Baymirza Hayit
Encyclopedia
Baymirza Hayit Mahmutmirzaoğlov (December 17, 1917 – October 31, 2006), also spelled Boymirza Hayit Mahmutmirzaoğlov, was a historian
and orientalist
who specialized in the history of Turkestan
and Central Asia
.
Baymirza Hayit was born in Yargorgan, a village in the province of Namangan
, located on Uzbek territory. Hayit was one of nine children raised by his mother Rabiya Hayit and his father Mirza Mahmutmirzaoğlov in a family of Uzbek
origin. As an adolescent Hayit already showed interest in literature and arts. Despite the deprivations of the 1930s he graduated from Tashkent University in 1939. The same year he was called into the Russian army, where he served as a lieutenant. Hayit left Namangan in December 1939 and was stationed in Poland
as a squadron tank commander. During World War II
Hayit fought in the Red Army
until he got into German war captivity in 1941. Then he served as an officer in the Turkestan Legion
of the German Wehrmacht. While serving in the legion he met the legendary Turkistani nationalist Mustafa Chokaev.
After the war Hayit settled down in West Germany
, where he enrolled in the subjects science of history, orientalism and islamic sciences at the University of Münster
. Since then he was committed to the studies about his home region Turkestan. He received his PhD Doctor of Philosophy
in 1950 and published his thesis “Die Nationalen Regierungen von Kokand und der Alasch Orda.” He married a young doctor from Cologne named Ruth in the same year. The couple had two sons, Ertay and Mirza, and a daughter, Dilber. From the 1950s until his death Hayit wrote dozens of articles and fifteen acclaimed books in German
, English
, and Turkish
on the history of Turkestan (the now independent republics of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the Chinese province of Xinjiang).
His major works are „Turkestan im XX. Jahrhundert, Darmstadt 1956“, „Sowjetrussische Orientpolitik am Beispiel Turkestans, Köln-Berlin 1962“, „Die Wirtschaftsprobleme Turkestans, Ankara 1968“, „Turkestan zwischen Russland und China, Amsterdam 1971“ and „Basmatschi: Nationaler Kampf Turkestans in den Jahren 1917 bis 1934, Köln 1992“.
Hayit taught at several universities around the world. He worked as an assistant at the University of London
, and he worked as a lecturer at Harvard University
, Hacettepe University
in Ankara
, University of Istanbul and Marmara University
in Istanbul
.
Hayit was a strong advocate for the independence and unification of the Soviet and Chinese-controlled
parts of Central Asia. His work was vilified in the Soviet Union. Even in independent Uzbekistan it was discussed controversial, and vilified by president, Islom Karimov for being a traitor to his motherland.
In other parts of the world his work was appreciated because of the huge political and historical relevance of his theses. Hayit was one of the very few historians who was addicted to Turkesanian history at large. Especially in the Turkish-speaking world he gained a high reputation. In 2004 he was decorated with the honorary doctor title for his lifetime work by the Technical University of Istanbul.
Hayit died at the age of 88 in Cologne
on October 31, 2006 .
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and orientalist
Orientalism
Orientalism is a term used for the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers and artists, as well as having other meanings...
who specialized in the history of Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
Life
Namangan
Namangan is the third-largest city in Uzbekistan . It is the capital of Namangan Province, in the northern edge of Fergana Valley of north-eastern Uzbekistan.-Geography:...
, located on Uzbek territory. Hayit was one of nine children raised by his mother Rabiya Hayit and his father Mirza Mahmutmirzaoğlov in a family of Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
origin. As an adolescent Hayit already showed interest in literature and arts. Despite the deprivations of the 1930s he graduated from Tashkent University in 1939. The same year he was called into the Russian army, where he served as a lieutenant. Hayit left Namangan in December 1939 and was stationed in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
as a squadron tank commander. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Hayit fought in the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
until he got into German war captivity in 1941. Then he served as an officer in the Turkestan Legion
Turkestan legion
The Turkestan Legion was the name for the military units composed of the "freiwillige" Turkic peoples who fought in the German Army during World War II...
of the German Wehrmacht. While serving in the legion he met the legendary Turkistani nationalist Mustafa Chokaev.
After the war Hayit settled down in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, where he enrolled in the subjects science of history, orientalism and islamic sciences at the University of Münster
University of Münster
The University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...
. Since then he was committed to the studies about his home region Turkestan. He received his PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1950 and published his thesis “Die Nationalen Regierungen von Kokand und der Alasch Orda.” He married a young doctor from Cologne named Ruth in the same year. The couple had two sons, Ertay and Mirza, and a daughter, Dilber. From the 1950s until his death Hayit wrote dozens of articles and fifteen acclaimed books in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
on the history of Turkestan (the now independent republics of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the Chinese province of Xinjiang).
His major works are „Turkestan im XX. Jahrhundert, Darmstadt 1956“, „Sowjetrussische Orientpolitik am Beispiel Turkestans, Köln-Berlin 1962“, „Die Wirtschaftsprobleme Turkestans, Ankara 1968“, „Turkestan zwischen Russland und China, Amsterdam 1971“ and „Basmatschi: Nationaler Kampf Turkestans in den Jahren 1917 bis 1934, Köln 1992“.
Hayit taught at several universities around the world. He worked as an assistant at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and he worked as a lecturer at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Hacettepe University
Hacettepe University
Hacettepe University is a major state university in Ankara, Turkey.The University has two main campuses. The first is located in the old town of Ankara and hosts the Medical Centre, and the second is the Beytepe Campus, which is 13 km from the city centre...
in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, University of Istanbul and Marmara University
Marmara University
Marmara University is a public university in Turkey. Situated in Istanbul, Marmara University has succeeded in becoming the second largest university in the whole country...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
Hayit was a strong advocate for the independence and unification of the Soviet and Chinese-controlled
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
parts of Central Asia. His work was vilified in the Soviet Union. Even in independent Uzbekistan it was discussed controversial, and vilified by president, Islom Karimov for being a traitor to his motherland.
In other parts of the world his work was appreciated because of the huge political and historical relevance of his theses. Hayit was one of the very few historians who was addicted to Turkesanian history at large. Especially in the Turkish-speaking world he gained a high reputation. In 2004 he was decorated with the honorary doctor title for his lifetime work by the Technical University of Istanbul.
Hayit died at the age of 88 in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
on October 31, 2006 .
Partial list of published works
Works were published under the names Baymirza Hayit and B. Hayit.Books
- “Die Nationalen Regierungen von Kokand und der Alasch Orda.” Ph.D. thesis for University of Münster, Munich, 1950.
- “Sowjetrußische Orientpolitik am Beispiel Turkestan.” Köln-Berlin: Kiepenhauer & Witsch, 1956
- “Turkestan im XX Jahrhundert.” DarmstadtDarmstadtDarmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
: Leske, 1956 - “Documents: Soviet Russia's Anti-Islam-Policy in Turkestan.” DüsseldorfDüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
: Gerhard von Mende, 2 vols, 1958. - “Turkestan Zwischen Russland Und China.” AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
: Philo Press, 1971 - "Turkestan. Im Herzen Euroasiens". Studienverlag, 1980. ISBN 3922145507.
- “Some thoughts on the problem of Turkestan”, Institute of Turkestan Research, 1984
- “Islam and Turkestan Under Russian Rule.” IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
: Can Matbaa, 1987. - “Basmatschi: Nationaler Kampf Turkestans in den Jahren 1917 bis 1934.” KölnKOLNKOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
: Dreisam-Verlag, 1993. ISBN 3894523735; ISBN 3896070800. - “Berichte und Forschungen über Turkestan.” Köln. 1997.
- “Yeni Çag Türkistan tarihi kaynaklar.” Turan Kültür Vakf¸ 2000 ISBN 975-7893-28-5
Articles
- “The Communist Party in Turkestan” London: Central Asian ReviewCentral Asian ReviewCentral Asian Review was a journal of Central Asian Studies published from 1953 to 1968. The journal’s full title was Central Asian Review: A Quarterly Review of Current Developments in Soviet Central Asia and Kazakhstan and was published quarterly by the Central Asian Research Centre in...
, 1957. - “Turkestan as an Example of Soviet Colonialism” Studies on the Soviet Union. pp. 78–95 1961
- “Sowjetrußische Kolonialismus und Imperialismus in Turkestan.” OosterhoutOosterhoutOosterhout is a municipality and a city in the South of the Netherlands. At June, 2008, the city population was 54,015.-History:Oosterhout is mentioned for the first time in 1277, although archaeological excavations showed the existence of human settlements in the area in prehistoric times. The...
. 1962 - “Turkistanda Emir haqqinda yeni fikir carayanlari.” Milli Turkistan. No. 126. 1969.
- “Der Islam und die anti-islamische Bewegung in der Sowjetunion.” Osteuropa 22(2). 114–118. 1972
- “Turkistan: A case for national independence.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 1. pp. 38–50. 1979.
- “Turkestan im Herzen Euroasiens.” Studienverlag (1), 1980.
- “Western Turkestan: The Russian dilemma.” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 6 (I) pp. 137–51. 1985
- “Turkestan als historischer Faktor und politische Idee.” Studienverlag 17 1988