KAZAKH SOCIETY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY AND THE FORMATION OF SECULARISM IDEAS

Abstract

This article examines the process of shaping secularism ideas in early 20th century Kazakh society, with a particular focus on the views and works of Alikhan Bukeikhan. The Kazakh intelligentsia, striving for national independence and modernization, sought to reinterpret the relationship between religion and the state. Bukeikhan’s publications in the newspaper Qazaq and the draft program of the Alash party became key sources reflecting the entry of secular principles into public consciousness. His interpretation of religion as a means of enlightenment and service to social interests, as well as his emphasis on religious tolerance and equality, remain relevant to this day. The article also analyzes the influence of Western thinkers, particularly L. Tolstoy’s views on religious tolerance, which are echoed in Bukeikhan’s writings. The findings suggest that the ideas of the early 20th century Kazakh intelligentsia on secularism anticipated many of the core values of interfaith harmony and the principles of a secular state in contemporary Kazakhstan.