Official Digitized Version by Victoria Arakelova; with errata fixed from the print edition ON THE MODERN POLITICIZATION OF THE PERSIAN POET NEZAMI GANJAVI YEREVAN SERIES FOR ORIENTAL STUDIES Edited by Garnik S. Asatrian Vol.1 SIAVASH LORNEJAD ALI DOOSTZADEH ON THE MODERN POLITICIZATION OF THE PERSIAN POET NEZAMI GANJAVI Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies Yerevan 2012 Siavash Lornejad, Ali Doostzadeh On the Modern Politicization of the Persian Poet Nezami Ganjavi Guest Editor of the Volume Victoria Arakelova The monograph examines several anachronisms, misinterpretations and outright distortions related to the great Persian poet Nezami Ganjavi, that have been introduced since the USSR campaign for Nezami’s 800th anniversary in the 1930s and 1940s. The authors of the monograph provide a critical analysis of both the arguments and terms put forward primarily by Soviet Oriental school, and those introduced in modern nationalistic writings, which misrepresent the background and cultural heritage of Nezami. Outright forgeries, including those about an alleged Turkish Divan by Nezami Ganjavi and falsified verses first published in Azerbaijan SSR, which have found their way into Persian publications, are also in the focus of the authors’ attention. An important contribution of the book is that it highlights three rare and previously neglected historical sources with regards to the population of Arran and Azerbaijan, which provide information on the social conditions and ethnography of the urban Iranian Muslim population of the area and are indispensable for serious study of the Persian literature and Iranian culture of the period. ISBN 978-99930-69-74-4 The first print of the book was published by the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies in 2012. Copyright is released to the public with the exception that all citations from the book must reference the authors and publisher. (S. Lornejad and A. Doostzadeh, On the Modern Politicization of the Persian Poet Nezami Ganjavi, edited by Victoria Arakelova, Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies, Yerevan, 2012). Note for the digitized version of the book by Victoria Arakelova: A few modifications by the authors were regretfully received late by the editor and did not make the first print version (October 2012). However, they have been included in the digitized version of the book which holds the same ISBN. In the event of future prints of the book, these modifications will also be applied. Some of the Misprints that were corrected include: 1) Pg 29: From: Accept in parts that need more explanation – To: Except in parts that need more explanation. 2) Slight modifications in Section 3.5 with regards to the count of few words which did not change the actual percentages that were mentioned previously by the authors. 3) Page 150. From: “Currently, Qatrān Tabrizi and Asadi Tusi (both were originally from Tus, but fled to Naxchivan during the Ghaznavid era)” To: “Currently, Qatrān Tabrizi and Asadi Tusi (originally from Tus, but fled to Naxchivan during the Ghaznavid era)” Note: The authors in many places of the book have already emphasized that Qatrān spoke the Fahlavi dialect of Tabriz as his native language and was a Western Persian (from the Iranian region of Azerbaijan and not from Khurasan). 4) Footnote 150: “Iranioans” changed to “Iranians” 5) Title of Section 3.1 which did not show up in the index of the print edition was re-inserted. 6) Page 135: From “Habashi is not while” To: “Habashi is not white” 7) Page 187: From: “such poets” To: “such writers” 8) Footnote 277: From: Vyronis 2001 To: Vyrnois 1993. Vyrnois 1993 added to the reference list. Table of Contents Preface .......................................................................................................................................... i Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Part I ............................................................................................................................................ 7 ANACHRONISTIC TERMINOLOGY USED WITH REGARD TO NEZAMI .......................................... 7 1.1 Arrān and Azerbaijan ..................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Iran and ‘Ajam ............................................................................................................... 12 1.3 Non-existent ethnicities and ethnonyms in the 12th century................................ 16 Part II ......................................................................................................................................... 21 THE SOVIET CONCEPT OF NEZAMI AND THE ARGUMENTS ..................................................... 21 2.1 Nezami and the Persian Language ............................................................................. 22 2.2 Invention of an Arbitrarily Named “Azerbaijani School” or “Transcaucasian School” of Persian Literature by the Soviet School of Oriental Studies ..................... 32 2.3 Nezami, the Sharvānshāh and the Layli o Majnun .................................................... 49 2.4 Turkish Language in the 12th Century ....................................................................... 57 2.5 “Dar zivar-e Pārsi o Tāzi”............................................................................................. 58 2.6 “Torkāneh-sokhan” ...................................................................................................... 64 2.7 Misinterpreting the Relationship of Nezami and the Sharvānshāh through Erroneous Readings ............................................................................................................ 74 2.8 Distortion of the word “bidārtarak” .......................................................................... 80 Part III ........................................................................................................................................ 85 THE TURKISH NATIONALIST VIEWPOINT OF NEZAMI AND RECENT FORGERIES .................... 85 3.1 National Treason! .......................................................................................................... 86 3.2 Fabrication of the History of Turks in the Caucasus ............................................... 90 3.3 Fabrication of a False Verse and a Turkish Divan Falsely Ascribed To Nezami .. 91 3.4 Invalid Claim: “Using Turkish Loan Words Means Being a Turk” ......................... 93 3.5 Analysis of Pseudo-Turkish and Turkish Words in Nezami’s Works .................... 98 3.6 Misinterpretation of Symbols and Imagery ............................................................ 109 3.7 “Turk” as an imagery for Soldier .............................................................................. 117 3.8 Invalid Claim: “Talking About a Turkish Ruler Means Being a Turk!” ............... 119 3.9 Was Nezami Selling Curd in Ethiopia!?.................................................................... 127 3.10 Alleged “Turkish Phrases” in Nezami’s Works ..................................................... 138 Part IV...................................................................................................................................... 143 NEW SOURCES ON THE POPULATION OF AZERBAIJAN, ARRĀN AND SHARVĀN .................... 143 4.1 Iranian Languages of Azerbaijan and Arrān ........................................................... 143 4.2 First-Hand Account on Ganja .................................................................................... 154 4.3 The Nozhat al-Majāles................................................................................................... 157 4.4 The Safina-ye Tabriz ..................................................................................................... 161 4.5 Some Information on Nezami’s Life ......................................................................... 168 4.6 Nezami’s First Wife and Her Name........................................................................... 173 4.7 On the Term Tork-zād.................................................................................................. 175 4.8 Nezami, a Persian Dehqān ........................................................................................... 178 4.9 Nezami’s Persian Cultural Heritage ......................................................................... 183 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 189 Bibliography: .......................................................................................................................... 193 Index ........................................................................................................................................ 208 Back Cover Reviews…...…..…………………………………………………………………………………………. Preface The new Yerevan Series for Oriental Studies is conceived as a continuation of the Series of the Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies, published in Yerevan since 1996. The latter, though having never been restricted to Iranian Studies, had a narrower thematic range. Predominantly aimed at the CIS auditorium, it was mainly published in Russian. The present Series is first and foremost an international initiative. As such, the Yerevan Series for Oriental Studies will include short monographs primarily in Western European languages. In the sixteen years of publishing the