The mankurt is a character that became widely known thanks to Chingiz Aitmatov's novel "The Stormy Stop" (or "And the Day Lasts Longer Than a Hundred Years").
In the novel, a mankurt is a person forcibly deprived of the memory of their past, their family, culture, and
history. They are slaves, transformed into mindless, submissive creatures who remember only their master's orders
and are unaware of their former identity.
The process of becoming a mankurt (according to Aitmatov):
Aitmatov's work describes a brutal torture used by the Zhuanzhuang (an ancient nomadic tribe) on captives. A "shiri"—a piece of fresh camel skin—was placed on the captive's head. Under the scorching sun, the skin dried, shriveled, and compressed the head, causing unbearable pain. This resulted in memory loss and the transformation of the captive into a weak-willed slave, a mankurt.
Symbolism of the image:
The image of the mankurt has transcended the realm of fiction and become a household word. It
symbolizes:
- Loss of historical memory: A person or people who have forgotten their roots, culture, traditions, and history.
- Rejection of national identity: Separation from one's own identity and acceptance of foreign values without critical reflection.
- Ideological indoctrination: The forced imposition of alien ideas, leading to the loss of one's own self.
- Submissive and Thoughtless: A person who becomes easily manipulated and incapable of independent thought.
Thus, the "mankurt" in the modern sense is not just a character in a novel, but a profound cultural and social symbol of a person deprived of memory and self-awareness, which makes him a convenient tool in the hands of others.
