Mothers of the Great Steppe

There are many great people in the history of mankind, whose name, centuries later, has come down to us and has become a legend. Nobility, wisdom, and courage underlie their actions. In fact, none of the ancestors went unnoticed in history. Each was at the forefront of his time, selflessly worked for his country and people. But what is the difference between those who are famous and those who are not? Like a rider who sets his horse running and grips the reins, the mother has a special place in every success of her offspring.

What distinguishes the mother of a great child? How was she different? Museofnomad editors reflect on the mother’s role in the upbringing of children and its influence on the personality forming - about the great mothers of the Great Steppe.

 

 

For instance, the shaker of the universe, "the khan of all khans" - Genghis Khan. He occupies a special place in world history. The repetition of his heroic path is not meant to happen to any hero after him. From the surviving written sources it is known with what difficulty he came to power and conquered half the world. Genghis Khan is the first son of Yesugei and his wife Hoelun from the Olkhonut clan. At birth, he was given the name - Temujin (Temujin). After the father was killed in a conspiracy, Yesugei's relatives turned their backs on Hoelun and her children. The woman, without extinguishing Yesugei's candle, put a lot of work into making her child a real hero. She raises children on her own and does not turn to anyone for help, even in moments of difficulty. She often tells them about the heroism of their ancestors and their lineage. The songs about heroes heard from his mother greatly influenced Genghis Khan to become a brave and courageous hero. As a ruler, his mother was the only person who could admit her mistakes. Hoelun went down in history as a wise and courageous woman.

The wife of Genghis Khan, Borte also possessed great wisdom and insight, she knew how to be a fair judge in many cases. As an adviser to her husband, she saved Genghis Khan more than once. In the annals, she was remembered for the courage inherent in the wives of the Great Steppe. In the upbringing of Jochi Khan, who was highly respected as the progenitor of the Kazakh khans and sultans, Borte occupies a special place. The wife of Tole, the fourth son of Genghis Khan and Borte, named Surkoktani, thanks to her wisdom, also joined the ranks of great mothers. She continued the path of her elder mother-in-law Hoelun and mother-in-law Borte in the upbringing of future rulers. So the genus of Genghisids was replenished with brave warriors and rulers who knew and honored their ancestors. The children of Surkoktani - Monke, Kubylay, and Khulagu left a significant mark on world history. She was in fact the regent of the Mongol Empire for 20 years after the death of her husband Tole.

There are many legendary mothers in the history of Kazakhstan. They bring up children, putting love for the motherland into their heads, that every stone of the great steppe is a treasure. The wife of Abulkhair Khan is Rabiya Sultan Begim, the wife of Zhanibek Khan, the mother of Kasym Khan is Zhagan (Zhakhan) Begim, the mother of Yesim and Tauke Khan is Zhaksymbike, the wife of Salkam Zhangir Khan is Banu Khanim, the wife of Abulkhair Khan, the mother of Nuraly Khan is Bopay Khanum, wife Uali Khana, Shokan's grandmother Aiganym, wife of Kasym Sultan, mother of Kenesary Khan Aikumis Khanym are examples of mothers of the Great Steppe. They supported their children, but if necessary, they could saddle horses and repel the enemy. Realizing that the child would become a ruler in the future, all mothers urged their sons to be fair and love their people. The legends about the heroes of the Great Steppe remained forever in the memory of people.

The mother of the leader of the nation Alikhan Bokeikhanov, Begim Dulatovna, is also an example for many. Through her intelligence and wisdom, she contributed to the prosperity of her people through her son. The “Alash” movement occupies a special place in the history of Kazakhstan. Each of them is a worthy son of his people, who contributed to the development of Kazakh society, to the education and prosperity of the country.

The Kazakh people paid special attention to the education of girls. As the Kazakh wisdom says, “Kyzga kyryk uiden tyyim”, which means that the Kazakhs treated every girl as their daughter, guided and cared for them. Since ancient times, Kazakhs have understood that the future of the nation is in the hands of mothers, that today's girl will become a mother tomorrow. The personalities that are mentioned in the article have been recognized by the whole world.

However, in history, only the name of the father of a great man is often mentioned in the form of a patronymic or surname. Due to his grandmother Zere the formation of the Kazakh poet Abay Kunanbaev, for the most part, happened. From early childhood, she showed attention to her grandson, as well as to her son Kunanbai. In the life of the poet's father, along with his mother Zere, a special place was occupied by his wife Ulzhan - Abay's mother. This proves that the Kazakh woman has always been held in high esteem, she was consulted, she was respected and honored. Today Abay is the most famous poet of the Kazakh people, the founder of written literature.

Abai's mom

The mother's heart feels the desires and talents of the child. Mom is the conductor of the heritage of ancestors for her children and plays a key role in shaping their personalities. The upbringing school of the mother and wife of Genghis Khan, Oelun and Borte, was continued by Zere and Ulzhan. All of them are examples for every modern young mother of the Great Steppe.

 

 Author: Moldir Adamzhan

Translator-editor: Chingiz Smakov

Photos: from the archives of press services