The Formation of Political-Legal and Constitutional Ideas in Kazakhstan at the Beginning of the 20th Century

Abstract

The article examines the issues of formation of political, legal, constitutional and legal ideas in Kazakhstan at the beginning of the 20th century. The author examines historical documents that reflect the growth of political and legal consciousness of Kazakh society in the period after the first Russian bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1905–1907. The wave of revolutionary movement that engulfed all regions of the metropolis did not bypass the colonial outskirts of the Russian Empire. The Kazakh region was drawn into political activity in terms of the formation of political parties, periodicals - the first Kazakh newspapers. The growth of political self-awareness of Kazakh society contributed to the preparation of the first petitions, telegrams of Kazakhs sent to the Russian emperor, the chairman of the committee (later the council) of ministers, the minister of internal affairs, local colonial authorities. The Karkaraly Republic was established for a while. At the same time, local colonial authorities began to report to higher authorities of the Russian Empire. The growth of political self-awareness of the advanced part of Kazakh society contributed to the emergence of the idea of constitutionalism. In 1911, Barlybek Syrtanov wrote the Charter (Constitution) of the Kazakh Eli. The content of the petitions, telegrams, and the Charter of the Country of Kazakhs became the basis for the formation of the draft program of the Alash political party in 1917.