (also Inner Horde or Inner Side), was the westernmost part of the Kazakh Small Horde during the early nineteenth century.

In 1756 the Russians attempted to ban the Kazakhs from crossing the Ural River, partly to help the Bashkirs. This was difficult to enforce, given Russia's limited resources. There were numerous 'illegal' crossings and conflicts with the Ural Cossaks. In 1771, with the Kalmyk exodus to Dzungaria, the area became depopulated. The Russians attempted to confine the remaining Kalmyks west of the Volga. From 1782 the Russians permitted Nur Ali and his family, and later some other groups, to cross the Ural legally.

In 1801, Russia allowed Nur Ali's son Sultan Bukei, along with some 7,500 families, to reside permanently in the Inner Side. This was about ten percent of the Small Horde. In 1845, with the death of Khan Jangir, the dignity of Khan was abolished and the area gradually came under Russian civil administration.

This area today is the westernmost part of Kazakstan.

--REFERENCES--

Olcott, Martha Brill, 'The Kazakhs', 1995.