Middle Horde

The Middle Horde was one of three divisions of the Kazakh khanate that emerged in the late 15th century. These divisions were the Great Horde, the Middle Horde, and the Little Horde. The Middle Horde was situated in the central steppe region, east of the Aral Sea.1

The Kazakhs, meaning "Independent" or "Vagabond" Uzbeks, began to differentiate from other Uzbeks around 1465 when a group moved into Mughulistan. By the late 15th and 16th centuries, they had established a nomadic empire across the steppes. However, by the beginning of the 17th century, the khanate began to fragment into these three hordes, with the authority of the khans often curtailed by tribal chieftains. The Middle Horde, along with the Little Horde, fared better during wars with the Oyrats compared to the Great Horde, partly due to their westward movement towards Russian territories.1