Shokan Valikhanov

A descendant of Ablai Khan, Shokan studied at the cadet corps in Omsk, served as a Russian officer and knew many languages.

In 1858–1859, disguised as a merchant, he travelled to Kashgar, then closed to Europeans, and wrote a valuable study of East Turkestan. Among the Kyrgyz he was the first to write down a part of the Manas epic.

His works on Kazakh history, shamanism and folk literature laid the foundations of Kazakh scholarship. He died at 29; the Institute of History and Ethnology of Kazakhstan and the university in Kokshetau bear his name.