Zakir Mammadov

Zakir Jabbar Bey oglu Mammadov (Azerbaijani: Məmmədov Zakir Cabbar bəy oğlu) (August 16, 1936 — March 2, 2003) was a correspondent member (associate member) of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and Doctor in Philosophy. Mammadov specialized in Eastern philosophy, and focused mostly on the history of Azerbaijani philosophy. He had refuted the thesis ‘no professional philosopher lived in Azerbaijan in Middle Ages except for Bahmanyar’.

Life Mammadov was born in Seyidli, Aghdam on August 16, 1936. His mother was Husnu Murtuza bey qizi Mammadbeyova, and his father Jabbar bey Ismayil bey oglu Valibeyov. His father was a descendant of the Baharli tribe.

Mammadov grew up under political persecution and used his mother's surname. His last name was Mammadov, not Mammadbeyov.

Mammadov graduated from secondary school No.1 of Agdam earning medal and entered Arabic philology section, recently established within Faculty of Oriental Studies of Azerbaijan State University (now Baku State University). While Mammadov was first year student, i.e. on 29 November 1957 his father Jabbar bey was exonerated by the decision of Supreme Court of Azerbaijan SSR.

While studying at university he was awarded certificate of merit by Az.LKGI for excellence in education and public work. He published verses and translations from Arabic on university newspaper with large editions. Having learnt Arabic from Alasgar Mammadov, great personality, polyglot scholar, and founder of Arabic studies in Azerbaijan, Mammadov graduated from university in 1962.

In August of that year Mammadov embarked on working as junior research fellow in Institute of Oriental Studies of ANAS. From September 1962 to September 1963 he was the first Azerbaijani interpreter who worked in construction of Aswan dam in Egypt (UAR). Having learnt local dialect in a year he also collected rich scientific literature in Arabic. Upon return to his motherland he started teaching Egyptian dialect first time in Azerbaijan State University (now Baku State University) and due to his scientific interest toward books obtained about Eastern philosophy began working in Philosophy section of Azerbaijan AS (now Institute of Philosophy and Law of ANAS).

Mammadov was acquiring the Eastern, especially Azerbaijani philosophers’ works, microfilms of unique manuscripts, printed copies mostly at the expense of his own and sometimes his friends’ allowances to order. In Azerbaijan he was the only scholar that researched the doctrines of Eastern philosophers comprehensively and extendedly on the basis of those sources. Besides researching the legacy of our world-famous philosophers he also sought for their public recognition.

On Mammadov's initiative the Presidium of Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences adopted decision on commemoration of 800th anniversary of Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi, the founder of Illuminationism on April 2, 1991. In accordance with this decision the jubilee of illuminationist philosopher was marked in Institute of Philosophy and Law (now Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Law) on 25 December 1991.

While Mammadov, the only researcher of Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi's philosophical legacy translated his numerous treatises into Azerbaijani, merely two of them were issued. The researcher translated Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi's ‘Philosophers’ creed ’ into Azerbaijani and Russian in cooperation with Tariyel Hasanov and this translation was published initially in 1986 and second time in 1999. By translating philosopher’s treatise ‘The Temples of Light (Hayakal al-Nur)’ Mammadov published it initially in 1989 and second time in 1999 with his own fund.

Upon Z.Mammadov's initiative the Presidium of Azerbaijan AS and Cabinet of Ministers adopted decision on the commemoration of the 1000th anniversary of Bahmanyār’s birth in 1993. On this occasion three scientific sessions were held in Institute of Philosophy and Law and conferences in a number of higher education institutions.

Upon Mammadov’s initiative the Presidium of Azerbaijan AS adopted decision on the 800th anniversary of Sirajeddin Urmavi’s birth in 1998. He made up articles with regard to the 800th anniversary of Afzaladdin Xunaji and Sirajeddin Urmavi’s birth and to the 900th anniversary of Ayn al-Quzat Miyanedji and published them in journal and newspapers.

Mammadov attended a variety of scientific sessions, conferences in Baku, Tashkent, Samarkand, Fergana and Dushanbe. He gave a talk in 5th (1968) and 12th (1975) scientific sessions of Azerbaijan AS’s Coordination Council, academic conference dedicated to methodological issues and development history of Transcaucasian peoples’ medieval philosophy and session devoted to the 700th anniversary of Ottoman Empire (1999). He delivered speeches regarding the anniversaries of scientific and cultural coryphaeus – Al-Farabi, Avicenna, Nizami Ganjavi, Nasimi, Abbasgulu Bakikhanov, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Muhammad al-Bukhari and Ahmad Fargani. He was elected member of State Jubilee Commission organizing the Nasir al-Din al-Tusi’s 800th anniversary.

‘History of Azerbaijan Philosophy’, Mammadov's masterpiece of great importance among his writings is an outline of his researches concerning Azerbaijani philosophers’ and thinkers’ rich philosophical legacy revealed by him for more than thirty years. The book traces the development path of Azerbaijani philosophy's history. Ideological trends, doctrines, vision of their Azerbaijani proponents are analysed in the context of Eastern philosophical thinking. It is shown that though merely religious philosophy (mysticism and scholasticism) was spread in Christian world during feudalism, there existed non-religious philosophical doctrines such as pantheism and Illuminationism founded by Azerbaijani philosophers, as well as East Peripateticism in Muslim countries and these enriched philosophical history of the mankind.

Mammadov is the author of more than forty articles in ten-volume Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopaedia, of second volume of ‘History of Azerbaijan’ in seven volumes (the chapter titled philosophy), of second volume of ‘History of Azerbaijani literature’ in six volumes, and of some articles in ‘Philosophical Encyclopaedic Dictionary’. He is the author of textbook called ‘Philosophy’ and syllabus ‘History of Philosophy’ taught at schools. Worshipper

‘Eastern philosophy (11-12th centuries)’. (Baku, BSU publishing, 1999). Mammadov engaged in translation as well, translating first time into Azerbaijani language the pearls of the world philosophy - Yakub Kindi's treatise ‘The first philosophy ‘, excerpts from Abulhasan Askeri's work ‘Muslims’ views and the diversity in worshippers’ opinions’, Farabi's book ‘Meanings of the Intellect’, the physics part of Ibn Sina's ‘The Book of Knowledge (Danishnama-i alai)’, ‘The Book of Politics. Treatise on Ethics (Ilm-al-akhlaq)’, the logic excerpt of Bahmanyar's ‘Education Book’, treatises ‘Subject of Metaphysics’ and the ‘Degrees of Beings’, the excerpts from Gazzali's ‘Rescuer from Error (al-Munqidh min al-dalal)’ treatise, the extracts from Ayn al-Quzat Miyanedji's treatise ‘The essence of the truth’, selected excerpts from Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi’s book ‘Contribution of the Knowledge’ and the other works and incorporated them to the collection ‘Eastern philosophy (11-12th centuries)’ (Baku, BSU publishing, 1999).

Mammadov's books were used by the scientists who wrote works not only in the field of philosophy, but also law, literature and history. His translations from medieval philosophers’ and thinkers’ works are within the sources for researchers’ studies.