Shokan Valikhanov
Encyclopedia
Chokan Chingisovich Valikhanov , given name Muxammed Qanafiya Shokan was his pen-name
, and later became his official name. (November 1835 — April 10, 1865) was a famous Kazakh
scholar, ethnographer and historian. He is regarded as the father of modern Kazakh historiography
and ethnography
. The Kazakh Academy of Sciences is named after him. His name is written Chokan Valikhanov in English based on the transliteration of the Russian spelling of his name, which he used himself. The Kazakh language
variant of his name was written in the Arabic script, and was similar to the Russian version.The name Shokan Shinghisuly Walikhanuli reflects modern independent Kazakhstan's intent to push Kazakh naming conventions further back into history.
of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Chokan was a fourth generation descendant of the Ablai Khan, a khan of the Middle jüz
. Chokan's family was very respected by the government of the Russian Empire, and Valikhanov's father was awarded, during his life, six appointments as senior Sultan of Kushmurun okrug, a term as chief Kazakh advisor to the frontier board, a promotion to Colonel, and a separate term as senior Sultan in the Kokshetau
okrug.
Chokan spent his youth in his father’s traditional yurt. His father Chingis arranged his son’s early education, enrolling him in 1842 at age six in a small private school, or maktab
, which provided a secular education. It was here that he began his studies of Arabic script and his native language Chagatai
, which served as the lingua franca
of Central Asia at that time.
At an early age Chokan moved from his father’s home to the estate of his paternal grandmother Aiganym, in Syrymbet. Chokan was enrolled in the Siberian Cadet Corps by his grandmother.
Valikhanov entered the military academy in Omsk
in 1847. After graduating from the Omsk Cadet School, where he read not only Russian but also English language literature, Valikhanov traveled extensively in Central Asia in the late 1850s. It was during his stay in Omsk that Valikhanov first made the acquaintance of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
. He was afterwards called to the capital in St. Petersburg in 1857 to report, and there he was elected to the Russian Geographical Society
.
The expedition ended following increased suspicions, and they left Kashgar in April 1859. Valikhanov returned to St. Petersburg and became a fixture of the intellectual and cultural life during his short stay (1860 - spring of 1861) in the capital. The young Valikhanov was a staunch proponent of Westernization
and critical of the influence of Islam
in his homeland. In the words of the ethnographer Yadrintsev, for Valikhanov European civilization represented "the new Quran of life."
In the spring of 1861 he became seriously ill with tuberculosis
and had to leave St. Petersburg. He returned to his native steppe region in hopes of restoring his health. He never returned to St. Petersburg. However, frequent relapses in his health prevented advances in his career. In letters to his friend Dostoevsky, Valikhanov mentioned several unsuccessful plans to return to St. Petersburg. Valikhanov also mentioned campaigning for a political position in the West-Siberian Governor Generalship, centered in Tobolsk, like his father. In 1862, he successfully ran for senior Sultan, but Governor-General Alexander Duhamel :ru:Дюгамель, Александр Осипович refused to confirm his position due to Valikhanov's health.
Valikhanov collected materials on Kazakh judicial practices in 1863. This was part of a government-backed project given by Duhamel, and led to the 1864 Memorandum on Judicial Reform. In 1864, Chokan was assigned to help with Colonel Cherniaev's continued conquest of Central Asia. Cherniaev’s forces marched west from the fortress of Vernoe (modern-day Almaty
). Chernaiev advanced towards the Khanate of Kokand
, planning to attack the fort at Aulie-Ata (modern-day Taraz
). Chokan unsuccessfully pushed for a negotiated result without violence. Cherniaev won an easy victory and returned to Vernoe. Chokan left Chernaiev after the events at Aulie-Ata and, after stopping Vernoe, moved to the village of Sultan Tezek on the Ili River
north of Vernoe. Colonel Chernaiev, however, was not unhappy with Valikhanov's work, and recommended him for a promotion.
Chokan spent his last remaining months in the village of Sultan Tezek, eventually marrying Sultan Tezek’s sister, Aisary. During this time, letters of correspondence to General Kolpakovskii, military governor of Smipalatinsk oblast, dated between November 1864 through February 1865, addressed Muslim revolts and rebel activity in nearby Qulja. Kolpakovskii held such esteem for Chokan that he offered Chokan a position in his administration once his health was restored.
Unfortunately, Valikhanov succumbed to his illness on April 10, 1865 at the age of 29.
He was buried in the nearby cemetery of Kochen-Togan in present-day Almaty Province
.
N.I. Veselovskii, who in 1904 edited a collection of Valikhanov’s works, said that the short life of Valikhanov was a “meteor flashing across the field of oriental studies."
When Dostoevsky served in Semipalatisnk
, he met Valikhanov once again. The two men were also closely acquainted with renowned geographer Peter Semenov Tian-Shansky and Baron A. E. Wrangel, who came to Semipalatinsk from Petersburg in 1854 to serve as the new district prosecutor.
Dostoyevsky wrote from Semipalatinsk on I4 December I856 one of his most enthusiastic letters ever, addressed to his friend Valikhanov:
There is a statue of Valikhanov and Dostoevsky in the city of Semey
, Kazakhstan, near the local Dostoevsky museum.
Valikhanov also compiled epic poetry, including "Kozy-Korpesh and "Bayan-Sulu", as well as what he called the Iliad of the Steppe, the Epic of Manas
.
Valikhanov's report of his trip to Kashgar
in 1858-59 remains a valuable account on the situation in Xinjiang
in the aftermath of Wali Khan
's invasion of the region and on the eve of the Muslim Rebellion of the 1860s.
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
, and later became his official name. (November 1835 — April 10, 1865) was a famous Kazakh
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
scholar, ethnographer and historian. He is regarded as the father of modern Kazakh historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
and ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
. The Kazakh Academy of Sciences is named after him. His name is written Chokan Valikhanov in English based on the transliteration of the Russian spelling of his name, which he used himself. The Kazakh language
Kazakh language
Kazakh is a Turkic language which belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic languages, closely related to Nogai and Karakalpak....
variant of his name was written in the Arabic script, and was similar to the Russian version.The name Shokan Shinghisuly Walikhanuli reflects modern independent Kazakhstan's intent to push Kazakh naming conventions further back into history.
Childhood
He was born in November 1835 in the newly developed Aman-Karagaiskii district within the Kushmurun fort in what is nowadays the Kostanay ProvinceKostanay Province
Kostanay Province is a province of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kostanay City. The population of the province is 900,300. Population living in Kostanay is 207,000 that makes 23 % of the population of province...
of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Chokan was a fourth generation descendant of the Ablai Khan, a khan of the Middle jüz
Middle Juz
Middle jüz is one of three main traditional divisions of the Kazakh nation. The other two are Great jüz and Little jüz.Middle jüz consists of six tribes. The tribes, in turn, are subdivided into clans, creating a hierarchical pyramid of affiliations. Some historians claim that Middle Juz have...
. Chokan's family was very respected by the government of the Russian Empire, and Valikhanov's father was awarded, during his life, six appointments as senior Sultan of Kushmurun okrug, a term as chief Kazakh advisor to the frontier board, a promotion to Colonel, and a separate term as senior Sultan in the Kokshetau
Kokshetau
Kokshetau , formerly known as Kokchetav is the administrative center of Akmola Province, northern Kazakhstan. It has a population of 125,225 .-Geography:Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, is distant 1245 km south-eastwards...
okrug.
Chokan spent his youth in his father’s traditional yurt. His father Chingis arranged his son’s early education, enrolling him in 1842 at age six in a small private school, or maktab
Maktab
Maktab , also called kuttab , is an Arabic word meaning elementary schools...
, which provided a secular education. It was here that he began his studies of Arabic script and his native language Chagatai
Chagatai language
The Chagatai language is an extinct Turkic language which was once widely spoken in Central Asia, and remained the shared literary language there until the early twentieth century...
, which served as the lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
of Central Asia at that time.
At an early age Chokan moved from his father’s home to the estate of his paternal grandmother Aiganym, in Syrymbet. Chokan was enrolled in the Siberian Cadet Corps by his grandmother.
Valikhanov entered the military academy in Omsk
Omsk
-History:The wooden fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the expanding Russian frontier along the Ishim and the Irtysh rivers against the Kyrgyz nomads of the Steppes...
in 1847. After graduating from the Omsk Cadet School, where he read not only Russian but also English language literature, Valikhanov traveled extensively in Central Asia in the late 1850s. It was during his stay in Omsk that Valikhanov first made the acquaintance of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Adult life
His work combined military intelligence and geographic exploration. His first successful expedition was his 1855-56 mission to the region of Issyq KölIssyk Kul
Issyk Kul is an endorheic lake in the northern Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the tenth largest lake in the world by volume and the second largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea. Although it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, it never freezes; hence its name, which means "hot...
. He was afterwards called to the capital in St. Petersburg in 1857 to report, and there he was elected to the Russian Geographical Society
Russian Geographical Society
The Russian Geographical Society is a learned society, founded on 6 August 1845 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.-Imperial Geographical Society:Prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917, it was known as the Imperial Russian Geographical Society....
.
The expedition ended following increased suspicions, and they left Kashgar in April 1859. Valikhanov returned to St. Petersburg and became a fixture of the intellectual and cultural life during his short stay (1860 - spring of 1861) in the capital. The young Valikhanov was a staunch proponent of Westernization
Westernization
Westernization or Westernisation , also occidentalization or occidentalisation , is a process whereby societies come under or adopt Western culture in such matters as industry, technology, law, politics, economics, lifestyle, diet, language, alphabet,...
and critical of the influence of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in his homeland. In the words of the ethnographer Yadrintsev, for Valikhanov European civilization represented "the new Quran of life."
In the spring of 1861 he became seriously ill with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and had to leave St. Petersburg. He returned to his native steppe region in hopes of restoring his health. He never returned to St. Petersburg. However, frequent relapses in his health prevented advances in his career. In letters to his friend Dostoevsky, Valikhanov mentioned several unsuccessful plans to return to St. Petersburg. Valikhanov also mentioned campaigning for a political position in the West-Siberian Governor Generalship, centered in Tobolsk, like his father. In 1862, he successfully ran for senior Sultan, but Governor-General Alexander Duhamel :ru:Дюгамель, Александр Осипович refused to confirm his position due to Valikhanov's health.
Valikhanov collected materials on Kazakh judicial practices in 1863. This was part of a government-backed project given by Duhamel, and led to the 1864 Memorandum on Judicial Reform. In 1864, Chokan was assigned to help with Colonel Cherniaev's continued conquest of Central Asia. Cherniaev’s forces marched west from the fortress of Vernoe (modern-day Almaty
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
). Chernaiev advanced towards the Khanate of Kokand
Khanate of Kokand
The Khanate of Kokand was a state in Central Asia that existed from 1709–1883 within the territory of modern eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan...
, planning to attack the fort at Aulie-Ata (modern-day Taraz
Taraz
Taraz , is a city and a center of the Jambyl Province in Kazakhstan. It is located in the south of Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, on the Talas River...
). Chokan unsuccessfully pushed for a negotiated result without violence. Cherniaev won an easy victory and returned to Vernoe. Chokan left Chernaiev after the events at Aulie-Ata and, after stopping Vernoe, moved to the village of Sultan Tezek on the Ili River
Ili River
thumb|right|300px|Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin showing the Ili River and its tributariesThe Ili River is a river in northwestern China and southeastern Kazakhstan .It is long, of which is in Kazakhstan...
north of Vernoe. Colonel Chernaiev, however, was not unhappy with Valikhanov's work, and recommended him for a promotion.
Chokan spent his last remaining months in the village of Sultan Tezek, eventually marrying Sultan Tezek’s sister, Aisary. During this time, letters of correspondence to General Kolpakovskii, military governor of Smipalatinsk oblast, dated between November 1864 through February 1865, addressed Muslim revolts and rebel activity in nearby Qulja. Kolpakovskii held such esteem for Chokan that he offered Chokan a position in his administration once his health was restored.
Unfortunately, Valikhanov succumbed to his illness on April 10, 1865 at the age of 29.
He was buried in the nearby cemetery of Kochen-Togan in present-day Almaty Province
Almaty Province
Almaty is a province of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Taldykorgan, which has a population of 118,400. The province itself has 1,603,700 people.-Geography:...
.
N.I. Veselovskii, who in 1904 edited a collection of Valikhanov’s works, said that the short life of Valikhanov was a “meteor flashing across the field of oriental studies."
Valikhanov and Dostoevsky
While still in Omsk, Dostoevsky had met Chokan Valikhanov. In Dostoevsky's opinion, Valikhanov was a brilliant, intrepid person, a scholar and ethnographer, and a talented folklorist. In their correspondence, the two intellectuals admitted their great mutual love and admiration.When Dostoevsky served in Semipalatisnk
Semey
Semey , formerly known as Semipalatinsk and Alash-kala , is a city in Kazakhstan, in the northeastern province of East Kazakhstan, near the border with Siberia, around north of Almaty, and southeast of the Russian city of Omsk, along the Irtysh River.-History:The first settlement was in 1718,...
, he met Valikhanov once again. The two men were also closely acquainted with renowned geographer Peter Semenov Tian-Shansky and Baron A. E. Wrangel, who came to Semipalatinsk from Petersburg in 1854 to serve as the new district prosecutor.
Dostoyevsky wrote from Semipalatinsk on I4 December I856 one of his most enthusiastic letters ever, addressed to his friend Valikhanov:
There is a statue of Valikhanov and Dostoevsky in the city of Semey
Semey
Semey , formerly known as Semipalatinsk and Alash-kala , is a city in Kazakhstan, in the northeastern province of East Kazakhstan, near the border with Siberia, around north of Almaty, and southeast of the Russian city of Omsk, along the Irtysh River.-History:The first settlement was in 1718,...
, Kazakhstan, near the local Dostoevsky museum.
Major Work
Valikhanov produced many articles and books devoted to the history and culture of Central Asia. A short list:- 'Chinese Turkestan and Dzungaria' Valikhanov and other Russian travellers, The Russians in Central Asia, London, Edward Stanford, 1865.
- Traces of Shamanism among the Kazakhs
- Regarding the camps of Kazakh nomads
- The Kazakhs
Valikhanov also compiled epic poetry, including "Kozy-Korpesh and "Bayan-Sulu", as well as what he called the Iliad of the Steppe, the Epic of Manas
Epic of Manas
The Epic of Manas is a traditional epic poem claimed by the Kyrgyz people dating to the 18th century, though it is possibly much older. In some earlier versions, however, Manas is identified as Nogay. This opens the possibility of Manas having spoken a dialect of Turki similar to that of the...
.
Valikhanov's report of his trip to Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
in 1858-59 remains a valuable account on the situation in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
in the aftermath of Wali Khan
Wali Khan (khoja)
Wali Khan was a member of the Ak Taghliq clan of East Turkestan Khojas, who invaded Kashgaria fromKokand on several occasions in the 1850s, and succeeded in ruling Kashgar for a short while....
's invasion of the region and on the eve of the Muslim Rebellion of the 1860s.
Works by Valikhanov available in English
- "General view of Dzungaria" and "Travels in Dzungaria", by Captain Valikhanof: in
External links
- Information on Chokan from the Smithsonian
- Artwork of Chokan Valikhanov
- www.neweurasia.net (biography) (in English)
- www.peoples.ru Shokan Valikhanov (in Russian)
- Shokan Valikhanov in Omsk (in Russian) (in Alexander M. Kobrinsky's library): Shokan Valikhanov (photos, biography) Biography from the UNESCO branch in Kazakhstan