History of Kyrgyzstan

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Part of a series on the
History of Kyrgyzstan
Timeline
Early history Achaemenid Empire 542–330 BC Macedonian Empire 329–312 BC Seleucid Empire 312–189 BC Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 250–152 BC Xiongnu 204–53 BC Han China 101 BC–185 AD Kushan Empire 30–375 Former Liang 301–376 Rouran Khaganate 330–555 Former Qin 383–386 Later Liang 386–403 Hephthalites 440–560
Medieval history Kyrgyz Khaganate 539–1207 Göktürk Khaganate 557–603 Sasanian Empire 559–628 Western Turkic Khaganate 603–657 Tang China 657–751 Umayyad Caliphate 706–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–875 Uyghur Khaganate 791–840 Tibetan Empire 794–842 Kara-Khanid Khanate 840–1089 Seljuk Empire 1089–1141 Qara Khitai 1141–1212 Khwarazmian Empire 1212–1221
Early modern history Mongol Empire 1218–1266 Chagatai Khanate 1266–1347 Moghulistan 1347–1514 Golden Horde 1368–1446 Timurid Empire 1370–1505 Uzbek Khanate 1437–1471 Kazakh Khanate 1465–1757 Khanate of Bukhara 1501–1709 Yarkent Khanate 1514–1705 Dzungar Khanate 1680–1758 Khanate of Kokand 1709–1876 Qing China 1757–1841 Emirate of Bukhara 1841–1876
Russian Vassalage Russian Empire 1876–1917 Urkun 1916–1917 Turkestan Autonomy 1917–1918
Soviet rule Turkestan ASSR 1918–1924 Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast 1924–1926 Kyrgyz ASSR 1926–1936 Kyrgyz SSR 1936–1991
Independent Kyrgyzstan 1st Kyrgyz Revolution 2005 2nd Kyrgyz Revolution 2010 3rd Kyrgyz Revolution 2020
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The history of the Kyrgyz people and the land now called Kyrgyzstan goes back more than 3,000 years. Although geographically isolated by its mountainous location, it had an important role as part of the historical Silk Road trade route. Turkic nomads, who trace their ancestry to many Turkic states such as the First and Second Turkic Khaganates, have inhabited the country throughout its history. In the 13th century, Kyrgyzstan was conquered by the Mongols; subsequently it regained independence but was invaded by Kalmyks, Manchus, and Uzbeks. In 1876, it became part of the Russian Empire, remaining in the USSR as the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic after the Russian Revolution. Following Mikhael Gorbachev's democratic reforms in the USSR, in 1990 pro-independence candidate Askar Akayev was elected president of the SSR. On 31 August 1991, Kyrgyzstan declared independence from Moscow, and a democratic government was subsequently established.