Gabdulla Tukay(1886-1913)
Tukay and his literary activity in relation with Islam
Tatarstan celebrates Tukay`s anniversary. And now it is his 120 th birthday. In this respect the year 2006 was titled the Year of Literature, as he is still the leading figure of modern Tatar literature.
Lifeline and Literature
The name of Gabdulla Tukay (1886-1913)[1] is known not only in Tatarstan, but also far beyond its borders. He is known by everyone who appreciates art, who loves poetry. The creativity of Tukay is many-sided: he is a poet and publicist, literary critic and public figure. For the development of the Tatar poetry and the culture he made as much, as Pushkin for the Russian poetry and culture. Abdullah Tukay is one of the most famous poets of modern Tatar literature. In the Soviet Union anyone with any interest in Tatar literature knows or must have heard about Tukay and his poetry. For a Tatar not to know him is virtually an impossibility and would be tantamount to a sin. Although he died very young, just 27 years old, he left 12,000 lines of poetry[2]. In his poems he treated different nationalistic, religious, social and personal themes. His poems are enjoyed by the young as well as the old. He was famous and popular to the extent that during his lifetime, his poems were widely memorised and turned into proverbs[3]. Gabdulla Tukay was born in the Monger county in the village of Kushlawich in April,1886 in a former Kazan province. His father was an imam and belonged to a family of imams (seven generations). Abdullah lost his father when he was just four and a half months old. His mother died when he was three. So, he became an orphan early. Nobody wanted to have the orphan, so he was passed from one family to another. and spent some time at the grandfathers place who sent the boy to Kazan in 1889. At last, in 1895 nine-year old Gabdulla arrived to Uralsk to his cousin where Abdullah was adopted by his aunt and her husband. It was only after he settled in Jayik that he began to receive a proper education. He visited the "Mutiullah" madrasa and attended for some years a Russian school. Since the "Mutiullah" madrasa was a jadid (modern) school, the education programme included, in addition to Islamic teachings such as the study of the Koran, Hadith (the words of the prophet Moham-mad) and Fiqh (Islamic law), lessons in history, geography and mathematics. In literature classes he became acquainted with Ottoman and Chagatay poetry, which influenced him profoundly. In Uralsk he spent his childhood and youth. Here he studied in madrasa, in this city he began to write verses. In this small town young Tukay got acquainted with the heritage of Great Russian poets - Pushkin and Lermontov. Their verses won the heart of this young poet. His talent was admired by many people, the owners of the Kazan and other newspapers invited the poet to work. Among them there was also an Orenburg newspaper of millionaire-gold miner Rameev 'Vakyt' ('Time'). And though Tukay knew, that Rameev was a good poet, he didn't work for him. His dream became Kazan where the life was more vivid than in Orenburg or Ufa. And he went to Kazan. Tukay loved people and, perhaps, from the Tatar writers of the past nobody had managed to express the spirit of the nationality (national character) with such depth and artistic force as he did it. Tukay loved Kazan so much, he said, that the Tatar people will find happiness only in the unity with the Russian people, in the fatherland. The poet had lived
last years in Kazan; he loved the city and
devoted to it many nice lines. The poet names it the city of the science and
art. There is the most beautiful If we compare his first poems, like "Horriyet Hakkinda" (About Liberty), "Dustlarga bir Suz" (A Word to Friends), "Shakird yaki Tesaduf (Student or Coincidence), we find strong Ottoman influence. As for artistic and creative development, the Tatar milieu of Jayik, his madrasa as well as his Russian school education and Kamil Mutii Tuhfatullin, the son of his madrasa master, played a great role. After the first Russian revolution, Tsar Nikolas II proclaimed on 17 October 1905, his famous manifesto, in which he declared all citizens equal and entitled to equal human rights. The declaration gave an opportunity to non-Russians to cultivate their cultural, religious and political activities without interference from the state. The result was a boom in publications; in this respect Tatars and Azerbaijanis in particular held a leading position among the Muslims of Russia[4]. After a month of this declaration Kamil Mutii published the first Tatar newspaper of Jayik, Fiker (Idea), followed by Al-Asr al-Jadid (The Century of Renewal), a literary journal, and Uqlar (Arrows), a satirical journal. Tukay worked on these publications actively, first as typesetter then as editor; his first poems were published here. In 1907 Kamil Mutii was arrested, and Tukay moved to Kazan, the centre of Tatar culture, where he spent the rest of his short life.
Religious theme in his poems
Tracing back to the times when the religion was prohibited that was the only thing that could let you open your eyes and untight your arms in something that could help you in some way to help to your people. The new style of literature was a little bit less than translation of ideas word in word. The national idea was lost; the culture was subdued to the superior monster obsessed with idea of superiority. The idea cultivated during the centuries in most precious masterpieces of that times was something not less than a crime what was implanted into the conscious of the folk. A decade of years earlier the idea Tukay is an atheist would bring him ill fame so Tukay would not dare to state that. Tukay was a patriot of his nation The name of the Great writer is related to the different suppositions. And for very long period the writers name was often heard in the discussions on the religious thematic. As for example, we had chance to hear the debates about his confessional belongings and his general attitude to religion. The literary critics are not common in their understanding of this matter some say he was an atheist, but some assert he profoundly believed in God person the arguments to which can be found in the fixation of his ideas in his works of art.
My Testament Return, o my serene soul! Turn towards your God! You had your back to Him until now, now follow his command! Friends, brothers, tell the mullahs: That they read these two lines to my grave. The unbeliever lot be perplexed upon hearing my last word: See how belief and the Koran filled my soul! 1909
Taking this poem we are able to see his attitude towards the religion. He summons the God recognizing the neglect to the God of the people who he says have turned their backs to the Lord. He says, once his words being heard or read from his poems will move people to think about the God. His belief will lead people to the greatest ideal that will first confuse people, because he knows that people reduce their respect towards the God, but soon, they will hear the song of his soul from his poems that should bring them back to the origins. He says that the unbeliever will be perplexed seeing how he, Gabdullah Tukay, changes the opinion of many people only believing in the God himself and displaying his love in his works. Here he tries to teach the mullahs, which in his opinion are greedy, uneducated and not deserved to bear the title of the priest. He believes that the cause of backwardness is superstition and uneducated imams. So, although Tukay has written many poems on social, national and religious themes, most emphasis is attached in the Soviet period to his poetry of a social nature. Certainly Tukay was a progressive person who wanted to modernise his fellows and insisted on social, political and national development. In reality, he was criticising the kind of priesthood, which interpreted Islam in such a way as to accumulate a personal benefit of power. This aspect of Tukay, in particular, is misinterpreted and Soviet authors present him as an atheist[5]. This we know to be totally wrong. Quite the contrary, Tukay was a religious person who believed in God and in the teachings of Islam. Otherwise he would not have been held in respect by the Tatars of this time, who had a deep regard for religion. Moreover, his funeral procession would not have been led by Alimjan Barudi, the mufti to be[6]. There is another point, which must be born in mind: Tukay was educated in a madrasa. This gave him a solid Islamic background. Furthermore, many of his poems are written in the spirit of Islam with the view to propagate this faith. At least five such poems as this are now under censure; no recent Soviet publications of his poems contain these[7]. Hence, Tukay's sentiments on the subject remain - by force - inaccessible to those in the Soviet Union.
Some of his forbidden poems appear below
Influence
In a most tough, unfitting and hard moment of life; If I burn in the fire of longing and sorrow: I read in quick pace a nice chapter of the Koran, All pains are taken by a spiritual hand from the soul. And all doubts fly away from the heart and I start to cry: With sacred tears I string perls on my cheeks; Mt soul becomes purified totally, I read faith and become a believer; The ease of comfort descends: I am released from heavy burden; Oh God! The things you forbid are utterly rejectful and defective, I say. I prostrate myself and say "God is the Truth! God is Great!" 1908
God the Great
Oh worthy, oh precious, oh young child without sin! HIS compassion is very deep, rely always on God! Oh God! Show me in this world a bright path; HE is merciful, has more compassion than your father or mother! Your soul is still pure; no impure thought has entered it, Your pure tongue has never used unfitting words. Both your soul and your body are clean, all your body is clean! You are the crumb of an angel; your face is pure white! Pray, free of all ties kneel towards Kibla[8], Know that from a pure soul there is a straight path to the Throne of God! Oh worthy, oh precious, oh young child without sin! HIS compassion is very deep, rely always on God! 1901
The loss of the nation
On April 11 (27), 1913, the poet died in Kazan in the bloom of his creative power and talent, as wrote M.Gorky: 'of famine and consumption'. With only 7-8 years of poetical activity, he became one of the most famous of Tatar national poets. The Tatar people highly revere the memory of the outstanding national poet. By the name of Tukay in the republic are named philarmony, and the premium which is got by the best literary works and works of art, a very nice street in Kazan is named after him. Ashes of Gabdulla Tukay rest in peace in the Tatar cemetery in Privolzhsky district.
The Year of Literature This year Tatarstan will celebrate Tukay's 120th birthday[9]. In this respect the year 2006 was titled the Year of Literature, as he is still the leading figure of modern Tatar literature. He is known not only among Tatars and Bashkirs but also among other Turkic peoples of former Soviet Union; his poems have been translated into 26 languages of the Soviet Union[10]. Tukay is held in esteem among the Tatar-Bashkirs outside the Soviet Country as well. Tatars in Turkey, China (the majority of whom left China after 1949), Japan, USA and Finland keep his memory alive. In Harbin (China), for example, a booklet on Tukay was published in 1932[11]. The following year, the Islamic Association of Tokyo published Tukay's poems and articles in four volumes[12]. In 1938 the Mukden Tatar Association published a special anniversary book[13]. Another volume of Tukay's poems was published in Helsinki[14]. The Tatar youth of Istanbul founded an association called "Tukay Genchlik Kulubu" (Tukay Youth Club). This association published the Tukay Bulletin[15] and every year in April, the month in which he was born and died, they organise the Festival of Tukay. In the Tukay Bulletin, which was published in 1965 and 1968, and in another Tatar publication, Kazan[16], which came out between 1970 and 1980, many poems by Tukay and articles about him appeared. These examples provide sufficient evidence that Tukay is admired as a national poet not just in his homeland but also abroad.
Bibliography
1. N. Devlet, "Kazan Turkleri ve Abdullah Tukay (The Turks of Kazan and Abdullah Tukay)," Kazan (1971), No. 3, pp. 3-11. 2. K. әүә, "ң җ (Atheism in Tukay's works)," әә (1976), No. 4, 29-31 .; 3. Fuad Koprulu, "Abdullah Tukay," Turk Yurdu (1913),pp. 497-515; 4. A. B. Taymas, "Kazanli sair Abdullah Tukay uzerine (About the poet of Kazan Abdullah Tukay), Boyuk Turk Kulturu, Vol. I, No. 19, pp. 68-76;
Notes
[1] For his biography see Fuad Koprulu, "Abdullah Tukay," Turk Yurdu (1913),pp. 497-515; A. B. Taymas, "Kazanli sair Abdullah Tukay uzerine (About the poet of Kazan Abdullah Tukay), Turk Kulturu, Vol. I, No. 19, pp. 68-76; R. R. Arat, "Abdullah Tukay Turk Kulturu, Vol. Ill, pp. 469-473; H. Zulfikar, "Abdullah Tukay," Turk Kulturu, Vol. VI, pp. 374-386; N. Devlet, "Kazan Turkleri ve Abdullah Tukay (The Turks of Kazan and Abdullah Tukay)," Kazan (1971), No. 3, pp. 3-11. [2] H. Hismetullin and Y. Agishev (Comp.), G. Tukay Saylanma Eserler (Selected Works) (Kazan, 1960), p. 7. [3] A. Saraf, ed. Tukayif suzleri (The Words of Tukayif) (Kazan, 1913). [4] N. Devlet, Rusya Turklerinin Milli Mucadele Tarihi (1905-1917) (The History of the National Struggle of the Turks of Russia) (Ankara, 1985), pp. 171-186 and pp. 206-212. [5] K. Dewletshin, "Tukaynin ijatinda ateizm (Atheism in Tukay's work)," Soviet Mektebi (1976), No. 4, pp. 29-31; See also N. Devlet, "Islam in Tataristan," Journal of the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs Vol. V, (1985), No. 2, p. 340; Z. A., Ishmohemmetov, Ruhi Isirtkich (Spiritual Intoxicant) (Kazan, 1983), p. 52.
[6] Gabdulla Tukay (1913-1938), p. 83. [7] H. Hismetullin and Y. Agishev, ibid.; I. Nurullin, ed., Gabdulla Tukay, (Kazan, 1979); K. Bashirov, ed., Gabdulla Tukay, (Kazan, 1968). For these poems see Gabdulla Tukay Mecmua Asari (1913-1933). For Vasiyetim (My Testament), Vol. 2, p. 20. See also Gabdulla Tukay (1913-1938), p. 58; Kazan, (1971), No. 3 p. 12. For Tesir (Influence), Vol. I, p. 19; Mirac (Ascension of prophet Muhammed), Vol. I, p. 49; Qadir Kich (The 27th day of Ramadan), Vol. I, p. 159; Alla tebarek teale (God the Great), Vol. II, p. 1. [8] Kibla: Direction to which a Muslim turns when praying [9] B. Antonov and L. Velieva, Gabdulla Tukaynin edebi-memorial muzei (Gabdulla Tukay's literary-memorial museum) (Kazan, 1984), p. 40. [10] Specially the literary organ of the Writers Union of Tataristan, the monthly magazine Kazan began on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Tukay in 1985 a publishing campaign. So in every issue of Kazan there is at least one poem, a memoire or an article. [11] H. Gabdush, Tatar shagiri Gabdulla Tukay (uluvine 19 yil tulu unaya bilan) (The Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay. On the occasion of his 19th anniversary), (Harbin, 1932). [12] Gabdulla Tukay Mecmua Asari (1913-1933) (Complete Collection of Gabdulla Tukay), Vols I-IV, (Tokyo, 1933). [13] Gabdulla Tukay (1913-1938) (Vafatina 25 yil tulu unayi bilen) (Gabdulla Tukay. On the occasion of his 25th anniversary) (Mukden, 1938). [14] H. Sadik, ed., Gadbulla Tukay sigirleri (Poems of Gabdulla Tukay) (Helsinki, 1969). [15] "Tukay Bulteni (Tukay Bulletin)" which was published bimonthly in Istanbul appeared in 24 issues in three years. [16] "Kazan" the organ of the Tatar Association of Istanbul (Kazan Turkleri Kultur ve Yardimlasma Dernegi) has been published in 23 issues.
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