Tomb of Kenesary Khan's warriors discovered in Astana

An ancient tomb of Kenesary Khan's warriors has been discovered in Astana, Express K reports. The unique discovery was made at a old Muslim cemetery located near Molodezhny microdistrict of Astana city. According to Director of the Modern Research Institute of Astana-based Gumilev Eurasian National University Mukhit-Ardager Sydyknazarov, the team of researchers discovered the tombstone with lettering in Arabic ligature at the cemetery. "The tombstone has partially sank into the ground during two centuries, and this prevents us from reading all the lettering on the stone yet. As far as I know, there is no other tombstones consecrated to the warrior-host of Kenesary khan in Kazakhstan," Sydyknazarov said. An unofficial translation of the lettering has been made: it says that the tombstone was erected by some Samyrza at the expenses of Kaiyrolly Sarzhan Uly in 1838, in the month of Rajab, the seventh month of the Muslim year, during the holy three-day fast. 50 zhasulans (warriors who were carrying out commissions of commanders) and 200 notable commanders, killed during the war, rest in the grave. According to Express K, the lettering corresponds with the recorded historic facts. Kenesary's army was stationed in Akmola region in the middle of 1838. It is quite possible, that the remains of the warriors, who died in this period, are inddeed lying in the grave. Kenesary Kasymov was proclaimed Khan of the Kazakhs when the Russian Empire was already fully in control of Kazakhstan, and in fact the Kazakhs were prohibited (by Russian law) from selecting their own leaders after 1822. Kenesary spend his time as Khan in continuous fighting against Russian imperial forces and other intruders until his death in 1847. Widely regarded as a freedom fighter and popular as a leading voice against the increasingly aggressive and forceful policies of the Russian Empire, Kenesary was ruthless in his actions and unpredictable as a military strategist.