The publication of the first full-text Russian edition of the Book of Dede Korkut in 1939 marked a defining moment in the career of philologist Hamid Arasly. Born in Ganja in 1909, he dedicated his life to documenting the literary heritage of Azerbaijan, navigating the complex ideological demands of the Soviet era while preserving critical historical manuscripts.
Academic Foundations and Early Career
Arasly began his formal education at the Ganja Teachers' Gymnasium in 1922. By 1929, he had enrolled at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, graduating in 1931. His early professional life involved both educational administration in Ganja and library management in Baku, where he directed the Eastern Department of the National Academy of Sciences. During this period, he began the systematic collection of Eastern manuscripts that would later form the basis of the Manuscripts Bureau.
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In 1936, Arasly founded the Manuscripts Bureau within the National Academy of Sciences. However, his work faced significant scrutiny from Soviet authorities, who labeled certain collected texts as contrary to state ideology. He was dismissed from the bureau in 1938 and subsequently transitioned to teaching at Azerbaijan State University. Despite this pressure, he continued to produce vital scholarship, defending his thesis on 17th and 18th-century Azerbaijani literature in 1943.
Scholarly Contributions to Literature
Arasly developed extensive research profiles on poets including Nizami Ganjavi, Fuzûlî, and Imamaddin Nasimi. Beyond his focus on individual poets, he authored substantial surveys of literary history, notably contributing to the two-volume Brief History of Azerbaijani Literature and the three-volume History of Azerbaijani Literature. His expertise extended to folklore, particularly his analytical work on the Book of Dede Korkut and the Koroghlu epic, where he emphasized linguistic connections between the texts and modern Azerbaijani.
Professional Recognition
His academic standing rose significantly in the mid-20th century. Arasly was named a Doctor of Sciences in Philology in 1954 and became a full member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1968. He served as the chairman of the Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature from 1960 to 1968. Over his career, he received multiple state honors, including the Order of the Badge of Honour in 1951 and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1979.
Fast facts
- Born: 1909, Ganja
- Died: 1983, Baku
- Degree: Doctor of Sciences in Philology
- Known for: Research on Nizami Ganjavi and Fuzûlî
- Language skills: Russian, Persian, Azerbaijani, Arabic
- Honour: Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1979)
- Honour: Order of the Badge of Honour (1951)
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of Arasly's 1939 publication?
He published the first full-text Russian edition of the Book of Dede Korkut, a major epic narrative of Turkic nomadic peoples.
Why was he dismissed from the Manuscripts Bureau?
In 1938, Soviet authorities determined that some of the manuscripts he had collected and preserved were ideologically inconsistent with state principles.
Achievements
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour — 1979
- Order of the Badge of Honour — 1951
