Siege of Ak-Mechet 1853
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Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 2 July 1853 – 28 July 1853 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1853 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | Kazakhstan | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Russian-Kokand War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 44.8500, 65.5167 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The siege of Ak-Mechet (2–28 July 1853) was the first major engagement of the Russo-Kokand War, fought between the Russian Empire and the Khanate of Kokand. Placed on the defensible Syr Darya river, Ak-Mechet was an important northern outpost of the Kokand Khanate, used as a base to collect tax from Kazakhs in the region, and to control trade between Russia and southern Central Asia. Due to the influence it gave Kokand over the Kazakh Steppe, its capture or destruction became a priority for regional Russian governors.
In 1852, Military-Governor Vasily Perovsky ordered an expedition to destroy the fortress, but this attack was repulsed due to inadequate equipment. Kokand would strengthen the fortress even further afterwards, preparing for another attack. The following year, Perovsky gained permission to expand Russia's fortress line along the Syr Darya, with Ak-Mechet to be captured and converted into a Russian outpost. Hoping to avoid the logistical failures of previous Russian expeditions in Central Asia, Perovsky prepared for several months, assembling a small but strong force with extensive support. On July 2, he attacked the city with a force of over 2,000 men against 300 Kokandi defenders.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Ak-Mechet (revision 1373828613), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Turkistan (1582) · 279 km
- Otrar Catastrophe 1219 · 315 km
Browse more: battles in Kazakhstan · Asia · 19th century battles