In ethnogenesis of the Kazakh people, in the 9th–10th centuries when Kazakhs weren’t called Kazakhs yet, they called themselves as Alasha people.
Alasha Khan in legends is a primogenitor of six main tribes. Alasha Khan was not only the combiner of aggressive Turkic tribes, but also the great warrior, great politician, fair judge and governor of the state. The image of Alasha Khan plays the role of primogenitor in fostering public awareness.
Rasheed ad-Din and Abelgazi claim that the central part of Desht-i-Kypchak is Alasha Khan residence. According to Shokan Valikhanov, a Turkestan khan (Red Arslan) didn’t love his son born prematurely and called him Alasha. Having grown up, he managed for a short time to gather co-thinkers and become a real success among population. Alasha was a talented, clever person, he was ennobled by the khan. He was considered as the person who united tribes of nomadic Turkic peoples and created the first state of Alash (Kazakh state).
Six alashy are the six tribes who followed six sons of Oguz. After disintegration of the Golden Horde Alash became the unification appeal of nomadic Kazakhs. Famous historian Zh. Artykbayev in his book Materials for the History of the Ruling House of Kazakhs compares numerous legends about Alash khan and considers M. Kupeev’s option as true one. «Before Alash Khan Kazakhs were not united and other people didn’t recognize them in that state.
Having chosen young boy as the governor, they pronounced his name during wars as a battle-cry. They promised to leap into action with this yell and those who did not pronounce this name will be killed.
Since that time there were words, «When Alasha became the khan, the wooden yurt became our house and the name of Alasha became our motto, then we became Kazakhs, children of three zhuzes».
In mythopoetic sphere Alash Khan is on the first place of the most important people for all the nation in general. In sacred Ulytau there is a place playing a great role in formation of Kazakh state, which are Alash Khan, Dzhuchi Khan, Dombauyl, Duzen and Erden Mausoleums. There is information that Alash Khan mausoleum is a pantheon where famous khans and governors of that time Edige, Tokhtamysh, Ezhen, Haknazar and Tauyekel were buried.
