Ahmed Javad Azerbaijani poet, writer, journalist Date of Birth: 05.05.1892 Country: Azerbaijan

Biography of Ahmed Javad

Ahmed Javad was an Azerbaijani poet, writer, translator, and journalist. He was born on May 5, 1892, in the village of Seifali in the Shamakhi district. He received his primary education at home and studied Turkish, Persian, Arabic languages, and Eastern literature. After graduating from the religious seminary in Ganja in 1912, he worked as a teacher and actively participated in the literary and socio-political life of the city.

During the Balkan War, Ahmed Javad fought on the side of Turkey as part of the "Caucasian Volunteer Corps". As a member of the Society of Mercy, he aided orphans and refugees in Kars, Erzurum, and other cities. In 1916, he published his collection of poems, "Goshma", followed by "Dalga" ("Wave") in 1919. This period of Ahmed Javad's career, known as the poet of independence, was closely associated with Mammad Amin Rasulzade. Upon Rasulzade's recommendation, Ahmed Javad joined the Musavat Party. The peak of the poet's creativity was linked to the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), for which he actively fought. In his poem "Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!", Ahmed Javad celebrated the proclamation of the ADR. He praised the tricolor flag of Azerbaijan in the poem "To the Azerbaijani Flag". After the establishment of the ADR, the poet continued his teaching activities, engaged in cultural and educational work, and assisted Yusifbeyli Nasi-bek, the Minister of Education of the ADR. He actively participated in the creation of Azerbaijan University. Ahmed Javad is the author of the national anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, composed by Uzeyir Hajibeyov. His poetry contains a call for the unity of Turkic nations. In the poems "Englishman" and "Stranger", he expressed his negative attitude towards invaders. In the poem "Hey Soldier", he praised the Turkish army that came to the aid of the Azerbaijani people in 1918.

After the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, Ahmed Javad continued his teaching activities. In 1920, he worked as the director of a school and a teacher of Russian and Azerbaijani languages in the village of Khulug in the Gusar district, and from 1920 to 1922, he served as the head of the Department of Public Education of the Gubinsky district. From 1922 to 1927, he studied at the History-Philology Faculty of Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute while working as a lecturer at the Narimanov Technical School. In 1924-1926, he served as the secretary of the Society of Soviet Writers of Azerbaijan. In 1925, Ahmed Javad was arrested for his poem "Geigel". In 1930, he moved to Ganja and worked as a teacher from 1930 to 1933, then as an associate professor and head of the Russian and Azerbaijani Language Department at the Agricultural Institute in Ganja. In 1933, Ahmed Javad was awarded the title of professor. After that, he supervised the literary department of the Ganja Drama Theater. In 1934, he returned to Baku and worked as an editor in the translation department of "Azerneshr" publishing house. From 1935 to 1936, he served as the head of the documentary films department at the "Azerbaijanfilm" studio. In March 1937, Ahmed Javad was awarded the first prize for the translation of Shota Rustaveli's poem "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" into Azerbaijani language.

Ahmed Javad translated the works of Russian writers and poets, including Alexander Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman", Maxim Gorky's "Childhood", and Ivan Turgenev's prose, into Azerbaijani. He also translated works from European classics such as William Shakespeare's "Othello", Francois Rabelais' "Gargantua and Pantagruel", and Knut Hamsun's "Hunger".