Battle of Ican
{{Short description|Battle in the Russian conquest of Central Asia}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Ican
| partof = the Russian conquest of Central Asia
| image = File:Памятник на поле битвы под Иканом.jpg
| image_size = 280
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| caption = Monument in honor of the battle
| date = {{OldStyleDate|16–18 December|1864|4-6 December}}
| place = {{ill|Ikan|ru|Староикан}}, Kokand Khanate
(Modern day Kazakhstan)
| coordinates =
| result = Russian victory{{efn|Cossacks were able to break through the encirclement and stop Alimqul raid deep into Turkestan{{sfn|Terentyev|2022|p=326}}}}
|territory = Alimqul evacuate Turkistan Region leaving only Tashkent{{sfn|Егоршина|2023|p=540}}
| combatant1 = {{flag|Khanate of Kokand}}
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Russian Empire}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon|Khanate of Kokand}} Alimqul{{WIA}}
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} {{ill|Vasili Serov|ru|Серов, Василий Родионович}}
| strength1 = 10,000{{sfn|Terentyev|2022|p=320}}
| strength2 = 114
| casualties1 = 2,000 killed and wounded{{sfn|Alexeev|1893}}
| casualties2 = 102 killed and wounded{{sfn|Егоршина|2023|p=540}}
}}
{{Campaignbox Russian conquest of Kokand}}
{{Campaignbox Russian conquest of Central Asia}}
The Battle of Ican ({{langx|ru|Иканское сражение|Ikanskoye srazhenie}}), occurred on 16 December 1864 near {{ill|Ikan|ru|Староикан}} as a part of the Russian conquest of Central Asia. In the battle, a Kokand army under the command of Alimqul was defeated by a cossack detachment.[https://runivers.ru/bookreader/book420622/#page/56/mode/1up Хронологический указатель военных действий русской армии и флота. Том IV. 1855-1894 гг.] runivers.ru. Дата обращения: 1 мая 2024. P.56
Background
After taking Shymkent, the Kokand khan Alimqul tried to return to the city secretly, but the Russians noticed small groups of the Kokand vanguard and sent a hundred cossacks under the command of {{ill|Vasily Serov|ru|Серов, Василий Родионович}} without knowing about real size of the Kokand army.{{sfn|Abaza|2008|p=75}}
Battle
File:Wassilij Wassiljewitsch Wereschtschagin 003.jpg]]
As a result, the Kokand army surrounded the cossacks. At this time, a detachment of 150 people and 20 guns{{sfn|Егоршина|2023|p=540}} try breaking through to {{ill|Serov|ru|Серов, Василий Родионович}}, but they received an order to retreat due to the large enemy army.{{sfn|Terentyev|2022|p=322}} The Cossacks shot back at the Kokand forces for two days, surrounded by the bodies of dead comrades and horses, and finally Alimqul sent them a letter:
{{Blockquote|text=Where are you going to leave me now? The detachment sent from Azret has been defeated and driven back; not one of your thousand (!) will remain — surrender and accept our faith: I will not offend anyone! {{sfn|Abaza|2008|p=77}}}} Gunfire was heard in response. Serov understood that time was not on his side and he decided to break out of the encirclement. He gathered the remaining Cossacks and, shouting "hurrah" in the form of a Infantry square, attacked the enemies surrounding him and broke through their formation. The Cossacks retreated for several more miles, until finally a new expedition saved the detachment and took them to Shymkent on carts.{{sfn|Terentyev|2022|p=325}}{{sfn|Abaza|2008|pp=77-78}}
Aftermath
file:Ikan03.jpg The battle ended with the retreat of Alimqul.{{sfn|Abaza|2008|p=78}} Russian detachment losing 2 officers, 5 constables, 87 cossacks, 4 artillerymen, 2 paramedics, and 2 Kazakh escorts.{{sfn|Terentyev|2022|p=325}}
Notes
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Reference
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=Bibliography=
- {{cite book |last=Егоршина |first=Петрова |lang=ru |script-title=ru:История русской армии |trans-title=The history of the Russian Army |location=Moscow |publisher=Edition of the Russian Imperial Library |date=2023 |isbn=978-5-699-42397-2}}
- {{cite book |last=Terentyev |first=Mihail |lang=ru |script-title=ru:История завоевания Средней Азии |trans-title=The history of the conquest of Central Asia |others=Volume 1 |date=2022 |isbn=978-5-4481-1327-7}}
- {{cite book |last=Abaza |first=K. |lang=ru |script-title=ru:Завоевание Туркестана |trans-title=The Conquest of Turkestan |publisher=Кучуково поле |date=2008 |isbn=978-5-901679-99-9}}
- {{cite book |last=Alexeev |first=L. |lang=ru |script-title=ru:Дело под Иканом (Рассказ очевидца) |trans-title=The case under Ican |date=1893 |publisher=Istorichesky Vestnik |url= https://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/M.Asien/XIX/1860-1880/Alekseev/text.htm }}
{{Authority control}}
Category:19th-century military history of the Russian Empire