Abd al-Karim Biy

Abd al-Karim Biy (Abdukarim Biy) was the third ruler of the Uzbek Ming dynasty in the Fergana Valley. He was the son of the dynasty’s founder, Shahrukh Biy, and the younger brother of Abd al-Rahim Biy; sources give his birth year differently, most often 1701 and sometimes 1710.

When Abd al-Rahim Biy was killed in a conspiracy (in 1733 or 1734), power passed to his brother. Abd al-Karim ruled until 1750, or 1751 in some sources. Bukhara was weakening in these years, and nomadic raids threatened the valley.

He moved the ruler’s seat from Tepaqurghan, near Kokand, to Kokand itself. In 1740 the city was ringed with a new wall, which later helped in its defence against the Dzungars. A palace, a madrasa, a bazaar and city gates named for the roads to Isfara, Katagan, Margilan and Tashkent were built. In these years Kokand became the centre of the valley and its population grew.

In 1740 the Kazakh biy Tole Bi fled the Dzungars and took refuge with Abd al-Karim together with his kin. The Dzungar ruler Galdan Tseren demanded his surrender, but Abd al-Karim sent the envoys away. In 1745–1747 the Dzungars invaded the valley, took Osh, Andijan and Margilan, and besieged Kokand. The attack was repelled with the help of Fazil Biy, the governor of Urateppa; the war did great damage to the economy and delayed the political centralisation of the state.

Abd al-Karim died in 1750. His young son Abd al-Rahman took the throne, but within months he was sent to govern Margilan and power went to Irdana Biy, a son of Abd al-Rahim. In 1752–1753 another son of Abd al-Karim, Baba Biy, who had been held hostage by the Dzungars, ruled briefly; he was killed at Besharik and Irdana Biy returned to the throne. Abd al-Karim’s grandson Narbuta Biy later became ruler.