Today is the birthday of Alihan Bokeyhan, the leader of the Alash Party and a national leader.
He was born on March 5, 1866, in the present-day Aktogay district of the Karaganda region.
Alihan Bokeyhan was the leader of the Alash movement, a scholar, and a publicist. He was a historical figure who made significant contributions to the political, social, and cultural development of the Kazakh people.
Since 1905, he fought for national interests and became the head of the Alash Orda government, which was established in 1917.
As a deputy of the State Duma, he worked to protect the rights of the Kazakh people. He also made great contributions to science and education by writing studies on Kazakh history, economy, and culture.
Alihan Bokeyhan was one of the authors of the 18th volume of the multi-volume work Russia. General Geographic Description, which was dedicated to the Kazakh steppe.
In 1904, he was part of the F.A. Shcherbina expedition, which studied the resettlement movement in the Kazakh steppe and gathered important data on land issues.
Between 1911 and 1914, he contributed as an author to volumes 4-21 of the New Encyclopedic Dictionary.
As the editor of the Qazaq newspaper, he played a role in awakening national consciousness, promoting Abai’s works, and translating Russian literature. He opposed the colonization of Kazakh lands and sought to establish national-cultural autonomy.
Because he opposed Soviet national policies, on September 27, 1937, the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan sentenced Alihan Bokeyhan to death on false charges. At the age of 71, he was executed in Moscow, far from his homeland.
