  Let $U_\zeta$ be the quantum group (Lusztig form) associated to the simple
Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, with parameter $\zeta$ specialized to an $\ell$-th
root of unity in a field of characteristic $p>0$. In this paper we study
certain finite-dimensional normal Hopf subalgebras $U_\zeta(G_r)$ of $U_\zeta$,
called Frobenius-Lusztig kernels, which generalize the Frobenius kernels $G_r$
of an algebraic group $G$. When $r=0$, the algebras studied here reduce to the
small quantum group introduced by Lusztig. We classify the irreducible
$U_\zeta(G_r)$-modules and discuss their characters. We then study the
cohomology rings for the Frobenius-Lusztig kernels and for certain nilpotent
and Borel subalgebras corresponding to unipotent and Borel subgroups of $G$. We
prove that the cohomology ring for the first Frobenius-Lusztig kernel is
finitely-generated when $\g$ has type $A$ or $D$, and that the cohomology rings
for the nilpotent and Borel subalgebras are finitely-generated in general.
