Magtymguly Pyragy ( fa, ''Makhdumqoli Farāghi''; tk, Magtymguly Pyragy; ; tr, Mahtumkulu Firaki; ,
born Magtymguly, was a
Turkmen spiritual leader, philosophical poet,
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
and traveller who is considered to be the most famous figure in Turkmen literary history.
Magtymguly is the greatest representative of
Turkmen literature
Turkmen literature ( tk, Türkmen edebiýaty) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Old Oghuz languages, Oghuz Turkic and Turkmen languages. The Turkmen people, Turkmens are direct descendants of the Oghuz Turks, who were a western ...
, credited with the creation of Turkmen written literature, and whose literary form became a powerful symbol of the historical and the incipient national consciousness of the Turkmen people. He is part of a unique period in the cultural history of
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
, with his exceptional talent projecting his personal poetic synthesis onto the next generation of poets of the region.
In a wider context, Magtymguly is often placed alongside major figures of the
Turkic literary world such as
Hoja Ahmad Yasawi,
Yunus Emre
Yunus Emre () also known as Derviş Yunus (Yunus the Dervish) (1238–1328) (Old Anatolian Turkish: يونس امره)
was a Turkish folk poet and Islamic Sufi mystic who greatly influenced Turkish culture. His name, ''Yunus'', is the Muslim ...
,
Ali-Shir Nava'i
'Ali-Shir Nava'i (9 February 1441 – 3 January 1501), also known as Nizām-al-Din ʿAli-Shir Herawī ( Chagatai: نظام الدین علی شیر نوایی, fa, نظامالدین علیشیر نوایی) was a Timurid poet, writer ...
and
Fizuli.
Biography
Early life and education
Magtymguly was born in
Haji Qushan, a village near the city of
Gonbad-e Qabus
Gonbad-e Kavus ( fa, گنبد کاووس, Gonbade Kâvus) is a city in Golestan province, Iran.
The modern name, meaning "the tower of Kavus", is a reference to the most imposing ancient monument in the city. The historic name cannot now be rest ...
in the modern-day province of
Golestan, Iran, the northern steppes of which are known as
Turkmen Sahra
Turkmen Sahra ( fa, ترکمن صحرا) is a region in the northeast of Iran near the Caspian Sea, bordering Turkmenistan, the majority of whose inhabitants are ethnic Turkmen. The most important cities of Turkmen Sahra are Gonbad-e Kavus, Aqq ...
(Turkmen steppes). It was part of the extensive
Safavid Empire
Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
in the first half of the 18th century.
Magtymguly's name means "slave of Magtym", where Magtym is one of the sacred lineages among the Turkmen people. However, the poet, along with his name, also used a distinct nom de plume or ''makhlas'' in his poems, which was "Feraghi". It comes from
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
and means "the one separated from" happiness, or union with his beloved.
Magtymguly's father was , himself an educated poet. His father was also a local teacher and
mullah
Mullah (; ) is an honorific title for Shia and Sunni Muslim clergy or a Muslim mosque leader. The term is also sometimes used for a person who has higher education in Islamic theology and sharia law.
The title has also been used in some Miz ...
, and was highly regarded by his people.
Magtymguly received his early education in the Turkmen, Persian and Arabic languages from his father. He also learned ancestral trades such as
felt-making and, according to some sources, jewellery.
Magtymguly continued his studies in various madrassahs (religious school of higher learning), including Idris Baba madrassah in the village of , madrassah in
Bukhara
Bukhara (Uzbek language, Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region.
People have inhabited the region around Bukhara ...
and madrassah in
Khiva
Khiva ( uz, Xiva/, خىۋا; fa, خیوه, ; alternative or historical names include ''Kheeva'', ''Khorasam'', ''Khoresm'', ''Khwarezm'', ''Khwarizm'', ''Khwarazm'', ''Chorezm'', ar, خوارزم and fa, خوارزم) is a district-level city ...
.
Magtymguly provided basic information about himself, his family and children in his poetry. In his poem "" (Known in the world), Magtymguly says: "Tell those who enquire about me that I am a Gerkez, I hail from
Etrek and my name is Magtymguly", identifying his homeland as the banks of the Etrek River and expressing his identity through his tribe.
Later life
Magtymguly traveled extensively during his lifetime, mostly to widen his erudition, with the territories of present-day
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
among the countries known to have been visited by him.
Not much is known about Magtymguly's family life. He was unable to marry a woman he loved from his own village, , whom he dedicated a great deal of his love poems.
The following is the excerpt from Magtymguly's (Separated) poem dedicated to (in original Turkmen and its English translation):
I am separated from my flower.
From my black-haired beauty,
From my nice-voiced nightingale,
I am separated from my sweet-talking love.
Magtymguly died in 1782. His resting place is in the village of
Aq Taqeh-ye Qadim, in
Golestan Province, Iran. Nowadays, his tomb is the site of pilgrimages at which prayers and Sufi "dhikrs" are performed by members of different ethnic groups.
Sufism and mysticism
A number of Magtymguly's poems display Sufistic philosophical attitudes that stress certain teachings and practices of the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and the
sunnah
In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...
, describing ethical and spiritual goals.
Magtymguly reflects the attitude of a Turkic Sufi and
mystic Khwaja Ahmad Yasawi, trying to guide the people in a
dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...
manner. His wise poems were memorized like proverbs and spread among the people.
Regarded as an initiation rite often seen in Sufism, it is believed that Magtymguly received his poetic talent from the
prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...
in one of his dreams.
Just as a number of classical poets of the time, he often stated and described his pristine love to God and the prophet in his poems, as in his poem:
.
Oh habib, you are the Messenger of God,
I have fallen in deep love with you.
Just as dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...
es love night of power,
I have fallen in love with you.
![USSR-1991-1ruble-CuNi-Magtymguly-b](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/USSR-1991-1ruble-CuNi-Magtymguly-b.jpg)
The following verse is a call to follow the "sunnah", where Magtymguly also uses the ''laqab'' of (Feraghi-in-love). Note: The first four lines is the original (Turkmen) language of the poem written using Arabic alphabet as in one of the earliest manuscripts, while next are in modern Turkmen alphabet; English translation is provided further down.
:1
:
:
:
:
: Feraghi-in-love will state his will,
: Our sacred duty is to pray and fast,
:2
:
:
:
:
: We have this debt on our shoulders,
: Let's return it before we leave!
Sufism is also present in Magtymguly's (I'd Like to Feel the Wind of Dawn,) poem, where he wishes to see all the renowned Sufis of the East:
.
I'd like to feel the wind of dawn,
On the hills of Dehestan,
I'd like to see Zengi Baba,
Bahauddin, Mirkulal.
All three people Magtymguly wishes to have seen (known) are considered prominent figures in Sufism, with
Bahauddin being the founder of one of the largest Sufi
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
orders, the
Naqshbandi
The Naqshbandi ( fa, نقشبندی)), Neqshebendi ( ku, نهقشهبهندی), and Nakşibendi (in Turkish) is a major Sunni order of Sufism. Its name is derived from Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari. Naqshbandi masters trace their ...
.
Political ideals
Magtymguly lived at a time when
Turkmen tribes
The major modern Turkmen tribes are Teke, Yomut, Ersari, Chowdur, Gokleng and Saryk. The most numerous are the Teke.
The origin of all of these tribes is traced to 24 ancient Oghuz tribes, among which the Salur tribe played a prominent role as ...
were displaced from their homeland, and plundered as a result of constant clashes with Iran and
Khiva
Khiva ( uz, Xiva/, خىۋا; fa, خیوه, ; alternative or historical names include ''Kheeva'', ''Khorasam'', ''Khoresm'', ''Khwarezm'', ''Khwarizm'', ''Khwarazm'', ''Chorezm'', ar, خوارزم and fa, خوارزم) is a district-level city ...
. He deeply resented it and expressed his feelings of repentance in his poems. An analysis of the social life of the period can be made by looking at his verses where he describes the Turkmen life of the era. Complaints about some religious scholars and rulers who cause social unrest, the rich who oppress the poor, and the bribe-taking are some of the motifs found in his poetry.
Poetry
Magtymguly was one of the first Turkmen poets to introduce the use of classical
Chagatai, the court language of the Khans of Central Asia, as a literary language, incorporating many Turkmen linguistic features. His poetry exemplifies a trend towards increased use of
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages are a language family of over 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and Western Asia. The Turkic languag ...
rather than Persian; he is revered as the founder of Turkmen poetry, literature and language. Magtymguly's poetry also gave start to an era litterateurs depict as the "Golden age" in Turkmen literature. His literary form became a powerful symbol of the historical and the incipient national consciousness of the Turkmen people.
Unlike his father or another prominent Turkmen poet of the era, Andalib, Magtymguly employed strophic form, usually quatrains (qoshuk) for his poems making them syllabic. Vast majority of his poems are in the form of folk Turkmen songs, ''qoshuk'' and ''aydish'', with the latter being a form of musical contest usually involving two poets.
The following is Magtymguly's impressive work - (of the Turkmen), with the text transliterated into Turkmen (Latin) letters, whereas the original language is preserved. Second column is the poem's
Turkish translation, while the last one is the English translation.
Legacy
![KiewMagtymgulyPyragyBüste](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/KiewMagtymgulyPyragyB%C3%BCste.jpg)
Magtymguly is part of a unique period in the cultural history of
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
; his exceptional talent projected his personal poetic synthesis onto the next generation of poets of the region.
Magtymguly is often placed alongside major figures of the
Turkic literary world such as
Hoja Ahmad Yasawi,
Yunus Emre
Yunus Emre () also known as Derviş Yunus (Yunus the Dervish) (1238–1328) (Old Anatolian Turkish: يونس امره)
was a Turkish folk poet and Islamic Sufi mystic who greatly influenced Turkish culture. His name, ''Yunus'', is the Muslim ...
,
Ali-Shir Nava'i
'Ali-Shir Nava'i (9 February 1441 – 3 January 1501), also known as Nizām-al-Din ʿAli-Shir Herawī ( Chagatai: نظام الدین علی شیر نوایی, fa, نظامالدین علیشیر نوایی) was a Timurid poet, writer ...
and
Fizuli.
27 June is celebrated in Turkmenistan as "the Day of Workers of Culture and Arts and the poetry of Magtymguly Fragi".
Monuments
Monuments to Magtymguly Pyragy are installed in cities across the
former USSR
The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
, including
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
(Kiev),
Astrakhan
Astrakhan ( rus, Астрахань, p=ˈastrəxənʲ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in Southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the ...
,
Tashkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
, and
Khiva
Khiva ( uz, Xiva/, خىۋا; fa, خیوه, ; alternative or historical names include ''Kheeva'', ''Khorasam'', ''Khoresm'', ''Khwarezm'', ''Khwarizm'', ''Khwarazm'', ''Chorezm'', ar, خوارزم and fa, خوارزم) is a district-level city ...
, as well as in Iran and Turkey. A monument to Magtymguly made of concrete and natural stone was erected in Magtymguly Square on
Magtymguly Avenue in the center of
Ashgabat
Ashgabat or Asgabat ( tk, Aşgabat, ; fa, عشقآباد, translit='Ešqābād, formerly named Poltoratsk ( rus, Полтора́цк, p=pəltɐˈratsk) between 1919 and 1927), is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies ...
in 1971.
Toponyms
*
Magtymguly is a city in far south-western Turkmenistan in Balkan Province, the administrative center of Magtymguly District.
* Magtymguly is a zone in a gas and oil field in Turkmenistan.
Institutions and organizations
![TM-2014-50manat-Magtymguly-b](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/TM-2014-50manat-Magtymguly-b.png)
The following are named after Magtymguly:
*
Turkmen State University
Turkmen State University named for Magtymguly ( tk, Magtymguly adyndaky Türkmen döwlet uniwersiteti) is one of the leading universities in Turkmenistan, located in the capital city Ashgabat. It is named after Magtymguly Pyragy, a Turkmen poet. ...
* Magtymguly National Institute of Language, Literature and Manuscripts
*
Magtymguly Musical and Drama Theater in Ashgabat.
* Youth Organization of Turkmenistan
* A library in Kyiv.
Cinema
* ''Makhtumkuli'' (1968, producer
Alti Karliyev) — the role was played by Hommat Mulluk.
* ''Fragi – Razluchyonnyy so schastyem'' (1984, producer
Khodzhakuli Narliev) — the role was played by Annaseid Annamuhammedov.
Postage
![1959 CPA 2364](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/1959_CPA_2364.jpg)
In 1959, the USSR issued a postage stamp to mark the 225th anniversary of the birth of Magtymguly. In 1983, the USSR issued another stamp to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.
Turkmenistan issued a
10 manat banknote bearing his likeness in 2009.
Other
* In 1974, an orchestral composition by
Veli Mukhatov
Velimuhammet Muhadov or Welimuhammet Muhadow (Turkmen Cyrillic: Велимухаммет Мухадов; rus, links=no, Велимухаммед Мухатов, Velimukhammed Mukhatov; – 6 January 2005), also known as Veli Muhadov or Weli Muha ...
was created "In memory of Magtymguly".
* In 1992, the
Magtymguly International Prize in the field of Turkmen language and literature was established.
* In 2013, the composer
Mamed Huseynov wrote an opera called "Monologues of Magtymguly Pyragy".
* From 2002 to 2008, the month of May in Turkmenistan bore the name "Magtymguly".
* In 2014, the Magtymguly Pyragy Medal was established as a reward for great achievements in the study, dissemination and promotion of the creative heritage of Magtymguly.
* A Turkmen dry cargo ship is named "Magtymguly".
See also
*
History of Turkmenistan
The history of Turkmenistan traditionally began with the arrival of Indo-European Iranian tribes around 2000 BC. Early tribes were nomadic or semi-nomadic due to the arid conditions of the region that prevented widespread adoption of agriculture ...
*
Turkmen literature
Turkmen literature ( tk, Türkmen edebiýaty) comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Old Oghuz languages, Oghuz Turkic and Turkmen languages. The Turkmen people, Turkmens are direct descendants of the Oghuz Turks, who were a western ...
*
Turkmen music
The music of the nomadic and rural Turkmen people is closely related to Kyrgyz and Kazakh folk forms. Important musical traditions in Turkmen music include traveling singers and shamans called ''bakshy'', who act as healers and magicians and si ...
*
Bagşy
*
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
*
Döwletmämmet Azady
Döwletmämmet Azady ( fa, ''Doulatmammed Āzādi''; tk, Döwletmämmet Azady) was a Turkmen poet and Sufi scholar. He is the father of poet Magtymguly Pyragy, the father of Turkmen literature.
Memory
The resting place of Azady and his son M ...
*
Magtymguly International Prize
Notes
References
External links
Essay on Magtymguly's Philosophy of UpbringingEnglish translations of his poems
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyragy
18th-century births
1800s deaths
Turkmenistan Sufis
History of Turkmenistan
Ethnic Turkmen poets
Turkmenistan religious leaders
18th-century Iranian poets
Iranian Turkmen people
Burials in Iran
People from Golestan Province
19th-century Iranian poets