The Kutadgu Bilig, or Qutadğu Bilig (English: IPA: [kuˈtɑdɡu ˈbɪlɪk], Middle Turkic IPA, proposed: /qʊtadˈɢʊ bɪˈlɪɡ/), is a Karakhanid work from the 11th century written by Yusūf Khāṣṣ Ḥājib of Balasagun for the prince of Kashgar. Translated, the title means something like "The Wisdom which brings Happiness" or "The Wisdom that Conduces to Royal Glory or Fortune" (Dankoff, 1), but is often translated more concisely as "(The) Wisdom of Royal Glory." The text reflects the author's and his society's beliefs, feelings, and practices with regard to quite a few topics, and depicts interesting facets of various aspects of life in the Karakhanid empire. While not produced in Turkey, and perhaps more accurately referred to as Turkic literature, the Kutadgu Bilig is often considered to belong to the body of Turkish literature. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words see here. ... For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words see here. ... the karakhanids are one of the uighur kingdoom with capital called kahgar(uighur autonomous rigion) ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... It has been suggested that Yusuf Balasaguni be merged into this article or section. ... Location of Kashgar Kashgars Sunday market Kashgar (also spelled Cascar[citation needed]; Uyghur: قەشقەر/; Chinese: ; pinyin: Kāshí, ), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... A page from the Dîvân-ı Fuzûlî, the collected poems of the 16th-century Ottoman poet Fuzûlî Turkish literature is the collection of written and oral texts composed in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman form or in less exclusively literary forms, such as that spoken...

Historical, Cultural, and Religious Context

In 740, the Uyghurs revolted against Bilge Qağan. They, the Qarluqs, and the Chigils left the region around the Altay Mountains in what is today Mongolia and moved south to what is today Xinjiang. Some time thereafter, the Uyghurs ousted the Qarluqs and Chigils, who moved west, and there established the Karakhanid empire, with capitals in Kashgar and Balasagun. Events October 26 - An earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death. ... Uyghurs (also called Uighurs, Uygurs, or Uigurs) (Chinese:维吾尔 or 維吾爾 ; in pinyin: wéiwúěr) are a Turkic ethnic group of people living in northwestern China (mainly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where they are the dominant ethnic group together with Han people... Bilge Khan (Arslan Bilgä Khağan Bengü Taşı; 683 or 684 - 734) was one of the most influential emperors of the Gokturk Empire. ... The Qarluq (Karluk) were originally a nomadic turkic tribe based on the transoxania steppes (roughly east and south of the Aral Sea) in Central Asia. ... The Altai is a mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together, and where the great rivers Irtysh, Ob and Yenisei have their sources. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... the karakhanids are one of the uighur kingdoom with capital called kahgar(uighur autonomous rigion) ... Location of Kashgar Kashgars Sunday market Kashgar (also spelled Cascar[citation needed]; Uyghur: قەشقەر/; Chinese: ; pinyin: Kāshí, ), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Balasagun, also spelled as Balassagun was an ancient city in modern-day Kyrgyzstan and capital of the Kara-Khitan Khanate. ...

In 961, the Karakhanids officially adopted Islam, most likely introduced by Sufis. By that point, the Uyghurs, whose empire shared a border with Karakhanids, were Buddhist. As of 999-1000, The Karakhanids' capital was in Balasagun. Together with the Samanids of Samarkand they considered themselves the defenders of Islam against the Buddhist Uyghur Karakhoja Kingdom of Turpan and Hami and the Buddhist Scythian-Tocharian kingdom of Khotan. Events Byzantine Empire recaptures Crete from Muslim control Ani made the capital of Armenia by the Bagratid dynasty Haakon I of Norway squashed the rebelling forces of Eric Bloodaxes sons but was killed in the Battle of Fitje. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (مسلم), believe God (Arabic: الله ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to help a fellow man. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a life-enhancing system of psychology. ... Events Silesia is incorporated into territory ruled by Boleslaus I of Poland Pope Silvester II succeeds Pope Gregory V Sigmundur Brestisson introduces christianity in the Faroe Islands Deaths December 16 - Saint Adelaide of Italy (b. ... // Events World Population 300 million. ... The Samanids (875-999) (in Persian: Samanian) were a Persian dynasty in Central Asia and eastern Iran, named after its founder Saman Khoda. ... Colour photograph of a Madrasa taken in Samarkand ca. ... The Uyghur (Uyghur: ئۇيغۇر; Uighur Simplified Chinese: 维吾尔; Traditional Chinese: 維吾爾; Pinyin: Wéiwúěr; Turkish: Uygur) are a Turkic people, forming one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the Peoples Republic of China. ... Turfan (Modern Chinese 吐魯番; pinyin: Tulufan, ancient Chinese Gaochang, also: Kao-chang, Turpan) is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Kumul or Hami (Uyghur: Ù‚Û‡Ù…Û‡Ù„/KÌ¢umul; Chinese: 哈密; Pinyin: Hāmì) is an oasis in Xinjiang (China); it is also the name of a modern city and the sourrounding district. ... Scythia was an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by an Indo-Aryans known as the Scythians. ... Tocharian refers to an Indo-European culture that inhabited the Tarim basin in what is now Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, northwestern Peoples Republic of China. ... Mosque in Khotan. ...

Between the time they left Mongolia and their adoption of Islam, most of the tribes of the Karakhanid empire had become quite a bit more sedentary. http://www. ... Sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle common in modern (particularly Western) civilizations, which is characterized by sitting most of the day (for example, in an office or at home). ...

The Author

At several points throughout the Kutadgu Bilig, the author talks some about himself; from this we know a certain amount about him.

The author of the Kutadgu Bilig was named Yūsuf, and was born in Balasagun, which at the time was the capital of the Karakhanid empire, and was located near present-day Toqmoq in Kyrgyzstan. He was about 50 years old when he completed the Kutadgu Bilig, and upon presenting the completed work to the prince of Kashgar, was awarded the title Khāṣṣ Ḥājib, translating as something like "Privy Chamberlain" (Dankoff, 2) or "Chancelor." He is often referred to as either Yūsuf Balasaguni or Yūsuf Khāṣṣ Ḥājib. Dont confuse that city with the small town Tokmak on a peninsula of the Aral Sea. ... It has been suggested that Yusuf Balasaguni be merged into this article or section. ...

Some scholars suspect that the prologue to the Kutadgu Bilig, which is much more overtly Islamic than the rest of the text, was written by a different author—particularly the first prologue, which is in prose, unlike the rest of the text. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The Text

History

The Kutadgu Bilig was completed in 462 (1069/1070) and presented to Tavghach Bughra Khan, the prince of Kashgar. It was well-known through the Timurid era (Dankoff, 3), but only three manuscripts—referred to by the name of the city they were discovered in—survived to give us our modern knowledge of the text:

• Herat (Vienna) - A scribe brought the copy to Constantinople in 1474, and it eventually ended up in Vienna. According to Wilhelm Bartoldt, the copy was made in 1439 in Herat. It was written in the Uyghur alphabet.
• Cairo - The copy was found in a Mamluk library in 1897 in Cairo; the Mamluk ruler of 1293-1341 is mentioned in the copy, which is written in the Arabic script.
• Namangan - The copy was found in Namangan in 1943, and was probably written in the 13th or 14th century.

The content of the three texts, while generally the same, differs in many finer points, such as word choice. Map of Constantinople. ... Events December 12 - Upon the death of Henry IV of Castile a civil war ensues between his designated successor Isabella I of Castile and her sister Juana who was supported by her husband, Alfonso V of Portugal. ... Inhabitants according to official census figures: 1800 to 2005 Vienna in 1858 Vienna (German: Wien ) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ... Events Battle of Grotnik, which ended the hussite movement in Poland Eric of Pomerania, King of Sweden, Denmark and Norway is declared deposed in Sweden. ... Court of the Friday Mosque in Herāt. ... The Uyghur alphabet is any of the following: A descendant of the Sogdian alphabet, used for texts of Buddhist, Manichæan and Christian contents for 700–800 years in East Turkestan. ... A Mamluk cavalryman, drawn in 1810 A mamluk (Arabic: مملوك (singular), مماليك (plural), owned; also transliterated mameluk, mameluke, or mamluke) was a slave soldier who converted to Islam and served the Muslim caliphs and the Ayyubid sultans during the Middle Ages. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Cairos location in Egypt Coordinates: Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area    - City 210 km²  - Metro 1,492 km² Population    - City (2005) 7,438,376  - Density 35,420/km²  - Urban 10,834,495  - Metro 15,200,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC+3) Cairo (Arabic: ‎ translit: ) comes from... Events May 20 - King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcala The Minoresses (Franciscan nuns) are first introduced into England Births Deaths Categories: 1293 ... Events The Queens College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is founded. ... The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing the Arabic language, which is the language of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. ... Namangan (Russian:Наманган), is a city (1994 pop. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

Language

The Kutadgu Bilig is written in the Qarluq language of the Karakhanids, often referred to Middle Turkic or Karakhanid. It's similar to the language of the Orkhon inscriptions, in Old Turkic, but in addition to the Turkic base, has a large influx of Persian vocabulary. Aside from specific vocabulary from Persian and Arabic, Dankoff mentions a good number of calques in the language of the Kutadgu Bilig from Persian. Orhon (or Orkhon) inscriptions are the oldest known Turkic writings, which were erected near the Orhon River between 732 and 735 in honour of two Kokturk princes named Kul and Bilge. ... The Turkic language spoken by the Gokturks and used on the Orkhon inscriptions. ... The Turkic languages constitute a language family of some thirty languages, spoken across a vast area from Eastern Europe to Siberia and Western China with an estimated 140 million native speakers and tens of millions of second-language speakers. ... Persian, (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ«), is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... The Arabic language ( ), or simply Arabic ( ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... In linguistics, a calque (pronounced [kælk]) or loan translation (itself a calque of German Lehnübersetzung) is a phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word translation. ...

Despite the prevalence of Islamic wisdom (from hadiths and the Qurˀān), Persian calques, and Persian and Arabic vocabulary, there are no specific references to Islamic texts, nor are Persian or Arabic words used for Islamic concepts. This strengthens the argument that Islam came into Central Asia through wandering Sufis. Hadith ( translit: ) are traditions relating to the words and deeds of Muhammad. ... The Qurān [1] (Arabic: ‎ , literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ...

Style

The author of the Kutadgu Bilig used the Arabo-Persian mutaqārib metre, consisting of couplets of two rhyming 11-syllable lines, often broken down further—the first six syllables forming the first group in each line, and the last five syllables forming another group. This is the earliest known application of this metre to a Turkic language.

Content

The Kutadgu Bilig is structured around the relations between four main characters, each representing an abstract principle (overtly stated by the author). Dankoff summarises the specifics nicely in the form of a chart (Dankoff, 3):

Dankoff's translation of the name of each section (bab) follows, with the line numbers of the original text in parentheses: Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... J.L. Urban, statue of Lady Justice at court building in Olomouc, Czech Republic Justice is the ideal, morally correct state of things and persons. ... A Vizier (وزير, sometimes also spelled Vizir, Wasir, Wazir, Wesir, Wezir - grammatical vowel changes are common in many oriental languages) is an oriental, originally Persian, term for a high-ranking political (and sometimes religious) advisor or Minister, often to a Muslim monarch such as a Caliph, Amir, Malik (king) or Sultan. ... Fortune or fortune can refer to: Luck Wealth Fortune magazine The fortune Unix/Linux command, which prints a random quote Fortune (Metal Gear), a character from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. ... Telemachus and Mentor Illustration of Les Aventures de Télémaque by François Fénelon The wise old man (or Senex) is an archetype as described by Carl Jung. ... Intelligence is a general mental capability that involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend ideas and language, and learn. ... Personification of wisdom (Greek Σοφια) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey Detail from the Allegory of Wisdom and Strength by Paulo Veronese (c. ... Ascetic redirects here. ...

• Verse prologue (1-77)
• Prose prologue

1. In praise of God (1-33)
2. In praise of the Prophet (34-48)
3. In praise of the four companions (49-62)
4. Ode to spring and praise of Uluğ Buğra Khan (63-123)
5. On the seven planets and the twelve constellations (124-147)
6. That man's chief glory is wisdom and intellect (148-161)
7. On the tongue: Its merit and emerit, its benefit and harm (162-191)
8. The author's apology (192-229)
9. In praise of doing good [and the benefits thereof] (230-286)
10. On the virtue and benefit of wisdom and intellect (287-349)
11. On the title of the book and on his own old age (350-397)
12. Beginning of the discourse: On King Rising Sun (398-461)
13. Full Moon comes to serve King Rising Sun (462-580)
14. Full Moon presents himself before King Rising Sun (581-619)
15. Full Moon tells the king that he is Fortune (620-656)
16. Full Moon describes Fortune to the king (657-764)
17. King Rising Sun demonstrates Justice to Full Moon (765-791)
18. King Rising Sun describes himself as Justice (792-954)
19. Full Moon explains the virtues of the tongue (955-1044)
20. On the inconstancy of Fortune (1045-1157)
21. Full Moon gives counsel to his son Highly Praised (1158-1277)
22. Full Moon's admonition to his son Highly Praised (1278-1341)
23. Full Moon writes a testamentary letter to King Rising Sun (1342-1547)
24. King Rising Sun summons Highly Praised (1548-1580)
25. Highly Praised presents himself before King Rising Sun (1581-1590)
26. Highly Praised enters the service of King Rising Sun (1591-1849)
27. Highly Praised gives the king a description of Intellect (1850-1920)
28. The qualifications of a prince (1921-2180)
29. The qualifications of a vizier (2181-2268)
30. The qualifications of an army commander (2269-2434)
31. The qualifications of a grand chamberlain (2435-2527)
32. The qualifications of a gatekeeper (2528-2595)
33. The qualifications of an envoy (2596-2671)
34. The qualifications of a royal secretary (2672-2742)
35. The qualifications of a treasurer (2743-2827)
36. The qualifications of a chief cook (2828-2882)
37. The qualifications of a cupbearern (2883-2956)
38. The rights of the servants over the prince (2957-3186)
39. King Rising Sun writes a letter to Wide Awake (3187-3288)
40. Highly Praised goes to see Wide Awake (3289-3317)
41. Wide Awake debates with Highly Praised (3318-3511)
42. Wide Awake recounts the world's faults to Highly Praised (3512-3645)
43. Highly Praised tells Wide Awake that the next world is won through this world (3646-3712)
44. Wide Awake sends a letter to the king (3713-3895)
45. King Rising Sun sends a second letter to Wide Awake (3896-3970)
46. Highly Praised and Wide Awake debate a second time (3971-4030)
47. The proper manner of serving the prince (4031-4164)
48. How to conduct oneself with nobles (4165-4319)
49. How to conduct oneself with commoners (4320-4335)
50. Associating with descendants of the Prophet (4336-4340)
51. Associating with scholars and Ulema (4341-4354)
52. Associating with physicians (4355-4360)
53. Associating with diviners (4361-4365)
54. Associating with dream interpreters (4366-4375)
55. Associating with astrologers (4376-4391)
56. Associating with poets (4392-4399)
57. Associating with cultivators (4400-4418)
58. Associating with merchants (4419-4438)
59. Associating with stockbreeders (4439-4455)
60. Associating with craftsmen (4456-4468)
61. Associating with the poor (4469-4474)
62. How to choose a wife (4475-4503)
63. How to raise children (4504-4526)
64. How to deal with underlings (4527-4572)
65. The etiquette of going to feasts (4573-4643)
66. The etiquette of inviting to feasts (4644-4679)
67. Wide Awake tells Highly Praised that he has renounced the world and accepted his lot (4680-4933)
68. King Rising Sun sends for Wide Awake a third time (4934-5030)
69. Wide Awake comes to Highly Praised (5031-5034)
70. King Rising Sun meets with Wide Awake (5035-5131)
71. Wide Awake gives counsel to the king (5132-5466)
72. Highly Praised tells the king how to govern the realm (5467-5631)
73. Highly Praised regrets his past life and intends to repent (5632-5720)
74. Wide Awake counsels Highly Praised (5721-5761)
75. Justice for justice, humanity for humanity (5762-5952)
76. Wide Awake falls ill and summons Highly Praised (5953-5992)
77. Highly Praised tells Wide Awake how to interpret dreams (5993-6031)
78. Wide Awake tells his dream to Highly Praised (6032-6036)
79. Highly Praised interprets Wide Awake's dream (6037-6046)
80. Wide Awake interprets the dream differently (6047-6086)
81. Wide Awake gives advice to Highly Praised (6087-6285)
82. Testament tells Highly Praised of Wide Awake's death (6286-6292)
83. Testament consoles Highly Praised (6293-6298)
84. Highly Praised mourns for Wide Awake (6299-6303)
85. The king consoles Highly Praised (6304-6520)

• [Ode I] On old age and the loss of youth (6521-6564)
• [Ode II] On the corruption of time and the treachery of friends (6565-6604)
• [Ode III] The author of the book gives counsel to himself (6605-6645)

Influences

Dankoff suggests that the author of the Kutadgu Bilig was attempting to reconcile the Irano-Islamic and Turkic wisdom traditions present among the Karakhanids, the former with urban roots and the latter with nomadic roots. Certainly the recent move from a more nomadic way of life changed the requirements for a good leader; the Kutadgu Bilig's agenda does appear to include instruction for how to be a good leader. In addition, the author of the Kutadgu Bilig states in the text that he was trying to make a Turkic version of something like the Shāh-nāmeh. This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ... Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... Shahnameh Scenes from the Shahnameh carved into reliefs at Tus, where Ferdowsi is buried. ...

The Kutadgu Bilig is often considered to be part of the Mirror for Princes, a genre of literature which includes works like the Qābūs-nāmeh, written in 1082, and the Siyāset-nāmeh, written in 1090. Alessio Bombaci argues against considering the Kutadgu Bilig part of the Mirror for Princes; not only is the first "full-blown" Mirror for Princes the Qābūs-nāmeh, written over ten years after the Kutadgu Bilig, but there are a couple points on which the Kutadgu Bilig and the other Mirrors for Princes differ: Seen here is the last page of a Qabus nameh manuscript located in the library of The Malik National Museum of Iran, dated 1349. ... Events England - The Rochester Cathedral was completed Europe - The German Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor besieges Rome and gains entry, a synod is agreed upon by the Romans to rule on the dispute between Henry and Pope Gregory VII Styria - Ottokar II succeeds his brother Adalbero (died 1086 or 1087... Siyāsatnāma (Book of Kingship or Book of Politics), also known as Siyar al-muluk, is the most famous work by Nizam al-Mulk, the founder of Nizamiyyah schools in medieval Persia. ... Events Granada captured by Yusuf Ibn Tashfin, King of the Almoravides Beginnings of troubadours in Provence Bejaia becomes the capital of the Algeria Births William of Malmsbury Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Saint Famianus Eliezer ben Nathan of Mainz Deaths Saint Malcoldia of Asti Saint Adalbero Categories: 1090 ...

• The Kutadgu Bilig offers advice to all men, and not just princes.
• The names of the characters in the Kutadgu Bilig could be anyone, and aren't the names of any particular historical figures.

While the Kutadgu Bilig is stylistically reminiscent of the Mirror for Princes in a number of ways, there are a good number of other traditions—many Turkic—which it resembles in style:

• Islamic and pre-Islamic strife poems, found in Arabic and Persian literature,
• Aytış, responsive song competition between two opponents found today among the Kazakhs and the Kyrgyz,
• Askiya, a similar style of song competition found today among the Uzbeks,
• Songs between boys and girls, such as Uzbek lapar and Kazakh bedil songs,
• Wedding songs such as Uzbek yor-yor and Kazakh jar-jar

Aside from the Irano-Islamic and Turkic influences, Dankoff posits some amount of Greek and Buddhist influence on the text. The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazaks or Qazaqs), (in Kazakh: Қазақтар []; in Russian: Казахи; English term is the transliteration from Russian) are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia (largely Kazakhstan, but also found in parts of Russia and China). ... Kyrgyz (also spelled Kirghiz) are a Turkic ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan. ...

Selected Online Resources

• Robert Dankoff — Includes bibliography.
• Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative — Includes scanned copies of the Kutadgu Bilig in various languages.
• Kutadgu Bilig — Article about the Kutadgu Bilig in Turkish (page in Windows Turkish encoding).

References

[Dankoff] — Yusuf Khass Hajib, Wisdom of Royal Glory (Kutadgu Bilig): A Turko-Islamic Mirror for Princes, translated, with an introduction and notes, by Robert Dankoff. University of Chicago Press, 1983. Pp. 281

See also

• Turkish literature
• Robert Dankoff
• Alessio Bombaci
• Yusuf Has Hajib
• Mirror for Princes