Bukhar-zhirau Kalmakanov

Who was Bukhar-zhirau Kalmakanov?

Bukhar-zhirau Kalkaman Uli was a Kazakh poet at the court of the Middle Horde. His period of activity at the court lasted from 1711 until 1781, during the reign of the Abylay Khan. Although his primary activity was entertaining the court through poetry and singing, Kalmakanov also acted as an advisor to the Khan. Because of this, his poetry dealt with broader themes which included politics, the foreign policy of the horde, and the life of the Khan. Kalmakanov is not known to have written any epics.