Articles

Issues of Studying the First Writing of Azerbaijani Literature

ABSTRACT

The investigation of the earliest written monuments of Azerbaijani literature constitutes a multifaceted and wide-ranging field of research. This subject is examined at the crossroads of literary studies, history, and linguistics. From the standpoint of literary scholarship, the study of the earliest written examples has, at different times, been conducted on the basis of various sources. While a number of researchers consider the epic “Kitabi-Dede Qorqud” as the starting point of the first written monuments of Azerbaijani literature, others argue that they should be traced back to artistic texts composed in Arabic and Persian during the 9th–10th centuries. This divergence arises from the fact that Azerbaijani literature has been systematized according to different criteria in different historical periods. While traditional periodization was based on political events and social changes, modern literary studies seek to consider the internal laws of development of the literary process itself. From this perspective, one of the most significant recent studies is academician Isa Habibbayli’s book “Azerbaijani Literature: The Concept of Periodization and Stages of Development.” Since the book examines Azerbaijani literature as part of the common Turkic literary heritage, the starting point of written literature is taken from the “Orkhon–Yenisei” stone inscriptions. The “Orkhon–Yenisei” monuments are among the most valuable examples of common Turkic literature. Written in the Old Turkic script, these inscriptions are the earliest written monuments reflecting the life of the ancient Turks. They are important artifacts for studying the language of the Turks and identifying the territories they inhabited in ancient times. The inscriptions also discuss the beliefs of the Turks, their traditions of state-building, the relationship between rulers and the people, and other related issues.

KEYWORDS

periodization of literature, “Orkhon-Yenisei” inscriptions, Turks, statehood traditions,

Bilge Khagan