# House of Ak-Kebek

The House of Ak-Kebek (Altay: Ак-Кöбöк) is an aristocratic dynasty that ruled in the Kebeks Otok. The founder of the house was Prince Kebegesh, the son of the Kyrgyz prince Kayrakan-Yarynak from the Khirgys dynasty.

## History

In the summer of 1687, having received an order from Galdan Boshugtu Khan, Kayrakan-Yarynak with a detachment of 600 soldiers went to help in the fight against the Mongols. In September, near Lake Teletskoye, the Mongols blocked the path of the Kyrgyz army heading for the Dzungarian Khan. The battle lasted four days, and as a result, the Dzungars and the Kyrgyz were defeated. Kyrgyz losses amounted to 300 people, and Yarynak died in battle. Viktor Butanaev assumed that some of the surviving Kyrgyz warriors, led by Kebegesh, joined the Altai tribes and gave rise to the Ak-Kebek dynasty At the same time, the Second Chui Volost was formed, which did not recognize dependence on Russia and China (until 1755, the Dzungar Khanate), and zaisans from the Ak-Kebek dynasty began to rule the state. The headquarters of the first ruler, Zaisan Kebegesh, was located in the Sary-Tash tract.
In 1757, the Qing Emperor officially recognized the power of Zaisan Yarynak of the Ak-Kebek dynasty (Kebegesh's son) and granted him the hereditary rank of an official of the third rank. According to this status, Zaisan had to wear a mandarin square on his dress, which depicted a leopard. It was also necessary to wear a Chinese hat with a blue sapphire on top.
By decree of Catherine the Great in 1763, Zaisans were equated to the rank of major. And they were also exempt from paying taxes.
In 1865, by the decision of Zaisan Chychkan Tesegeshev, the Second Chui Volost became part of the Russian Empire. After this event, the Russian government left the right to govern the volost to representatives of the Ak-Kebek dynasty. After joining Russia, the zaisans of the Second Chui Volost were sometimes officially called "Tribal elders", they had much more rights than the Volost foreman. Zaisan could punish any guilty person without a trial. It is worth noting that researcher Leonid Pavlovich Potapov believes that the naming of "Tribal headman" is incorrect, since the Zaisans ruled not one clan, but a large number of families and land

### World War II

The son of the last Zaisan of the Second Chui Volost Kudaibergen-Pavel Ochurdyapov, Boktor-Ivan Ochurdyapov, took part in the Second World War. He was at war from September 1941 to 1945. On June 30, 1945, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star.
His younger brother Platon Ochurdyapov also took part in World War II, but went missing in 1944 or in March 1945.

## Zaisans

The list of Zaisans who ruled in the Second Chui Volost, which is presented in the book "The Past and Present of the Chui Land" by Viktor Kertikovich Maikhiev, Honored Worker of Culture of the Altai Republic, member of the Union of Writers of Russia:
* Kebegesh
* Yarynak
* Chebek
* Mongol Chebekov
* Chychkan Tesegeshev
* Mangday Chychkanov
* Ochurdyap Mangdaev
* Kudaibergen-Pavel Ochurdyapov

### Heads of the House of Ak-Kebek after 1930

* Anton Kudaibergenov
* Boktor-Ivan Kudaibergenovich Ochurdyapov
* Nikolay Boktorovich Ochurdyapov
* Sergey Nikolaevich Ochurdyapov

## Princesses

Princess Ditasay - the wife of Prince Kebegesh The first Princess was Ditasay, the wife of the founder of the Ak-Kebek dynasty, Prince Kebegesh. She was the daughter of a noble Soyon ruler. Kebegesh noticed her during a visit to the Tuvan Lands, and later brought her to his otok. This act of the prince caused discontent among Tuvinians.
The princely family of Kebegesh and Ditasai had seven children, the youngest of whom was named after his mother, Ditas. He gave rise to the new Ditas clan.
Princess Kebegesheva - the wife of Prince Yarynak.
Princess Yarynakova - the first wife of Prince Chebek.
Princess Kurundshuk - the second wife of Prince Chebek and the mother of Prince Mongol Chebekov. In 1826, Alexander von Bunge met with her. Then she was about 40 years old and she was distinguished by her beauty and vivacity of speech. She was very well-mannered and witty
Princess Tesegesheva - the wife of Prince Chychkan Tesegeshev. Vasily Radlov met her in 1860. She was wearing a fox fur coat lined with pink silk fabric. The princess wore silver jewelry.
Princess Chychkanova - the wife of Prince Mangday Chychkanov.
Princess Mangdaeva - the wife of Prince Ochurdyap Mangdaev.
Princess Kuba Ochurdyapova - the wife of Prince Kudaibergen-Pavel Ochurdyapov.

## Land ownership

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the Zaisans of the Ak-Kebek dynasty, after becoming part of Russia, owned the territory of the Second Chui Volost. This land was given to them for personal use by the Imperial Cabinet. When the Kazakhs came to the Chui lands in the second half of the XIX century, they personally asked for permission to settle with Prince Ochurdyap Mangdaev, and paid him about 50 or 100 rubles a year.

## Tamga

The Ak-Kebek dynasty had a tamga called Saraky (Altay: Саракай). This sign is associated with the goddess Umay. Tamga resembles a swastika, which meant the point of connection between Heaven and Earth.