ISSN:
2181-3906
2025
International scientific journal
«MODERN SCIENCE АND RESEARCH»
VOLUME 4 / ISSUE 3 / UIF:8.2 / MODERNSCIENCE.UZ
300
MAHMUDKXOJA BEHBUDIY AS A MAJOR LINGUIST
Quqonboyeva Moxlaroyim Elmurodjon qizi
O‘zbekiston xalqaro islom akademiyasi 2-bosqich talabasi.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15033012
Abstract.
Mahmudkhoja Behbudiy was considered a great enlightened scholar and leader
of his time, who did a lot of work to reform the nation. In particular, he wrote several articles on
the issue of language, expressing his views in them. His articles on language show that Behbudiy
was an accomplished linguist. This article analyzes Behbudiy's views on the issue of language.
Keywords:
language, nation, Turkestan, school, sart, punctuation, linguist.
МАХМУДХОДЖА БЕХБУДИЙ КАК КРУПНЫЙ ЛИНГВИСТ
Аннотация.
Махмудходжа Бехбудий считался великим просвещенным ученым и
лидером своего времени, который проделал большую работу по реформированию нации. В
частности, он написал несколько статей по вопросу языка, выражая в них свои взгляды.
Его статьи по языку показывают, что Бехбудий был выдающимся лингвистом. В этой
статье анализируются взгляды Бехбудия на вопрос языка.
Ключевые слова:
язык, нация, Туркестан, школа, сарт, пунктуация, лингвист.
Language is one of the important factors that sustains a nation and expresses its identity. It
is impossible to talk about the development of a country without having a national language.
Behbudiy, who deeply understood this, first of all raised the issue of the national language.
"The Muslim population of Turkestan mainly speaks Turkish. In the southern districts, there are
about a hundred thousand Persian-speaking people. Despite this, they also know the Turkish
language well. There is no difference in appearance, religion and language among Turkestans...",
he said, appealing to the Russian authorities to adopt the Turkish language as an official language.
He also gave the following thoughts on language unity: "...the benefits of language unity
are well known. After all, language unity is the basis of friendship, love, mutual assistance and
unity."
Behbudi's article published in the magazine "Oyna" in 1913 under the title "Not two, but
four languages are needed". This article discusses the importance of knowing four languages,
namely: Turkish, Persian, Arabic and Russian, and explains the reason for this. First of all, the
reason for the need to know the Turkish language, i.e. the Uzbek language, is that most people in
Turkestan speak this language shows the pronunciation.
ISSN:
2181-3906
2025
International scientific journal
«MODERN SCIENCE АND RESEARCH»
VOLUME 4 / ISSUE 3 / UIF:8.2 / MODERNSCIENCE.UZ
301
When it comes to Persian, it is said that this language is the language of schools and that a
number of textbooks are in this language. It is stated that Arabic is, of course, necessary for the
religious sciences taught in schools and literature in this language. “The works of Persian poets
and scholars are a spiritual treasure whose flavor will not fade until the Day of Judgment, and
Europeans spend billions to benefit from them. We are fortunate that we know Turkish and Persian
without education. Every Turk should know Persian and every Persian should know Turk. Just as
a person who knows Persian enjoys reading Firdawsi, Bedil, Saadi, and Masnavi, so too do those
who know Turkish enjoy reading Fuzuli, Navoi, Boqi, Sami, Abdulhak Hamid, Akrambek, Sanoyi,
Nobiy, Najiy, and Turkish translations of the works of Tolstoy, Jules Verne, and contemporary
scholars.” He further increases the level of the Turkish and Persian languages with his thoughts.
He also adds Russian to these languages and shows that learning it is a requirement of the
times. In particular, he gives the following reasons for learning this language:
1) Studying in government schools
2) Being appointed to government positions
3) Serving the Fatherland and religion through this
4) Participating in the Duma of that time and making speeches in the interests of the
Fatherland and the people.
These thoughts of Behbudi also show how knowledgeable a politician he was. At the end
of the article, he concludes his remarks by citing the example of our Prophet ordering Zayd ibn
Thabit to study the Ya'di script, saying, "O Governor of Al-Rusiya, we are subject to you and it is
necessary for us to know the Ya'di script for our survival, and there is no denying its authenticity
according to the hadith."
Behbudiy published an article titled “The Language Issue” in the “Oyna” magazine in
1915, in which he touched upon a number of issues related to language. First of all, he analyzes
the reasons for the influence of Persian and Arabic languages on the Turkish language and a
number of words that have entered our language from these languages. He also analyzes the
widespread spread of Arabic and Persian languages in various parts of the country, giving as an
example the inclusion of Persian verses in his divan by Amir Umar Khan. Then, due to the great
influence of these languages, the author says: “It is not enough for Turkey, which has been under
the influence of Persian and Arabic languages, culture and empires for several thousand years, to
be freed from their influence in several thousand more years, but rather our language, which is the
language of nations doomed spiritually, materially and scientifically, is again attacked by the
ISSN:
2181-3906
2025
International scientific journal
«MODERN SCIENCE АND RESEARCH»
VOLUME 4 / ISSUE 3 / UIF:8.2 / MODERNSCIENCE.UZ
302
dictionaries of developed nations. We are truly shocked by the thoughts of those who advocate
that books in schools and madrasas, newspapers and magazines of the Turkestan people should be
written in Persian and Arabic. For example, schools, madrasas, newspapers, magazines, books -
all are Arabic. Nine out of ten of our names are Arabic. Now, will we go through life looking for
names in Turkish for all these endless things?" That is, it shows that it is impossible to completely
cleanse the Turkish language of Arabic and Persian and to assign Turkish alternatives to all foreign
words. "Our conclusion is that it is impossible to speak and write only Turkish. Let us write as
little Arabic and Persian as possible. Let us not waste time looking for Turkish alternatives for all
scientific terms and dictionaries. Let us strive and strive to understand scientific and technical
books in the advanced Turkish dialect. Let us prepare for the future, not for the past… It should
be said directly that as little Arabic as possible should be written. When Arabic nouns are
combined, they should be combined in Turkish. For example, instead of saying ulum, funun,
ulama, quzzat and ..., write fanlar, ilmlar, qozilar and ... lar.” He provides a reasonable and
acceptable solution to the issue with his conclusion.
Continuing his thoughts on language, Behbudiy also touches on the study of foreign
languages and its importance in this article. In particular, he emphasizes the need to study Russian,
Japanese, German, French, English and Arabic in order to be aware of world science and
technology, and that these languages serve as a means for world innovation and knowledge.
Also, in his article titled “The Word Sart is Ignorant” published in 1915, he opposes the
Russians calling the Turks “Sart” and, analyzing the articles and opinions of several individuals
on this topic, proves that this is unfounded. In particular, he quotes the following words of
Bakokhoja: “Nowadays, the current Turkic-Uzbek dialect in Turkestan should be called “Uzbek
language” instead of “Sartski” or “Sart language.” In addition, he cites historical sources related
to the word “Sart” and proves the history of the origin of this word, which tribes it belongs to, and
that the Uzbek people are not worthy of this name. Analyzing this article by Behbudi, we will
witness the knowledge he has in the fields of etymology and linguistics.
Another of Mahmukhodja Behbudi's incomparable services in the field of linguistics is his
work "Kitab ul-atfol", which he developed based on the rules of the Uzbek language. This work
was reprinted several times until 1917 and was used as a textbook in jaded schools. The book is in
old Uzbek script and is written in Uzbek and Persian. The volume of the book is 27 pages and
includes sections such as introduction, conditions for writing letters, description and etiquette of
writing letters, names of months, punctuation marks and samples of business documents.
ISSN:
2181-3906
2025
International scientific journal
«MODERN SCIENCE АND RESEARCH»
VOLUME 4 / ISSUE 3 / UIF:8.2 / MODERNSCIENCE.UZ
303
Behbudi's book also lists 10 punctuation marks. The work is mainly intended for children,
and its main goal is to instill literacy and moral education. This book can be called one of the great
cultural heritages in the field of Uzbek linguistics.
In a word, through these researches and studies, Mahmudkhodja Behbudiy emerges as an
accomplished linguist. In the words of the famous Jadid scholar Zaynobiddin Abdurashidov:
“Behbudiy is embodied as a linguist, sociologist, dialectologist, ethnographer, and cultural
anthropologist who has effectively worked on the formation of the Uzbek language as a literary
language.”
REFERENCES
1.
Jadidlar. Mahmudxo’ja Behbudiy. [Matn]: risola. \Z. Abdirashidov. – Toshkent: Yoshlar
nashriyot uyi, 2022. – 156 bet.
2.
Aliyev A. Mahmudxo’ja Behbudiy. – Toshkent: Yozuvchi. 1994-yil
3.
Mahmudxo‘ja Behbudiy maqolalari.
