A Source-Critical and Structural Analysis of the Manuscript of Akhmet Baitursynuly’s Poetry Collection “Masa”

This article provides a scholarly description of the manuscript version of A. Baitursynuly’s poetry collection “Masa”. While the printed editions of the works of this prominent educator, reformer, and scholar are well known to the academic community, the author’s manuscript heritage has largely been lost. In this regard, the discovery and introduction into scholarly circulation of the “Masa” manuscript – previously known only through fragmentary references and never comprehensively studied – holds exceptional academic significance. For the first time, this study provides a detailed examination of the manuscript, including its structure, textological features, the author’s editorial practices, and elements of his distinctive style. Incorporating this manuscript into scholarly discourse allows for a deeper understanding of Akhmet Baitursynuly’s textual methodology, clarifies the historical development of the collection, and offers new insights into the author’s creative evolution. The study’s theoretical significance is manifested in several ways. First, it contributes to the systematic study of the heritage of the Alash movement. Second, it enriches Akhmet scholarship with previously unknown materials. Third, it offers a unique opportunity for textological comparisons and the analysis of text genesis based on a rare manuscript source, thereby expanding the scope of Kazakh manuscript studies and textual research. From a practical perspective, the article consolidates new data on Akhmet Baitursynuly’s creative work through a comprehensive analysis of the “Masa” manuscript, presented here for the first time in scholarly circulation, and provides research findings of substantial relevance to Turkology, Alash studies, Akhmet studies, and Kazakh textology. 

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