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Magtymguly Pyragy | |
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 A Soviet Union stamp with an artistic depiction of Magtymguly Pyragy, 1983 | |
| Native name | مخدومقلی فراغی |
| Born | Magtymguly c. 1724 (1724) |
| Died | c. 1807 (1808) Khorasan,Qajar Iran |
| Resting place | Aq Taqeh-ye Qadim, Golestan Province, Iran |
| Pen name | Pyragy (Feraghi) |
| Occupation | Spiritual leader, philosophical poet,sufi, traveller |
| Language | Turkmen,Persian, Arabic |
| Nationality | Turkmen |
| Alma mater | Idris BabaMadrassah,Gögeldaş Madrassah, (Emirate of Bukhara),Şirgazy Madrassah, (Khanate of Khiva) |
| Period | Golden Age of Turkmen literature |
| Genre | Poetry,qoshuk form |
| Subject | Patriotism,social inequality, love |
| Literary movement | Realism |
| Notable works | Türkmeniň[broken anchor] |
| Spouse | Unknown |
| Parents | Döwletmämmet Azady (father) |
Magtymguly Pyragy (Persian:مخدوم قلی فراغیMakhdumqoli[a] Farāghi;Turkmen:Magtymguly Pyragy,IPA:[ˌmɑʁtɯmɢʊˈɫʊˌpɯɾɑːˈʁɯ];c. 1724 – 1807),[2] bornMagtymguly, was an Iranian-Turkmen[3] spiritual leader, philosophical poet,Sufi and traveller, who is considered the most famous figure in Turkmen literary history.[4]
Magtymguly is the greatest representative ofTurkmen literature, 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.[5] He is part of a unique period in the cultural history ofCentral Asia, with his exceptional talent projecting his personal poetic synthesis onto the next generation of poets of the region.[6] The poems of the Turkmen poet[7] have been translated into many languages of the world, including English,[8] Russian,[8] Kyrgyz,[9] Romanian.[10]
In a wider context, Magtymguly is often placed alongside major figures of theTurkic literary world such asHoja Ahmad Yasawi,Yunus Emre,Ali-Shir Nava'i andFizuli.[11]
Magtymguly was born inHaji Qushan,[12] a village near the city ofGonbad-e Qabus in the modern-day province ofGolestan, Iran, the northern steppes of which are known asTurkmen Sahra (Turkmen steppes).[13] It was part of the extensiveSafavid Empire in the first half of the 18th century.[14]
Magtymguly's name, signifying "slave of Magtym," derives from one of the revered lineages within the Turkmen community. In addition to his given name, the poet adopted a distinctive pen name or makhlas, "Feraghi," in his literary works. It comes fromArabic and means "the one separated from" happiness, or union with his beloved.[15]
Magtymguly's father wasDöwletmämmet Azady, himself an educated poet.[16] His father was also a local teacher andmullah, and was highly regarded by his people.[17]
Magtymguly received his early education in the Turkmen, Persian and Arabic languages from his father.[18] He also learned ancestral trades such asfelt-making and, according to some sources, jewellery.[19]
Magtymguly continued his studies in various madrassahs (religious school of higher learning), including Idris Baba madrassah in the village ofGyzyl Aýak,Gögeldaş madrassah inBukhara andŞirgazy madrassah inKhiva.[20][19]
Magtymguly provided basic information about himself, his family and children in his poetry. In his poem "Äleme belgilidir" (Known in the world), Magtymguly says: "Tell those who enquire about me that I am a Gerkez, I hail fromEtrek and my name is Magtymguly", identifying his homeland as the banks of the Etrek River and expressing his identity through his tribe.[21]
Magtymguly traveled extensively during his lifetime, mostly to widen his erudition, with the territories of present-dayAzerbaijan,India,Iran andUzbekistan among the countries known to have been visited by him.[22]
Not much is known about Magtymguly's family life. He was unable to marry a woman he loved from his own village,Meňli, whom he dedicated a great deal of his love poems.[22]
The following is the excerpt from Magtymguly'sAýryldym (Separated) poem dedicated toMeňli (in original Turkmen and its English translation):[23]
Aýryldym gunça gülümden. | I am separated from my flower.
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Magtymguly died in 1807.[24] His resting place is in the village ofAq Taqeh-ye Qadim, inGolestan Province, Iran. Nowadays, his tomb is the site of pilgrimages at which prayers and Sufi "dhikrs" are performed by members of different ethnic groups.[25][22]
A number of Magtymguly's poems display Sufistic philosophical attitudes that stress certain teachings and practices of theQuran and thesunnah, describing ethical and spiritual goals.[26]
A number of Magtymguly's ghazals, however, when taken out of context, seem to makeantinomian statements with regard to religion. Despite this, Magtymguly should not be compared to anUzbek poet Mashrab, who was an antinomianheterodox Sufi and hanged in 1712, nor should he be compared to anIraqi Turkmen poetNesimi, who adoptedself-deification stance. Antinomian heterodoxy appears not to be the major trend in Magtymguly's poetry. His conventional stand, in fact, is the Sufi station ofkhajrat (bewilderment).[27]
The following is an excerpt from Magtymguly's"Ýar senden" poem is an exemplary work containing all of the familiar Sufi elements:[28]
Magtymguly, aşyklaryň mestinde, | Makhtumquli is drunk with love of You
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The following verse is a call to follow the "sunnah", where Magtymguly also uses thelaqab ofAşyk Pyrak (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.
In the poem below, called"Bady-sabany görsem" (I'd Like to Feel the Wind of Dawn), all three people Magtymguly wishes to have seen (known) are considered prominent figures in Sufism, withBahauddin being the founder of one of the largest SufiSunni orders, theNaqshbandi.[29][30][31]
Dehistanyň baýrynda, | I'd like to feel the wind of dawn,
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Magtymguly lived at a time whenTurkmen tribes were displaced from their homeland, and plundered as a result of constant clashes with Iran andKhiva. He deeply resented it and expressed his feelings of repentance in his poems.[19] Indeed, Magtymguly express strong social protest in his poems, but his political thought is mostly directed towards the unification of the Turkmen tribes and the establishment of an independent polity for Turkmens.[32]
Magtymguly was one of the first Turkmen poets to introduce the use of classicalChagatai, the court language of the Khans of Central Asia, as a literary language, incorporating many Turkmen linguistic features.[33] His poetry exemplifies a trend towards increased use ofTurkic languages rather than Persian; he is revered as the founder of Turkmen poetry, literature and language.[34] Magtymguly's poetry also gave start to an era litterateurs depict as the "Golden age" in Turkmen literature.[35] His literary form became a powerful symbol of the historical and the incipient national consciousness of the Turkmen people.[36]
Unlike his father and 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 andaydish, with the latter being a form of musical contest usually involving two poets.[15]
Magtymguly is part of a unique period in the cultural history ofCentral Asia; his exceptional talent projected his personal poetic synthesis onto the next generation of poets of the region.[6]
Magtymguly is often placed alongside major figures of theTurkic literary world such asHoja Ahmad Yasawi,Yunus Emre,Ali-Shir Nava'i andFizuli.[24]
27 June is celebrated in Turkmenistan as "the Day of Workers of Culture and Arts and the poetry of Magtymguly Fragi".[37]
TheInternational Organization of Turkic Culture declared 2024 the "Year of the Great Poet and Thinker of the Turkic World Magtymguly Pyragy",[38] the anniversary of Magtymguly Pyragy is also included in the list of significant dates celebrated jointly withUNESCO in 2024-2025. In connection with the anniversary, a large-scale plan of festive events was approved in Turkmenistan and other countries, includingUzbekistan.[39]
In May 2024, amonument dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Pyragy was unveiled in Ashgabat at the foot of the Kopetdag mountain range.[40] The 60-meter sculpture of the poet stands on a 20-meter pedestal, to which a majestic staircase with massive granite bowls leads.[41][42]
A monument to Magtymguly made of concrete and natural stone was erected in Magtymguly Square onMagtymguly Avenue in the center ofAshgabat in 1971.[43] He is also one of several statues that surround theIndependence Monument in Ashgabat. The statues depict people praised in theRuhnama, a spiritual guide written by Turkmenistan presidentSaparmurat Niyazov.[44]
Monuments to Magtymguly Pyragy are installed in cities across theformer USSR. These include including monument inAstana,[45][46]Kyiv,Astrakhan (Russia), bas-relief inTashkent,[47] andKhiva, as well as in Iran andAnkara[48](Turkey).
A bust of Magtymguly Pyragy was unveiled atMargarita Rudomino All-Russia State Library for Foreign Literature in Moscow, Russia in 2024.[49]
The following are named after Magtymguly:
In 1959, the USSR issued a postage stamp to mark the 225th anniversary of the birth of Magtymguly.[61] In 1983, the USSR issued another stamp to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth.[62]Turkmenistan issued a10 manat banknote bearing his likeness in 2009.
Another traditional name for this region is Torkaman Ṣaḥrā, characterizing at the same time the specific and dominant composition of its population.[permanent dead link]
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