Ashiq Peri

Ashiq Peri
Born	c. 1811 Maralyan,Karabakh Khanate
Died	c. 1848 (aged 36–37)
Occupation	Ashiq
Language	Azerbaijani

Ashiq Peri(Azerbaijani:Aşıq Pəri,عاشیق پری;c. 1811– c. 1848) was a 19th-centuryashiq(folk poet) regarded as the first prominent femaleAzerbaijaniashiq. Her poetry primarily consisted of verbal poetic duels, where she used various folk forms in Azerbaijani. Born in 1811 in the village ofMaralyanin theKarabakh Khanate(now in theJabrayil DistrictofAzerbaijan), she began writing poetry as a child and later moved toShusha,the capital of the Karabakh Khanate. She often participated in local poetry contests, competing against and defeating her male counterparts, and eventually becoming the first renowned female ashiq in the region. She died young under unknown circumstances.

The main themes in Peri's work are love, the objection to injustices, and the expression of suffering and longing. She employs simple and direct language in her poetry. Being the only female in her artistic collective, she often adopted a playful, mocking tone towards her fellow collective members and conveyed an impression of command and competence. Her poetry is notable for its spirited defence of her independence, using the established structure of the ashiq verbal contest to broaden her expressive potential as a woman. She has been described as "a model of a strong, independent woman from withinAzerbaijani culture"because, in her duels with male counterparts, she rebuffed their advances while maintaining her honour and modesty, always performing solo without requiring a man's guardianship.

Biography

Little is known about the life of Ashiq Peri. The majority of the information available comes from the observations of the RussianorientalisthistorianAdolf Bergewho journeyed across theCaucasusfor an anthropological investigation in the early 1800s and met Peri.Her real name and precise date of birth remain unknown, but based on Berge's estimation that she was 18 years old in 1829, it is estimated that she was born in 1811.She used thepen namePeri(lit. 'Fairy') in her works.Peri was born and raised inMaralyan,a village in theKarabakh Khanate,now located inAzerbaijan'sJabrayil District.She received her education there and began writing poetry as a child.Some sources suggest that she was apprenticed toMahammad Bey Ashiq,a famousashiq(folk poet) of her time.

She began participating in local poetry contests, often competing against and defeating her male counterparts. Eventually, she became the first renowned female ashiq in the region.In 1830, she moved toShusha,the capital of the Karabakh Khanate, where her reputation continued to grow.She remained unmarried and expressed in her poetry that her life "came to an end with the death of her lover".She died young under unknown circumstances.According to Anna C. Oldfield, a professor ofworld literature,the majority of references indicate that Peri died in 1848, but do not provide any details on the cause or circumstances of her death.However, some references list her year of death as 1835.

Poetry

Peri is known to have authored between 40 and 50 poems, but the majority of them have been lost.Her poetry primarily consisted of verbal poetic duels, which were transcribed by spectators, preserving an account of the live performances. These duels took place within an artistic collective known as amejlis.Peri belonged to the Vagifmejlis,named afterMolla Panah Vagif,a poet and statesman from the Karabakh Khanate who played a key role in establishingAzerbaijani ashiq poetryas a recognised literary genre. The Vagifmejlis,like Vagif himself, was known for composing and reciting verse inAzerbaijani,in contrast to most Azerbaijani poetry from the 19th century, which was associated with the city elites and written inPersian.Oldfield suggests that this was indicative of a "rising Azerbaijani national consciousness", with Peri being "among those who championed her native language and poetic traditions".Peri used folk forms such asgəraylı(stanzas with four lines of eight syllables each) andqoşma(stanzas with four lines of eleven syllables each) in her poetry, which predominantly explores the theme of love, with its pains and challenges. She frequently alludes to romantic love in her verses, often embracing herfemininity,while also reflecting a deepShia Muslimfaith.Another common theme in her poetry is objection to injustice, as well as the expression of suffering and longing.Though she uses simple and direct language, her poems demonstrate a thorough understanding of both folk and high-culture poetic motifs.

Peri was the only female member of hermejlis.Her poetry is characterised by its wit and playfulness, often adopting a mocking tone towards her fellowmejlismembers and conveying an impression of command and competence. Oldfield likens her to an "older sister" to othermejlismembers, though she notes that Peri "would have been younger than all of them". Other ashiqs dedicated many poems to her, highlighting the prominent role she must have occupied in themejlis.Her poetry is notable for its spirited defence of her independence, using the established structure of the ashiq verbal contest to broaden her expressive potential as a woman.In her poetic exchanges with male members of themejlis,she upholds her honour, rebuffs their advances, and maintains her modesty.

Legacy

Tuğba Bayraktarlar, a modern scholar ofTurkish literature,describes Peri as one of the most significant representatives of ashiq poetry in the 19th century.Her poetry helped spread women's literature not only in her home region of Karabakh, but throughout modern-day Azerbaijan.Peri is also regarded as the first prominent female Azerbaijani ashiq, and her legacy continues to this day.In 1984, the first association of female ashiqs and poets was established in theAzerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republicand it was namedAşıq Pəri Məclisi(lit. 'mejlisof Ashiq Peri') in her honour. The association brings together over 100 female poets.Oldfield describes Peri as "a model of a strong, independent woman from withinAzerbaijani culture"because she upheld her honour and modesty in her public duels with male ashiqs, asserting her dominance over the men she dueled with and performing solo without the need for a man's guardianship.

References

Sources

• Bayraktarlar, Tuğba (2014)."Peri".Türk Edebiyatı İsimler Sözlüğü(in Turkish).Ahmet Yesevi University.Retrieved29 July2023.
• Gray, Laurel Victoria (2009)."Arts: Folk Dancers and Folk Singers: Caucasus".InJoseph, Suad(ed.).Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures.BrillOnline.doi:10.1163/1872-5309_ewic_EWICCOM_0291b.Retrieved29 July2023.
• Heß, Michael R. (2016)."Aşıq Pəri".In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John;Stewart, Devin J.(eds.).Encyclopaedia of Islam(3rd ed.).BrillOnline.doi:10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_24977.Retrieved29 July2023.
• Oldfield, Anna C. (2021). ""Don't Get in my Face Like Ashiq Peri"".In Jussawalla, Feroza; Omran, Doaa (eds.).Memory, Voice, and Identity: Muslim Women's Writing from across the Middle East.New York:Routledge.ISBN9781003100164.

External links

• AzerbaijaniWikisourcehas original text related to this article:Aşıq Pəri