The personality of Mahmud Kashgari and the period when “Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk” was composed

Abstract

Mahmud Kashgari, who travelled throughout the Turkic world, gradually collected the linguistic and oral characteristics of the Turkic tribes in the encyclopaedia “Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk” and defined the grammar and writing rules of their language and dialects according to their time. The "Divan" was written with the aim of attracting the attention of the Arabs and teaching them the Turkic language, which is as strong as Arabic and not inferior to it in terms of social importance. The dictionary entries, vocabulary and grammatical information were compiled according to the principles of classical Arabic lexicography, divided into sections according to the characteristics of the Arabic language. The book contains the genetic code, historical stages of development and national identity of the Turkic tribes. In the Divan, the geography of the Turks, which is seen on a large scale and covers large areas, the way of life of the Turkic tribes, their independent management abilities, their deep mastery of military arts and the traditions of statehood are reflected.

After the Turkic tribes moved into Azerbaijan and Anatolia and defeated the Byzantine army, the door to all of Asia Minor was opened to them. The Turkic tribes extended the Seljuk possessions to the Mediterranean Sea. The events of the X and XI centuries resulted in the Oghuz Turks uniting much of the former Abbasid Empire under their rule, and the Karakhans becoming the rulers of Transoxiana and Kashgar. The date of M.Kashgari's "Divan" coincides with this period.

Keywords: Mahmud Kashgari, “Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk”, Turkic tribes,

                    Turkic language, dictionary.