The Central Asian Revolt of 1916, also called Urkun or the Semirechye Revolt was an uprising in 1916 of the mainly Muslim-inhabitants against the Russian Empire in what is now Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan which had attempted to conscript them into fighting in World War I.
Background
Following the abolition of serfdom in Russia by 1861 the area had been stepped in poverty, inequality and religious tension. Redistribution of Muslim land to non-muslims and cossacks caused anger. By the time World War I rolled around, conscription was soon introduced to the area for all people aged 19 to 43. Leading to Muslim leaders to declare a holy war against the 'infidel' Russian government.
Events
Initially, people just began to bribe military officers to exempt themselves from military service. But eventually, an outraged mob of protesters attacked government officials, leading to police shooting the protesters. People began to attack government officials and police, and soon the entire city of Tashkent was taken by rebels. The rebels listed several demands including an end to discrimination in conscription, one man to stay home and a delay of conscription until the end of the harvest. Soon other cities were taken and the Russian army was deployed as the rebels cut telephone lines, the rebels used spears and whips as weapons during a shortage of guns.
Unfortunately, the rebels fell victim to anti-Russian and anti-Cossack racism and began to kill them and burn down their houses. To ease the rebellion the Russian Empire allowed for teaching in Kazakh and Kyrgyz languages and allowing greater freedom of the press. But soon 30,000 soldiers armed with machine guns and artillery arrived to the region via the train. The rebels fled to the mountains and either died of cold or left the rebellion.
Aftermath
Many Kyrygz people faced massive amounts of racism, Alexander Kerensky said to the Russian Parliament:
"How can we possibly blame a backward, uneducated and suppressed aboriginal people so dissimilar to us, for having lost patience and committing acts of revolt for which they immediately felt remorse and regret?"
Military courts were established in cities and all participants were sentenced to death. Vigilante revenge killings by Russians affected by the racism occured. Leading to tens of thousands of people fleeing to China via the mountains, thousands dying in the mountain passes. 2,325 Russians died (with 1,384 going missing) and between 100,000 and 270,000 Kyrgyz were killed, amounting to 40% of the Kyrgyz population.
The rebellion inspired the Basmachi Movement.
The rebellion was not taught in schools in the USSR and it was only recognised as a genocide in 2016.