THE FIRST MUSLIM THEATRES IN THE EAST

It is always hard to be the first one to do something. It is doubly difficult when you experience rage aimed at you owing to prejudiced and distrustful attitudes towards you. This is precisely what happened in Azerbaijan in the times when it was part of tsarist Russia.  The Azerbaijani professional theatre came into being at a time when the attitude towards the Tatar population (at that time the Azerbaijanis were referred to as Tatars) was an ambiguous one and in circumstances when it was easier for the authorities to forbid something than permit it. But, thanks to a wealth of traditions, it became one of the first European-type theatres in the Muslim East.  

A rich heritage

The birth of the theatre was an important landmark in the culture of the Azerbaijani people. Whereas it was only quite recently that the Azerbaijani president signed an instruction on reconstructing the Azerbaijan State Drama Theatre in Derbent, which was set up in the 19th century, here it would be appropriate to recall that the Azerbaijani theatre in Erivani [now the Armenian capital Yerevan] was created even earlier, at the end of the 18th century. In Tiflis [now the Georgian capital Tbilisi] the Azerbaijani European-type theatre was also among the first to be set up. This was the case throughout the Southern Caucasus. All this gives the Azerbaijanis grounds for claiming that they were the first among the Muslims to set up European-type theatres in the East. Shouldn't this be a good reason for submitting the relevant application to UNESCO to have this recognised?

Nowadays we have to understand that being the bearer of a rich history means that the present-day Azerbaijani theatre bears an even greater responsibility for what it should be like. We have to say that its birth and development were not easy. You see, the Azerbaijani theatre came into being at a time of strong foreign pressure to promote Russification of the country. The significance of the theatre as a platform on which different cultures came together was exploited by the Russian authorities at the time to popularise Russian music, the Russian language and culture. To counter this, Azerbaijani theatre lovers began to put on productions of works by the outstanding writers like Mirza Fatali Axundov, Nacaf bay Vazirov, Abdurrahim bay Asad bay oglu Haqverdiyev and others, thanks to which the Azerbaijani theatre gradually developed from an amateur one into a professional one. 

The first productions

"The fact is that a historical situation came about in which there was a growing demand for a new type of theatre in Northern Azerbaijan in the second half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Before that the embryonic Azerbaijani theatre mostly presented ritual games and songs and dances connected with working activities and the religious and everyday traditions of the people. They were comprised of considerable drama elements and formed the basis for the development of a folk theatre in ancient Azerbaijan," Dr. Esmira Vahabova, PhD (History), a leading researcher at the Bakixanov History Institute attached to Azerbaijan's Academy of Sciences, has told Regionplus.

She said that the basis for a European-type theatre to come into being in Northern Azerbaijan was created in the 1850s, when the comedy by M. F. Axundov appeared in Azeri, which had initially been performed in Russian in St. Petersburg (1851) and in Tiflis (1852). One of those who fought to get an Azerbaijani theatre set up was the Azerbaijani educator Hasan bay Zardabi, who thought that the theatre, along with the opening of schools and the printed word, would be extremely useful in educating the people. In his numerous articles he tried to evoke interest in the theatre among his people, appealing to them to become involved in education and culture.

This appeal was heard, the progressive intelligentsia began to come round to the idea that a national theatre needed to be set up in Baku. "The campaign for an Azerbaijani theatre, for a new school, for the development of the Azerbaijani language and for the development of culture as a whole did turn into a single process, in which eminent Azerbaijani educators, theatre directors, and writers took part, such as Ahmad bay Agayev, A. Haqverdiyev, Suleyman Sani Akhundov, N. Vazirov, Sultan Macid Murtaza-Ali oglu Hanizada, Ali-bay Huseyn oglu Huseynzada and others," the historian stresses.

As far as the dates of the birth and coming into being of the Azerbaijani European-type theatre are concerned, a definite point of view on this exists in Azerbaijani historiography. According to the Azerbaijani researcher, music critic and theoretician Qubad Qasimov, in 1857-1858 productions were staged for the Svyataya Nina [St. Nina] School in Samaxi, which received an enthusiastic reception from the public.

Since no-one knows what these productions were like, which plays were staged and in what language, not 1857 but 1873 is taken at the starting-point. At that time, M. Axundov's comedy "The Adventures of Vizier Sarabski xan" (Serquzesti vaziri xani Sarab") was staged by senior college pupils on 21 March (according to other information 23 March), under the supervision of this school's pedagogue Hasan bey Zardabi, with the participation of N. Vazirov and Adigozalov, and the comedy "Haci Qara" was staged on 28 April. Eminent experts on the Azerbaijani theatre also spoke of this. 

From the Gori Seminary to Baku

The graduates of the Azerbaijani department of the Gori Seminary opened in 1879 played a certain part in setting up Azerbaijani theatres. "The theatre," wrote Mirza Fatali Axundov, "may be a considerable factor in cultural life if it is set up in every town and city. A national theatrical culture can take shape from a whole chain of theatres." By the mid-1880s, the theatre began to come to life in Baku with the participation of Hasim bay Vazirov, A. Haqverdiyev and Badal Badalbayov. A united theatre collective was formed, which brought together a large number of amateur actors who saw their destiny in the theatre. "Many personal, family and job interests were sacrificed for the theatre. Although lacking state support, a financial basis and professional staff, subjected to harassment on the part of the clergy and official circles in society and going through many hard times, the Azerbaijani theatre perfected its own art," E. Bagabova stresses.

Theatre groups began to spring up in some Azerbaijani towns and cities, new creatively-oriented young people appeared who perceived the meaning of their life in the theatre and they became engaged in staging productions and acting in them. Theatre leaders constantly had to promote the theatres, which is evidenced by the fact that, before the show started, either someone from the participants or the production's organisers had to speak about the role of the theatre and the education of the general public. 

Understanding the enormous educational significance of the theatre for the masses at large, the progressive representatives of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia began to organise productions in many towns and cities of Northern Azerbaijan - Lankaran, Susa, Nuxa (Saki), Erivani, Quba, Naxcivan and Elizavetpol (Ganca). Many of them acted in the productions themselves. The productions were either staged in support of poor students or to help schools, colleges and reading-rooms.

The theatre in Erivani

There were constantly reports in the Azerbaijani press about how the theatrical performances in Baku and Tbilisi had facilitated the development of the theatrical art in Erivani. Yunis Nuri, Sidgi Ruhulla, Mirza Mustafa Racabov, Karim Ahmadov, Mirabbas Mirbagirzada, Cafar Ahmadov, Akbar Rzayev and others were responsible for the further formation of the Erivani theatre at the beginning of the 20th century. According to the Azerbaijani theatre critic Inqlab Karimov, the first production in Erivani was staged at the end of 1881. Other Azerbaijani scholars believe the Azerbaijani theatre in Erivani started up in 1882.

"The fact is that the researcher I. Mammadov, who knew Armenian, refers to an article he discovered headed "The Persian Theatre", published in the Armenian newspaper "Psag" ("Wreath") on 10 April 1882. It noted the following in it: "On 2 April 1882, the play "Greed Makes Enemies Rich" was staged for the second time in Tatar in the salon of the Syataya Gayane [St. Gayane] Grammar School in Erivani to help impoverished Muslim students in Erivani. I. Mammadov did not specify when the first production was staged. Thus, it is logical to assume that Inqlab Karimov's view that the first production of this play was staged in 1881 is the correct one," the expert E. Vahabova believes.  

On the 25 March 1913 an illustrator from the Azerbaijani "Molla Nasraddin" satirical weekly, a poet and publicist, Ali Mahzun Rahimzada and Asgar Axundov received permission from official circles for an "Islamic Drama Company" to start operating in Erivani. This company brought together young actors. After a short while, its actors staged the productions "Who's to Blame?", "For Money", "Hungry Types", "A Favourite Child", "Nationalists or a Simpleton Pretending to be a Wise Man", "Ibrahim bey or a Victim of Despotism" and "The Deceived" in the Janpoladov Theatre building.

The Theatre in Tiflis

Abdullah Xalilov was the founder of the Azerbaijani Drama Theatre set up in Tbilisi in 1873. He played a big part in the cultural life of the Azerbaijanis of Borcali and staged productions of works by Azerbaijani classics, foreign and Russian writers. The remarkable Azerbaijani actors A. Haqverdiyev, Huseyn Arablin-ski, S. Ruhulla, Ulvi Racab, I. Isfahanli, A. Yuzbasev, A. Vali, R. Afqanli, M. Sanani, Mustafa Mardanov and others performed at this theatre.

The activity of the Azerbaijani theatre in Tiflis went ahead in difficult circumstances, with the theatre not even having its own building for many years. Poor funding also had an effect on the professional development of the theatre art. But, in spite of that, the Azerbaijani theatre troupe performed its mission honourably, promoting the culture of its own people and facilitating the development of theatres in other towns and cities in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Central Asia.

The theatre in Naxcivan, Derbent and Ganca

"In Naxcivan more or less regular theatrical life also began with the graduates from the Gori Seminary. In 1882-1883 an "Intelli-gentsia Society" was founded by the well-known writer and publicist Eynalibay Sultanov, which primarily brought toge-ther lecturers and students. In May 1883, the production 'Musyo Jordan and the Dervish Mastali shah' based on the work by M. F. Axundov, was staged at the home of a member of the Nakhchivan intelligentsia, Haci Nacaf Zeynalov, who also belonged to this society. 'The Muslim Shiite Art and Drama Society' had already been set up by him in Naxcivan, in the formation of which outstanding literary and arts figures participated," E. Vahabova recounts.

An Azerbaijani amateur Turkic drama circle came into being in Derbent in the mid-1880s. Its initiators were members of the Azerbaijan intelligentsia, lecturers and students in the senior classes of educational establishments, musicians and singers. The regulations were approved on 22 September 1904. The new theatre was made up of people who had not had specialist drama training, but were dedicated to this art with heart and soul.

"The Elizavetpol Muslim Drama Society" launched its activity under the leadership of a member of the intelligentsia, Alasgar bey Xasmammadov in Elizavetpol (Ganca) in August 1906. This society's theatrical troupe (38 people) staged productions of works by Nariman Narimanov, Namiq Kamal, Rasid Afandiyev and others. On the initiative of the Turkic language lecturer from the Elizavetpol senior grammar school, Mirza Muhammad Axundzada, an amateur drama circle was set up in Elizavetpol. The actor  Mirza Muhammad was involved in its work as a producer and actor. He made sure that the theatre repertoire was a varied one and wrote plays himself. He was the author of dramas on the most topical subjects which were troubling people at the time.

An "Actors' Society" was set up in Elizavetpol in 1913. Its founder was a doctor and public figure, Xudadat Aga oglu Rafibayov. The society was involved in organising productions, theatrical troupes and also rendered material assistance to its actors. Xudadat Rafibayov subsequently became the minister of health and social provision in the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. "It was people like this who became the sources of the Azerbaijani European-type theatre," E. Vahabova summed up.

Thanks to the successful activity of the Azerbaijani drama theatre, which was able to stimulate considerable interest in theatrical culture, the prerequisites were created for founding the Azerbaijani opera theatre. But that is quite a different story.