Barefooted Flight

Years of Great Disasters
Years of Great Disasters
Part of the Kazakh–Dzungar War (1723–1730) of Kazakh–Dzungar Wars
Native name	Kazakh: «Ақтабан шұбырынды, Алқакөл сұлама»
Location	Jetisu,Southern Kazakhstan, Syr Darya, Fergana Valley, Irtysh, Chu River, Talas River, Kazakhstan
Date	1723
Target	Kazakh civilians
Attack type	Indiscriminate attack on civilian populations and Forced displacement.
Deaths	Unknown, catastrophic
Victims	Kazakh civilians
Perpetrators	Dzungar Khanate
Motive	Territorial Expansion

Barefooted Flight
	Part of the Kazakh–Dzungar War (1723–1730) of Kazakh-Dzungar Wars
Date	1723–1730
Location	Jetisu,Southern Kazakhstan, Syr Darya, Fergana Valley, Irtysh, Chu River, Talas River, Kazakhstan
Result	Dzungar victory Start of the Barefooted Flight;
Belligerents
Kazakh Khanate	Dzungar Khanate
Commanders and leaders
Bolat Khan †; Sameke Khan (AWOL)	Tsewang Rabtan; Lobsangsür
Strength
Unknown	70,000
Casualties and losses
Catastrophic civilian casualties; Heavy military casualties	Light

The Barefooted Flight or also known as the Years of Great Disasters (Kazakh: «Ақтабан шұбырынды, Алқакөл сұлама») is a name given to the defeat, indiscriminate attacks on civilians and expulsion of the Kazakhs from Kazakhstan from 1723 to 1730. The expulsion and the indiscriminate attacks on civilians included the Senior Jüz, Middle Jüz and the Junior Jüz, as the Kyrgyz and Karakalpaks. As it was described as the "worst case of nomadic-sedentary relations: steppe pastoralists ravaged the cultivated land of sedentary neighbours".