Ğabdulla Tuqay

1886-1913

Early life.

Ğabdulla Tuqay was born in the family of the hereditary village mullah

of Quşlawıç, Kazan Governorate, Russian Empire (nowadays Tatarstan,

Russia) near the modern town of Arsk. His father, Möxämmätğärif

Möxämmätğälim ulı Tuqayıv, had been a village mandative mullah since

1864. In 1885 his wife died, leaving him a son and a daughter, and

Möxämmätğärif married second wife, Mämdüdä, daughter of Öçile

village mullah Zinnätulla Zäynepbäşir ulı. On 29 August O.S.

Möxämmätğärif died when Ğabdulla was 5 months old. Soon Ğabdulla's

grandfather also died and Mämdüdä was forced to return to her father

and then to get married to the mullah of the village of Sasna. Little

Ğabdulla lived for some time with an old woman in his native village,

before his new stepfather agreed to take Tuqay into his family. Tuqay's

relatively happy childhood did not last long: on O.S. 18 January 1890

Ğabdulla's mother Mämdüdä also died, and Tuqay was removed to his

poor grandfather Zinnätulla.

Lacking enough food even for his own children, his grandfather sent

Ğabdulla to Kazan with a coachman. There the coachman took Tuqay to

a market-place, Peçän Bazaar, hoping to find someone willing to adopt

the child. A tanner named Möxämmätwäli and his wife Ğäzizä from the

Yaña-Bistä area of Kazan decided to take care of him. While living in

Kazan, Tuqay was taken ill with walleye. When 1892, when both of

Ğabdulla's adoptive parents became sick they had to send him back to

his grandfather. This time, Ğabdulla's grandfather sent the child for

further adoption to the village of Qırlay, where Ğabdulla stayed with the

family of a peasant Säğdi. During his stay with this family, Ğabdulla was

sent to the local madrassah (religious school), for the first time in his

life, where, in his own words, his enlightenment began.

In the fall of 1895, the Ğosmanovs, Tatar merchants living in Uralsk, decided to

adopt their distant relatives, because their own children had died. Ğäliäsğar

Ğosmanov and his wife Ğäzizä, Ğabdulla's aunt, asked a peasant from Quşlawıç

to bring them Ğabdulla. The peasant took ten-year-old Tuqay away from Säğdi,

threatening him with Russian papers and village constable. Living in Uralsk,

Ğabdulla attended to Motíğía madrassah. Simultaneously, in 1896, he started to

attend a Russian school. There, for the first time in his life, he became

acquainted with the world of Russian literature and started to write poetry. In

1899 the anniversary of Alexander Pushkin was widely celebrated in Uralsk, an

event which inspire Tuqay's interest in Russian poetry, especially works by

Pushkin.

Ğosmanov tried to interest Ğabdulla in his work, but Tuqay stayed

indifferent to the merchant's lot, preferring to develop his education. On

30 July 1900 Ğäliäsğar Ğosmanov died of "stomach diseases", so Tuqay

moved into the madrassah itself, living first in common room, and two

years later in a khujra, an individual cell. In the madrassah Tuqay

proved himself a diligent shakird, completing in ten years a program

intended for fifteen. However, he continued to live in poverty.

By 1902, Ğabdulla, age 16, had changed his nature. He lost interest in

studying the Qur'an, and showed criticism to all that was taught in

madrassah. He didn't shave his hair, he drank beer and even smoked. At

the same time, he became more interested in poetry

Kazan period.

Ğabdulla Tuqay was born in the family of the hereditary village mullah of Quşlawıç,

Kazan Governorate, Russian Empire (nowadays Tatarstan, Russia) near the modern

town of Arsk. His father, Möxämmätğärif Möxämmätğälim ulı Tuqayıv, had been a

village mandative mullah since 1864. In 1885 his wife died, leaving him a son and a

daughter, and Möxämmätğärif married second wife, Mämdüdä, daughter of Öçile village

mullah Zinnätulla Zäynepbäşir ulı. On 29 August O.S. Möxämmätğärif died when

Ğabdulla was 5 months old. Soon Ğabdulla's grandfather also died and Mämdüdä was

forced to return to her father and then to get married to the mullah of the village of

Sasna. Little Ğabdulla lived for some time with an old woman in his native village,

before his new stepfather agreed to take Tuqay into his family. Tuqay's relatively happy

childhood did not last long: on O.S. 18 January 1890 Ğabdulla's mother Mämdüdä also

died, and Tuqay was removed to his poor grandfather Zinnätulla. Lacking enough food

even for his own children, his grandfather sent Ğabdulla to Kazan with a coachman.

There the coachman took Tuqay to a market-place, Peçän Bazaar, hoping to find

someone willing to adopt the child. A tanner named Möxämmätwäli and his wife Ğäzizä

from the Yaña-Bistä area of Kazan decided to take care of him. While living in Kazan,

Tuqay was taken ill with walleye. When 1892, when both of Ğabdulla's adoptive parents

became sick they had to send him back to his grandfather. This time, Ğabdulla's

grandfather sent the child for further adoption to the village of Qırlay, where Ğabdulla

stayed with the family of a peasant Säğdi. During his stay with this family, Ğabdulla

was sent to the local madrassah (religious school), for the first time in his life, where,

in his own words, his enlightenment began.

In the fall of 1895, the Ğosmanovs, Tatar merchants living in Uralsk,

decided to adopt their distant relatives, because their own children

had died. Ğäliäsğar Ğosmanov and his wife Ğäzizä, Ğabdulla's aunt,

asked a peasant from Quşlawıç to bring them Ğabdulla. The

peasant took ten-year-old Tuqay away from Säğdi, threatening him

with Russian papers and village constable. Living in Uralsk,

Ğabdulla attended to Motíğía madrassah. Simultaneously, in 1896,

he started to attend a Russian school. There, for the first time in his

life, he became acquainted with the world of Russian literature and

started to write poetry. In 1899 the anniversary of Alexander

Pushkin was widely celebrated in Uralsk, an event which inspire

Tuqay's interest in Russian poetry, especially works by Pushkin.

Ğosmanov tried to interest Ğabdulla in his work, but Tuqay stayed

indifferent to the merchant's lot, preferring to develop his

education. On 30 July 1900 Ğäliäsğar Ğosmanov died of "stomach

diseases", so Tuqay moved into the madrassah itself, living first in

common room, and two years later in a khujra, an individual cell. In

the madrassah Tuqay proved himself a diligent shakird, completing

in ten years a program intended for fifteen. However, he continued

to live in poverty.

By 1902, Ğabdulla, age 16, had changed his nature. He lost interest

in studying the Qur'an, and showed criticism to all that was taught

in madrassah. He didn't shave his hair, he drank beer and even

smoked. At the same time, he became more interested in poetry.