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Manisa khatun Mehseti Genjevi
(1098-1188)

Manisa khatun Mehseti Genjevi, one of the founders of new poetic school and poetic exhibition in XII century Azerbaijan literature, played a great role in creation and development of the idea of humanism in our literature. Different opinions about her are known to us. The poetess is a heroine the epos 'Amir Ahmed and Mehseti" of the time.The works of Mesheti had been copied out during her life and a divan was created. They say, that the divan of the poetess existed till the beginning of the XV century and was disappeared at the end of that century after the occupation of Heart by Abdulla khan Ozbek. As one of her rubais tells, she tried her hand also in gazals and gitas. As the divan of the poetess is considered to be disappeared for today, her poems, mainly containing of rubais had been gathered up from different historical and literary sources, memoirs and from the epos 'Amir Ahmed and Mehseti".

Though we may come across some information about her beginning with Mehseti period, a great Russian scientist Y.E.Bertels states, that there didn't exist any such poetess and she was not the heroine of the epos. The idea is denied by the fact that, the name of the poetess is shown in praising of the sultan of Seljugs Togrul II in the foreword of 'Khosrov and Shirin' by Nizami , as well as in a story in 'Ilahiname' written by the contemporary of Mesheti, the great sufi poet Farideddin Attar.

Mir Abbas Mirbagirzadeh, first mentioned the name of Mesheti in the 20-30-s of the XX century, came to a conclusion that the poetess was born in 491 (1097-1098); he considered that Mesheti described in "Amir Ahmed and Mehseti" was 20 years old, and this fact approaches her to the period of palace ofsultan Mahmud Seljugi (1117-1132). Iranian authors also base on this fact when speaking about her. This fact is shown by the German scientist Frits Meyer, in his work 'Gozel Mesheti', written in 1984, where he proved abovementioned dates (491 (1097-1098)in the analysis of a rubai, the date of which was known. The article 'The dates of born and the passing away of Mesheti' in the journal of NASA 'Meruzeler'('Reports'). About 200 authors and investigators spoke about Mecheti till up today.

1) Shahab Tabrizi gathered rubaiz, gitas and gazals from different sources in Iran and for the first time in 1957 created a divan of about 200 poems of the poetess.

2) The German scientist Frits Meyer created a result of 20 year hard work monograph 'Gozal Mesheti' in 1963, giving 257 rubais and about 30 poems of the poetess.

3) The Azeri scientist, professor, the doctor of philological sciences Khalil Yusifov wrote "Mehseti Genjevi", where at the end he gave the translations of about 190 rubais of Mesheti into Azerbaijan keeping its original measure of eruz.

4) Rafail Huseynov created scientific-publisistic monograph "Mehseti nece varsa" ('Mesheti in her original').

Mesheti wrote in Persian so popular for that time. The rubais of Mezheti taken from "Amir Ahmed and Mehseti" 11 times were translated into Azerbaijan with syllabic measure. The rubais of Mesheti have also been translated into Russian, English, Germany, French and Italian languages.

Khagani Shirvani
(1126-1199)

The real name of the poet was Ibrahim , the name of his father was Ali. His full name in samples of the Middle Ages is Abu Badil Afzaladdin Ibrahim ibn Ali Najjar ibn Osman ibn Ibrahim Hagaigi Hassanul-Acem Khagani Shirvani . Hagaigi, Hassanul-Acem and Khagani are his pen-names, Afzaladdin is his nick-name, Abu Badil is his kunya and Shirvani is the name of his birth-place.

Khagani was born in 1126 in Shamakhi. His first education he got from his uncle (father's brother) and showed deep interest in different sciences of the time. Showing his poetic talent in his youth Khagani was had been invited to the palace and get the fame. The poet had been arrested it the result of intrigues and envies of the people of the palace. Later the poet visited the Near east countries and reflected his impressions in poetic works. The end of his life the poet spent in Tebriz and died there in 1199. He was buried in "Shairler qebristanligi"('the poets graveyard').

Rich literary heritage of Khagani consists of divan of lyrical poems of 17 thousand stanzas, the epic "Tohfatul-Irageyn", 60 letters- the interesting patterns of verse. The poems in divan are gasida, gazal, medhiye, mersiye, rubai and so on. The gasidas "Shiniyye" and "Medain harabeleri', the poems 'Habsiye' and the epic 'Tohfatul-Irageyn' are of social and political character.

Though the works of Khagani are in Persian and Arabian languages, for many innovations brought to the poem by him and for literary and artistic peculiarities, he represented the school of Azerbaijan.

Many well-known Oriental poets wrote naziras- imitative poems to Khagani's literary works. The investigators of Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, India, Pakistan and that of Eastern Europe took an active part in the investigation of poet's heritage. Among Azerbaijan scientists investigating the life and the creativity we may count the academician Hamid Arasli, the Caucasus peasant Herischi and Mammadaga Sultanov.

Translation of some of poetic works of Khagani into Azerbaijan language is the achievement of M. Rahim, A.Vahid, M.Mubariz and others.

Nizami Genjevi
(1140-1209)

Nizami Ilyas the son of Yusif is a great master of word and philosopher of the XII century culture of Renaissance. He was born, got his education and created in old Ganja, situated on 'ipek yolu' the way of silk, along which the eastern and the western culture are mixed. In the XI century, being the center of Aran, it was a city of highly developed culture, with a state palace, medrese, medical and scientific institutions. It was also the center of education of the literature, the history, the philosophy, the astrology, the mathematics and the religious sciences.

The first biographical information about Nizami's personality were recorded 300 years after his passing away, thus there is no exact information about his age, the dates of his birth and death, about his visits, his parents and relatives. So the information given about him is only the supposition of the scientists. Nizami mentioned about himself, his father, grandfather and his mother.

Alike his predecessors and the contemporaries Nizami started his activity with writing gazals and gasidas. Being unsatisfied with it he inclined to create his work in the genre of epic novel-epos, extending since the XI century after Firdovsi. His first attempt in this direction was created about his forties "Makhzanul-asrar", the original pattern of epic couplet genre of the XII century. The work is characterized as a combination of tale the epos in belles-lettres. The tales and the eposes reflect the major features of the epic genre-language, devices and the context of the belles-lettres. The mesnevi (couplet) contains of 13 eposes and 7 stories. As a rule the eposes and the stories followed the articles and decoded and gave artistic analysis of their philosophical and ethic significance and the symbols.

"Makhzanul-asrar" ('The treasure of secrets') begins with tovhi and minacat, and forewords about praising and Ascension of the Prophet. It tells about the origin and the essence of Allah, that he is single, he is the creator, he is the inventor and the beginning of everything, he appointed Muhammed excellency (s) to be a prophet to accept and to represent Him, also about Gurani-Kerim (Koran) sent to the Prophet as a book of knowledge for Moslems, etc. there is a essential-contextual relation between the artistic parts of the book and the forewords, time-to time ayes of Koran are mentioned here. Thus 'The treasure of secrets' can be named a complete Islamic literary work about the world, a perfect man and a perfect society.

The second work of Nizami 'Khosrov and Shirin' was written in 1180 and dedicated to Jahan Pahlavan, the ruler of Azerbaijan. Though the theme of the work is about the history of pre-Islamic Iran, the poet used a verse different from Firdovsi. Alike the literary works of 'Khamsa' 'Khosrov and Shirin' begins with minacat, praising and Ascention of the Prophet, addresses to the king. In the part of the book where poet tells about its creation, he also gives the philosophical characteristics of love, here described. He calls it cosmic love and: 'there is no other mehrab of the destiny as love…, the world is (completely full of ) the love'. As to him if love falls on to the heart of the stone, it will attract the inner jewelery of it. It is the love that draws iron to magnet.' With these words, Nizami wished to see beautifully described universal and real love in the hearts of Turan and Iran expressing his wish indirectly by the personages of Khosrov and Shirin. The poet made a hint describing Shirin as a princess of turan from the family of Arasiyab. He had political aim in presenting all abovementioned to the state of Atabeys.

In this literary work Nizami tries to solve cosial-political problems by means of love and moral evolution, but orgy and voluptuousness of Khosrov brings a reat obstacle in front of him; he has been killed by his son Shiruya, as in saying 'The ash is the son of the fire'("Odun oglu kul olar") Comig to a phylosophical conclusion poet points to the periodicity of natural life and says:'Realise yourself to regognise the reality with sensity, if so, inspite of far distance the destiny is like a mirror in front of you. You are made of two worlds.' Nizami states that though a human body may perfect in the four elements, he should avoid the characters and the differences of those elements. He gives the examples of natural events and calls a man to moral-sensitive evolution and to avoid physical pleasures. In the face of a naturalist Nizami tries to solve social problems with natural philosophy.

'Khosrov and Shirin' is an original pattern also for literary- artistic structure and the style. The competition between Khosrov and Shirin and reading of gazals by Barbet and Nakisa under musical accompaniment praising the heroes, proves that the phylosophi of life is reflected in the relation of music and poetry.

The subject of 'Leyli and Mejnun' written by Nizami in 1188, with the request of Shirvanshah Akhistan, had been taken from pre-islamic Arabic folk-lore, the central subject is the nature of aravia and the the live of badavies. The poet tried to show processes that platonic love in lives of tribes carried in the period of Islam. While the center of translation and investigation founded in Bagdad in the VIII century spread the ancient and old Greek literary-philosophical works, rabis in the IX-X centuries showed great interest toward the love andventures of Mejnun and Leyli and gathered their rayets. The process of Islamisation mentioned in stories, happened at this period.

In Islamic period the social ethics found it to be humiliation and unpermittable to manifest love gazals, but the uluhiyyet of love in the life of uzries deeenies any kind of prohibitions. This is named wandering or 'madness' in Islam. Nizami explaines love from the aspect of the Renaissance philosophy, to be the main rule of life and says there is no opposition to this love. Mejnun sees love in Kaba, in the desert, in the sky, and ask Kaba and the stars to help his love.

The natural love of Mejnun failes for it could not passed the obstacles crested by tribal traditiond. Themain attention in the literary work is paid to deep contradictions of innivation, new life and the sense of the renaissance with antiquity and ignorance which was so peculiar at the beginning of the Renaissance.

In forewords of this poem Nizami critsizes Akhsitan's idea to rich the epic with Arabic-persian words and to avoid Turkish elements and charaster. He names Leyli and Mejnun the turks with Turkish language living among the Arabians. The abovementioned thoughts were the chacteristic features of XII century Azerbaijan enaissance.

The epic ''Heft Peyker' ('the seven beauties') written by Nizami in 1197 dedicated to ruler of Maraga Agsungur Korpe Arslan, alike Leyli and Mejnun', is a work of the renaissance the the theme of which is taken from the history of the dynasty of Sasani rulers. The plot of the epic is based on love, social life and statehood of the VIII-X century, when Midia-Greek literary-philosophical cultures synthesized in the period of Islamic renaissance. The love described in the epic is alike that of between 'Khosrov and Shirin', 'Leyli and Mejnun', i.e. cosmic-worldy. This love as to its nature creates peace and equality between the parties and destroys all the exicted contradictions.

In the given epic the cosmos is estaclished in the Earth in the pattern of seven domes. Easc of these domes, symbolizing seven planets for their particular colour and character are adapted to the character and the deeds of human inner and outher body-members and thus reveal the beauties and the faults of human ethics. According to this conception, for its origin a human is the combination of perceptible(material) and mental (moral-spiritual or mental-passionate) worlds.

"Faziletli adamların sheheri' by Farabi greatly influenced the poet for reation of 'Seven beuties'("Yeddi gozel"). In former the body was compared with a city, a country. The conseption of antic Zoroastric and Greek natural-philosophical ides found their literary reflection in this epic.

'Isgencername', supposed to be written in 1200-1203 was dedicated to his dear Nusrateddin Abubekr, by writer's own wish. The theme of this work also was taken from the history of Iran-Greek wars. This as the main pecularity of East renaissance.

The aim of Nizami in this work is not the description of the wars, but introduction of eastern culture to the greek and thereby synthes of the two cultures. When Iskender burnt Iranian teshkeders, the philosophers around him insisted that he should take the texts of 'Avesta' written on the leather, send them to Greece and translate and learn them. Greek scientists confirm that antic greek scientists studied and used the natural-philosophical conceptions of the mugs and. As Nizami writes, Iskender look upon the real events related with the culture and the society absent in his motherland as the miracle of the life. He meets different countries, people and cultures along his way, gets aquainted with school of Indian charbaks, arrivea to diamond field on his way back to the north, the soldiers gather the pieces the diamond with them. The most important cultural point of the work is Iskender's presentation in the'country without a head'. He admired the life, thinking, the system of ruling based on equality in this country. Iskender hears about the water of life in northern darkness and tried to find away there. The search of sources of the eternity existed in the ancient cultures; in shumer epics. This source,in Shumer epic, is shown in the east, possible on the islans of the Caspian lake of the lake Urmu. The aborigen of the island Uminanitdin knows the way out. According to Zoroastric traditions the source of eternity is the plant 'Hoym".

Iskender on his way to the darkness with the Prphet Khizir, losses his way, Khizir finds the water of eternity, drinks it and inform Iskender about it.

Thus Iskender gets the opportunity of prophecy, the pick of mental evolution, not in Greece, butafter getting acquainted with culture, scientific-philosophical world outlook of the east during his trip. According to this aspect "Iskendername" is the final completed work of renissance in the literary- philosophical creativity of Nizami.

Mirza Shefi Vazeh
(1794-1852)

Mirza Shefi Vazeh is one of the prominent representatives of Azerbaijan literature in the first part of the XIX century.

Shefi was born in 1794 in Ganja in a little fanily of bricklayer. His religious educationhe got in medrese, he perfectly mastered Arabic and percian languages, and get introduced with the works of famous poets of classic East literaure. At the beginning of the 30-s Mirza shefi worked as a teacher in a medrese of Ganja and taught nastal(a kind of signature in Arabic nd Persian) to children. With his artistic talent and deep knowledge of ideal-literary dignity of the poets of the East, he started his creative ctivity in his youth and wrote poems under the pseudonym of Vazeh.

In 1840 Mirza Shefi came to Tiflis (Tbilisi) and was appointed to the position of a teacher of Azerbaijan language in primary school for girls. In 1846 he returned to Ganja, and again started to work as a teacher at a new school. After 4 years Vazeh returnes to Tiflis and became a teacher of Azerbaijan and Percian languages at nobles gymnasium in Tiflis.

Mirza Shefi died in 1852 and buried in Tiflis Moslem graveyard.

In 1844 Vazeh organized a literary society in Tiflis under the name of "Divana-hikmet". The prominent Azerbaijan poets, Abasgulu aga Bakikhanov, Mirza Fatali Akhundov and others lived in Tilis at that time attended that society. Fridrix Bodenschted, German poet and interpreter working as a teacher at that gymnasium, created close relations with Mirza Shefi, took the lessons of Persian from him and became one of the members of the society. In 1846, returning to Germany Bodenschted took the divan of written poems of Mirza Shefi Vazeh, translated his poems into germany and published some of them in the book 'Min bir geje' ('1001 nights') in 1848, in 1851 he printed all the poems under the name of "Mirza Shefinin shergileri"('The songs o Mirza Shefi'). Those poems quickly spread about Germany and admired the readers. Soon the poems had been translated into rensh, English, Russian and other foreign languages and Mirza Shefi turned into a worl-wide famous poet.

The whole his life Mirza Shefi Vazeh was busy with his creative activity and under the influence of the representatives of classic oriental poetry especially, Hafiz, Sadi, Rumi and Fuzuli, gazals, muhammases, rubais, gitas,qəzəl, məxəmməs, rübai, qitə, hajvs (pamhplets) of a highly ideological-literary character, and created a precious heritage. But we have received very few of his poems. Most of them are those translated into German.

The poems of Mirza Shefi Vazeh are different in theme and idea. An important part of them is dedicated to love. They describe feelings and anxiety, joy and trouble experienced by the poet in his own life.

The poet also created poems of critical-satiric character. Here he sritisize the social drawbacks of feudal socity, religious fanatism, dishonest and ignorant priests using the religion for their personal purposes.

Mirza Feteli Akhundov
(1812-1878)

Mirza Feteli Akhundov is a prominent writer, thinker and social figure played a great role in the development of new period Azerbaijan literature and social, political and philosophical ideas.

Feteli was born in 1812 in Nukha (today's Sheki). The first his education he got in mollakhana (the house of mollas). In 1818 Fatali is taken under the care of Akhund Alesker, the uncle of his mother. Being a prominent glergyman of his time, Akhund Alesker noticed talent and intellect of little Fatali and decided personally to be busy with his education and breeding. He taught him percian and Arabic languages, Koran, religius-phylosophical sciences, introduced him with prominent representatives of classic East literature.

In 1832 Akhundov continued his religious education in madrasa in Ganja and made friends with teacher Mirza Shefi Vazeh. Being a talented and a man of independent thought, Mirza Shefi Vazeh affected the world experience of young Mirza Fatali. Under thisinfluence Akhundov denied to be a clergyman and decide to deal with world affairs.

In 1833 M.F.Akhundov studied in Russian primary school in Sheki. Since 1834 he had been working in the position of an interpreter on Estern languages at chief Caucasus office of Russia in Tiflis. Beginning with that period he had been working as a translator on sivil, and for some time on diplomatic and military affairs near chief judges of Caucasus during the whole his life.

In Tiflis M.F.Akhundov was surrounded with multi-sided and important situation. Here he improved his knowledge of Eastern literature, philosophy and history. Also he got knowledge about the new period literature, culture, social-political and psychological thinking of Wesern Europe and that of Russia, as well as the world sciences.

While served, M.F.Akhundov harldy worked as a poet, playwriter, a literary critic, philosopher and sociologist, created rich reritage.

Since 1857 and durind the whole his life, M.F.Akhundov struggled for correction of Islamic alphabet and replacement of it by latin alphabet at thebeginning of 70-s. He was famous in the Near East and in the countries of Europe as the first 'reformer' of Arabic alphabet.

The great Azerbaijan writer, thinker and social figure M.F.Akhundov died in 1878 february 26(or march 10according to new calendar) and was buried in Tiflis.

Beginning his creativity in his youth as a poet and from time to time continuing his poetic creativity , under a pen-name 'Sabuhi', M.F.Akhundov created in Azerbaijan and percian languages the patterns of classical poetry, as well as that of in folk genres, such as goshma, gerayli, muhammes,also written in verse letters, satiric and etic-didactic poems nad gasidas. 'Sherg poemasə'('Oriental epic') dedicated to the passing away of A.S.Pushkin, his goshma and muhammases wrote under the influence of his predecessors M. P.Vagif and G. Zakir, 'Yeni Elifba haggənda' ('About new alphabet'), satire critisizing viziers of Nasireddin shah, the ruler of Iran and other didactic poems are of special importance among his works.

M.F.Akhundov remained in Azerbaijan literature became famous as a great dramatist. At the 50-s of the XIX century with his high comedy talent Mirza Feteli wrote comedies "Hekayeti-Molla Ibrahimkhalil kimyager"(1850), "Hekayeti musyo Jordan and dervish Mestelik shah", "Jadugini-Meshur" (1850), "Hekayeti-Khirs guldurbasan" (1851), "Serguzeshti-veziri-khani Lenkeran" (1852), "Hekayeti-merdi khesis" (1852), and "Murafie vekilleri", thus founded the national dramaturgy in Azerbaijan literature. With those 6 comedies he strengthen relations Azerbaijan literature with real life and major actual social and moral problems of his time, brought new theme and ideas reflecting necessary demands and needs of the people, founded new realistic literature. In his comedies we find the description of the life of Azerbajan people in 30-50-s, the characters of that time families, social and moral conditions of that time, and also various and colourful descriprion of different social layers and classes.

As a master of the comedies M.F.Akhundov was famous not only in his motherland, but also in Moslem countries of the Near East, in Russia and the West Europe countries.

In 1857 M.F.Akhundov wrote the narrative "Aldanmish kevakib" and founded new tipe literary prose in Azerbaijan literature. In the narrative he supports the conception of European enlighteners as 'the world is ruled by healthy mind' and he criticized social faults of feudal-despotic ruling in Iran and the heads of the state and popularized the ideas of enlightenment and humanism. Akhundov's narration 'Aldanmish Kavakib' is one of the original and splendid patterns of world proseof enlightenment.

In 50-70-s of passed century he wrote series of literary-critical rtcles in azerbaijanand Persian languages and his role in literary critis of Azerbaijan literature is considered to be invaluable.

The critisism of critical-formalist and religious-mystic literature, popularization of new realistic literary pinciples are the main plot and the problems in his literary-crtical and aesthetic views.

In 60-70-s of the XIX century M.F.Akhundov worked as a philosopher and a sociologist and created a philosophical treatise as "Kemaludovle mektublari" philosophical-sociological works as "Hekim ingilis Yuma javab", "John Stuart Milli azadlig hagginda 2, "Mollayi-Rumi ve teskifi" and others. By these works he made a change in philosophical, political and social idea of Azerbaijan and the Moslem countries of the Near East, founded stable basis of the ideology of enlightenment.

The tipological peculiarities of word ideology of enlightenment found their wde, deep and right reflection in philosophical treatises and other philosophical works of M.F.Akhundov. Alike prominent representatives of the enlightenment of XVIII century Western Europe and that of Russia in 40-60-s of the XIX century, in his philosophical-cosiological works M.F.Akhundov confronted the feudal-despotic ruling, system ruling of feudal state , feudal social relations and legal institutions, religion as ideological and moral support of feudalism, middle- century religious-ideological experience, sociological education and the rules of instruction and education and thus popularized new state structure-parliamentary ruling, new social relationsand rules, new liberal- democratic and moral-ethic thinking, as well as new period scientific-cultural achievements in the European countries.

M.F.Axundov was famous as a writer and a philosopher having great role in the development of new-period literary-philosophic ideas of Azerbaijan and the Moslem people of the Near East. He is also considered to be one of the representatives of the movement for the ideology of enlightenment in the world.

Seyid Ezim Shirvani
(1835-1888)

He is well-known as a talented lyric and satirist of the XIX century Azerbaijan literature. He is also known with his educational poems and prosaic stories and fables. Seyid Ezim was born in 1835 in July 10 in Shamakhi, when he was 7-8 years he lost his father Seyid Mahammed and left with her mother to Dagistan to his grandfather Molla Huseyn. He lived in there for 10 years and there his first education. In 1835 when he was 18 he returned to Shamakhi and here he lived the whole his life, and worked over his literary and scientific-pedagogical creativity. He opened a scholl and gave there lessons. He also gave lessons at scholl 'Mejlis' crated by Seid effendi Unsizadeh attached to Shamakhi ecclesiastical society. After S. Unsizadeh moved to Tiflis Seyid Ezim ruled that school. Since 1877 he at the same time began to work as a teacher of sheriat and the native language at Shamakhi city school. According to pedagogical experience that he got in the period of his work as a teacher he wrote a manual for pupils of Iltisav School, but all his attempts to publish it were desperate. The bodies prohibiting him this action were that-time government powers of Tsarism.

S.E.Shirvani contributed poems and articles of educational, etical and didactic character to all national press organs of the XIX century: 'Ekinchi' (1875-1877), "Ziya (Ziyayi-Gafgasiyye)" (1879-1884) and "Keshkul" (188 -1891). The poet considered publishment of 'Ekinchi' to be a tremendous event in social and cultural environment of Azerbaijan. He represented it with lyrical powm, but he nedded about a year to understand the essence of literary and cultural ideas popularized by the newspaper. Since the middle of 1876 the progressive, educational poems of Seyid Ezim had been oftern published in the newspaper 'Ekinchi', then in "Ziya (Ziyayi-Gafgasiyye)" and "Keshkul". Thus he became famous as a poet-enlightener in the history of literature.

Seyid Ezim was at the head of 'Beytus-Shafa', a literary school functioning in Shamakhi, at the same time he kept close relations and share his poems with literary societies of Baki, Karabakh, Lenkeran and other centers of culture. S.A. Shirvani direred from his contemporaries by tender lyrical gazels of deep sense and ideal-aesthetic peculiarity, and realistic poems. His satiric poems, with their literary-ideal character, formulated the genre of satire in Azerbaijan literature an thus gave it social shape. Among greatly appreciated satires of Shirvani we may name "Gazi saggalini yandirir"(Gazi burns his beard), "Mustahidin tehsilden gayitmasi" and others… The poet also has a scientific work "Shirvan khanliginin tarixi" ('The history of Shirvan Khanate').

S.E.Shirvani died in Shamakhi in 1888. His works had regularly been published in books and ther exist many articles, dissertations and monographs about him. His life and creativity is also studied at schools.

Mirza Alekber Sabir
(1862-1911)

M.A. Sabir, popular as real national poet in Azerbaijan literature was born in 1862, May 30 in Shamakhi. His first education Alekber got in mollakhana (the school for mollas), then he went t scholl opened by S.E.Shirvani and in his early ages began his creative activity. The first literary works of Sabir were analised and edited by his teacher, the famous poet S.E.Shirvani, who gave his young pupil his own advices. The pen-mane of Alekber was 'Sabir'. His first poems, calling character, coming out rom the spirit of the XX century were published in 1903 in newspaper 'Shargi-Rus'.

His poems of social character were published in 'Hayat'(The life) and satiric poems in "Bir mejlisde on iki kishinin sohbeti" (Talks of 12 men at a meeting) in 1905 and 1906. The fame and talent of Sabir as a poet riched its pick in pages of the journal 'Molla Nasireddin'. His first satiric work in the journal was "Millet taraj olur, olsun, ne ishim var?!"(Let the nation be destroyed, be it far from me) which founded a revolutionary satiric school with him at its top. Sabir's poetry at the same time played a reat role that 'Molla Nasreddin' became popular. The poet published his "Hop-hop", "Gulayan" (Laughing), "Aglar gulayan" (Crying laughing), "Chayda chapan" (Galloped in the river ), "Gabagda geden zenjirli"(The chained going ahead), "Mejzub", "Nizedar", "Yetim gəzjəg"(Poor little girl), "Goja iranlə" (An old Iranian) and other secret satiric poems not only in 'Molla Nasreddin', but also in press organs as "Bahlul", "Zanbur", "Hayat", "Irshad", "Teze hayat"(New life), "Seda", Hagiget" (The truth), "Gunesh"(The sun), "Yeni hagiget"(New truths).

Sabir's works (poems for children) were also published in journals "Dabistan", "Rehber", and the manuals "Birinji il" (The firat year ), "Ikinji il" (The second year), "Yeni mekteb" (A new school). We may also name famous poems of the poet as "Faxriyya", "Satiram!", "Bura say!..", "Okhutmuram, el chekin!..", "Pula tavajjoh", "Khasisin heyfi, varisin keyfi", "Nefsin gezeti, eglim merezi", "Istigbalimiz laglagdir", "Istigbal bizimdir", "Shekibai", "Ruhum!" and others. Along with his satiric poems he published publisistic articles and articles of different kind in the periodicals (in newspapers "Hayat", "Irshad", "Taze hayat" etc.), where he touched upon major social-national problems of the time. Those articles were "Geyrat"(Honour), "Islamiyyetin insaniyyetperverliyi"(Humanity of Islam), "Juma"( Friday), "Zaman ne isteyir?! Amma biz…"(What does time whants?! And we…). Sabir is also the author of topical satires.

Together with his literary activity after examinations in 1908 M.A.Sabir got the right of teaching, opened a shool in Shamakhi under the name of 'Ummid'(The hope), gave there lessons, later worked as a teacher at public school in Balakhani village of Baki. He took n active part in oundation of libraries-reaing houses, staging of shows for theatre and other mass cultural measures.With his literary creation and deeds, to 'elimination of troubles' brought by Azerbaijan abolishment by Armenian agressors, he showed himself as a real citizen

M.A.Sabir died of liver-desease in June 12 in 1911. His works were regularly published under the name 'Hophopname'. Many scientific articles, monographs and dissertatons had beeen dediated to him.

Jalil Mammadguluzadeh
(1866-1932)

At the beginning of he XX century Jalil Mammadgulu oglu Mammadguluzadeh, who is named together with world literature classicists, was famous as the creator of Azerbaijan literary school of critical realism and of revolutionary- democratic and catiric journal 'Molla Nasreddin', also as writer innovator, dramatist, journalist, literary and cultural figure, found new way in national literature. He popularized the ideas of humanism, democracy and freedom.

J. Mammadguluzadeh was born in Azerbaijan, in ancient Nakhchivan, he studied Arabic, Persian languages, and graduated from Azerbaijani section of Gori Teachers Seminary of Georgia(1882-1887). Here he studied about the cultures of the East and Europe, the creativity of W.Shakespeare, M.Volter, V. Hugo, A.S.Pushkin, L.Tolstoy, N.Gogol and others and became famous as a prominent writerand a dramatist.

The great master of short stories, the author of wise comedies, a prominent journalist, a citizen and an intellectual J. Mammadguluzadeh were troubled with the faith of both parts of Azerbaijan, the North and the West, he reflected people dreams of freedom, their difficult life and criticized bordering countries, exploitating powers, social backwardness, passivity and fanatism.

His work at newspaper 'Shargi-Rus' in Tiflis in 1905, publication of literary works and slogans about revolution and freedom in printing-house 'Geyrat', deep investigation of social-political events and the life of the people formed him as an artist with new wrld outlook. He created new works under the inluence of the events of 1905. His tales "Pocht gutusu" (Post-box), "Usta Zeynal" (Master Zeynal), "Iranda hurriyyet" (Liberty in Iran), "Rus gizi" (Russian girl), "Konsulun arvadə"(Consu'l wife), "Gurbanalibey'' and many others turned into a new event in Azerbaijan literature and in that of the Near East. The comedies "Oluler", "Anamən kitabə", "Deli yəgənjagə", "Kamancha" opened a new page in Azerbaijan literature and taegd on the Azerbaijan scene. "Oluler got succession in the theathes of Turkey, Rusia, Iran, the Middle Asia, people stretched along the bank of Volga, and turkish people of the Northern Caucasus, and resultened in creation of new literary and artistic figures.

Another character brought the fame to J. Mammedguluzadeh in social thought, the history of literature and culture of Azerbaijan, beginning with 1906 during 30 years was publication of revolutionary satiric journal 'Molla Nasreddin' in Tiflis, Tebriz, Baki and other great cities, together with O.F.Nemanzadeh , A.Gamkusar and other his friends in deed. This journal played a great role in national-moral, literary-cultural developemt and renaissance of our people, as well as that of the Near East.

His works have been published in the edition of 100 000 copies. 100 year anniversary of poets birth was celebrate in the wold according to the decosion of UNESCO in 1996. J. Mammedguluzadeh is with us today-in independent Azerbaijan.

Huseyn Javid
(1882-1941)

(Huseyn Abdulla oglu Rasizadeh) was born on 24.10.1882 in Nakhchivan and died on 5.12.1941 in province of Irkutsk in deportation.

He is a prominent poet and a dramatist of Azerbaijan. He was born in Nakhchivan in the family of a glergyman, the primary education he got there in molakhana, the secondary education in a new-ethod school 'Mektebi-Terbiye' founded by M.T.Sidgi, a prominent intellectual and teacher(years 1894-98). Here he wrte the first poems in classical style under the pen-names 'Gulchin' and 'Salik'. In 1899-1903 he had been to Southern Azerbaijan and continued his education in Talibiyye school of Tebriz. He had graduated from literary section of Istanbul University (1909), and gave lessons first in Nakhchivan, then in Ganja, Tiflis and in 1915 in Baki.

Javid's literary heritage inspired from ancient Eastern culture, having an important, gradually sparkling, everlining postion taken in Azerbaijan culture, literary thinking and the treasure of the theatre, as well as from paterns of Azerbaijan classical poetry and from deeply moral-philosophical samples. He is one of XX century Azerbaijan romantism.

Javid's heritage is literary rich in genre and the form.he is the author of lyrical poems, lyrical and epic poems, the first prosaic tragedy and dramas in Azerbaijan literature. His first book of poems "Kechmish gunler" was published in 1913. Lyrical poems of social, philosophical and etical caracter prevailed at the beginning of his creativity ("Oksuz Anver", "Choban turkusu", "Kichik serseri", "Dun ve bu gun", "Gadən", "Gormedim", "Veremli gəz" etc.) where he gave the description of troubles of a human in the family and in his life, tyranny and unjustice of the time and difficulties brought by it. In "Mezlumlar uchun", (1914) "Guruba garshə", "Herb ve felaket" (1916) "Herb allahə garshəsənda" (1917) are the reflection of hatred to the wars and imperial policy, bringing troubles to the mankind.

Huseyn was generally known as a dramatist. His philosophical and historical tragedies, family-life dramas created a new step in Azerbaijan dramaturgy, from the point of stylistics, the norm of writing, innovation of the form, and enriched the culture of national theatre in a new sense. He highlited world-wide, social and political and cultural problems in a special way. The first prosodic play 'Ana' (Mother) (1910) praises nobility, loyalty, courage, in tragedy 'Maral' (1912) he speaks of personality and freedom of a woman, in first prosaic tragedy of Azerbaijan literature 'Sheykh Sanan'(1914) he protests national and religious fanatism separating people.

The same ideas are repeated in drama "Sheyda" (1917), and epic "Haggini sen mubarize ile ala bilersen" (1918).

In tragedy 'Iblis' (1918), having a particular place in his creativity, all reactionary, pressing orces of the time, imperialist spheres--'the best cultural wilds of the XX century' are generalized in the personage of 'Iblis'(The Devil).

In historical dramas written by him in 20-30-s, suah as "Peygamber" (1922), "Topal Teymur" (1925), "Sayavush" (1933), "Khayyam" (1935), the role of historical figures, the ruler and the people, frre thought and reaction are the main problems he overviewed with poetic language.

Javid's poetry is different for its literary artistism, deep emotiveness and sincerity.

Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar

(1906-1988)

Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Behjat-Tabrizi (South Azerbaijani: سید محمد حسین تبریزی, Azerbaijani: Seyid Məhəmmədhüseyn Behcət Təbrizi, Persian: سید محمدحسین بهجت تبریزی‎) (1906-September 18, 1988), mainly known by his pen name, Shahriar(ⁱ/ʃæhrɪɒr/) (or Shahryar / Shahriyar شهریار), was a legendary Iranian poet of Azeri origin, wrote in Azerbaijani and Persian languages.

Born in the Tabriz and grown up in the village of Ghayish Ghurshagh and Khushkanab. Shahriar’s first formal education was at Mansoor High School Secondary School in Tabriz. He subsequently studied at the Darolfonun (former higher education school) in Tehran. Shahriar came to Tehran in 1921 and continued his studies in the Dar-ol-Fonoun high school and started studying pathology after graduation from Dar-ol-Fonoun in 1924. But he fell in love and he forced by the Shah's regime to leave studying and go away by fearing him to kill and he had to migrate to Neyshabour left his studies about a six month before receiving his M.D. degree, and went to Khorasan. He returned to Tehran in 1935 and started working in the Agricultural Bank of Iran.

Shariyar was one of the most famous Azerbaijani poets that created poems in both Azerbaijani Turkish language and persian. He published his first book of poems in 1929. His poems are mainly influenced by Hafez and Khasta Ghasim, an old Azerbaijani poet. His most famous poem Heydar-Babaya Salam, is in Azerbaijani language, is considered to be among the best modern poems in the language and has been turned into a few plays.

His most famous Azerbaijani creative, Heydar Babaya Salam, published in 1954, won the immense affection of both Turkic and Iranian speakers. Heydar Babaya Salam has been translated into more than 30 languages all over the world, especially in Turkic speaking countries.

This passionate poet began by composing tragic poetry. Many of his bittersweet memories are reflected in his books Hazyan-e Del, Heydar Baba, and Mumiyai. Heydar Baba, composed in Azerbaijani and later translated into Persian, was for a long time on the top ten best-seller list in Tehran. Heydar Baba is the name of a mountain where the poet spent his childhood. He also wrote a book of epic poems, Takht-e Jamshid.

He was interested in humanistic issues and in his poem "A letter to Einstein" he criticized the result of his scientific work that was abused as nuclear weapon.

Shahriar’s verse takes diverse forms, including lyrics, quatrains, couplets, odes, and elegies. One of his love poems, Hala Chera, was set to music by Rouhollah Khaleghi. The composition for orchestra and solo voice became one of his most well-known works. One of the major reasons for the success of Shahriar’s work is the sincerity of his words. Since he uses slang and colloquial language in the context of poetry, his poems are understandable and effective for a broad segment of the public.

Shahriar was a talented calligrapher, played the setar very well, and had a keen interest in music. He was a very close friend of the Persian musician and highly respected teacher Abdulhossein Saba. He died on 18 September 1988 in one of the Tehran's hospitals and his body was transferred to Tabriz and was buried in Maqbaratoshoara (House of Poets).