History & Leaders
Janibek Khan
Co-founder of the Kazakh Khanate, Khan
1418 – 1480
Great sovereign and descendant of Jochi who co-founded the Kazakh Khanate alongside Kerei Khan in 1465.
Biography
Janibek Khan (15th century) was a key founder of the Kazakh Khanate, son of Barak Khan, and great-grandson of Urus Khan.
Establishment of the Khanate
Around 1459–1460, resisting Abul Khayr Khan's authoritarian rule, Janibek and Kerei Khan led their tribes east toward Zhetysu (Moghulistan). In 1465, between the Shu and Talas rivers, they proclaimed the independent Kazakh Khanate.
Historical Significance
Under Janibek Khan, the term 'Kazakh' cemented its identity as both a political state and an ethnic nation, uniting nomadic tribes under one flag.