Examples of Turkish Literature in Tazkire of Seyid Azim Shirvani

Abstract

The article discusses the examples of Turkish literature in the tazkira of Sayyid Azim Shirvani (1835-1888). First of all, it is noted that his tazkira is one of the two tazkira available in Azerbaijani literature. In the article, the sources providing the first information about the author's tazkira were presented. It is shown that S. A. Shirvani is an outstanding poet as well as a valuable tazkira author.

That tazkirah, which he compiled and completed in 1883, consists of four chapters. The fourth of those chapters is entirely dedicated to Turkish poets. "Tazkira" collected examples from the creative heritage of up to two hundred and seventy poets, and at the same time brief biographical information was given about many of them. In the fourth chapter, called "Romanian poets", there are examples of works of up to forty-three Ottoman poets and information about the life and work of some of them.

In this chapter of "Tazkira", we see that the work of the Turkish poet Yusif Nabi is given as an example. The compiler also provides valuable biographical information about him. Izzat Rumi, Vajdi Bey Rumi and Fazil Rumi, Jafar Chalabi, Sahhafzadeyi-Erzrumi, Növi, Ahmed Pasha, Nijati, Hamdi, Sabri Rumi, Tahir Efendi Rumi, etc.

Artists such as the given examples are diverse in terms of subject, genre and idea-artistically. The aim of the poet in including the creative examples of Ottoman poets in the tazkira was to familiarize Azerbaijani readers with Turkish literature. These works are taken from various sources. One of them is Lazarov's commentary entitled "Intikhabut-tasanif" published in Petersburg in 1866.

In the article, some works of Ottoman poets included in S.A. Shirvani's tazkirah are analyzed in terms of theme and ideas. Their value to readers is considered.