Raza İris Baı-ulı
| |
| Title: | Ilxan of Turkestan |
| Term in office: | 1984–1989 |
| Predecessor: | Hamra Maxambet-ulı |
| Successor: | Sultan Qasım-ulı |
| Birth: | |
| Date: | 8- Navruz, Bars Jılı 1938 (8th March 1938) |
| Place: | Aq-Meşit, Qazaqstan |
| Death: | |
| Date: | 2- Qariça, Yılan Jılı 1989 (2nd November 1989) |
| Place: | Buxara |
| Profession: | Politician |
| Political Party: | Government of National Unity |
| Relgious Affiliation: | Tengriism |
Biography
Raza İris Baı-ulı was the fourth and last Snorist Ilxan of Turkestan. He seized power from his predecessor Hamra Maxambet-ulı in a violent coup d'état in 1984, instituting a bloody purge of elements he considered loyal to Hamra Ilxan.
Even by the low standards of the Snorist Ilxans of Turkestan, Raza Ilxan reached new depths. His regime was recognised by international human rights watchdogs as one of the worst of the era - corrupt, oppressive, callous and casually vicious. The number of purges in his 5-year reign almost equalled the combined total during the reigns of his two predecessors.
Early Life
Raza was born in 1938, the illegitimate son of İris Azamat-ulı Baı by his mistress İpek Baqıtjan-qızı. İris Baı was a Zoroastrian convert to Burxanism and his mother was the daughter of a Zoroastrian dastur (high priest) from what is now Tajikistan. It was probably largely this that prevented İris Baı from initially acknowledging his son.
He grew up initially with his mother's family and was raised a good Zoroastrian, but his decision to convert to Tengriism in his late teens caused a rift between him and his adoptive family too. The few remaining contemporary documents show the young Raza to have been a bright student, but one with a vindictive streak and a disturbing delight in all forms of cruelty, and this probably contributed to the souring relationships with his family.
After he left school at the age of 18, he got a job working for the Turkestani Department of Homeland Security's uniformed political enforcers, the Homeland Security Force, with the starting rank of Onbaşı (Sergeant). His intelligence and ruthlessness found a perfect fit here, and Raza quickly rose in rank, becoming a Jüzbaşı (Captain) by the time he was 28.
Initial Political Career
At the age of 36, Raza İris Baı-ulı Beğ (Lt.-Col.) left the Homeland Security Force to take up a political career. His contacts in the various Directorates of the Department of Homeland Security stood him in good stead, especially the Second and Fourth Directorates - the internal espionage and political police agencies respectively. Raza proved adept and ruthless at using these contacts, and became quite prominent fairly quickly.
Raza as Ilxan
...
His death three weeks after the dissolution of the SNOR was announced came as a complete surprise, as he was basically healthy and had just undertaken another purge of his inner Keņes not half a year before. The fact that the Keņes he left behind was composed mostly of younger members, unsure of their roles and still nervous from the purge, was instrumental in the dismantling of the Government of National Unity party apparatus and the modification of the Ilxanate.
|
Preceded by: |
Succeeded by: |
