KARASAKAL

KARASAKAL (born Mindigul Yulayev; ? – 1749, Middle Kazakh Zhooz), one of the leaders of the 1739—40 Bashkir Uprisings (ref. Bashkir Uprisings of the 17—18th centuries). At the beginning of 1740, K. was proclaimed Sultan Girey Bashkir Khan by the rebels. Between January—March he gathered population of the Siberian Doroga. In March, he fought against the troops of Starshinas, faithful to the Government, as well as government troops under the command of L.Ya.Soymonov on the territory of Sib., Nogay dorogas, near Verkhoyayitskaya Fortress. In May–June,  in battles against the government forces near the Yaik River (ref. Ural) and the troops under the Command of Ya.S.Pavlutsky near the Tobol River K.’s detachment was defeated. The wounded K. fleed to the Middle Kazakh Zhooz. K. was proclaimed Khan of the Senior Kazakh Zhooz and Dzungarian prince under the name of Shoona. The nickname Karasakal (Black Beard) was received because of his appearance. Epic and other pieces of the Bashkir folklore, the Bashkir folk march and the Karasakal historical novel by B.Z.Rafikov
(in Bashkir language) are devoted to K.