Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

To me all people are equal in life,


So I choose no difference in my grave.

Multicultural values are clearly seen in the works of Azerbaijani philosopher and poet Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani Mayaneji who lived three centuries after Khuraymi. Hamadani was hanged for the philosophical ideas written in his Tamhidat (Prelude):

Come, let us light a fire in the world,


Let us gather Muslims and non-Muslims around it,


Let us be one in the light of togetherness,


Let us strive to find Adam in the world.
The philosopher-poet does not distinguish people in terms of their religion and beliefs, but invites all people to hold one another in esteem.

One of the outstanding poets and thinkers of classical Azerbaijani literature, Nizami Ganjavi, gave concrete, vivid expression to multicultural ideas in his works. Humanist thoughts such as love and equality, social justice and kindness, are central:

Bear everyone’s burden if you can,


To help is man’s highest honour.


Were it within my power in this wide world, I would let no man be dependent on another


If everyone loved man like Jesus, Mercy would spread all over the world.

Nizami Ganjavi created splendid images of people from different nations in his poems The Seven Beauties and The Book of Alexander (Iskandarnama). They show the high ideals and multicultural attitudes of the poet. The main hero of The Seven Beauties, Bahram was born in Iran and is surrounded by seven beauties from different lands and faiths. The beauties are from India, Byzantium, the Slav lands, the West (Maghreb), Khorezm, China and Turkey. Bahram develops in the multicultural environment created by Nizami. The main hero of The Book of Alexander is Alexander the Great. The poet writes with great love of the Western characters, thinkers and scholars such as Philip, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Hermes, Balinas, Porphyry and Archimedes. Alexander was a real character, but the plot of the poem is fictional. It begins with the conquering Alexander waging

Section II

Chapter 4

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

a campaign of invasion to the east and west, north and south. He then spends time with scholars and grows in wisdom, realizing that it is impossible to conquer the world by war, only by science and knowledge. Unlike his first military campaign, the aim of his second trip is to call all people to justice and to convey to them the power of intelligence and knowledge. On this trip he arrives at a place in the north where he is fascinated by what he sees. All citizens of this prosperous country have equal rights. There are no rich and poor, master and slave. The elders rule the country and everyone is free and happy. Nizami says the reason for this happy life is the people’s justice and humanism, fidelity and loyalty, but most important of all their great belief in God and endless love for Him. Seeing all this, Alexander said:


God has created such a world


For these noble people.


They brought brilliance to the world,