Kurmanjan Datka. Part 1
In the centuries-long history of the Kyrgyz people, the name of Kurmanjan Datka is inscribed in golden letters.
For Central Asia, and indeed for the entire Islamic East, it was unprecedented for a Muslim woman to defy traditions and the will of her parents by leaving the husband chosen for her. Soon, she married Alymbek, the Datka of Alai, and after his death, she did not pass power to his brother or eldest son, but took it into her own hands.
And is it any wonder that the Emir of Bukhara confirmed her title of "Datka" (approximately "Governor-General"), while the Khan of Kokand welcomed her into his palace, paying tribute to a woman from the mountains who did not recognize the veil and usurped power among the warlike nomadic Kyrgyz of Alai.
Kurmanjan Datka was the first and only female ruler to achieve this in an era dominated by patriarchal and tribal customs that completely ignored the interests and rights of women.
No leader was respected by the Kyrgyz as much as she was, standing at the helm of Southern Kyrgyzstan for over half a century.
The influence of Kurmanjan Datka firmly established itself over a vast territory. She earned the title of "Queen of Alai."
The fame of her intelligence, energy, justice, and foresight spread far beyond the Kyrgyz steppes: to St. Petersburg, Finland, Afghanistan, Iran, and China.
During the Soviet period, her name was banned in historical literature, and only with the acquisition of national independence was it returned to the Kyrgyz people and to world history.
Today, every citizen of Kyrgyzstan knows Kurmanjan Datka by sight. Her portrait is depicted on the 50 som banknote.
Mamatbai's daughter, Kurmanjanbubu, from the Japalak clan of the Mungush tribe, was born in 1811 near the city of Osh in the village of Orok to a wealthy Kyrgyz nomad. She was born during the Muslim holiday of "Kurban Ait." Hence, her name — Kurmanjanbubu.
In shaping Kurmanjan as a personality, her father played a decisive role. Mamatbai was known for his literacy, fairness, compassion, and strict demeanor. He raised his daughter in the traditions and customs of the people. He not only instilled high moral values in her but also nurtured a masculine character within her. She possessed great physical strength, and her father encouraged her participation in national games. From childhood, she grew up independent, proud, able to stand up for herself, speaking the truth to power, respecting elders, and understanding the thoughts and aspirations of ordinary people.
Kurmanjan amazed those around her not only with her intellect, physical strength, and bravery but also with her rare beauty.
According to legend, when Kurmanjan turned seven, a neighbor from the summer pasture, Bi Torokul, betrothed her to his son Kulseit and, following the custom, put earrings on her. As soon as she reached adulthood, she was married off to Kulseit. However, she did not find happiness with him. She longed for her homeland. Not having lived with her husband for even a year, one dark night, riding a beautiful steed, she left Katta-Bagyt (Kashgar) for her ancestral lands, forever freeing herself from her unloved husband, even though she understood that such behavior was strictly punished by Muslim laws. This act drastically changed her fate. According to the customs of those times, in an attempt to bring his wife back, her husband sent a group of messengers after her. They could not catch up with Kurmanjan, but in retaliation, to compensate for the kalym, they took a herd of mares with foals.
Returning home, young Kurmanjan took the reins of managing the household into her own hands. None of the young men appealed to her. The year 1831 became a turning point in her life. Alymbek, the Datka of Alai, saw Kurmanjan. He immediately liked her, and a year later, he married her. From that moment on, a star began to rise on the political horizon of Southern Kyrgyzstan, which soon shone in full force. Various versions exist regarding the conclusion of this marriage.
Here is one of them: Alymbek Datka was closely related to Mamatbai. From him, he learned about Kurmanjan's unusual fate and admired her actions. Upon seeing her, he was captivated by her beauty, which harmoniously combined with her intellect. Kurmanjan agreed to marry him but set the condition that she would not enter his yurt as a tokol (second wife).
Let Alymbek set up 40 white yurts on the banks of the turbulent and cool Ak-Buura, let the celebration last for forty days, and let forty girls accompany her. Alymbek Datka fulfilled the wishes of his future wife. There was a grand celebration that was talked about for a long time in the Alai Valley.
Alymbek and Kurmanjan lived in harmony for 29 years. When Kurmanjan got married, her relatives organized a lavish send-off from the village of Orok. As a dowry, they provided a magnificent trotter named Akbay, a camel with a beautiful carpet, nine heads of all types of livestock, a silver basin, a kumgan, and so on.
Women of Kyrgyzstan