How did Kyrgyzstan become part of the Russian Empire?

Kyrgyzstan’s incorporation into the Russian Empire was a gradual process driven by regional conflict and tsarist expansionism during the 19th century.12

In the mid-19th century, Kyrgyz tribes were caught in a power struggle between the Kokand khanate and the encroaching Russian forces. Seeking protection, the Bugu tribe voluntarily submitted to the Russians in 1855, leading to the construction of the Russian fort of Aksu in 1863. Simultaneously, the Russian Empire pursued a broader southward expansion into Central Asia following the Crimean War, aiming to secure political and economic interests.13

As the Kokand khanate weakened due to internal strife and rivalry with Bukhara, Russian forces systematically captured its territories. By 1866, the Russians had seized major cities outside the Fergana Valley, and they formally annexed the khanate in 1876. Following this conquest, the region—known under Russian rule as Kirgiziya—experienced significant colonization, as the imperial government appropriated winter pasturelands for Russian settlers, a policy that fundamentally disrupted the traditional nomadic way of life and eventually fueled the 1916 revolt.415