Kazakh literature is defined as 'the body ofliterature, bothoral and written, produced in theKazakh language by theKazakh people ofCentral Asia'.[1]
Kazakh literature expands from the current territory ofKazakhstan, also including the era ofKazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Kazakh recognized territory under theRussian Empire and theKazakh Khanate. There is some overlap with several complementary themes, including the literature of Turkic tribes that inhabited Kazakhstan over the course of the history and literature written by ethnic Kazakhs.
According to Chinese written sources of 6th-8th centuries CE, Turkic tribes of Kazakhstan had oral poetry tradition. These came from earlier periods, and were primarily transmitted bybards: professional storytellers, and musical performers.[2] Traces of this tradition are shown onOrkhon script stone carvings dated 5th-7th centuries CE that describe the rule of Kultegin and Bilge, two early Turkic rulers ("kagans").[citation needed] Amongst the Kazakhs, the bard was a primarily, though not exclusively, male profession. Since at least the 17th century, Kazakh bards could be divided into two main categories: thezhıraws (zhiraus, žyraus), who passed on the works of others, usually not creating and adding their own original work; and theaqyns (akyns), who improvised or created their own poems, stories or songs.[1] There were several types of works, such asdidactictermes,elegiactolgaws, andepiczhırs.[1]
Although the origins of such tales are often unknown, most of them were associated with bards of the recent or more distant past, who supposedly created them or passed them on, by the time most Kazakh poetry and prose was first written down in the second half of the 19th century.[1] There are clear stylistic differences between works first created in the 19th century, and works dating from earlier periods but not documented before the 19th century, such as those attributed to such 16th- and 17th-century bards as Er Shoban and Dosmombet Zhıraw (also known as Dospambet Žyrau; he appeared to have been literate, and reportedly visitedConstantinople), and even to such 15th-century bards as Shalkiz and Asan Qayghı.[1] Other notable bards include Kaztugan Žyrau, Žiembet Žyrau, Axtamberdy Žyrau, and Buxar Žyrau Kalkamanuly, who was an advisor toAblai Khan, and whose works have been preserved by Mäšhür Žüsip Köpeev.[2]Er Targhın andAlpamıs are two of the most famous examples of Kazakh literature to be recorded in the 19th century.[1]
TheBook of Dede Korkut and Oguz Name (a story of ancient Turkic kingOghuz Khan) are the most well-known Turkic heroic legends. Initially created around the 9th century CE, they were passed on through generations in oral form. The legendary tales were recorded by Turkish authors in 14-16th centuries C.E.[citation needed]
The preeminent role in the development of modern literary Kazakh belongs toAbai Qunanbaiuly (Kazakh:Абай Құнанбайұлы, sometimes russified to Abay Kunanbayev, Абай Кунанбаев) (1845–1904), whose writings did much to preserve Kazakh folk culture. Abai's major work isThe Book of Words (Kazakh:қара сөздері, Qara sözderi), a philosophical treatise and collection of poems where he criticizes Russian colonial policies and encourages other Kazakhs to embrace education and literacy.
The literary magazinesAy Qap (published between 1911 and 1915 in Arabic script) andQazaq (published between 1913 and 1918) played an important role in the development of the intellectual and political life among early 20th-century Kazakhs.
In 2021, the government of Kazakhstan funded the translation of 100 famous international pieces of literature and textbooks into the Kazakh language. Translated works include topics from the humanities, best-selling modern classics, economics & social science textbooks, and more.[3]
