American Historian Ian Campbell: The Russian Empire Misunderstood the Kazakh Nomadic Way of Life

Our next guest is a historian Ian Campbell, who researches Kazakh history in the United States. He is a professor of history at the University of California, Davis, and for more than twenty years has studied the Russian Empire's colonial policies in Kazakhstan. In his scholarship, Mr. Campbell pays particular attention to the resettlement of Russian peasants in Kazakhstan, the role of Kazakh intermediaries in the implementation of imperial policy, and the tsarist state's efforts to transform the way of life of nomadic peoples.Let's support quality Kazakh-language content together — hit like, leave a comment, and share this episode with your friends. Our podcast deserves to be seen by more people!Also, if you are new to our channel, we have a playlist of English language episodes, check them out! You will learn more about the wonderful country we proudly call home.0:00:00 Teaser0:00:50 Introducing Ian Campbell0:02:54 Why did Ian go to Almaty?0:04:35 Why did you choose to study the history of Kazakhstan?0:08:08 Why do Kazakhs often lack a deep understanding of their own history?0:12:09 Is the claim that Kazakhstan "voluntarily joined" Russia a myth?0:16:46 At which stage did the Russian Empire's expansion into the Kazakh steppe feel like a breaking point for the Kazakhs?0:20:18 "Under the pretext of bringing civilization to nomadic peoples, Russian peasants were forcibly resettled"0:27:15 "The Russian Empire's rule in Kazakhstan was weak. Real change and real Russification began during the Soviet period."0:33:35 Who are the intermediaries at the center of Ian's book?0:37:02 The role of Ibrai Altynsarin between the Kazakh steppe and the Russian Empire0:41:23 When did major cities begin to emerge in the Kazakh steppe?0:44:15 Was Kenesary's uprising a struggle for independence, or an attempt to preserve the khan's personal power?0:48:22 What was the nature of the 1916 uprising?0:52:10 For Kazakhs, was the Bolshevik Revolution a step toward freedom, or a continuation of imperial legacy?0:54:14 Was the famine a genocide, or not?0:58:48 Did the communist regime pursue a colonial policy in Kazakhstan?1:01:00 Are scholars in American academia adequately studying Central Asia?1:05:15 What stereotypes about Kazakh history exist in the United States?1:07:44 Which stereotypes about Kazakh history did you personally overcome?1:15:30 Name one period in Kazakh history that deserves closer attention