FROM THE HISTORY OF ACTIVITIES OF JADIDS

Saidrasul Saidazizov

(1866 – 1933)

Saidrasul Saidazizov was born in 1866 in Tashkent. His father Saidazizhoja was one of the educated men of his time and created all the conditions for his son’s education. In the beginning Saidrasul Saidazizov read mahalla’s primitive school. From 1880, he continued his studies at the madrasah in Tashkent. During his studies years, he learned a number of eastern languages, including Arabic and Persian. Also, he studied poetry and began to learn Russian independently. During these years, he had been aware in news, education and training through routine observation the newspapers “The newspaper of Turkestan Region”, as well as, «Tarjimon» where was published in Bagchasaray. During his studies at the madrassah, he entered to study to the school “Rus-tuzem” and in 1896, he successfully completed the school with the madrasah. After that, he began to work in the madrasah “Madrasai Dasturxonchi” which studied himself.

Saidrasul Saidazizov had a strong natural abilities in pedagogy. In his home, there were many textbook-alphabets which published in Turkish, Tatar, Russian, Azerbaijani and Arabic. Although,14-15 years had passed since the opening of Russian-language schools, no positive change has been made in educational and curricula and there were no alphabetic textbooks in Uzbek for students of local classes. In order to increase the control over the teaching process, according to the instructions of the general-governor S.M.Dukhovskiy the director of the Syrdarya regional public schools S.M.Gramenitskiy handed over the task of creating alphabetical textbook on the basis of the method of sound education to Saidrasul Saidazizov which was the teacher of the “Rus-nuzem” school. His alphabet text, known as the “Ustodi avval” (First Master), corresponded to the method of “Usuli savtiya” that was entering Turkestan. Saidrasul Saidazdzov studied alphabetical textbooks “Xojai Avval” (published by Ahmad Midhat in 1868) and “Xojai Sibyon” (published by Ismaelbek Gaspirali in 1884 and published 27 times) before creating his own alphabetical textbook.

The textbook “Ustodi avval” successfully passed from the discussion of teachers and pedagogues of rus-tuzem schools where was situated in Tashkent. On June 4, 1902, S.Gramenitsky informed about these to the Kerensky, inspector of schools of the Turkestan Territory,  and asked from him for permission to publish this work. This alphabet textbook was printed on the eve of September, 1902 in 3000 copies and distributed to Russian-language schools.

From the beginning the first edition of the alphabet “Ustodi avval” has spread throughout the country. This texbook went into the newly opened “Usuli Jadid”, even “Usuli Qadim”, as well as, translators increased to download the full version because of this book had been published in very few copies. In short, “Ustodi avval” made a great change in Uzbek pedagogy. Saidrasul Saidazizov’s educational activities were not easy. “Usuli Qadim” advocates were opposed his activity in Russian language schools and the implementing the news in the field of education in the local schools and they proclaimed him a “Nasoro mahzum”. However, the scholar did not deviate from the way that was chosen by himself, but continued his work.

From 1910, Saidrasul Saidazizov has been appointed as the teacher of east languages at the Teacher Training Seminaria where was situated in Tashkent. His work in the seminary lasted a long time. The following story of Oyposhsha, the daughter of the scholar, about her father was given by Professor Yusupov: “My father was strong, as white as a cotton, and a clean man. In our room (hujra) which was described in the book “Mavlono Muqimiy” of Sobir Abdulla my father always read the books during the night  till the when the rooster crowed. Before the revolution, in the tenth years, riding on a horse my father going to a new city and he returned to teach at the Turkistan Teachers Seminaria…  During the Soviet times, my father served in the science and education fields, taught in schools until the middle of the twentieth years, and served in the Republican State Archives in the last years of his life”[1].

Saidrasul Saidazizov continued his teaching career during Soviet times too. She taught Arabic and Persian at the Turkestan Institute of Oriental Studies for a long time. In the created Alphabet textbooks in the beginning of the 20th century and in the Soviet era, that can be observed the strong effect of “Ustodi avval”. The book “Ustodi avval”, published 17 times until the October Revolution, became a symbol of reform for the nation during the beginning twentieth century.

Saidrasul Saidazizov died on February 3, 1933.

Jumaev Jonibek
Scientist of the Department religious-education measures of Imom Bukhari international scientific-research center

^[1]Sh. Yusupov. Furqat yollarida. Tashkent, 1984-yil, 38— 39 bet.