Dulat Babatayuly and the Truth of Epoch

Abstract

This article analyzes the work of Dulat Babatayuly as an exponent of the “truth of the age” and one of the key figures in XIX century Kazakh literature. The relevance of the study is due to the need to rethink the author's poetic heritage in the context of contemporary literary approaches, as well as the desire for an objective assessment of his artistic and ideological contribution, which was subject to one-sided interpretation during the Soviet period. The purpose of the article is to identify the artistic and aesthetic features of Dulat Babatayuly's work and to determine his role in the formation of national literary consciousness. In accordance with the stated purpose, the following tasks are solved in the work: analysis of the thematic and ideological content of the poet's works; identification of the specifics of his imagery system and poetics; determining the influence of historical and social conditions on the formation of his worldview; examining the motifs of citizenship and national unity in his poetry. The article shows that Dulat Babatayuly's work reflects the complex processes of transformation of Kazakh society during the period of the loss of khanate power and the strengthening of the colonial policy of the Russian Empire. His poetry is characterized by sharp satire, philosophical depth, and a pronounced civic stance. Drawing on the traditions of zhirau and oral folk art, the poet has developed an original artistic style that combines elements of realism and journalism. The conclusion is made that the central idea of Dulat Babatayuly's work is the affirmation of the value of his native land, the preservation of national identity, and the idea of the unity of the people, which determines its enduring significance in the history of Kazakh literature.

Key words: Kazakh literature, historical era, creativity, poet, society, problem, aesthetic, view, worldview.