Abay Kumanbayev

Poet and writer (was born on 22nd of August in 1845, Şıngıs Village/ Abay/ Semey/ Kazakhstan- Died in the 23^rd of June in 1904). His full name is İbrahim Kunanbayev. He got his first education from Gabithan Molla the imam of Şıngıs Village. He received a boarding education in Ahmet Rıza Madrasah (1855-58) in Semey. In there, he learned Arabic, Persian and Chagatai besides religious knowledge. He read the works of poets such as Neva’i, Nizamî, Fuzûlî, Sadî, Firdevsî, Hocca Hâfız in the library of madrasah.  By the same time, he had learned Russian for three months in this city. He supported his father, who was struggling against the cruel emperor ruling the Kazakhs. He learned about the Kazakh people’s manners and rituals, culture, subsistence sources next to his father, and he was raised by witnessing to sufferings of people, poverty, conflicts inside the society. When he was only twenty he began to be known as one of the preachers and poets of the city. He followed literal, philosophical, historical works of Russian and Western writers and he worked as an officer in Semey for a while. When he was thirty five he met with the other revolutionaries in Simla, who were banished by Tsar just like him (1880). Then he became a candidate for elections to prevent the unfairness that people were facing in Konırkökşe County, he won the elections and became president (1876-78). Then he was elected for the commission to prepare a penal law for the Kazakhs of Semey County (1885).

He processed social realities in his works. He tried to raise the awareness among the youth by criticizing the unfairness of the era, slovenly, nomad structure of the people, unnecessary fights of the Kazakh Clans, inequality among the society.  He used themes in his poems such as; equality, justice, struggle within self, beauty, nature, community life; history, language, moral, traditions of Kazakh in a realistic way.

He tried to raise the awareness by presenting his philosophical thoughts in his writings. He wrote in question-answer type and used simple and effective sentences; in these writings he put emphasis on economic and cultural structure of Kazakh Turks, necessary struggle to create a solid structure, nature of man, psychology of child, necessity of science, education and the importance of education.

His works, which were more than forty and all were advices to humanity, were named as “Kara Söz =Algı Söz”. His poems were published in Ufa Dala Ualayatı newspaper for the first time (1909), later published in M. Kasimov’s Suli Kız güldestesi in Kazan. The 150^th anniversary of his birth was 1995 and this year was announced as “Abay Year” by UNESCO with the interventions of The Republic of Kazakhstan.

Abay guided his people to development, science with his writings and also he made important contribution to establish the written type of Kazakh literature. He was a symbol of contemporaneity for the Kazakh Turks with his poet, writer, thinker, philosopher and statesman identities.

WORKS:

Abay Kunanbayevtın Filosofiyalık Közkarası (Abaydıŋ Ömiri men Şıgarmasılıgı), Makalalar Junagı (1954), Şıgarmalarının Eki Tomdık Tolık Junagı (1957).

REFERENCE: Cemil Yener / Türk Halk Edebiyatı Antolojisi (1973), TDE Ansiklopedisi (vol. 1, 1976), Türk Dünyası El Kitabı (vol. 3, 2nd ed. 1992), Ahmet Baytursınuli / Kazakların Baş Şairi (Aktaran: Mustafa Öner, Türk Dünyası Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi, issue: 2, 1996), Abdülvahap Kara / Kazak Türkleri Vakfı Arman Dergisi (December 2004), TDOE-TDE Ansiklopedisi 1 (2002), İhsan Işık (TEKAA, 2009).