The Theme of National Liberation in the “Gulustan” Poem of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade

Abstract

This article deals with the analysis of the poem "Gulustan" in which Bakhtiyar Vahabzade talks about fate of Azerbaijan divided into two parts. The study shows that the poetic genius and poetry of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade were a great art and literary activity. The name of poem marks an agree ment made between the Russians and Persians (Russia with Iran) in Gulustan region in 1813. Those who cut off the historic destiny of Azerbaijan have been indicated with their own names and addresses.

In the Soviet period the 1813 agreement between Russia and Iran and the inclusion of North of Azerbaijan into the former Soviet empire were shown by the government as it was a situation providing happiness to the Azerbaijani people. However, by displaying the deficiencies of these policies in his poetry, Bakhtiyar Vahabzade objected to political lies, disclosed them obviously and demonstrated the disastrous situation of the divided Azerbaijan between the glassed Russian and bearded Persian.

In the conclusion of this study, the fact that the Soviet Empire was a prison for the peoples, and Stalinism executed so many millions of people without any cause were reflected as the background of the poem