The Bukey Horde (Kazakh: Бөкей Ордасы, Bökey Ordası; Russian: Букеевская Орда, Bukeyevskaya Orda), also known as the Inner Horde or Interior Horde was an autonomous Khanate of Kazakhs located north of the Caspian Sea in between Ural and Volga Rivers but never reached this rivers. The khanate officially existed from 1801 to 1845, when the position of khan was abolished and the area was fully absorbed into the administration of the Russian Empire. It was located in the western part of modern-day Kazakhstan. The land spread on 71,000 square kilometers.
The population consisted primarily from 5 thousand families of Junior Juz. In a middle of 19th century population grew to 200 thousand people.[1]
It was named after sultan Bokei Nuralyuly.
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, following the Kalmyck 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 Bukey, along with some 7,500 families from the Junior jüz to reside permanently in the "Inner Side", as the western side of the Ural was known. After the death of Bukey Sultan, Shygai Khan became the new khan from 1819–1823, followed by Zhangir Khan from 1823-1845.[2]
In 1845, following the death of Zhangir Khan, the position of khan was abolished and the area gradually came under Russian civil administration.[3]
From 1836 to 1838, under the command of Isatay Taymanuly and famous akyn Makhambet Otemisuly, an uprising against the rule of Zhangir Khan occurred in the region. The uprising was eventually suppressed.
