The Heritage of Campaign Zhyrau in the Era of Yesim Khan

On March 5, 2026, under the supervision of senior lecturer of the Department of Kazakh Literature and Literary Theory at the Faculty of Philology, Ardak Kurmanalykyzy Sargeltayeva, first-year doctoral student of the specialty “Literary Studies” Sabina Erlankyzy Mynbayeva conducted an open class for third-year students of the “Kazakh Philology” educational program within the course “History of Kazakh Literature.”

The topic of the class was “The Heritage of Campaign Zhyrau in the Era of Yesim Khan.” The main objective of the open class was to provide a scholarly analysis of the historical and literary features of the poetry of the zhyrau of the seventeenth century, as well as to determine their contribution to the formation of political thought and the consolidation of the idea of statehood in Kazakh society. In the introductory part of the class, the socio-political situation of the Kazakh Khanate in the seventeenth century was analyzed.

 Particular attention was paid to the system of state governance during the reign of Yesim Khan, internal political conflicts, and the historical significance of the legal code known as “Yesim Khan’s Old Path.” It was also emphasized that the zhyrau were not only masters of poetic expression but also influential figures who shaped public opinion and participated in political processes. In the main part of the lesson, students analyzed the works of Zhiembet Zhyrau and Margaska Zhyrau from a historical and literary perspective. The civil position, the idea of freedom, and attitudes toward the khan’s authority reflected in Zhiembet Zhyrau’s tolgaus were examined. In addition, Margaska Zhyrau’s famous tolghau “Hey, Tursun Khan of the Katagan tribe” was considered in connection with historical events and characterized as a work of political accusatory poetry. During the class, students conducted group analytical work, examining the ideological content of campaign poetry, the mediating role of the zhyrau between the authorities and the people, and the artistic features of their works. During the discussion, various scholarly perspectives on the historical role of the zhyrau in society were presented.

In conclusion, it was noted that the heritage of the campaign zhyrau occupies an important place in the formation of the spiritual foundations of Kazakh statehood. The open class helped deepen students’ historical and literary knowledge and provided an opportunity to evaluate the national literary heritage from a scholarly perspective.