Kazakh statehood is 550 years old, Nazarbayev says

    President Nursultan Nazarbayev said the country will celebrate the 550th anniversary of Kazakh statehood in 2015, Tengrinews reports, citing a news statement from the president.
    Many observers believe the president's remarks on the age of the statehood of the Kazakh people to be a response to those of Vladimir Putin that the Kazakhs had no statehood until Nazarbayev took power and created it.
    "He has done a unique thing. He created a state in a territory that had never had a state before. The Kazakhs had no statehood. From this perspective, he is a unique figure, both in the post-Soviet space and in Kazakhstan," Putin said on August 29.
    Nazarbayev's announcement rests on the history of Kazakh Khanate, which was established back in the 15^th century.
    "In 1465, Kerey and Janybek created the first Khanate, and Kazakh statehood began its history from that point in time. It may not have been a state in the modern sense of this word, and neither did it occupy the present territory (of Kazakhstan), nor did it enjoy fame and prestige in the world. But the same is true for all the other states of that era. What matters is that back then, the foundation was laid and we are the successors of the great deeds of our ancestors," Nazarbayev stated at a meeting with activists in the city of Astana on October 22.
    The Kazakh Khanate was founded by the sultans - Kerey and Janybek, after several tribes under their control departed from the area of influence of Abu'l-Khayr Khan to Mogolistan.
    The Kazakh Khanate existed until the 19^th century, when it fell under the complete control of the Russian Empire.
    "Today, our country is preserving the traditions of centuries-old friendship and peaceful coexistence with all neighboring countries. We should consistently preserve these relations," he said.
    Nazarbayev stressed Kazakhstan’s independence is a fundamental truth, and its preservation is the sacred duty of all the citizens.
    "In times past, many Native Americans were driven from their homeland or wiped out by various invaders. One film director who has Native American roots was asked whether wealth led to happiness. To that he said, 'All the wealth that I and other citizens have, I would give for a single day of the independence of my people.' We should all appreciate our independence," Nazarbayev said, according to Tengrinews.kz.