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“The life story of Abylai Khan should be set as an example for the whole nation, especially for the new generation,” – wrote the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy N.A. Nazarbayev in his article "The embodiment of Abylai's dream". This year marks the 310th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding political figure of the Kazakh people - Ablai Khan.
Abylai Khan (Abilmansur) was born in 1711 in the family of Sultan Korkem Uali-Sultan. Abilmansur grandfather's name was Abylai, named Kanisher (bloodsucker), for his bravery and fury in battle. Their ancestors descended from Genghis Khan's son Jochi.
During the years of "Aktaban shubyryndy" ("The Years of the Great Disaster"), when Abilmansur was 13 years old, his father, Sultan Uali, died in the battle against the Dzungars. His own uncle Kayip Khan was the first one who took care of him, then Sameke Khan and, finally, Abilmambet Khan. Thanks to them, he received an aristocratic upbringing and education. He was trained in the art of war, and was known as a well-aimed shooter, orator and diplomat. Ablai’s period of growing up coincided with the liberation movement against the Dzungarian conquerors (1730-1740). In the battles, Abilmansur gained fame as a warrior, rushing into battle with the words "Abylai!", "Be support, spirit of Ablai!" The biys and batyrs, revered among the people, treated Abilmansur with respect for his courage, bravery and ability to make decisions of state importance. Nationwide fame came to him after the victory over the Dzungars in the Anyrakay battle.
It was then that he was named in honor of his great grandfather Ablai, and began to govern one of the largest Atygai clans of the Argyn tribe of the Middle Zhuz. In 1743, in Turkestan, he was raised on a white felt mat and was chosen to be one of the khans of the Middle Zhuz. Continuing to strengthen his power, Ablai from 1752 to 1757 fought back attacks of Dzungars, Kirghiz, Chinese, Kalmyks, thus liberated a significant part of the Kazakh lands and captured several thousand Oirats. The victory over the ruler of Kokand was crowned with the capture of the cities of Turkestan, Sairam, Shymkent (Tashkent paid tribute to the Kazakh Khanate). A border was established between Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. The long war of the Kalmyks until 1771 forced them to apply for an armistice and peaceful crossing of the Kazakh lands towards Dzungaria. At the council of war, Ablai proposed to come to an agreement and not to exterminate the enemy, but to give them the opportunity to migrate. Using the disagreements between Russia and the Chinese Empire, Ablai was able to strengthen the military power of the Kazakh state.
After the death in 1771 of the Middle Zhuz Khan Abilmambet, the official head of the Kazakh Khanate was supposed to be one of the younger brothers or the son Abilpeiz, but the Kazakh sultans and biys at the kurultai in Burabai elected Abylai as khan of three zhuzes.
All his life Abylai Khan was engaged in military policy, the art of diplomacy to preserve and increase the territory of the khanate. As noted by N.A. Nazarbayev at the unveiling of a monument in Akmola region: “Abylai Khan managed to preserve the unity of the nation, the unity of the state in a harsh time. He was a subtle diplomat, warrior and commander".
The Great Khan died on the shore of the Arys River at the age of 70 in 1781. He was honorably buried in the Mausoleum-mosque of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. After the death of Abylai Khan, the throne passed to his son Uali, and then to the grandson of Gubaydolla. The outstanding scientist Shokan Ualikhanov, the grandson of Uali khan is among the descendants of the great.
The image of Ablai was reflected in the songs of the zhyrau of Bukhara, Umbetey, Shadi-tora of Zhangirula; in the poems of Kopbai Zhamantayuly, Mazhit Aitbaev; in the works of I. Esenberlin, A. Kekilbaev, K. Zhumadilov and others. Ablai Khan himself is known as a talented musician by such works as, "Ak Tolkyn", "Bulan Zhigit", "Duniye Kaldy", "Zhetim Torah", "Kayran elim "," Kara zhorga ", "Korzhyn kakpay "," Maida zhel "," Sadak kakkan "," Sary bura "," Dusty zhoryk " and others.
Famous domestic and foreign scientists-researchers who wrote about Ablai Khan: Sh. Ualikhanov, V. Bartold, N. Mynzhani, R. Suleimenov, M. Magauin, M. Olcott, J. Wheeler and others.
Streets in the cities of Nur-Sultan and Almaty are named after Abylai Khan. The Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages bears his name. In Petropavlovsk, a museum complex "Residence of Ablai Khan" with a bronze equestrian monument to the khan was opened. The portrait of the khan was placed on the first national currency of Kazakhstan: a banknote of 100 tenge of the 1993 model and a postage stamp of independent Kazakhstan. Based on the biography of Abylai, the first Kazakhstani blockbuster "Nomads" was filmed.
Monuments have been installed in the cities of Almaty, Kokshetau, Zhezkazgan, Aktobe. In 2013, the 300th anniversary of the birth of Abylai Khan was celebrated in Kokshetau.
It should be noted that the archives of the Library of Elbasy has 22 traditional documents and 2 photographic materials with the speeches of N.A. Nazarbayev at the opening ceremony of the monument to the founder of Kazakh statehood Abylai Khan in Kokshetau (05.11.1999) and a photo of Elbasy's participation in the opening ceremony of the Abylai Khan's Residence complex in Petropavlovsk (20.08.2008).
In 2019, during the working trip of President K.K. Tokayev in Kokshetau at a meeting on the development of the Akmola region, the Head of State supported the project to install a 54-meter monument to Abylai Khan.
The exposition of the Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy presents a unique exhibit – a fragment of Abylai Khan's saber. In March 1758, the Collegium of Foreign Affairs awarded the Sultan of the Middle Zhuz Abylai with a saber with inscriptions in the Old Russian and Kazakh languages by order of the Russian Empress Elizabeth I. Nailya Bekmakhanova, the daughter of a famous Kazakhstani historian, Professor Ermukhan Bekmakhanov, handed over a fragment of a saber on behalf of the descendants of Abylai Khan to N.A. Nazarbayev.
In the book collections of the Library of Elbasy, the reader can find the following literature about Abylai Khan: "Ablaikhan" (B. Nasenov); “Records about the trip to the Kazakh land" (A. Yanushkevich); "History of picturesque Kazakhstan: from ancient times to our days"; "The great scholars of the Kazakh people" (A. Bukharbayev); "Figures of the XX century" (A. Bukharbayev); “History of the Kazakh state. XV-XX centuries» (K. Daniyarov); “History of Kazakhstan. Five volumes. Vol.3. From ancient times to the present” (edited by M.K. Kozybayev); "The world is careless: Poems and drama" (A. Kekilbayevich); "Abylai Khan: history, personality, time" (Zh. Kasymbayev); “Abylai Khan. Documents related to his life and work" (compiler: Z.S. Taishybay); "State figures of the Kazakh khanates of the XVIII-first half of the XIX century." (Zh. Kasymbaev); "White flag of Abylai" Historical novel (U. Dospanbetov); "Abylai Khan and Fatherhood: Poems and Epics" (T. Saduakas); "Abylai" (K. Zhamantaev); “Abylai Khan. Historical and anthropological research” (O. Smagululy, M. Kozhayev, A. Orazakkyzy); "Khan Abylai and his time" (K. Abuev); “Words of ancestors: One hundred volumes. T.29. Kazakh folklore in China: Historical songs” (editor-in-chief: S. Kosan).