h Khanate
The Kazakh Khanate was established on the basis of Ak Horde (White Horde) that had been founded on the 13th century. The main founder of this khanate was Orda Ecen who was the grandson of Jenghiz Khan. Pursuant to the death of Cuci in the year of 1227, Batu Han divided the Golden Horde State into two branches as the right and left wings. He governed the western section of the Country (Ulus) and he gave the Eastern section of the country to his elder brother, Orda Ecen. From that date on, this Country was called as Ak Orda (White Horde). The capital city of this country was settled around the Balkas Lake and then, it was moved to Signak. In the year of 1395, this country remained under the dominion of Emir Timur. Then, Ebulhayir established his dominion between the years of 1428 and 1456. In the year of 1456, Barak Khans sons, Kerey and Canibek rebelled against Ebulhayir and they immigrated to the environs of Yedi Su (Seven Waters and they declared their own khanate. Therefore, the White Horde Khanate reappeared in the stage of the history and this khanate was called as Kazakh Khanate henceforth.
Development of Kazakh Khanate and the Golden Period (15th-17th centuries): the Kazakh tribes that rebelled against the domination of Ebulhayir Khan emigrated from the Eastern Deşt-i Kipchak (Kipchak Deserts) to the Western Yedi Su region. This migration was the starting point of the foundation of the Kazakh Khanate.
Kasim Khan (1511-1523) had taken the first step towards the development of the Kazakh Khanate in respect of policy and economy. The historical works such as "Tarihi-Raşidi", "Şeybaniname", etc. express that he had united and integrated the lands on which Kazakh people had lived. He had established his dominion in all the lands that had belonged to the White Horde in the past. He had established commercial and diplomatic relations with the khanates around the Central Asia and Idyll and the Russians. Therefore, the Western Europe became acquainted with Kasim Khan. This fact was also verified by the personal writing and letters of Sigizmund Gerberstein that provided the service of embassy in the foreign affairs of Austria in that period. The first constitution of Kazakh people that was called as Beş Yargı (Five Decrees) was reorganised in the period of Kasim Khan. The nomads had called this constitution that was based on customs and martial law as Kasim Khans Kaska Way. Moscow Ambassador Danila Kubin had written a letter to the Russian Tsar in the year of 1536. In this letter, he had stated that The Kazakh Khanate is much more powerful than the other Central Asian Khanates.
The Kazakh Khanate had developed to a higher level in the period of Haknazar Khan (1538-1580). This khan was entitled with the title of Kazakh-Khirghiz. In his work titled as Turkish Tatar History, A. Z. Velidi stated that Haknazar became the Kazakh-Nogay Khan. The economy of the Kazakh Khanate gained power and it had been influential and powerful in the foreign policy with the other Central Asian khanates.
In the period of Tevekkül Khan (1586-1598), the Kazakh Khanate had played an important role in the foreign policy and the diplomatic relations with Russians.
Pursuant to the death of Tevekkül Khan, Esim Khan (1598-1628) that replaced him acquired great fame. He provided the public order and peace for the Kazakh People to live in comfort. There were also some important developments in the economical, commercial and scientific fields. He rearranged the second perfect Constitution of the Kazakh people that was called as Esim Khans Old Way. He prevented the separatist actions and movements of the Kazakh sultans in the domestic policy and he protected the integrity of the Kazakh Khanate. He defeated Oyrat-Congar people in the wars with foreigners (in the years of 1635, 1643,1652).
The union of Kazakh people and their collective movement and actions took place in the period of Tavke Khan (1680-1718). The Kazakh people had called Tavke Khan as Az Tavke, and the Counsellor of Mankind. This khan applied new domination reforms, the Khan Council of administration, and the Committee of Beys in order to reign the country as a centralised state. He revised the Constitutions of the Kazakh people that were called as Kasim Khans Kaska Way and Esim Khans Old Way. He executed the Muslim canonical laws and provisions and he arranged the Constitution of Kazakhs that was identified as Seven Decrees or Seven Facts.
The Kazakh Khanate that was the continuation of the White Horde State had actually important political, economical, commercial and scientific roles in the 15th-17th centuries. There were not any scientific researches carried out about the religious situation of the Kazakh people in these centuries. According to the resources that we could obtain, it has been known that the mystic activities had an important contribution in the period of White Horde State and the famous Sheikh Baba Kemalüddin Sığnakî and Sheikh Uluğ Bilgi had much important influences over the people. It has been also known that there were more than 300 societies (dervish lodges) around the Syr-Darya River in the Western Kazakhstan.