Mahmud al-Kashgari

Mahmud ibn Hussayn ibn Muhammad al-Kashgari (; Turkish: Kaşgarlı Mahmud), born in 1008, was an early Turkic^[1]^[2]^[3] linguist of Turkic languages from the Kara-Khanid Khanate, born in Kashgar, East Turkestan. He was a renowned scholar and lexicographer of Turkic dialects.

His father, Husayn, was the mayor of Barsgan and related to the Karakhanid ruling dynasty. His mother, Bibi Rābiy'a al-Basrī, was of Arab descent. He studied Turkic dialects and wrote the first comprehensive dictionary of Turkic languages, the Dīwān ul-Lu<u>gh</u>at al-Turk (Arabic: "collection of Turkic words") in 1072. It was intended for use by the Caliphs of Baghdad, the new, Arabic allies of the Turks. Mahmud Kashgari's comprehensive dictionary contains specimens of old Turkic poetry in the typical form of quatrains (Persian/ rubāiyāt; Turkish: dörtlük), representing all the principal genres: epic, pastoral, didactic, lyric, and elegiac. His book also included the first known map of the areas inhabited by Turkic peoples.

External links

Kashgari's world map

Citations

[1] A History of Inner Asia by Svat Soucek
[2] Studies on Turkish Politics and Society: Selected Articles and Essays by Kemal H. Karpat
[3] In Marco Polo's Footsteps by John F. Burns of New York Times

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