Abai Qunanbaiuly

Kazakh poet, philosopher and composer (1845-1904)

Abai (Ibrahim) Qunanbaiuly (Kazakh: Абай Құнанбайұлы; August 10 [O.S. July 29] 1845 – July 6 [O.S. June 23] 1904), was a Kazakh poet, educator, philosopher, musician, and political figure for the development of the Kazakh language as a recognized written language.

Abai Qunanbaiuly
Born
Ibrahim Qunanbaiuly

(1845-08-10)August 10, 1845[1]
Abay District, East Kazakhstan, Russian Empire[1]
DiedJuly 6, 1904(1904-07-06) (aged 58)[1]
Abay District, East Kazakhstan, Russian Empire[1]
NationalityKazakh
Occupation(s)Aqyn, educator, philosopher, musician, political figure
Notable workThe Book of Words
Spouse(s)Shukiman (Aygerim)
Erkezhan
ChildrenMagauiya Qunanbaiuli
Akylbai Qunanbaiuli
Turaqul Kunabayev
Gulbadan Qunanbaiuli
Abdrakhman Qunanbaiuli
Parent(s)Qunanbai Uskenbayuly
Ulzhan Asanova

Biography

change

Early life and education

change

Abai was born on August 10, 1845, in Abay District, East Kazakhstan. He was named Ibrahim, but was soon given the nickname Abai (meaning "wise"), which he carried throughout his life for his cleverness.

After years of studying at a madrasah under the mullah Ahmed Riza, he attended a Russian school in his youth, partly because of his father's economic status. Abai encountered the works of Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin at the Semipalatinsk school.

References

change
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 АБА́Й КУНАНБА́ЕВ. Great Russian Encyclopedia