The Rebellious Son of the Clan Leader
On March 2, 1895, Kurmanjan's son, Kamchybek, was executed as a state criminal in the main square of Osh. The author certainly sympathizes with the rebellious son of the clan leader. Rustam-bek describes in detail and with pleasure the appearance of the disgraced offspring of the datka: “A hundred Cossacks from the 6th Orenburg regiment are moving along the Osh road. In chains on a cart sit two Kyrgyz with grim faces. One has a beautiful bandit-like face, not devoid of grandeur, while the other is small with a black beard, representing an ordinary type of the Kyrgyz of the Adychin tribe. This is Kamchybek and Palvan, sentenced to death, being escorted by the hundred, heading to the city of Osh, where they are to be hanged at the foot of Alai. Alai, where they were born, spent their childhood and youth, their dear Alai. Two years ago, they parted from it in hopes of seeing it soon again - now it stands before them, as formidable and harsh as ever, with the same snowy peaks that the condemned used to admire with joy, marveling at their beauty and grandeur. What impression does it make on them now?”
With the same sympathy, but with no less strong tragedy, Boris Tagiyev describes the scene of the criminal's mother's visit on the eve of his execution: “In the regional prison of New Margelan, twenty-one Kyrgyz are sitting in solitary cells, arrested in connection with the murder of customs officials. They have been sitting there for two years, free children of the mountains, under the strict supervision of the prison authorities. Mahmut-bek has grown pale and haggard, and now a new grief has struck him. His young son was on his way to visit his imprisoned father, but fell and smashed his head against the rocks. Allah did not wish for the son to witness his father's disgrace. Like a gloomy wolf locked in a cage, Kamchybek sits in prison and whispers prayers, observing a strict fast.
The datka arrived in Margelan and visited the poor mother of her sons. Supported by two respected locals, the former queen of Alai entered the prison. The old woman's heart trembled at the sight of her children in prisoner’s robes. The datka wept bitterly. The former queen never thought she would live to see such disgrace, that her children would end up in prison alongside thieves and swindlers. It would have been better for her to strangle them with her own hands.”
The talent of the unparalleled writer, with which the author of the essay describes the circumstances of the execution, allows us to feel as if we are witnesses to the execution. “The military governor, General Povalov-Shvykovsky, arrived from Margelan to witness the execution of Kamchybek,” B. Tagiyev specifies. And he immerses us in the oppressive atmosphere of the grim ritual of justice: “In the main square of Osh, a gallows with two iron rings was prepared. A whole sea of colorful robes had already flooded all the streets... Suddenly the crowd stirred, and a whisper of ‘they are bringing them’ swept through. Soon, two slowly moving black carts appeared, surrounded by a convoy. The black horses harnessed to them and the drivers in all black weighed heavily on the onlookers. Calm but grim, the son of the queen of Alai often raises his hands to the sky and loudly reads prayers. The convoy soldiers march steadily, their bayonets glistening in the sun, their faces somber as they step behind the carts. And finally, the sad procession approached the gallows. Kamchybek held himself proudly and with dignity during the reading of the death sentence, bravely preparing to meet death. He had faced it before; only it was clear how vexed the mountain eagle was that its wings had been clipped, that it could not lay down its wild head in battle. Palvan did not behave the same way. The poor Kyrgyz was bewildered and fell to his knees, begging for mercy. After the reading of the sentence, a grave silence reigned.
“May I pray once more?” Kamchybek asked the general, and upon receiving permission, he knelt down and, raising his hands to the sky, read a short prayer, then stood up and, saying, “Enough praying,” turned back to the general, said, “I am ready,” and approached the executioner himself. His hands were tightly bound, and the white shroud seemed about to cover Kamchybek's imposing figure. They put it on the head of the batyr. Kamchybek raised his eyes and saw a row of blue mountains with snowy peaks, and it seemed to him that they nodded their gray heads. “Farewell, Alai,” his lips whispered, and the white shroud, like a terrible curtain, closed him off forever from all that is alive and bright.
They quickly led the condemned to the bench, and he stood on it himself. The executioner began to fumble around his neck... another moment passed, and the executioner forcefully pushed the bench. Kamchybek perished.”
Let us add that “The Mountain Queen” by B. Tagiyev is not only a remarkable literary work in itself. It is also a fairly accurate document that provides a comprehensive view of the life and personality of Kurmanjan Datka, as the author, with the professionalism of a war correspondent, included almost all significant moments of the biography of the queen of Alai in this relatively short essay.
The Queen of Alai at the Most Tragic Moment of Her Life