Capture of Sawran — In 1470, Irenji Sultan Sultan took Sawran.

The cities of the Syr Darya region, such as Sygnak, Sauran, Turkestan, and others, played a key role for the nomadic peoples. They were important centers of trade and economy, as well as powerful fortresses capable of withstanding prolonged sieges. In addition, these cities traditionally served as administrative and political centers of the states that once existed on the territory of Kazakhstan.

Turkestan was especially significant, as it became a major religious center in the Middle Ages. Furthermore, the lands along the lower and middle reaches of the Syr Darya were valuable winter pastures for the Kazakh nomads. However, their use was possible only if the strategically important fortress cities of Turkestan and Karatau were under control. This explains the prolonged and continuous struggle for Turkestan between the Shibanids and Kazakh rulers.^[1]

The Kazakh khans considered the Syr Darya cities as important defensive and strategic points. In the struggle for dominance over the steppe territories, opposing sides sought to establish themselves in cities of the Karatau and Syr Darya regions, which were closest to their nomadic routes. These cities served as fortified strongholds capable of withstanding prolonged sieges and provided both economic and military support. By relying on the cities of Turkestan, Kazakh khans and sultans could strengthen their authority over the steppe aristocracy more quickly. This explains the persistence of the Kazakh khans in their fight to subjugate the cities of Turkestan (Syr Darya region) despite numerous rivals.

These same factors played a key role for Muhammad Shaybani, who, in the early stages of his campaign, sought to restore Shaybanid rule in Eastern Dasht-i Kipchak. He challenged the authority of the Kazakh khans, who regarded themselves as the rightful heirs of the rulers of the White Horde, from whom Shaybanid Abu'l-Khayr had once seized the throne.

The struggle between the Kazakh khans and the Shaybanids for power in Eastern Dasht-i Kipchak and Turkestan in the late 15th century unfolded in several stages, each marked by shifts in the balance of power in favor of one side or the other.^[2]

By the winter of 1470, the Kazakh rulers had made significant progress into Turkestan. Irenchi-sultan, the eldest son of Zhanibek, captured Sauran, which strengthened the Kazakh position in the region. This was an important step in the fight against Shaybanid, as Sauran was a strategically significant city for controlling Southern Kazakhstan. At the same time, Mahmud-sultan, another son of Zhanibek, seized Suyzak in the foothills of the Karatau, securing another important point in the south. Kerey-khan, aiming to ensure control over Turkestan and prevent the consolidation of the Shaybanids in these key cities, actively advanced toward these territories. This Kazakh offensive, aimed at preventing the establishment of the Shaybanids and strengthening their power in Eastern Dasht-i-Kipchak, became decisive in these events.^[3]

• Абусеитова, М. Х. (1985). Казахское ханство во второй половине XVI века (in Russian). Almaty: Наука.
• Ахмедов, Б. А. (1965). Государство кочевых узбеков (in Russian). Moscow: Наука.