Focusing on Azerbaijan Chingiz HUSEYNOV Professor of Moscow State University, writer, Distinguished art worker of Azerbaijan, author of numerous novels, including “Fatal Fatali” One who stepped closer to us FOR THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF MIRZA FATALI AKHUNDOV’S BIRTH stranger in his own land, a loyal Rus- As one who had risen to the rank sian offi cer of Turkic descent (and a of colonel in the Viceroyalty of the great Azerbaijani writer), someone Caucasus in Tifl is, Fatali often won- who was part of the political his- dered: was it just the illusion of youth, tory of nineteenth-century Russia, to think that people one day will live who observed the confrontation of happily under a strong central power? three empires – Russian, Persian and Only to plunge into a crisis after expe- Ottoman, and became a witness riencing the reality of it all... For Fatali, to Russia’s colonization of the Cau- this experience came with the be- casus. The fi rst thing that comes to ginning of the highland war in the mind in this connection is this: that Caucasus, which lasted a quarter of Fatali is not a distant ancestor at all, the century. As a translator of Orien- but one of our contemporaries, one tal languages, he came to witness who has already lived our life once the horrors of the tsarist colonial before, under the despotic rule of policy in the Caucasus. that Russian,empire, whose de- As time goes by, the tyrant fi nally velopment was the Soviet empire, leaves the world of the living (in Ak- his, in a nutshell, is the life of which then continued in... but wait, hundov’s time it was Nicholas I, Mirza Fatali Akhundov (1812- no hasty forecasts here, the wheels while almost a hundred years later T1878): He had the destiny of a of fortune are still spinning. it was Joseph Stalin), and a fl eeting 12 www.irs-az.com Heritage_3_(10)_2012.indd 12 8/7/12 12:55 PM The house in Shaki in which Fatali was born hope overwhelms us, which, as it turns tali’s, tragic lesson of compromise: ens, Balzac, Hugo, etc. in Azerbaijani, out, is also punishable, and we come under his suit of a civil servant beat but of our writers, who do you know?... to the point of a crash, which leaves us the heart of a free-thinking demo- I understand full well that the litera- unable to pass our experiences on to crat, the student of a critical Russian- ture of my country does not boast those who come after us. Western literary culture. His spirit of too many names deserving the epi- It is youngsters with their silly dissent found its realization through thet of ‘greatness’, but Mirza Fatali is faith who are the source of des- art. Here is where three of Fatali’s clearly one of those few!... potic power: when they fi nally see most shining themes emerge, in The plot of his novel “The De- the bitterness of false words, it is prose, drama and in the epistolary ceived Stars” is truly one of a rare too late - the time is up. Those who genre, which will secure his place in kind, and good for all times, so it is have sold their souls to the devil the treasury of Azerbaijani, and per- rather strange that it has yet to see to climb to the summit of power haps even world, literature. the light of global renown. This is will have learned and understood Really, I can imagine my coun- due to nothing more but ordinary everything by then, and the illu- try’s literature taking its own place ignorance. sions of new youths will only play among the literatures of the world, When he read the old “Story of into their hands. As for those who well-deserved, and without any Shah Abbas, adorner of the world”, have lagged behind, hunching their false aggrandizement. Not to imi- Fatali was so moved by one phrase backs – what can they do? As soon tate a renowned compatriot of in it, as it was so consonant with his as the new generation gets a new mine, who once reproached British own love of freedom and democrat- calling, it will trample them over and other Western writers for having ic convictions, that he turned that without batting an eye. no translations of our authors’ works: one phrase into a story. The story is But there is also that other, Fa- We have to read Shakespeare, Dick- half true, and half legend: A tyrant, www.irs-az.com 13 Heritage_3_(10)_2012.indd 13 8/7/12 12:55 PM Focusing on Azerbaijan who dreams himself governor of pseudo-Shah, and a solemn proces- of your memory!... Another thing the his subjects forever, suddenly learns sion approaches the former Shah to emperor (doesn’t matter which one) from an astrologer that his days are put him back on his former throne. ordered: “Don’t you dare to write this numbered, that the constellation of And thus Shah Abbas continues to word – ‘progress’!” stars is foreboding his death, and rule his country for decades, humili- The story that Fatali invented was that he could not escape their ver- ating his own people. After all, it is simple: a respectable and wealthy dict. But the chief astrologer shows well known that fear gives birth to family from Karabakh, where prepa- him a path to salvation: the Shah loyalty, love, obedience, and even rations for the wedding of a daugh- must voluntarily abdicate, become adoration! The fi nale of the story is ter are under way, is hosting a guest the ordinary man Abbas, after hav- quite remarkable: oh, how naive the from France. The botanist Monsieur ing left the throne to a simple sinner English are to believe that they can Jordan, who symbolizes the enlight- whose life is worth nothing. After easily outwit such a clever people as ened West, promises the family to the stars have unleashed their dev- the Persians!.. take the talented groom to Paris for astating force over the head of this his education. But how? By delaying pseudo-Shah, he could ascend to his wedding indefi nitely?! Seeing the throne once again. this coming, the future mother-in- The sinner, however, is a man of law decides to thwart the plan with the people, someone who dreams the help of a sorcerer – dervish Mas- about the welfare of his people and talishah, who fools his good, naïve, about fair government, a castaway sincere, and frank countrymen by who castigates tyranny. Once on destroying Paris with the aid of an the Shah’s throne, he signs demo- obedient jinn. This destruction mi- cratic laws concerning the educa- raculously coincides with news of tion of his people, so that supersti- the French Revolution!... The impul- tion and ignorance may give way sive Monsieur Jordan exclaims (thus to enlightenment, he cleanses the confi rming the art of the sorcerer): government of titled bribe-takers Paris!... These devils, demons, jinns, and embezzlers, advocates honest they have destroyed it!... Leaving his labor, etc. etc. hospitable hosts in Karabakh, he But here’s the paradox: the more hurries to Paris to save the king and he attempts to do for the people, the thus, fortunately, the groom will more indignation he arouses among The second theme is Fatali’s suc- stay away from the world of licence them. They grumble in disbelief: cessful attempt to compose a play and corruption. who is it that’s governing us? Where (thus becoming the fi rst playwright Fatali was a master of comedy, are the bodies chopped to pieces in his country’s literature), in which and used the genre to highlight and hung at the city gates – we he was bold enough to venture diff erences between Western and may have been afraid of them, but to describe the French Revolution, Eastern mentalities. He formulated at least the blood was fl owing fresh which had aroused the world, but the ideas that were still unknown then: and didn’t stay still! It seems that mere mention of which was strictly Oh, what a crazy idea it is to tempt the new Shah is a meek and weak forbidden in the Russian Empire. history by turning the East onto the man, he has neither the will, nor There was a time when Russian cen- path of the West, thereby plunging the power, - in short, he is a pussy! sors forbid even to pronounce the this blessed land into an abyss of suf- And on that day predefi ned by the words France and Paris for fear that fering!... Neither will they ever under- stars, the people rebel against this these alone might incite the mood stand us, nor will we ever understand Shah, who remains neither known of rebellion!... The emperor declared: them, because their blessings are our to them nor known by them, and “We are not part of Europe, and will evils, their vices are our virtues. Our they overthrow him. The astrologer not take orders from it!” Orders about men have many wives, while their rejoices in his heart, as a veritable what? Freedom and equality? Or women have many husbands. Our thunderstorm breaks out over the even Brotherhood!? Burn them out women cover their heads to conceal 14 Statue of Mirza Fatali Akhundov in a park in Baku www.irs-az.com Heritage_3_(10)_2012.indd 14 8/7/12 12:55 PM Fatali’s house museum in Tbilisi Bust of Fatali in the Tbilisi house museum their faces, while theirs show every- promise people prosperity, promis- thing off , which to us is the epitome of es that are based on the path of the impudence and a sign of debauchery! West, which is itself bereft with crisis, We believe everything our leaders say, as well as on oriental prejudices, the whereas they constantly argue with most important of which are servil- God, with Padishah and even with ity and ignorance.