Vagif

Molla Panah Vagif (b. c. 1717, Salahli, Azerbaijan – d. 1797, Shusha, Azerbaijan) was an Azerbaijani poet and statesman. He received good education, knew Eastern languages, literature, and sciences. In 1769–1770, he was invited to Karabakh, where he was appointed eshik aghasi (person in charge of foreign affairs), then the first vizier. In 1797, by order of the khan, Vagif was executed along with his son-in-law.

Vagif was a supporter of the Russian orientation. Because of this, he had relations with King Erekle II and Levan Batonishvili. In the 1770s, he was in Tbilisi on a diplomatic mission and there he promoted the idea of unification of the Georgian and Azerbaijani peoples against Iran.

Vagif's role in Azerbaijani literature is immeasurable. He is the founder of the realism genre in Azerbaijani poetry. Elements of realism appeared for the first time in the history of Azerbaijani literature in Vagif's lyrics. Vagif knew Georgia well. Three of his poems are dedicated to a Georgian woman, Tbilisi, and the son of Erekle II, Levan. Vagif's lyrics have been translated into Georgian.

 

Literary works: Əсəрлəри, Бакы, 1960; Əsərləri, Baki, 2004; Лирика, М., 1968; [წიგნში] სომხური და აზერბაიჯანული ლიტერატურის ქრესტომათია, თბ., 1968.

Literature: Д а д а ш з а д е  А., Певец жизни (Раздумья о Вагифе), Баку, 1968.

 

G. Shakulashvili