Author: Yavuz Ataman, Kemal

Annotation: After converting to Islam, the Turks established powerful and influential states that altered the course of history. Written during the Karakhanid era, one of the first Muslim Turkish states, Kutadgu Bilig by Yusuf Has Hacib stands as a significant, valuable, and literary work in the fields of Turkish state tradition and political and social philosophy. Kutadgu Bilig holds a crucial place in the political, literary, and social history of the Turks. The exceptional qualities and virtues of Yusuf Has Hacib are reflected in the work. Although Kutadgu Bilig is classified as a "mirror for princes" (siyasetname), it is distinct from its contemporaries. It is evident that the author's knowledge, observations, analyses, and recommendations proved accurate and relevant in subsequent periods. Alongside his scholarly stature, Yusuf Has Hacib’s moral excellence and personal maturity further enhance the influence of the book. By combining his ideas with religious knowledge and life experience, Yusuf Has Hacib addresses all segments of society with a practical, simple, comprehensible, and wisdom-laden style and with profound advice. In Kutadgu Bilig, the individual, society, and state are considered, appreciated, and organized as interconnected and integral elements. This study will examine Kutadgu Bilig in the context of Yusuf Has Hacib’s conception of the individual, society, and state.

Keywords: Yusuf Has Hacib, Kutadgu Bilig, Individual, Society, State, Conception, Perfect Man.

Pages in journal: 501 - 508