Yusuf Balasaguni: short biography and creative heritage

Yusuf Balasaguni (1020 years (approximately) - 1075) is a well-known Turkic poet and thinker. This article will be devoted to his biography. What can we know about a man who lived in the eleventh century? Historians have to literally gravely gather information about him. About the early years of the thinker and poet in general nothing is known. But in this article we will outline all the information that is available to the researchers of this philosopher's work to date.

Yusuf Balasaguni: short biography

The future philosopher, poet and encyclopedist was born in the time interval of 1016-1020. In the city of Balasaguna. Then it was the capital of the Karakhanid state. By the way, the city exists and now on the territory of the modern Republic of Kyrgyzstan. But where exactly was Balasagun located? Scientists believe that this is a modern Tokmak on the shore of Chu, or it is in the Zhambyl region, in the upper reaches of Aktobe. The capital of the Karakhanid state attracted artisans and intellectuals from other regions of the Middle East. There is an opinion that the parents of Yusuf Balasaguni were prosperous people. Perhaps he came from a merchant class. Whatever it was, Yusuf Balasaguni, whose biography, unfortunately, is full of blank spots, received a brilliant education. He spoke fluent Arabic and Farsi. Sources often call him Yusuf Khas Hajib. This is not a surname, but a title. It means "minister of the court of the ruler". This honorary title was granted to the poet by Tsar Kashgar, when he presented to him the work of his life "Kutadgu bilig". Balasguni died in 1074 or in the year 1075. He was buried in Kashgar.

"Science of Happiness", or "Knowledge of Grace"

It is known that Yusuf Balasaguni wrote many poetic works. Unfortunately, only one of his complete works has reached us. "Kutadgu bilig" can be translated as "Knowledge of Grace" or "Science about how to be happy". The most complete manuscript of this poem is now kept in Uzbekistan, at the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Academy of Sciences. The poem "Knowledge of Grace" is divided into six thousand five hundred twenty bates, and those, in turn, are divided into 85 chapters. The author wrote three additional additions to his treatise, which contain three chapters and one hundred and twenty-four bait. What kind of work is this "Kutadgu bilig"? Despite the fact that the work is done in the format of a poem, it is distinguished by an ethical-moralistic orientation. Many researchers consider the "Science of Happiness" a philosophical treatise, because there we find numerous reflections on the meaning and significance of human existence, on the relationship between the individual and the society.

The Turkic Machiavelli?

We do not forget that Yusuf Balasaguni wrote his work "Kutadgu bilig" for the ruler of Kashgar. And this allows us to draw parallels with the treatise "The Emperor", authored by the thinker of the Italian Renaissance Niccolo Machiavelli. He devoted his work to the ruler and tyrant of Rome Cesare Borgia. But, unlike Machiavelli, who teaches us to join unions and violate them, we are more concerned about our own political gain than about the people, the work of Yusuf Balasaguni speaks about something else. The medieval philosopher puts forward his demands on the ruler. He must be educated, understand the sciences and art, strive for knowledge and justice, take care of their subjects. It can be said that the poem "Kutadgu bilig" can rightfully be considered an important source of study of the Turkic statehood.

Yusuf Balasaguny - encyclopedist

"Knowledge of Grace" is not only a beautiful poem and political treatise. This work many researchers of creativity Yusuf Balasaguni called the first encyclopedia in the Turkic language. Indeed, the "Knowledge of Grace" contains a huge amount of all modern author knowledge and ideas in various fields of culture and science. In this work the theoretical material of concepts of the scientist of the eleventh century is generalized. The author does not hesitate to express his own position in life. We see in the work philosophical interpretation of worldview problems. This is the destiny of man, and the meaning of his life, place and role in nature and the social universe. It can be said that in the encyclopaedic work of Balasaguni "Kutadgu bilig" an extensive system of knowledge of both a philosophical character and an aesthetic and ethical plan has been collected. This work is a cultural section of that era.

Contribution to literature

In addition to encyclopedic work, it should be noted that the poem was written in the language of one of the Turkic nationalities. On its pages we find brilliant examples of the folklore of this ethnic group. The dialect on which Yusuf Balasaguni wrote his immortal poem "Kutadgu bilig" became the basis, the core for the creation of the modern Uzbek language.

World glory

Even during the life of the author, his work "The Science of Happiness" received recognition. And not only the ruler of Kashgar. Balasaguni himself mentions this broad recognition in one of the later applications. The title of Khas Hajib honored him became his second name. The author writes that in Iran his work is called "Shahnamei Turki" (that is, the Turkic "Shahname"), and the inhabitants of the Arab East call the poem "Kutadgu bilik" "Adornment of the rulers" ("Zinat al-madar"). The researchers argue that this encyclopedic work had an undeniable influence on Turkic literature throughout the Middle Ages up to the 14th-15th centuries. At present, the poem "Kutadgu bilig" has been translated into several languages of the world. It can be read in both English and German. Yusuf Balasaguni himself, whose photo can be seen even in travel magazines, has become the national hero of Kyrgyzstan. He was born on this earth. For example, a portrait of a Uighur poet adorns a banknote of a local currency in a thousand soms.