This article reveals the evolving identity formation of the Kazakh intelligentsia in response to imperial discourse, suggesting a shift towards anti-colonial thought.
Key Points
The identity of the Kazakh intelligentsia transformed into a complex construct influenced by imperial structures and cultural exchanges.
This study uses an interdisciplinary analysis to show that the Steppe was conceptualized as 'the other Russia' due to experiences of discrimination and land dispossession.
Kazakh intellectuals advocated for national unity in response to imperial integration, evolving their discourse towards anti-colonial thought.
These intellectual movements laid the groundwork for later nationalist movements and highlighted the interplay between political resistance and identity reconstruction.