UMETBAYEV, Mukhametsalim Ishmukhametovich

UMETBAYEV, Mukhametsalim Ishmukhametovich [21.8.1841, Derevnya Ibragimovo of Yumran‑Tabynskaya Volost of Ufim. Uyezd of Orenb. Gub. (now Karmaskalinsky Raion of the RB) – 28.6.1907, Ibid.], Bashkir Poet‑Educator, Translator, Philologist, Historian, Ethnographer, Public Figure and Publicist. Titular Counsellor (1892). Awarded with the 3rd Class Order of St. Stanislav, 2 silver and a bronze medals. Received his primary education in the madrassa of his native village. Then, studied at Neplyuevsky Cadet Corps (1852–60). He was fluent in Turkic, Russian, Arabic and other languages. Since 1860, Translator in the 25th Canton. Since 1864 Conciliator Copyist, since 1869 Starshina (Head) of Yumran‑Tabynsky Volost of Ufimsky Uyezd of the same name gub. Since 1879, Teacher at Sterlitamak Madrassa. Since 1880, Translator in the Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly. Since 1899, retired. The poems As in the Old Days the Bashkirs Girls Were Accompanied, Yumran Family, etc; the fable Belt and Bast (1897), etc reflect the material and spiritual culture of the Bashkirs. He translated from Russian and East languages into the Ural‑Volga Turkic popular brochures, various scientific articles, samples of Eastern Literature and the following creative works by A.S.Pushkin: Romance, Delibash, Bakhchisaraysky Fountain (all – in 1901), etc. Translated into the Russian language samples of the Bashkir, Tatar, Arabic and Turkic folklore, own scientific works, poems and journalistic works. U. was the first to develop the linguistic terminology of the Bashkir language. He compiled the Persian-Russian dictionary (1882), Persian‑Tatar-Russian dictionary (1886) and others. U. recorded and published an excerpt from the epic Idukay and Muradym, and the Bashkir proverbs, sayings and riddles. In his journalistic works [Whether the People Becomes Richer or Poorer (1897, unpublished), Urshaksky Bridge (published in 1984), etc] he advocated the free and comprehensive development of all Russia’s peoples cultures. Historical and ethnographic essays such as Bright and Gloomy Days of the Bashkir People, Genealogy of the Kese-Tabynsky Family (both – in 1897), etc are dedicated to the problems of ethnogenesis of Bashkirs, Bashkirs tribal organization, economy, social and economic relations, etc.