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{{Infobox monarch
| name = Ablai Khan
| title = Khan
| image = Abylai Khan.jpg
| caption =
| reign = 1771–1781
| coronation = 1771
| full name = Wali-ullah Abul-Mansur Khan
| birth_date = 1711
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date|1781|05|23}} (aged 70)
| death_place =
| burial_date =
| burial_place = 
| predecessor = Abul-Mambet Khan
| successor =
| spouse =
| issue =
| royal house = [[Urus Khan]]
| dynasty =
| father = Korkem Wali
| mother =
| religion = [[Islam]]
}}

'''Wali-ullah Abul-Mansur Khan''' better known as '''Ablai Khan''' ({{lang-kk|'''Абылай (Әбілмансұр) хан'''}}) (1711 — May 23, 1781) was a [[Kazakhs|Kazakh]] [[Khan (title)|khan]] of the [[Middle jüz]] of Kazakhstan.

Born as Wali-ullah Abul-Mansur Khan, Ablai Khan belonged to the senior branch of descendants of the 15th century founder of the Kazakh state, [[Janybek Khan]]. In the first half of the 18th century, Ablai Khan proved to be a talented organizer and commander as he headed detachments of the Kazakh militia fighting the [[Dzungars]]. He participated in the most significant battles against the Dzungars from the 1720s to the 1750s, for which he was declared a "batyr" ("hero") by the people.

Ablai's activity aimed to create a strong and independent Kazakh state. He headed the unified forces of the Kazakhs and furthered the centralization of state power in [[Kazakhstan]]. Until his election as the khan of the three jüzes, Ablai had to compete with Khan Abul Mambet and his descendants of [[Middle jüz]] for leadership. Initially, [[Russian Empire|Russia]] recognized Abul-Mambet Khan as the Khan of [[Middle jüz]], while Ablai was supported by [[Qing Dynasty|China]]. Ablai's talent in playing China against Russia gradually made him the unrivaled Khan of the steppe. Unlike [[Abul Khair Khan]] of [[Little jüz]], Ablai never submitted to Russian rule. In 1771, at the meeting of the representatives of the three [[jüz]]es, Ablai was elected as the Kazakh khan. The [[Catherine II of Russia|Russian Empress]] requested that the title of khan should be recognized and officially approved by Russia. To that end, she sent an official letter to [[Petropavl]], where Ablai was expected to receive the title in 1779. He never showed up at the fort, declining Russia's request to appoint him as the khan of [[Middle jüz]]. In contrast to Ablai, other khans and sultans had been competing for the lavish gifts and stipends of the Emperors of Russia in return for their submission.

During the [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] campaigns against the [[Dzungars]], Ablai Khan chose not to take sides. He sheltered the Dzungar [[Oirats|Oirat]] ''taishis'' [[Amursana]] and [[Dawachi]] from attacks by the [[Khoshut]]-Orait King of [[Tibet]], [[Lha-bzang Khan]], as the [[Dzungar Khanate]] fractured following the death of [[Galdan Tseren]] in 1745. However, once Amursana and Dawachi were no longer allies, Ablai Khan took the opportunity to capture herds and territory from the Dzungars.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Peter C|last1=Perdue|title=China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J4L-_cjmSqoC|year=2009|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-04202-5|page=274}}</ref>

During Amursana's rebellion against the Qing in 1755-56, Ablai Khan offered him sanctuary at one point and refused to hand him over despite the threat of a raid on his territory. However, by 1757, Ablai Khan had acknowledged Chinese suzerainty.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Arthur William|last1=Hummel|title=Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NhjanQEACAAJ|year=1944|publisher=Eds. US Government Printing Office|author-link1=Arthur William Hummel, Sr.|page=10}}</ref> Ablai was then confirmed as Kazakh Khan by both the Chinese and the Russians. He led numerous campaigns against [[Khanate of Kokand]] and the [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]. In the last campaign his troops liberated many cities in Southern Kazakhstan and even captured [[Tashkent]]. Then he proceeded to present-day Kyrgyzstan and won a furious battle with troops of local warlords. Upon his death in 1781 he was interred in the [[Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi]] in [[Hazrat-e Turkestan]].

==Legacy==
*One of his descendants is [[Shokan Walikhanuli]] (1835-1865), a Kazakh scholar and historian.
*[[Abylai Khan University]], founded in 1941, is named after Ablai Khan.
*In 1993, Ablai Khan appeared on the 100 [[Kazakhstani tenge]] banknote.<ref>[http://www.banknote.ws/COLLECTION/countries/ASI/KAZ/KAZ0013.htm Kazakhstan 100 Tenge] Banknote.ws</ref>
*The life of Ablai Khan is the subject of the 2005 Kazakhstani film ''[[Nomad (2006 film)|Nomad]]''.

==See also==

*[[List of Kazakh khans]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*Alexei I. Levshin, {{lang|kk|Opisanie kirgiz-kazach’ikh ili kirgiz-kaisatskikh ord i stepei}} (St. Petersburg,. 1832).
*{{cite web|url=http://www.kazak.de/13931.html |title=Famous Kazakhs |accessdate=2006-09-26 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221153451/http://www.kazak.de/13931.html |archivedate=2007-12-21 |df= }} Website on the Kazakh Diaspora
*[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-73648/Kazakstan#598979.hook History of Kazakhstan to 1700] Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Ablai}}
[[Category:1711 births]]
[[Category:1781 deaths]]
[[Category:Kazakh khans]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani Sunni Muslims]]

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