National and Historical Foundations in the Works of Kazakh Aqyn-Zhyraus of the Karakalpak Region

Abstract

The spiritual heritage of the Kazakh ethnic group that has lived for centuries in the territory of Karakalpakstan remains one of the least studied areas of Kazakh folklore studies and literary scholarship. The aim of this article is to identify the national and historical foundations that shaped the work of the Kazakh aqyn-zhyraus of the Karakalpak region in the second half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. The scholarly value of the study lies in substantiating regional Kazakh literature as an inseparable part of the integral national folklore and classical literature, while its practical value lies in providing material for university courses on regional literature and for the systematisation of heritage texts. The study is based on cultural-historical, historical-comparative and descriptive methods; its sources are the repertoire of the region’s aqyn-zhyraus and the scholarly works published on the topic. As a result, three principal objective factors that supported the preservation and development of Kazakh folklore and literature in the region were identified: the historical stratum of the ancient Khorezm civilisation, the linguistic and cultural affinity of the Turkic peoples of the region, and their kinship and friendly relations. The value of the study lies in demonstrating that the heritage of the region’s aqyn-zhyraus was formed on the basis of a tradition of inheritance, and that these performers simultaneously acted as transmitters and creative renewers of that heritage. The practical significance of the conclusions lies in offering concrete guidance for collecting, publishing and introducing the regional literary heritage into the educational process.