By: Ubaydullayeva Saodat
Annotation: This article discusses the life and works of Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy, his place in world literature, and the invaluable linguistic and artistic significance of his writings. It also explores the global importance and influence of his works.
Keywords: Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy, Turkic peoples, works, language.
Introduction:
Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy, a descendant of the Karakhanid dynasty, lived and created his works in the 11th century. He was a great Turkologist, encyclopedic scholar, geographer, and historian. Today, his name remains a symbol of knowledge, enlightenment, and national pride. Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy left behind a vast and invaluable intellectual heritage for all Turkic peoples.
Main Part Mahmud ibn al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Koshg‘ariy was born in 1028 or 1029 in the village of Opal, near the city of Kashgar, into a noble, educated, just, and honorable family. His father, Husayn ibn Muhammad, ruled the city of Balasagun and served as the Amir of Barskhan in 1056–1057. Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy was the grandson of Yusuf Qadir Khan, a ruler of the Karakhanid dynasty.
He mastered Arabic, Persian, and several Turkic languages. He continued his education in Bukhara, Samarkand, and Baghdad. His most famous and globally recognized work is “Dīwān Lughat at-Turk” (“Compendium of the Turkic Dialects”), which embodies great linguistic and cultural uniqueness.
The book provides extensive information about Turkic languages, dialects, oral folk traditions, and folklore. It is often referred to as the “Encyclopedia of the Turkic Peoples.” The author wrote about his work: “I arranged this book alphabetically, adorned it with proverbs, saj‘ (rhymed prose), maxims, poems, rajaz (Arabic poetic meter), and passages of prose.” The work, written in Arabic, includes Turkic words and their explanations.
It contains over 7,500 Turkic words with their Arabic definitions. The only surviving manuscript copy of “Dīwān Lughat at-Turk” was discovered in 1915 by the scholar Ali Emiri at an Istanbul market. It is now preserved at the National Library of Istanbul. Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy also compiled a Turkic-Arabic dictionary. His application of Arabic philological methods remains highly valued among modern folklorists, linguists, and literary scholars. He provided grammatical analyses for certain words, discussed their pronunciation, meanings, and usage through examples, and used Arabic morphological structures to explain Turkic grammar.
Qoshg‘ariy was the first Turkic scholar to adapt Arabic linguistic principles to the Turkic language. Therefore, he is not only regarded as a linguist but also as the founder of Turkic philology. Moreover, Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy’s writings are distinguished by their artistic beauty and charm, filled with rhythm and imagery that deeply captivate readers. Below is one of the most delightful examples of his poetic expression:
Original (Old Turkic):
Bulnar meni ulas ko‘z,
Qara mengiz, qizil yuz.
Andin tamar tugal tuz,
Bulnab yana ul qachar.
English Translation:
Those eyes of hers captivate my soul,
Her dark brows, her rosy cheeks console.
From her, the taste of life I gain,
Yet when I gaze — she flees again.
This poetic verse reflects the lyrical elegance of Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy’s style — rich in rhythm, emotion, and vivid imagery that reveal the depth of the human heart and the beauty of the Turkic language. Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy was the pioneer in scientifically studying the Turkic languages. He masterfully depicted the unity, values, and skills of the Turkic peoples, leaving behind an invaluable legacy for future generations. His contributions significantly influenced the cultures of the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uyghur, and Uzbek peoples. Furthermore, he was the first to draw a map of the Turkic world in his work. The map illustrated the geographical distribution of Turkic tribes and is considered one of the oldest colored maps in the Islamic world. The map’s center featured the “Land of the Turks”, while Baghdad and other Islamic centers were positioned to the south — symbolizing the cultural link between Turkic peoples and the Islamic world. The circular map depicted Turkistan (Central Asia) at its center, with north oriented downward and south upward — a common convention of that era. Among the places shown were Balasagun, Bukhara, Kashgar, Samarkand, Talas, Yettisuv, and O‘tror, as well as tribes such as the Oghuz, Kipchak, Karluk, Yag‘ma, Tuhsi, Basmil, and Chigil. Although the original of this map has not survived, a color reproduction and the only surviving manuscript of the work are preserved in Istanbul’s libraries.
Conclusion Indeed, detailed information about Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy is scarce, and his birth and death dates vary across different sources. Therefore, some inconsistencies exist in historical records. Nevertheless, Mahmud Qoshg‘ariy remains a beloved figure among Turkic peoples, a master of artistic expression, and a prominent representative of Turkic language and culture.
Ubaydullayeva Saodat
Born in Jizzax region, Uzbekistan
Tashkent. Uzbekistan State World Language University Faculty of Fhilology and Teaching of English Language student. Holder of international and national certificates . Taekwondo practitioner and gold medalist at the district competition. Active participant in intelligence games
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