To the 147th anniversary of Mahmudkhoja Behbudi’s birth

The founder of the Jadid enlightenment movement, playwright, publicist, religious and public figure Mahmudkhoja Behbudi was born on 19 January 1875 in Samarkand.

According to scientists, from the age of eighteen the thinker served as a mirza in court and rose to the position of mufti. During his pilgrimage, Behbudi traveled through Arabia, Egypt and Turkey.

Behbudi was one of the first in Turkestan to create new method schools and write textbooks for them.

Mahmudkhoja Behbudi is the author of the textbooks “Risolai asbobi savod” (“Book of literacy”, 1904), “Risolai jugrofiyai umraniy” (“Introduction to population geography”, 1905), “Muntakhabi jugrofiyai umumiy” (“Brief general geography”, 1906), “Amaliyoti Islom” (“Practice of Islam” (1908, 1909).

Behbudi was one of the founders of the Turkestan autonomy, established in November 1917, and one of the spiritual leaders of the peoples of the region on the path to independence. The thinker foresaw the selfish goals of the ideological system of communism, exposed the vices leading to the decline of the nation, considered the meaning of life to enlighten the people, to open their eyes.

At the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, in 2020, the 145^th anniversary of Mahmudkhoja Behbudi’s birth was widely celebrated in the country. A documentary was filmed about the life and work of our glorious ancestor. His works are published, and a monument to Behbudi is erected on the Alley of Litterateurs in Tashkent.

Scientists emphasize that it is necessary to study the activities of Behbudi, which will undoubtedly serve as the basis for obtaining new information about the life of our outstanding thinkers and enlighteners.

Nazokat Usmanova, UzA