Huseyn Javid (), was born Huseyn Abdulla oghlu Rasizadeh (24 October 1882, Nakhchivan – 5 December 1941, Shevchenko, Tayshetsky District), was a prominent Azerbaijani poet and playwright of the early 20th century. He was one of the founders of progressive romanticism movement in the contemporary

Azerbaijani literature Azerbaijani literature (, ) is written in Azerbaijani, a Turkic language, which is the official state language of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where the North Azerbaijani variety is spoken. It is also natively spoken in Iran, where the Sout ...

. He was exiled during the Stalin purges in the

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Life and career

Huseyn Abdulla oglu Rasizadeh was born in 1882 to a family of a theologian in Nakhchivan in the Erivan Governorate. After completing his elementary education at a religious school in 1898, Javid pursued his mid-school education in the Maktab-i Tarbiya of Mashadi Taghi Sidgi. In 1899–1903, Huseyn Javid studied in the Talibiyya

Madrasah Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary education or higher learning ...

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

. After obtaining a degree in literature at the

Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

in 1909, Javid worked as a teacher in Nakhchivan,

Ganja ''Ganja'' (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for cannabis flower, specifically marijuana or hashish. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi (, IPA: �aːɲd͡ʒa� ...

and

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, and starting from 1915 in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

Huseyn Javid's first book of lyrical poems titled ''Kechmish gunlar'' ("The Past Days") was published in 1913. However, Javid was known more as a playwright. His philosophical and epic tragedies, and family dramas introduce a new line of development in Azerbaijani literature. In his literary tragedy ''Sheikh Sanan'' (1914), Huseyn Javid philosophized about the idea of a universal religion to lift interreligious barrier between humans. His most famous creation, ''Iblis'' (The Devil) written in 1918, exposed all oppressive forces as the supporters of "humans are wolves to each other" philosophy and "the 20th century cultural savages", and summarized them in the character of Satan. In his works, Javid criticized any form of colonialism and oppression. During the 1920s and 1930s, Huseyn Javid authored a number of historical epics, such as ''Peyghambar'' (''The Prophet'') in 1922, '' Topal Teymur'' (''

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

'') in 1925, ''Sayavush'' ('' Siyâvash'') in 1933 and ''Khayyam'' ('' Khayyám'') in 1935.

Arrest, exile and death

Huseyn Javid wrote during the time of

Collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...

and Stalin purges in the

Soviet Azerbaijan The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, also referred to as the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijan SSR, Azerbaijani SSR, AzSSR, Soviet Azerbaijan or simply Azerbaijan, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent re ...

. In the worst times of

totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public s ...

, he refused to serve as propagandist of "revolutionary socialist achievements". Javid was arrested in 1937 on trumped-up charges of being a "founding member of a counter-revolutionary group that was plotting an overthrow of the Soviet power". His arrest was a part of the nationwide campaign of purge against intelligentsia. The Soviet government exiled Huseyn Javid to the Far East to the city of

Magadan Magadan ( rus, Магадан, p=məɡɐˈdan) is a Port of Magadan, port types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative centre of Magadan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the isthmus of the Staritsky Peninsula by the ...

, Siberia in the late 1930s. He died on 5 December 1941 in the village of Shevchenko ( Tayshetsky District). Huseyn Javid was officially exonerated in 1956. His repatriation came only on Javid's 100th birthday in 1982, when his remains were moved from Shevchenko back to his homeland of Nakhchivan and reburied in a mausoleum built in Javid's honor. Monument to Javid was built in King's Park in

Podgorica Podgorica ( cnr-Cyrl, Подгорица; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city is just north of Lake Skadar and close to coastal destinations on the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...

in 2013. One of the primary work of Huseyn Javid is his “Iblis (The Evil)” tragedy, written in 1918. The author concludes all his observations during the processes were happening at the beginning of the 20th century. Javid creates his main character “evil”. In this work of tragedy the author touches several pressing issues which concerned him, such as wars and their tragic consequences, the causes of wars (including human ego) and his philosophical views regarding the future destiny of the world.

List of works

Works of Huseyn Javid up to 1920

Works of Huseyn Javid during Soviet period

Family members

Mushkunaz Javid (wife) was born in 1902 in Nakhchivan. She died in 1976. His son was Artogrul Javid (1919) was born in

. He studied at Azerbaijan Pedagogical University (1940). In 1941–1942, he studied at Azerbaijan Conservatorium.

Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn bey oghlu Hajibeyov (18 September 188523 November 1948) was an Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani composer, musicologist and teacher. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical music. He composed the music of the Az� ...

was his teacher. Artogrul devoted his first work – “9 Lariasiya” to his teacher. He died in 1943. Artogrul's grave is situated next to his parents in Nakhchivan.

Memorial museum of Huseyn Javid

In 1981, the Azerbaijan Communist Party decided the establishment of memorial museums of Huseyn Javid in Baku and Nakhchivan for the “100 years anniversary of Huseyn Javid”. This initiation was realized in 1995 by the order of

Heydar Aliyev Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev (10 May 1923 – 12 December 2003) was an Azerbaijani politician who was a Soviet party boss in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic from 1969 to 1982, and the third president of Azerbaijan from October 1993 to ...

. The area of the home museum in Baku is 245 m². In exposition of the home museum of Huseyn Javid, there are more than 600 exhibits which includes his and his family's personal belonging, his publications and works, photos etc.Bunyadov, Teymur (2005). ''Naxçıvan ensiklopediyası: I cild'' (in Azerbaijani). Nakhchivan. . The home museum of Huseyn Javid was opened in 1984 in Alixan street, where Javid was born. There are about 6000 exhibits. Besides preserving personal belongings and writings of Huseyn Javid, the museum researches his works.

Huseyn Javid Mausoleum

The mausoleum was built on his grave in 1996, for the 114th anniversary of Huseyn Javid. The architect was Rasim Aliyev. Heydar Aliyev participated in the opening ceremony.

References

External links

"Husein Javid: The Night Father Was Arrested,"
by his daughter Turan, AZER.com at ''Azerbaijan International'', Vol. 4:1 (Spring 1996), pp. 24, 26.

Poem by Nigar Rafibeyli translated into English, AZER.com at ''Azerbaijan International'', Vol. 7:1 (Spring 1999), p. 53. {{DEFAULTSORT:Javid, Huseyn 1882 births 1941 deaths Azerbaijani male poets People from Nakhchivan Prisoners who died in Soviet detention Azerbaijani people who died in prison custody 20th-century Azerbaijani poets 20th-century Azerbaijani dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Azerbaijani male writers Azerbaijani Bahá'ís