abai
Abai Qunanbayuly (Kazakh: Абай Құнанбайұлы; 1845–1904), commonly known simply as Abai, was a Kazakh poet, philosopher, and public figure who helped lay the foundations of modern Kazakh literature and ethical thought. Born in the Kazakh steppe during the Russian Empire era, he received a traditional Islamic education and later encountered Russian and European ideas through self-directed study and travel. He wrote in Kazakh and emphasized literacy, critical thinking, and progressive social norms.
His poetry and prose address moral questions, social reform, education, and the dignity of labor. He used
Abai’s influence extended beyond poetry: he is regarded as a cultural and educational reformer whose ideas
Abai died in 1904, but his legacy endures as a symbol of literary modernization and ethical reflection