SAPARMYRAT
TURKMENBASHY
RUKHNAMA
Reflections on the Spiritual Values of the Turkmen
ASHGABAT
2003

OATH
TURKMENISTAN, MY BELOVED MOTHERLAND,
MY BELOVED HOMELAND!
YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH ME
IN MY THOUGHTS AND IN MY HEART!
FOR THE SLIGHTEST EVIL AGAINST YOU
LET MY HAND BE LOST!
FOR THE SLIGHTEST SLANDER ABOUT YOU
LET MY TONGUE BE LOST!
AT THE MOMENT OF MY BETRAYAL
TO MY MOTHERLAND,
TO HER SACRED BANNER,
TO GREAT SAPARMYRAT TURKMENBASHY
LET MY BREATH STOP!

THE PRESIDENT FOR A LIFE OF
INDEPENDENT AND NEUTRAL TURKMENISTAN
SAPARMYRAT TURKMENBASHY THE GREAT

THE STATE EMBLEM OF TURKMENISTAN
THE FLAG OF TURKMENISTAN

THE PRESIDENTIAL FLAG

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF THE
INDEPENDENT NEUTRAL TURKMENISTAN
The great creation of Turkmenbashy,
Native land, sovereign state,
Turkmenistan, light and song of soul,
Long live and prosper for ever and ever!
I am ready to give life for native hearth,
The spirit of ancestors descendants are famous for,
My land is sacred. My flag flies in the world
A symbol of the great neutral country flies.
The great creation of Turkmenbashy,
Native land, sovereign state,
Turkmenistan, light and song of soul,
Long live and prosper for ever and ever!
My nation is united and is veins of tribes
Ancestors’ blood, undying flows,
Storms and misfortunes of times are not dreadful for us,
Let us increase fame and honour!
The great creation of Turkmenbashy,
Native land, sovereign state,
Turkmenistan, light and song of soul,
Long live and prosper for ever and ever!
Mountains, rivers and beauty of steppes,
Love and destiny, revelation of mine,
Let my eyes go blind for any cruel look at you,
Motherland of ancestors and heirs of mine!

8

9
THE FIRST SECTION
TURKMEN
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST EXALTED
My Beloved People!
My Dear Nation,
This book, written with the help of inspiration sent to
my heart by the God who created this wonderful universe
and who is able to do whatever He wills, is Turkmen
Rukhnama.
Allah has exposed the Turkmen nation to great and
difficult problems since the creation of humankind. My people
has successfully passed through these hard times. The
Turkmen people whose history goes back 5000 years to the
period of Oguz Khan, contributed to the universal values
which emerged in the lands between the Eastern
Mediterranean and India, and indeed, cannot be
underestimated. In its own lands, the Turkmen people
founded more than 70 states including the Anew, Altyndepe,
Margush, Parfiya, Seljuks and Koneurgench states.
The Turkmen people has a great history which goes
back to the Prophet Noah.
Prophet Noah gave the Turkmen lands to his son Yafes
and his descendants.
Allah made the Turkmens prolific and their numbers
greatly increased. God gave them two special qualities:

10
spiritual richness and courage. As a light for their road, God
also strengthened their spiritual and mental capacity with the
ability to recognize the realities behind events. After that He
gave His servants the following general name: TURK IMAN.
turk means core, iman means light. Therefore, TURK IMAN,
namely Turkmen means “made from light, whose essence is
light.” The Turkmen name came to this world in this way.
Allah by his sacred command sent the Prophet Noah
scriptures including holy orders. The Prophet Noah distributed
these to the people of his time. The essence of these pages
was, indeed, beautiful ethics. There were sayings like:
“honour-honesty to young men; virtue1 to the girls, intellect,
sagacity, dignity to the old men and women; nobility to the
brides.”
Prophet Noah taught his children and youth courage,
nobility, keeping their promises, hard work, and spiritual
virtue. He made them aware that any small problem in any of
these would mean a problem in their honesty in general. Turk
Iman, that is, Turkmen young men considered verbal attacks
on their homeland, their relatives and parents, as attacks on
their honour and they did not hesitate to struggle against these.
The Prophet Noah ordered girls, wives and old women
to cover their bodies with long, loose dresses, and their heads
with head scarves, but left their faces open. “Turkmens’ faces
reflect the light of Allah. For that reason sunlight, which is
the torchlight of God, should fall on their faces and this should
not be prevented.” Prophet Noah also advised repeatedly that
men should not hit the faces of their children or wife. As for
1
The original Turkmen word is uyat which comes to the meanings of chaste, innocence, bashfulness
and virtue.

11
the woman’s mouth, he ordered them to cover it. This cover
become the Turkmen traditional cover or yashmak. Later he
ordered the girls to cover their faces with the extensions of
their dresses when they made eye contact with a man and to
bite the extension when they heard ugly words.
Prophet Noah ordered the elders to be careful, patient
and wise when educating children and placed on the shoulders
of the elders the burden of bringing up children suitably
equipped with the necessary skills for conditions in the real
world. Prophet Noah wanted the youth to avoid making errors
and not to be mistaken. He preached thus:
“If elders make a mistake once, their juniors make it a
thousand times. If the father makes a mistake, the son makes
a mistake; if the mother makes mistakes, the daughter makes
mistakes; if the father-in-law and mother-in-law make a
mistake, the bride makes a mistake.” For this reason he
established the rules of good manners at home for TURK
IMAN.
This rules of good manners are as follows:
1. respect your elders
2. love your juniors
Prophet Noah said, “If you do not respect your old people,
and do not love your juniors then humanity gets lost; and an
era of no mercy begins”
3. respect your father and mother
He advised children kindly: “Do not talk to your father
and mother while looking in their faces. Do not frown at,
make sour face to, them. Do not behave badly to them. If
they order something, then do it.” This can be internalized
by the children easily and in a short time.

12
4. Wear clean and decent clothes.
(Outward appearance)
Prophet Noah ordered: “Good clothes improve the
external appearance and make people look good. Choose
clothes that suit you.”
5. Keep goods at your home that have been earned by
your own labor and efforts.
Prophet Noah said: “Do not take other people’s goods.
Do not bring them to your house, and do not make them
yours,” and added, “The home is also a place to visit.”
6. The decoration of the home, its order, cleanliness and
appearance should be very good.
Prophet Noah repeatedly said: “Each material thing
should make the soul feel comfortable and should increase
happiness in life. If your house is dirty, then you feel bad,
dis-oriented and uncomfortable.”
7. Protect the home and its exterior and neighboring areas
and the place you live in.
Prophet Noah ordered: “Remain aware of and protect
whole-heartedly your neigbours and your neighbourhood. If
an enemy attacks your neigbour’s home, then you will be the
next.”
8. Spritual sublimity
Prophet Noah advised: “Always maintain sublime targets
for your spirit. That adds spirit and light to the value of your
life, and makes your difficult dealings easy.”
9. Women’s make up
“Do not be mean with emerald stones for your daughters
and wives. Find them wherever they are and give them to the

13
women. If one upsets his wife or daughter, he is not a TURK
IMAN since they are very pleasant by nature, and their souls
are pleasant too. Please them if you want to treat them well.
Give them valuable pieces so that they may wear them on
their breast, neck, and back. However, never harm their faces;
the face itself is more valuable than thousands of emerald
pieces. Allah’s love in people’s heart shows itself in people’s
faces and enlightens the world. If you do this, they look better,
satisfy your soul, and strengthen your spirit.” as Prophet Noah
advised. He always said: “The decoration and beauty of the
home are the daughters and the wives. A rose is beautiful in
the garden; a wife, a daughter is beautiful in the home.”
More than this, the Prophet Noah said:
“Keep the fire in the stove alight and do not allow your
family to perish. Fire is life and puts an end to problems,
frightening evil away.”
Turkmens have preserved their religion, their language,
and the purity of their nation, and created their own customs
and legitimate conduct. These multi-faceted positive changes
derive from the spiritual wealth of the people. Every Turkmen
has this spiritual wealth and up until the 18th century by their
labor, honor, courage, and endurance they determined their
fate by themselves with cooperation at various levels, in the
family, society, people and nation.
If you look at the history, over the last 300 years
Turkmens’ attributes have changed, their power and scope
has decreased, conflicts have replaced unity and cooperation.
My Turkmen nation with neighboring nations, the clans
between themselves, and tribes against other tribes, all fell
into different conflicts. The lack of trust reached such a level

14
in our nation that citizens distrusted citizen, brother distrusted
brother and father distrusted son. They lived without trusting
each other or anyone else. I lived in the Soviet era and when
I was young I recognized and felt my people’s lack of trust in
justice and their hopeless view of the future. Our people were
not only unable to understand what they were experiencing
but also unable to judge their daily life. There was this kind
of belief among our people: “Day belongs to the poweful,
and kawurma2 belongs to those who have canines” They used
to belive that whatever you do, you cannot prosper. But why
has the fate of Turkmens been so problematic in the last three
centuries?
The state was divided, tribes fought with each other, the
nation lost its core, was almost led to forsake their religion,
its language was simplified, culminating in the loss of their
horse, costume, jewelry, and customs which had been gained
through a thousand years’ work. Nothing happens in this
universe without a reason; whether it is a natural or manmade
disaster which afflicts a nation, there is always a reason for
it.
Let’s leave each Turkmen to think about this question
and face this problem in his soul and answer it before God.
By the order of Allah the Most Exalted, as the shadow
of the third millennium fell on to us, in 1991, Turkmenistan
became an independent state. However, at the outset, this was
only on paper. The developing society, state institutions,
thinking on national independence, sustainable economy and
international affairs shaped by national interest were namely
taking shape. The most challenging aspect of this business is
2
A roasted or fried meat dish

15
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

16
to connect individual fate with independence and to
understand how our national interest is attached to the
independence. The most challenging aspect of this business
is that views, reasoning and mental independence are not up
to the level of understanding the national benefit and interests
that come about as a result of them.
If you do not have a national state organization, a national
policy, a national ideal which will enthuse and mobilize
people, a national economy, a national civilization, a national
army, then your condition cannot be described as full
independence. We need time for this. We need at least 10-20
years.
First, people’s perception and spirit should change. Each
Turkmen is responsible for the nation’s fate, national state,
society, its indivisible unity, and unification. Each Turkmen
should know what kind of path their nation followed in the
past, should be able to compare it with their current era and
know their future. The general interest of the Turkmen nation
depends on each individual Turkmen.
Allah the Almighty gave us limitless land and water. He
gave us underground resources. He created our nation
intelligent and able to judge their own conduct. In addition,
he gave us an independent Turkmen state.
Turkmen keep your morale high and keep good work,
prosper and make others and your country prosper. Those
who will make the Turkmens attain the true level and status
of the Turkmen and work for Turkmenistan will be the
Turkmens themselves.
My dear Turkmen nation, in order to urge your soul and
mind to fullfill these duties and to raise a strong faith in your

17
heart for self-confidence, and to be a support to you, I have
written this book, Rukhnama, for you. I dedicate and present
the book I have written to you today.
***
My Dear Turkmen Nation!
You are the meaning of my life and source of my strength.
I wish you a healthy and long life. Our Turkmen ancestors
were courageous people and they began to educate their
children before they came to life. The Turkmen child reached
maturity and bravery, and then has a national education and
worldview. For that reason, bodily health, intellectual stability,
and integrity, and good manners were the special
characteristics of the Turkmen.
In our times, the Turkmen should take care in his eating
and drinking to preserve his health and endurance. He should
not eat greedily. In order to keep his health, strength and
productivity, the Turkmen should remember Allah Almighty’s
order: “Eat and drink but do not waste,” and behave according
to this order.
The real Turkmen should be careful about the clothes he
wears and the way he dresses should be reasonable. His
appearance should be pleasing since Allah is beautiful and
the Turkmen should be appropriate for His love.
The Turkmens before us continued to read and learn new
sciences even though they had reached the highest levels in
the sciences. They lived with the accumulated knowledge
that had passed from generation to generation and passed it
on to the current generation. They thought that the learning
of the sciences would end if they made any break in this
endeavour.
2. Rukhnama

18
Today’s Turkmens, you will be seen as scientists if you
keep reading. If you lose your learning, then you will be-
come illiterates. Every citizen of Turkmenistan should have
a knowledge of science. This would be the result of brave
souls, poetic perceptions, sensitive heart, and spiritual rich-
ness. To read and to learn is to have a deeper knowledge of
life. When one reads, new ideas and anxieties emerge in the
mind. Thus, to read and to learn is to appreciate Allah Al-
mighty. Intellectuals and scientists have special place in my
world and I show them great respect.
The Turkmen man should lead his family efficiently
and direct them to goodness.
Intellectual and wise, the Turkmen father should set a
good example to educate his children; he should approach
his children with love and should choose for them and offer
them modesty, happiness, and compassion; he should treat
them equally and justly. The Turkmen child should not
commit illegitimate acts, and should be both physically and
spiritually healthy. Thus, a Turkmen child should have a
sense of humor, and be generous and loyal to his/her parents
and the country, in addition to having a sense of
responsibility. After all these, the parents’ duties to their
children are as follows: first, they should ensure they gain
knowledge of a valid science, then help them to have a home
and, third, help them to marry. The Turkmen man should be
on his own after these aids. We take these three
responsibilities seriously in Turkmen territory. In each
subject and area, our road be bright.
In societal relations, the ethical values advised in the
Quran and their strength will improve the Turkmens’
characteristics and make them more powerful in this Golden
Age of Turkmens. Turkmens will be civilized, clean,
attractive, and useful individuals.

19
Turkmens, without distinction, should not deceive,
should not lie, should be honest, and should not be jealous.
Good morals and honesty are the characteristics which suit
the Turkmen best. The Turkmens who have these qualities
should be the citizens of the 21st century. May Allah give us
strength and patience on this road.
The never ending spiritual source for a true Turkmen,
who continously ponders on his spiritual world, who really
worries about his well-being, who is self-conscoius, alert and
careful about enhancing his intellectual, physical and spiritual
capacites, should be the Rukhnama, which never lets his
exuburant, sensitive, poetic and sublime heart, and longing-
for spirit, deeply felt enthusiasm and inner feelings, extinguish.
***
Fate gave me the role of being leader of Turkmenistan at
the juncture of the second and third millennia. The burden of
the responsibility of taking my people from the last years of
the second millennium, in which things did not go well, to
the summits of the third millenium fell onto my shoulders.
This position and responsibility, which have been given
to me without my asking, have motivated me to call up my
spiritual, intellectual and physical strength that Allah granted
me with and use them as a societal force to achieve progress
in my country. I understand that it is necessary to call up not
only my own strength but also all the national spiritual strength
given to the whole Turkmen nation. Indeed, throughout his-
tory which connects one generation to the others, there is a
law of individual-society relations: the power which has been
generated by the society in one era comes to life in an indi-
vidual matured in the same nation at a later point. This should

20
not be put to keeping people where they are but to come
back with a different outlook and raise them to the sum-
mits. I dedicate Rukhnama, my desired and expected book,
to my people. Although the demand for a book such as this
has come from our generation, this is not a problem which
has only surfaced in recent history. The Turkmen genera-
tions before us, even though they did not make such de-
mands explicitly, felt the necessity of spiritual principles
which will not lead our generation to divide and disappear.
Each individual comes to the fore with the symbols that
constitute its core: the commander holds a weapon, the poet
holds a pen, the doctor holds a remedy. The President, as
historical character, writes his guidelines and come to the
fore with these.
My main guideline is Rukhnama. As a systematic
worldview, Rukhnama is the core of all my political, economic
and life targets, with civil content and methods of use in
different areas of society.
***
Before beginning to talk about the different aspects of
the historical necessity in this book, I would like to draw
attention to a characteristic of Rukhnama, which shows that
it is one another within life, which is a part of life, integral
but not exclusive. The greatest miracle of Allah in the world,
the human being, has passed through dark periods, natural
disasters and societal fightings, many difficult times. The
knowledge and conscious life of the human being begins with
the book, namely when human being understood the word
and considered it sacred. These miraculous books have been
given to the Prophets Moses, David, Jesus Christ and

21
Muhammad, peace be upon them all. The Messenger of Al-
lah, our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, endorsed
the fact that the four sacred books, including the Quran,
were given to the Prophets by Allah, and thus word has
gained a highest, exalted, rank.
The Word is the most sacred gift that God gave to hu-
man beings.
The Word is the fruit of people, but it is given to human
beings by God.
With the coming of the sacred books, the era in which
human beings worshipped evil forces was ended. The era in
which the wisdom of the word has been appreciated began
immediately afterwards. These eras became the two most sig-
nificant eras.
Allah, the Almighty, the Omnipotent, in the Quran that
He sent to Prophet Muhammad, said that Noah, Moses, Christ
and Muhammad are elevated spirits. The Turkmens’
Rukhnama is not a religious book. The Quran, the book of
Allah, the Most Exalted, is the first and the most important
and the reference book of the Turkmens among other Mus-
lims that guides people to put their life into order. God’s book,
the Quran, is sacred and cannot be replaced or compared to
any other book.
We also believe in the books mentioned in the Quran.
About the Old Testament that was sent to Moses, Allah said
in the Quran: “We really sent the Old Testamant and there in
are good ways to take as examples and Allah’s light.” The
Gospel is the book sent to the Prophet Christ.
Allah who created miracles ordered that:
“After the prophets we sent Christ, son of Maryam, and

22
with him it has been endorsed that previously sent Old Tes-
tament is real. In addition we gave him the Gospel and with
this book gave the shining light that approves what is said
in the Old Testament and the right path.”
Allah the Merciful gave the book Zebur (Psalms) to
the Prophet David.
Allah the Merciful said: “We gave Zebur to David.”
Apart from all these, we believe that Allah sent suhuf
(scriptures, pages) to other prophets. If something should
be said about believing in the Quran, obeying the Quran has
been ordered in it and it has been placed above comparison
to others since it has privileges, given by Allah, that are
absent in others. That is why we show extra respect to the
Quran. We obey the Quran and the Quran is a sacred book.
Rukhnama should be a source of power and striving to
reach the targets of Turkmen’s Golden Age. The real
Turkmen cannot treat himself badly and does not forget who
he is and his real duties towards his own people. The
Turkmen’s outlook cannot be separated from his inner life.
Indeed, the Turkmen should be able to keep the delicate
balance between the material judgement of his body and his
spirit.
Rukhnama should be a source of power that will keep
hearts alert, of intellect, and suitable spirit, and the poetic
soul of those real Turkmens who are concerned with their
own spiritual world and also their spiritual and physical de-
velopment.
***
Rukhnama is the book of unity and togetherness. It is
the only source that will connect Turkmen’s present and its
past. Up until now, there were a number of words, special

23
words, but not a whole word. Rukhnama should fill this gap.
Rukhnama should place in the hands of Turkmens their
unique and whole history, and spiritual striving. My phi-
losophy is unity and togetherness. For in the absence of unity
and togetherness, there is no nation. If it happens by acci-
dent, it does not last long. Spiritual multiplicity, different
mental perspectives, and different voices of the soul have
been built upon this unity. The unity and togetherness in-
side becomes the pillars that keeps the nation together.
No other nation in the world was divided into so many
tribes as the Turkmens. The real unity of Turkmen is blood
and language unity.
Unity provides the nation with the means to construct
its future. Without unity, it is not possible to understand the
Turkmens’ past. Turkmenistan is one of these nations which
has the richest history. There have been so many books writ-
ten on different periods of Turkmen history, but a surpris-
ing situation emerges when one considers the huge number
of books: it is not possible to find Turkmens alone in these
books. It is also surprising that in the works of historians,
and other intellectuals, the bits and pieces of Turkmen his-
tory are very different and sometimes controversial. If you
believe in one of these, Turkmens are nomadic or semi-
nomadic peoples and according to another they are a pasto-
ral people and deal with farming. According to another, they
are urban people and live in castles and established some
major civilizations. Yet another says from a political view
point hardworking, another says humble, even lazy.
Where does this controversy and confusion come from?
No one was able to see the Turkmen nation as a whole since
it is a very great nation. This historical confusion reminds
us of a short story by our great poet Jalaleddin Rumi: A

24
group of blind men wonder how an elephant is. Those who
feel the elephant’s legs decide that it is a hard column, those
who feel its trunk think that it is a weak tree. Likewise each
writer saw Turkmen according to his own view and percep-
tions. From such a perspective, it is not possible to see the
reality; only semi-reality can be seen. It is obvious that semi-
reality is worse than a lie. Individuality is the biggest trap
of our era’s way of thinking.
For that reason, anew spiritual approach is required to
encompass the whole Turkmen nation and history. Of course
such an attempt may not include all historical details. That is
the duty of historians. As I said before, we need a measure to
decide on unity inside. The spiritual analyses and descrip-
tions of the content of the unrepeatable amount of the coinci-
dences, similarities and differences of the history are needed.
In this discourse, unifying and generalizing philosophies play
a role.
***
Rukhnama is the veil of the Turkmen people’s face and
soul. It is the Turkmen’s first and basic reference book. It is
the total of the Turkmen mind, customs and traditions, inten-
tions, doings and ideals. It will be our legacy to the future
after drawing lessons from the past! One part of Rukhnama
is our past that the existing knowledge at present could not
enlighten and the other part is our future! One part of
Rukhnama is sky, the other part is earth.
We wrote the first pages of Rukhnama during the first
ten years of our independent and permanently neutral
Turkmenistan, while we improved our working places, es-
tablished the infrastructure and changed our life.

25
In those ten years of Turkmenistan’s independence and
permanent neutrality we wrote the Rukhnama for the soul and
mind of Turkmens with enlightening words and with hope.
Where does the greatness of human beings come from?
The greatness of the human being begins with his discovery
of his own, that is, with his discovery of his inner world. It is
easy to know or measure others, but the real difficulty is to
know oneself! For that reason our wise ancestors said: “Those
who know themselves become the saints.”
Dear Turkmen!
Be your own ruler. If you succeed in managing yourself,
then you can overcome all difficulties.
My Citizens! The Turkmen of today and tomorrow
should know himself. He should know his weakness and his
strength, through and through! The doctor who knows the
problem can easily solve it. The people who can judge their
problems can avoid the problems! Rukhnama is the Turkmen’s
book about himself.
Rukhnama is not only our book! Rukhnama is also the
book of our brothers and other nations that rejoice at our hap-
piness and are proud of our successes and with whom we are
together creating our Golden Age in these lands.
Rukhnama is also the book of our near and far brothers
and neighbours. You become friends after you get to know
someone. The foreigners who read Rukhnama will know us
better, became our friends faster, and the far and the foreign
becomes closer to us on our path to being accepted in the world.
Turkmenistan which has been the centre of many great
transformations and a centre of development and progress,
had a very special place in the history and expansion of

26
Islam into the world. Turkmen people have made unlimited
contributions to the world.
If one wished to create a flag of beauty and perfection,
then this flag would be a Turkmen carpet.
If one wants to create a model of endurance, beauty and
purity, then one should take the Akhalteke horse as an example.
***
Dear Citizens!
In a short time, we have established our excellent stable
state and taken the first step in our progress. The second step
lies in our mind, heart and blood. We shall establish this great
transformation with this book entitled Rukhnama.
We have sacred territories that will open the eyes of those
who became blind from weeping for their lost lands. We have
wonderful songs that open deaf ears. We have beautiful smell-
ing springs that make silence burst into song. We are the
owners of these beautiful lands.
Without looking to the opportunities and sources at their
hands, Turkmens did not hesitate to go to war, and fighting
head-to-head, they won or lost their battles. If this territory
falls into danger, we have courageous young men who put
their lives into danger, like Gorogly, to fight! We have old
people like Gorkut ata who will advise on keeping unity
among people. We have diamond-standard, wise people like
Makhtumkuli. In such a country and with people like these,
can we not turn the 21st century into the Golden Age of the
Turkmen? It would be a shame if we could not change this
territory into a heaven and establish a wonderful golden so-
ciety when we have our people who devote their love, effort
and sincerity to the task.

27
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

28
Allah the Almighty created us as humans, we came into
this world as humans, and it is our duty to make of our people
a noble and trustworthy people, to establish an era of well-
being and found a good society.
***
My Dear People!
I feel proud of my Turkmen territory and Turkmen land.
This sacred land inspires my heart like a poet’s.
This land is Turkmen territory in which Hydyr walks in
beautiful deserts, Kowus walks in shadowy mountains, Kyyas
walks on the shrinking shore of the sea.
Turkmens seek refuge in its territory, so like a laden table.
This territory is called Turkmen land which has been made
of pearls, diamonds and gold! Its soil is its treasury, its sub-
terranean resources are its treasury, its mountains and its sea
are its treasury. We produce crops in this land in all seasons.
They are harvested, their seeds multiplied by thousands and
returned back to the soil.
This Turkmenistan is trustworthy like the Turkmen’s
promise, high-ranking in honor, sacred like the Turkmen’s
home, miraculous like the Turkmen’s belief.
In the blue sky of this land white geese and cranes pre-
pare for wedding days, beautiful springs and summers come
from the sky of this magical land, and clouds with rains and
thunderbolts make the Turkmen homeland very green and
contented.
The happiness of the Turkmen Spring cannot fit into a
Turkmen’s soul and the land and sky tell its story, the roses
bloom from the stones.

29
We say welcome and open our arms to those who come
to these lands. World travellers, our gate and soul are open.
Come and visit us! Come and travel in the lands of Oguz
Khan, Gorkut ata, Seljuk Khan, Alp Arslan, Melikshah,
Soltan Sanjar, Gorogly and Makhtumkuli.
My fellow countrymen, though you are not travellers,
you visit this territory, touch the soil on which many valued
people, rulers and your ancestors lived.
This land is a sacred and miraculous land.
Rukhnama is a visit to this land. Rukhnama is a visit to
the past of this territory and a visit to the future of this terri-
tory. Rukhnama is the visit made to the heart of the Turkmen.
Rukhnama is a sweet spiritual fruit grown in this territory.
***
No human being who has not experienced what I lived
through can understand me.
Your father who is supposed to support you in hard times
is dead in an unknown, foreign place!
Your dear mother is lying with your two brothers under
ground. You are alone in Leningrad. You have no one behind
you who is asking about you and writing letter to you.
I was sick and asked my supposedly close relatives to
take care of me. They wrote to tell me that they had forgotten
about me, let alone helping me.
There was no one other than The One, Allah Almighty,
to seek refuge in and no one to ask for help other than my
Allah. The whole country was crying that there is no Allah.
Oh, Allah!
I used to remember Gorogly at that time. His enemies

30
took his head and went away. They did it in order to prevent
the Turkmens from ever uniting again under a leader. But
Jygalybeg is alive. There is no place in the whole story that
says that Jygalybeg died. Perhaps Jygalybeg has been wait-
ing until now for a courageous young Turkmen to come to
life. We need courageous, lion-like, tough young men to take
care of enslaved Turkmens. We need Gorogly Beg.
I tried to express my feelings, which I could not supress
in myself, which became knot on knots on my throat, which
brought me almost to the edge of frenzy, maddness, in the
following poem:
I have powerful Turkmen thoroughbred, would you
groom it Jygalybeg ?
I have also a broken and uneased heart, would you groom
it, Jygalybeg ?
My bowers are shackled, my Chandybil is a grieved
country now,
And our ill-fortune never awakens, unless you, unless
you..., Jygalybeg!
Where are the mountain-like valiants who rose against
the black mountain?
Alas, sorrowing are the stately valiants that fought against
the bad lot !
Many heroic and wise fell martyred, so that I was left
behind lonely, abandoned,
Even the dessert bent double with pain, moaning. Can
you hear, Jygalybeg ?
The prosperous wealthy men were collected, suffered,
and sent to exile in Siberia,

31
The lion-hearted brave fell as martyr in the fight and
already became graves,
Your orphan cried bitterly, left all alone, no strength,
patience, endurance,
All my land weep and my folk bewailed, the country in
disorder, Jygalybeg !
I have powerful Turkmen thoroughbred, would you
groom it Jygalybeg !
I have also a broken and uneased, heart, would you groom
it, Jygalybeg !
Lend me Gorogly’s curved sword and your spear to me,
Jygalybeg !
No fear! I shall fight to death. Give me your own crown,
Jygalybeg !...
Attractive surroundings and a good view are wonderful
but if there is someone who understands you, then home is
better. Heaven-like places are good and pleasant but your
own homeland, your fatherland is more appealing and attrac-
tive. Run away from that who opens his door but shuts his
heart to you. However, forgive that who opens his heart but
shut the door to his home because he might have some ex-
cuses.
***
I was born on 19 February 1940 in Ashgabat. My dear
father went to fight in the Second World War. He struggled
against the fascist invaders in Caucasia.
After fighting for two years, in 1943, six Turkmen, in-
cluding my father, in a Russian troop were captured by enemy
forces at a village, called Thcikola, WladiKavkaz of the capi-

32
tal city of the Northern Osetia. I learnt the tragic fate of the
hostages after 18 years by chance. Then I was a second year
student at the Polytechnic Institute in Leningrad. All the stu-
dents went home during summer time. Dormitories and classes
would remain empty for some time. I was missing my mother-
land, language and Turkmen song since I had not been to
Turkmenistan for the last two years. I also missed my school
friends and other friends. If you do not have parents and rela-
tives, then there is no one watching over you, and caring for
your health, sentiments and wishes. The false concern of some
people does not convince an orphan. You have to make your
own decisions and decide on critical situations regarding your
fate. Your only friends are your ideals and your spiritual world.
I have thanked God a hundred thousand times since I
was five years old that I inherited honor, nobility, patience,
highness of spirit and objectives-ideals from my parents in
my body and soul. My character has not been weakened
through times of both success and failure but rather strength-
ened. This become a fountain that will never dry up for my
Turkmen people, my sacred land, my motherland, for the
past and present, for its future generations, which started as
a spring but turned into a river.
***
When I was studying at the institute, I used to go to the
library. I read not only books about my lessons, I found rare
books about Turkmen history and read them patiently.
Once I was reading a book in the library. An old Rus-
sian, wearing glasses, stared at me from both my left and
my right.
I did not pay attention and thought that he was confusing

33
me with someone. But he came near to me and looked again.
I am usually a calm person but his stare disturbed me.
“Father are you confusing me with someone else?” I
asked politely.
“I thought you resembled someone, my son. However
my eyes are not good enough.”
I was looking at this old person and even though I do not
forget anyone even if I have only seen them once, I could not
remember having seen him before. I learnt much about this
man on a train journey later.
The old man said: “If I am mistaken, my heart will break.
If I am not mistaken, then my heart will also break. May God
help me!” He tried to calm down and raised his right hand:
“Whoever you are , you must be the son of Atamyrat
Annanyyaz.”
I felt like a bucket of hot water had been thrown over
me. I felt waves run inside me on hearing my father’s name
from a stranger.
Then we introduced ourselves and talked. This profes-
sor, Iwan Semyonowich, had been my father’s friend during
the war and they had fought shoulder to shoulder against the
enemy forces and even shared their last food when they were
at the front. We talked a lot about the problems and the trag-
edies of that period and the wartime.
He said that he had written two letters to Ashgabat and
asked for information after my father’s death. In response
to the letters, he had received the reply that Atamyrat Annany-
yaz’s wife and children had died during an earthquake. He
was surprised and delighted to see me alive.
3. Rukhnama

34
“Your father was tall with high cheekbones. Your ap-
pearance and movements are like Atamyrat’s. When the fight-
ing was not heavy, we used to gather around your father when
he sang. He was able to play all instruments and was a very
good conversationalist, and when he danced he was the mas-
ter of the dance. He astonished the Caucasians.
My Dear Saparmyrat, your father was like a bullet fired
from a rifle. He was sometimes braver than necessary. When
I said to him ‘Atamyrat you have children, so take care of
yourself,” he used to answer, “And if I save myself, who will
save my children?” He fought like a lion.
The old man also told the whole story about the tragic
end of the troops that were captured by the enemy forces
during the war.
We had to surrender. We did not decide on this but our
commanders ordered us to do so. In the war this kind of situ-
ation occurred. This was not the fault of the soldiers. Even
though this was so, it is still not possible to describe your
father as a prisoner of war. He was immediately shot as a
communist. He did not lose even the smallest part of his cour-
age. Betrayed by his countrymen he went his death, like Christ
sold to his enemies by Judas.
Your father was a hero, a real hero. I wrote a piece about
his courage. I am not a writer but I could not prevent myself
from doing this. I wrote it since I wanted to tell my friend’s
story to the world. Since I felt obliged to do this, I sent it to
a friend of mine in the Moscow cinema for his consider-
ation. He liked it and said at the last moment:
“We should make the hero a Georgian because if we do
not do this, no one will know who this Turkmen is.”

35
Iwan Semyonovich took a breath. He cleaned his glasses
and continued:
“I understand them... It was the Stalin era. But I re-
fused the change of hero and withdrew my script. Dear
Saparmyrat, my son, your father was a real hero, learn about
his fate in war and his heroism.”
***
My fellow citizens, there are so many people who have
held these high spiritual values since Turkmen people en-
tered the historical arena. I am only one among those, since
these sentiments are widespread among Turkmen people, and
the Turkmen nation is stable and lasting.
In 1963, I missed my homeland and went to Turkmenistan
via Moscow. At that time, I met with another person who had
known my father closely. My fate gave me a surprise, and I
met a friend of my father’s from the military after 18 years.
It happened like this. At that time, the Ashgabat-Mos-
cow train would wait for some time at each station.
There are some people who do not like train travel. How-
ever, it is a particular pleasure to enter the world of ideas and
to get to know new places.
The conductor on the train was Chary aga, who was from
Yalkym village near Ashgabat. He was a courageous and hard
working Turkmen and we met on our way to Turkmenistan.
Human beings are different from each other. Some
people you feel close to, you want to meet and know them
better. Sometimes you see a person and decide to stay away
from that person. I learnt something certain about Turkmen
people in my early chilhood, that Turkmens like to be asked
questions. Chary aga was a curious man:

36
“My nephew, some people feel uneasy if you ask a few
questions. They say, “Who are you, a prosecutor or a judge?”
Our Turkmen said that humans know each other through
speech, animals recognize each other through smell. We had
a very big village but it disappeared during eras of the civil
war and the Bolsheviks. When repression increased, many
people fled to other places. If you ask carefully the Turkmen
population was fairly small, and each and every one always
knew one the other, a fact which is well-known.
I learnt that Chary aga had known both my father and
grandfather.
“Dear Saparmyrat, you should only be surprised if you
meet someone who did not know your grandfather,
Annanyyaz Artygy. There was no one who did not know
Annanyyaz Artygy in Gypjak, Gokje, Bagyr, Herrikgala,
Yalkym and Buzmeyin. Annanyyaz Artygy was an able man
who used to invite others to eat at his table. They sent your
grandfather into exile in 1932 since he had a private place
and shop and had workers working on a salary.
The reason that I know these facts in detail is that my
mother and uncle were neighbours of Annanyyaz aga.”
“Chary aga, did you meet my grandfather?”
He smiled with pleasure.
“We had so much in common. I met him in many differ-
ent places, village, markets, town center, you name it. Once I
took two bags of barley and went to the city. I was very young.
At that time, on Sundays, the city was very crowded and it
wasn’t possible to find a place for donkeys, horses, camels and
vehicles. At that time we did not have vehicles that we have
now and there were a limited number of Turkmen in the city.

37
I was walking with my bags and there was a poor man in
front of me riding on a donkey. The idle young people of the
city were hitting him with sticks and he was close to falling
off. The poor man was not sure what to do and was shouting
and cursing at the kids. Their parents were on both sides of the
road and were watching heedlessly the kids’ attacks. A man
wearing a special black Turkmen hat (silkme telpek) came rap-
idly and ran into the street. He began to whip the people stand-
ing heedlessly around and these people ran away because of
the sharp lash of the whip. Then an old man said to the crowd:
—You struck the right people, Turkmen, you struck true.
If a child does something wrong, then his parents are guilty.
—Yes, Dear Saparmyrat, I remember when your grand-
father Annanyyaz Artygy became chief of the village for the
second time. When my father heard this he said:
—
The people of Gypjak did not do the right thing; the
government did not arrest people like Annanyyaz Artygy since
they are rich! The government is afraid of Turkmens like
Annanyyaz Artygy.
Fate brought him a bad day in August 1937 when he
was accused of committing a crime. He was declared an en-
emy of the people and sent to death row in prison. Your grand-
father knew that such an end would come. But he did not
refuse the ordinary people’s demand.
Dear Saparmyrat, when your father entered the city both
young and old would look at him. He rode his horse with
pride. He was very good looking and created a very good
impression. He was like a beg or khan. He always looked
for the goodness in others but these kind of people were
annihilated in the Stalin era.”

38
Chary aga walked around for a while and directed a
train out of the station. He came back to my side.
“Our relations were good with your father. He was three
or four years older than me. I was living in Yalkym near
Ashgabat and used to visit my uncle frequently. They sent
your grandfather into exile in 1932. If they would send even
your 53 year-old grandfather into exile, no one could feel
safe. His friends advised your father Atamyrat to move to
another area. He moved to Kerki city in this way, where he
worked as a teacher. Later he lived in the village of Gokdepe
from 1935-36. In 1937, he bought a house in Ashgabat and
settled there and began to work there. At that time we were
really close friends. Saparmyrat, I remember your father’s
face; he was always a pleasant, attractive, forward-thinking,
patient and fine-manly person.”
I did not led him go on but asked: “When is the last time
you saw my father?”
From 1941 onwards we fought against the German in-
vaders in the same troop. Another day I will tell you how we
saved our country. There is no such thing as a sweet war and,
indeed, in this bloody war, there were times we won and times
we were defeated. In 1943, near to Wladikavkaz in North
Ossetia after an intense battle, we were taken prisoner by the
enemy. The Germans were trying to control the situation and
shouting to each other while holding the automatic weapons.
Russian soldiers were collected in one place after throwing
away their weapons. There were six of us from Turkmenistan,
five Turkmen and a Russian. At that time, a friend of ours,
took out a piece of tobacco and wrapped it with old newspa-
per. We were taking it in turns to smoke it. When the ciga-
rette came to Atamyrat, there was a Russian on his right, and

39
a Turkmen friend said “Atamyrat do not give it to the Rus-
sian. The Germans are going to kill us now. Give it to me
and I will have a smoke before dying.”
–
No, friend, this friend also fought with us and put his
life in danger to save the country. He should smoke when his
turn comes. There is God and we should not lose our hope
even to our last breath.
Then a German began announcing something over a
loudspeaker and another translated into Russian, “Line up”
and over a hundred captured soldiers lined up. Then they
announced:
“Any communists present, step forward”.
In front of the line, there were German soldiers with
automatic weapons at every ten paces. All of a sudden I was
startled when a Turkmen near to me said: ‘Can’t we push
forward that Atamyrat who gave the cigarette to communist?’
(implying that you prefer giving cigarette to a Russian rather
than to us so you are also like him, a communist then, so you
should step forward).
They grumbled: “Now do you understand who you
should have given that cigarette to?” A German soldier who
had heard and seen this event came running up and then they
took away Atamyrat by poking him with their guns, fifteen
paces away to the edge of a hollow. Then, having gathered
several more men, in front of our eyes, they executed them
by shooting them by a machine gun and threw the dead in
the hollow.”
Chary aga added, ‘May Allah full their graves with Di-
vine Light’ and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief taken
from his pocket. He looked at me quietly. No, he made no

40
mistake; there was no tear in my eyes. He did not see my
sadness. He guessed that I had not believed what he had
said. “My son, at that time Hitler ordered that whenever the
German soldiers took a communist captive from among the
Soviet soldiers then they were to execute them there and
then. There was permission for the exchange of other cap-
tives for German captives. I, like all the others, benefited
from the exchange of prisoners and I returned rightly to my
homeland,” he said and again stared at my face.
“Chary aga, thank you very much for what you have
said. These are matters of fate,” I said and I stared out of the
window of the train. Through the window it looked as if grey
sand was flowing past. The train passed Turkmenabat and
went on towards the Repetek Desert. It was as if my dear
father, straight and brave, was visible in front of my eyes in
his last appearance to me. Moreover, his pure thoughts: “No,
I do not die. I have three young sons and their beloved mother,
my Gurbansoltan, living in my homeland and they are my
descendants.” His words were in my ears.
I am pleased with the fact that neither my grandfather
nor father left any inheritance to me. In fact they left me in-
stead something as valuable as a great inheritance. Every-
body who knew my father and grandfather praised them:
“Your father was a very great man.” Like this, they extolled
and glorified them and these expressions filled my heart with
joy. What greater wealth can there be than that?
Many years later on, I wondered what had happened to
the men who had shared the cigarette. They had been freed in
an exchange of prisoners and the three of them had returned
to their villages. But, they encountered many troubles in
their fate. Two of them were from the villages in the area

41
around Ashgabat. In the 1950’s, the first one had a stroke,
lost his mind and tongue and died. The second one commit-
ted suicide by hanging himself at home. The third was from
the village of Gokdepe. After the war he had committed
suicide by throwing himself on the railway.
We sometimes say that there is no need for you to settle
your accounts in this world. Whatever you have done, the
world will settle your account for you.
War, look at it! Such horror! The 20th Century has been a
bloody and brutal century in which mankind, in his lifespan bur-
dened with disasters, has rendered many losses and sacrificed
many lives. There have been two World Wars, and tens of border
wars and inter-state wars have occurred. Our Turkmen citizens
have participated in those wars too. Sometimes it was against
their will and sometimes voluntarily. In the Second World War
alone, 740,000 Turkmens died at the hands of the German in-
vaders. Tens of thousands of men were injured and maimed. To
measure the loss of our citizens materially and financially is
impossible. We have given the name of the hero of the Turkmen
state to all the martyrs in this war. May their place be in the
heavens and their graves fulled with divine light!
The war ended, the veterans returned to their home-
land and it was as if a bright light had been ignited in the
hearts of the people. But, it was not to last. God once more
tested the Turkmen province. On the night of 6th
October
1948 Ashgabat was devastated by an earthquake which left
our beautiful city in ruins. In one night, out of a population
of 198,000 people in our capital city, 176,000 were martyred3
,
the majority of the rest were injured or disabled. Our fam-
3
because those who are killed in such disasters are recognized to be martyrs in Islam

42
ily also suffered in that disaster. When we went to our beds,
there were four of us. My dear 33 year-old mother, my 10
year-old elder brother Nyyazmyrat, and my 6 year-old
younger brother Muhammetmyrat all were martyred that
night. The next day, when I broke down and wept over the
ruined house, although I had not yet completed 8 years old,
I knew I was alone. In this way, I sat through 6 lonely days
and nights. On the seventh day, they came and carried away
my dead mother and dear brothers to bury them in Ymam
Kasym graveyard.
In those six days, I had understood that this was the end
of my childhood. My tears dried up for ever. The last time I
looked upon my dear family and the places where they lay
under the ruins, in their presence I vowed to myself silently:
“My Dears, your spirits and that of my dear father will
live in my heart for ever. They will lend me effort and power
to achieve my aims and on your behalf I will realize your
purposes and the dreams which you were not able to live out.
May Allah help me!
***
Our Ancestor Oguz Khan is the forefather of the
Turkmen people, whom Turkmen people assume to be a
prophet. From the ancient civilized heritage of Turkmen
soil and from the Oguz Khan era, Golden Cow sculptures
and many other valuable relics have been found.
You cannot convince Turkmen people that Gorkut ata
is a man without saintly miracles (karamat)!
Turkmens in history founded the great Parfiya State.
Arsak Shah established relations with the Romans. During
his era he was known as The Holy Arsak Shah. In the his-

43
tory of the Turkmens, there have been many men who have
been believed to be like prophets and described as godly,
holy. We have never tried to force other people to believe
that these are men who have prophecy, however, we do be-
lieve that those were not ordinary people but worked saintly
miracles (karamat), which we do not let others abuse our
beliefs, either.
Dovletmammet Azady said: “The richest of all richnes-
ses is sagacity, the most precious heritage is breeding and
training, the most beggarly of the beggarly is regret.” For us,
the heritages derived from our ancestors, Oguz Khan, Oguzs,
persians, seljuks and harezemshahs are unsurpassable honours
and priceless treasures.
The beauty, fineness, of the human being lies in the truth-
fulness of his words. Unfortunately, it was not really that some
sections of the Turkmen society were corrupted and derailed.
Between the 14th
and 16th
centuries, because of internal con-
flicts within the Turkmen nation, it ceased to prosper. The
principalities and the Hanates could not agree and made great
wars among themselves, a prelude to the perishing of the
Turkmen themselves. The esteem, power, strength and spiri-
tual credit of Turkmen was in decline.
Brave Turkmen! In this world, in the history of human-
ity there is nothing true and eternal except our Exalted, Eter-
nal, Allah. Within the Seljuk State, after the 14th
Century,
because of the central state, we began to be divided into
kingdoms, Hanates and principalities. The Turkmen dynas-
ties of Akgoyunly (Whitesheep) and Garagoyunly
(Blacksheep) had started to fight among themselves.
After the 17th
century, following the Russian expansion

44
around the Caspian Sea, and the establishment of relations
between Russia and Persia, the Turkmens were excluded, their
settlements decreased. History witnesses that external forces
settled and regulated the tribal conflicts of Turkmen people,
and their territorial and water disputes with neighbouring coun-
tries. Between 1879 and 1881, the Turkmen nation’s economic,
political, and social life was destroyed by the harsh impact of
the Gokdepe Wars. For this reason the Russian state was able
to establish a pro-Russian puppet authority that expanded its
cultural and religious propaganda in Turkmen lands.
This is not a history book. Though if we do not know
the past, then the destiny of our future generations will lie in
obscurity or darkness. In addition, their spiritual belief will
diminish and Turkmens will lose their fundamental principles.
Therefore, it is necessary to be cognizant of these things.
Between the 17th
and 19th
centuries, some states diffused
wicked propaganda in pursuit of their own national interests.
They falsely represented the nation of Turkmens as pillagers
and merciless slaughterers, and described them as a wild com-
munity who kill each other, living in tents, an ignorant, un-
educated and nomadic nation.
These kinds of unjust and aberrant assertions are the po-
litical tricks which aimed to erode the legendary past of
Turkmen people and their contribution to the history of the
development of the world through many centuries, to justify
their invasion of its land and to take the Turkmen nation cap-
tive. In fact, these sorts of untruthful and fallacious statements
severely degraded the place and the honour of Turkmens in
world history. For the sake of God, it is necessary to say that
for 74 years under Soviet rule we lived as if we accepted those
opinions, Dear Turkmen, whoever thought differently was de-

45
clared the enemy of the people. For this reason, hundreds of
thousands of our citizens were executed, and millions of them
were expelled or migrated to foreign countries.
The remaining three million Turkmen citizens, in their
homeland, mislaid their identities by saying that we were
Soviet people. Not only that, they started to forget their lan-
guage, religion, nation, national feelings and emotions. In-
citing and provoking differences and conflicts between the
tribes, polarization, diversity, and promotion of anarchy were
the basic, systematic, methodical games our enemies played
against us.
My dear Turkmen, look back in the history take heed
and also repent. Because of commands and ideas of others
nation should one renounce his own core, self and identity?
In fact, there are 24 clans and more than 40 tribes of
Turkmen.
My wish from the Great Allah is to convert the Turkmen
to his essence or main identity! Beginning from Oguz Khan, to
the end of the medieval age with the solidarity and unity, the
courage, the patriotism, the equity, the indulgency, the reli-
gion, the language, the culture of the people known for their
great spiritual belief, on into the 21st
century, may you give
continuity to my unique nation, my one and great God! Pre-
serve and save us, Allah, so each Turkmen shall win again the
ethics and customs of our ancestors who were on the true path!
In the communist Soviet Union, which was founded at
the beginning of the 20th
century by force, torture and blood,
from 1987 on conflicts occurred between various parts of
society. Conflicts between the different nations and injus-
tice reached an unbearable level within the state, and so

46
government and its rule failed, and order tended to disap-
pear. In this historical period I felt that the politico-eco-
nomic position of the Soviet Union was deteriorating. On
22 August 1990, I made a declaration that we would estab-
lish Turkmenistan as an independent, sovereign stable state
having equal rights and status and independence in foreign
relations with other countries as all the world states.
Within the two preceding months, our relations with
the Soviet Union’s systems had almost ceased, and we saw
that life necessitated further new improvements. It became
obvious that we could not go far or progress and make our
people happy and prosperous within that existing Soviet Sys-
tem with a status independent within its borders but depen-
dent on the Soviet System.
Dear Turkmens, it was the point in history that our an-
cestors had longed for. At that time, together with my col-
leagues, it was necessary for me to work to establish an inde-
pendent state by day and night without tiring, and troubles
were not able to deter me. On 26th October, we called a con-
vention of the Turkmenistan High Council. In the conven-
tion, the historical resolution of Turkmenistan, we explicitly
and definitively declared the independence of the State of
Turkmenistan. This is the content of the declaration:
THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW ON THE
INDEPENDENCE OF TURKMENISTAN AND THE
STRUCTURE OF THE STATE
On 26 October, there was a meeting of The High Coun-
cil of Turkmenistan; on the agenda of the meeting was the
people’s notice of their will and wishes.

47
The Council made the essential decision to put into ef-
fect the expression of the independence of the Soviet Social-
ist Republic of Turkmenistan. In this resolution, certain cru-
cial issues were resolved.
1. The State of Turkmenistan, within the borders of the
USSR, is declared an independent, democratic state. The in-
dependence of Turkmenistan is based on great ideals – To
establish the real national state of the Turkmen people, to
provide basic rights and freedoms complying with the char-
ter of the Universal Human Rights Declarations in the Con-
stitution of Turkmenistan, as well as the other norms of inter-
national law, to establish a humanist democratic state respect-
ing the principles of the rule of law. It does not discriminate
between individuals or citizens according to their nation, race,
social origin, or their religion.
2. The political regime of the State of Turkmenistan
is a republic. In this republic, state sovereignty belongs to
the people. The republic exercises its own sovereignty
through the direct vote and by means of representative
institutions.
3. Inside the borders of Turkmenistan, the Constitution
and Laws of Turkmenistan are applicable.
The Constitution of the Former USSR and laws are
applicable only under those circumstances in which there is
no explicit law related to the matter within the Constitution
and Laws of Turkmenistan; and it is valid until the comple-
tion of the reform and regulation of state relations and legal
relations in the legislation process.
4. The borders of Turkmenistan within the borders cur-
rently drawn are inviolable and indivisible.

48
5. The state sovereignty of Turkmenistan is executed
by means of the division of powers into legislative, execu-
tive and judicial powers.
6. Complying with the Constitution of Turkmenistan,
the High Council of Turkmenistan exercises the legislative
powers.
7. The highest ruler of Turkmenistan is the President
who is the Head of State. The President of Turkmenistan
also holds the rank of Chairman of the Executive.
8. The courts of Turkmenistan are independent and sub-
ject to the law.
9. Inside the borders of Turkmenistan, Turkmen citizen-
ship applies. The constitution and law of Turkmenistan regu-
lates the matters pertaining to the laws on obtaining citizen-
ship of Turkmenistan and citizenship relations with other
countries. Turkmenistan protects and assists its citizens in-
side and outside its borders.
The constitution and laws of Turkmenistan, in accor-
dance with interstate treaties, recognizes the rights and free-
doms of foreign citizens and stateless persons in
Turkmenistan as in the norms of international law.
10. Within the borders of Turkmenistan the surface and
underground resources, air zone, water and natural resources,
sea and continental shelf are the people’s national wealth and
property, which all serve as material bases of Turkmenistan’s
independence.
On the general possessions of the USSR, there is the
share of Turkmenistan in the USSR’s diamond, foreign ex-
change and gold reserves.

49
11. Turkmenistan, in its economy, establishes a func-
tioning free market economy. It controls state possessions
in all their forms and equally protects them.
12. Turkmenistan independently determines its fiscal and
monetary system; the state determines the structures of banks.
13. Turkmenistan recognizes the independence of the
adjoining republics in the USSR, the definitiveness of their
borders, and their territorial integrity and indivisibility.
14. It is as an independent state that Turkmenistan is a
member of the world community, having equal rights to de-
termine and execute its foreign policy. Turkmenistan joins
the United Nations Organizations and other international or-
ganizations as a direct member, establishes diplomatic rela-
tions, open embassies and other competent agencies and
makes international contracts.
15. Turkmenistan resolves independently its military
policy, protect its territorial integrity and independence and
establish military capability.
Turkmenistan declares that there are no nuclear, chemi-
cal, biological, or other weapons of mass destruction in the
territory of Turkmenistan.
16. Turkmenistan is concerned for the national and cul-
tural advancement of Turkmen people, the rise of national
consciousness, the revival of the traditions of the people and
is committed to the expansion of the use of the Turkmen lan-
guage, which is the state language.
The Republic of Turkmenistan is the guarantor of all
the living nations which have the right to live and to flour-
ish freely with their national and cultural values in the terri-
tory.
4. Rukhnama

50
17. Turkmenistan claims its own state signs, flag, rega-
lia and national anthem.
18. Until the admission of the new constitution of
Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan’s USSR constitution will be
applicable, so long as the previous laws do not conflict with
the new Constitutional law.
19. The Independence Day of Turkmenistan is declared
a general national holiday; it will be celebrated on every 27
October and it will be a day of vacation.
20. The formal constitutional law, when accepted, will
be put into effect.
The arrival of this event, one more state in the world,
the date of the establishment of the Republic of Turkmenistan
has been written in golden letters in history.
That date was the worthiest, most defining, and happiest
moment of my life.
That event will never be forgotten and it will always be
one of the most inspiring and touching historical moments,
and not only for me. For the destiny of the Republic of
Turkmenistan is the delight of all its people.
Good luck in the matters which concern you now. May
the deeds you attempt be the best and most needed, my inde-
pendent homeland of Turkmenistan!
My Dear Turkmen People!
On 8 December 1991, the USSR State collapsed and we
had to tackle what it left to us without quarrelling...
After the demise of the USSR, the newly independent
countries, with the help of international, financial institu-
tions, settled all accounts mutually. Finally a very impor-

51
tant agreement was made not to fall into land occupation
and border disputes between the CIS countries. In this
agreement, the most important matters were clearly solved
as below:
The separate countries of the former USSR admitted
the current borders existing from the era of the former USSR
borders between the republics.
The possessions established within the border of every
state in the time of the USSR were claimed by the indepen-
dent states as their own state possessions.
The quantity of the wealth and the shares of the debts
and credits of the independent states were ascertained by cal-
culating the USSR’s exchange funds and adding the gold in
the gold reserves.
The credits of Turkmenistan on separation from the
USSR, up to 4 December 1991 were fixed as 1 billion 87
million US dollars. The debt Turkmenistan owed to the USSR
was 707 million US dollars. The final account was fixed such
that USSR owed Turkmenistan 380 million US dollars.
This debt had to be paid by the Russian Federation,
heir of the USSR.
I understood the fact that these were notional credits
and that we would not get our credits because of the tight
economic borders of the Russian Federation. That’s why I
thought that it would be better for us to separate peacefully.
I put my idea to the first president, Boris Yeltsin, and he
supported my proposal to donate our credits. We made a
contract between the Republic of Turkmenistan and Russia,
preparing a proposal for a treaty complying with Interna-
tional Law. The content of the treaty is below:

52
The AGREEMENT, between Turkmenistan and the
Russian Federation, is to regulate the legal matters suc-
ceeding from the debts and credits of the former USSR
to foreign states.
Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation
confirm the memorandum, dated 28 October 1991, on
the mutual agreement regulating the debts of the USSR and
its legal successors to the foreign creditors and the contract,
dated 4 December 1991, regulating the legal matters succeed-
ing from the debts and credits of the USSR to foreign states,
and also agree on the solutions to the matters relating to
both sides on the legal matters succeeding from the former
USSR’s debts and credits as below.
Matter 1
What is meant by the purpose of this agreement on the
former USSR State’s debts and credits is the interpretations
which are valid in the Articles 1(a) and (b) of the contract,
dated 4 December 1991, concerning the legal matters suc-
ceeding from the debts and credits of the USSR to foreign
states.
Matter 2
The parties confirm that the share of debts determined
for Turkmenistan is equal to 0.70%, a ratio which was fixed
by one indicator in the former USSR’s debts and credits to
the foreign states.
Matter 3
Because of the position of the former USSR on 1 De-
cember 1991, Turkmenistan transfers its responsibilities for

53
payment of its share of the debt to the Russian Federation,
and the Russian Federation accepts those responsibilities.
Matter 4
Because of the position of the former USSR on 1 De-
cember 1991, the Russian Federation accepts the share of
Turkmenistan from the state credits. Turkmenistan transfers
the stated credits to the Russian Federation.
Matter 5
After this agreement comes into effect, it will be accepted
that all conflicts between the parties related to the debts and
credits of the former USSR to the foreign state have been
resolved by the contract of 4th December 1991 regulating the
legal matters succeeding from the debts and credits of the
USSR, in addition to the agreement of 6th July 1991 on “the
share of the full estates of the USSR in the foreign states”.
Matter 6
The stated contract will become effective when it is
signed on 31st July 1992, in Moscow, in two copies in the
Turkmen language and Russian language, both of which have
equal legal force.
Turkmenistan
Russian Federation
The president
The president
S.A. Niyazow
Boris Yeltsin
After that, Turkmens, like newly weds, had to establish
their home, struggle for a living, regulate their life, cultivate
and occupy themselves with good business...
For thousands of years, Turkmens, in the face of ex-
tremes of cold and heat, considered it very important and

54
took great pains to train new members of the household
properly, respecting society’s values and participating in
society.
We were a newly emerged state. Therefore, we needed
everything from pins to planes, medicine to computers. In
the past, we produced tea in Nusay, but to make tea we had to
bring wood to boil the water for it from Russia, we cultivated
cotton in Merv but sent it to Europe to be made into cloth.
Our ancestors did not say in vain, “If your brother has
much wealth, you are rich, too; but if you are able to live by
your own means then you are also rich.”
We have maintained our friendship with the former
USSR, and we have not aroused its enmity.
We are very close to our former friends, and we make
new friends; we have no grudge against anybody, and we
have no foe burning with a great passion for revenge. So,
when the general situation is like that, where is the logic in
us entering and founding various political, economic, and
military unions?
***
The Turkmens, in an historical process over thousands
of years, constituted a great nation under the name of the
Turkmen. We call ourselves Turkmen with pride! What is it
that gathers us in one home, collects us around one dining
table, builds one body, and bears us quickly towards the fu-
ture? Have we matured only by convening around one lan-
guage and religion? What are the other elements that make
us a nation?
In the 20th
century, humanity progressed by exploring
nature and all lands; by researching the details of the animals

55
and plants of the earth, by flying into space, they advanced
to a new and progressive age.
Since creation, human beings have considered them-
selves the only thinking, constructing, creating beings, and
the only intelligent rulers of the earth. Finally, they have be-
gun to realize that this thought was wrong.
The human is not the only interacting, communicating
and thinking living creature in the world! All living things
and animals are able to perform some mental process or com-
municate in the world! All plants can interact among them-
selves; they know how to process messages in some way
conveyed to them too!
After the ruthless attacks Chenghis Khan, the Turkmens
spun a circle of development from East to West.
Turkmenistan was the most developed country in the world.
The first type of carriage was devised by the Turkmen.
It served to make much of the work of the army and the
state easier.
In early days Turkmens discovered the art of making
various tools with molten ores. “The epic of Ergenekon”
shows the ancient of Turkmens. This epic mentions the melt-
ing of ores from a huge mine, which has a metaphorical mean-
ing, that is, exploring and stretching out to the new territories
and world. It conveys a perfect example of the Turkmen sword
to the current era.
On this sword was engraved, “The Turkmen never un-
sheathes his sword against his neighbour.”
Today, this sword is in a museum in Iran. The making of
various tools and materials made of iron and steel spread from
the Turkmen plateau to the world.

56
The ancient historians wrote that the best cloth was
woven in Merw and Nusay. In their books the Turkmen pla-
teaus are well-known for silk cloth and silk carpets.
Inventions increased day by day.
Turkmenistan became the home of scientists, scholars,
intellectuals, philosophers, artists and poets.
So the egg has cracked and the chick has hatched; but
this fledgling must now develop the strength of wing and the
mature judgement to fly in the heights.
Mankind, by exploring the universe, lost his belief in
the universe and the heavens!
The human being feels he is alone.
This is because people, by becoming too deeply involved
with material things, have lost their connections with the spiri-
tual and heavenly realms. They have lost their ties with em-
bracing nature: mountains, oceans, seas, rivers, forests,
deserts and living things. They have lost their spiritual con-
nections with their ancestors who have lain buried for thou-
sands of years.
In the past, people saw God as the wind, rain, light-
ning, moon, sun and the sky, until at last they came to be-
lieve in Allah, the One and the Only!
The Turkmens witness that Allah alone is great. The
Turkmens have always held and defended the belief that Al-
lah maintains all the climatic regions and geographical divi-
sions of the whole world, the universe, and every corner of
life; the Turkmen sees the signs of the power of His disposal
in every case in the universe; and he often mentions and
praises Him and asks for tolerance.

57
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

58
The history of the Turkmens is very glorious, too. The
spirit of the Turkmens who comprehend this history will soar!
But the history of Turkmens, has been written as they
wish by everybody except Turkmen historians.
No one should show contempt for the Turkmens by writ-
ing a false history because they have a great history!
No one should defame the Turkmens by writing a false
history because they have a very pure and clean nature!
The story:
When Soltan Sanjar was returning from hunting, he met
a farmer working in his field. Upon the signal of the Soltan,
his servants took the farmer away to a place and honoured
him with various kinds of food and drink. The Soltan, after
carrying him away, threw a sack in front of him and said,
“Take as much as you can carry away from the treasury.”
The farmer thought and took a very small amount of
gold in his hand. When the Soltan asked him why he didn’t
take a sackful, the farmer replied, “I don’t need so much gold
that I would carry it as a heavy burden now and after, but I
need enough gold to help me carry out my deeds and duties
efficiently.”
We have stepped into the Golden Century. We have to
tackle our current duties successfully for the sake of our great
past and the future of the fortunate young generations. We
should comply with our Turkmen nature, original principles
and historical mission.
Turkmen are loyal to their promise and principles!
The word of the older is an order (like a stately decree)
for the younger Turkmens! It is obligatory for the older to
respect their rights and esteem the young.

59
The way of Turkmen is the clean way.
***
In the war of Dandanakan fewer than forty Turkmen
Khans defeated the army of Soltan Masud, the son of Soltan
Mahmyt of Gaznaly of the strongest Turkmen state, not only
in Asia, but in the world. They declared the new Turkmen
state by meeting around a dining table. At this meeting was
the saint in Islam, Abu Seyit Abyl- Hayyr (Mane), who wore
the dervish’s cloak twice and who gave permission to
Chagry Beg (ruler) and Togrul Beg (his brother) to estab-
lish a state. The Golden Throne was erected on the site of
the battle of Dandanakan. However, there were some people
who said, “There can’t be a throne. Today is not a day of
good omen.” Abu Seyit said:
“Just as there is no bad place to be found on this Earth,
as all places were created by Allah, so there can be no day
of bad omen in the days created by Allah! Your state is the
people’s state. Rise up and as long as you do not deviate from
the way of great Allah, and the honesty, justice and equitability
of the Turkmen, then there is no obstacle which you cannot
overcome and there is no castle you cannot conquer.”
We established the Turkmen people’s state by building
the throne in the homeland of the Turkmens, who have spread
through the world. Our way is the way of ancient Turkmens!
Our way is the way of the Oguz Khan, his prophet-like way!
Our way is the way of justice.
Our way is the way of welfare.
Our way is the way of unity and solidarity.

60
Our way is the way of friendship and brotherhood.
Our way is the way of free conscience.
Our way is the way of free labour.
Our way is the way of national integrity.
We cannot go any other way. No Turkmen should go
any other way because our independent state of Turkmenistan
is the people’s state. The way of the people is the way of
Allah.
***
My purpose in writing Rukhnama is to express explic-
itly how the nation has contributed much to the sciences, lit-
erature, civilizations, and development of the world and in
every area of life. I describe our good fortune at the begin-
ning of our history, which affected the world, but in the last
seven or eight centuries our nation has shrunk. She is mea-
surably smaller but still not an insignificant nation. Though
her name is often not recalled among the great, in fact, she is
a very great nation, in her mind, in her spirit, in her blood, in
short, in all her entity. I want to show that the great legacy of
our ancestors remains. The Turkmen nation has traced marks
as magnificent as those of Great Britain, of the Great Indian
Nation and of The Great Chinese Nation.
The flag of the Turkmen nation is her pure honour.
The greatness of every Turkmen is the greatness of her
nation.
The Turkmen nation gave these to the world:
pure Turkmen horses,
perfect Türkmen carpets,

61
magnificent Turkmen ornaments,
wonderful Turkmen clothing and finery,
pure white wheat,
and the species of the sheep (saryja goyun).
During the era of the Gaznaly Mahmyt, the Seljuk King-
dom, Koneurgench states, Turkmen was the leading nation
in the science, literature, and art in the world. Turkmens in-
troduced the Turkmen civilization to others.
After the collapse of the Harezem Shah state, which
had supported science, literature and the spiritual world,
the Turkmen’s eminent philosophers, scholars, literati, art-
ists and craftsmen spread not only through Turkey, but also,
by another route, to Caucasus, Anatolia, Arabia and from
there passed though Egypt to Spain. In this way, the scien-
tific achievement of the Turkmen nations became the fer-
ment of European scientific advancement. The Turkmen
wheel precipitated the scientific progress of the world. The
life-style of the Turkmens made a great contribution to the
improvement of science, production and industry. Later those
issues will be analysed in depth.
***
I have written the Rukhnama to enable my nation to per-
ceive our past and to envision our own dignity. And the con-
tent is not only related to the past. The book is based on the
spiritual features peculiar to the Turkmens that developed in
the past. From this aspect, I would like to draw to your atten-
tion to the fact that the Rukhnama is different from the other
historical ‘titles’ written in the past. In the light of the writ-
ing tradition of the “Oguznama”, which has been held in high
esteem by the Turkmens since ancient times, I am writing

62
Rukhnama within the same tradition. Apart from this, the
“Epics of Oguzs” were composed from poor history, knowl-
edge and historical events. Despite containing some of the
basic concepts of philosophy and historical experience, they
were accepted as distinct from the books of philosophy. The
reader himself must think, evaluate and mature this philoso-
phy in his mind. By ‘in his mind’ what is meant is something
outside the content of the epic of “Oguzs”. The Rukhnama
deals with the new form of national consciousness.
Philosophy is a tool of wisdom, and we can use it to analyse
the features of the Turkmen spirit. In the epics of “Oguznama”,
the historical events are ordered chronologically. The spiritual
and moral dynamics which make a nation into a nation are not
considered at length in them. The Epic of “Oguznama” is the
writing related to the reputations of the ancestors in the past.
By means of this writing it is intended that later generations
feel proud of their ancestors and, in other way, own their aware-
ness of history. Thus, the information or knowledge functions
as the source and spring of the heart.
In the period in which I was writing “Rukhnama”, the
spring of my mind and heart was philosophy. I also wrote in
the “Rukhnama” style so as to feel proud and get pleasure
from the greatness of our ancestors. But this goal is to be
reached not only by giving information related to historical
events but also by explaining their underlying moral mean-
ing and philosophy. This refreshes the past and in particular
the historical memory.
The past, unrepeatable events traced in history, is no
more. Memory is the essence of the flow which combines
the happenings of the past, the present and the future within
the realm of the historical unity of the past.

63
As human beings are mortal, remembering can be taken
as a spiritual habit which can combine and integrate spiritu-
ally the generations that are separated from one another.
Looking at ourselves, we see gulfs between the various
generations and eras. Moreover, here and there past genera-
tions did not know each other, did not understand each other’s
languages, as if all of the Turkmens regarded each other as
strangers. The ties between them had been broken.
It is impossible, however, that they should not have been
aware of each other, the Seljuks and Makhtumkuli, the Ot-
tomans and Gorogly.
A break in memory leads to the generations regarding
each other as strangers. The reason for the break in memory
is the movement away from the frame of national solidarity,
caused by heavy foreign domination of the moral values of
the generations. This causes the nations to be spiritually and
morally divided and fragmented.
The real power lies in the heart of the people. After the
collapse of the heart, however, man starts to decline in strength
because the heart is the spring of national pride. After the
spring has dried up, to discuss facts becomes nonsense. There
was no Turkmen streak in such people.
My basic aim in writing “Rukhnama” is to open the dwin-
dling spring of national pride by clearing it of grass and stones
and letting it flow again. I hope to enliven the heart with the
medication of Philosophy. It is like replanting the arid land
of the past, which has become unproductive and useless, with
the pine trees of the Turkmen plateaus. In this way I wish to
rid us of the disease, trouble and anxiety of insensibility.

64
But if the memory of the past awakens in someone’s
mind, then, he, like before, becomes the continuation of his-
tory. This person’s moral life and capacity to live start to
bubble again like a life-giving spring. His mind and heart
transform and become the area for the continuation of the
historical and moral. In this person, his ancestors are resur-
rected with their spirit, their memory, even their capillary
blood-vessels again. This person is capable of living, feeling
the love of the mother-earth and the protection of the father-
land. This person begins to view his own personality as a
stronger link in the chain of the generations, as if he has been
released from moral loneliness and alienation. If Allah wills
it, the generations who drink deeply from the clean water of
the spring of philosophy of the “Rukhnama” may grow into
beautiful, moral people.
Life trains people and history trains the character.
The “Rukhnama” is a book opening the spring of the mind
and meeting the thirst of the dry intellect. In our recent past the
number of thirsty intellects has increased and the thirst for those
springs in the clearings of the morals of Turkmens. As we have
changed our outside world, the clear water fountains and red
and green rose gardens in our inner world must be increased.
We say Turkmenistan, day by day, is more and more pleasing
and beautiful public buildings are being constructed.
I have been witnessing the heart of my nation growing
into its own beauty. I agree with the principle that, “Beauty,
primarily, must be within the heart of the people”. I am
honoured by the current successes.
Secondly, turning back to our early comparison between
“Oguznama” and Rukhnama, we can say that Oguznama is

65
a book which is only related to the past. In these books the
future is not living either as an idea or a target or a sign. On
the other hand, the basic feature of the “Rukhnama” is that I
can analyse and present the past from the perspectives of the
future. In my view the past is the possibility of the future
coming into being. When I was wondering in the past I sought
the future.
I, by means of the “Rukhnama” string the past, present
and future on a single rope.
The past is the mark of the future, the present is the con-
sequences of the past and the future is the marriage of the
past and the present. Thus, the form of the future, what might
be, depends on the degree of our understanding of the past.
The possibilities of the future depend upon our capacity to
perceive which realities of the past are to continue in the fu-
ture, which are to disappear gradually, and how to overcome
them. So, the degree of reality of the future is the degree of
the reality of our mind and will.
There was no place for the future in any of the
“Oguznama” written in different eras because there was no
discussion about the problems of the era in them. The writers
of the stories did not view themselves and their epoch in his-
torical perspective.
The era of “Rukhnama” and the interpretations of the
world of Rukhnama are the contrary of this because the per-
spective of the world of “Rukhnama” is different. While
acknowledging entirely God’s order, will and decree in his-
tory, it is necessary to mention the view that we build the
future with our own hands. This is a confession. To refuse
to do this would be the same as to refuse our responsibili-
5. Rukhnama

66
ties for our past, present and future works. I have no notion
of becoming haughty and slinging mud at my ancestors.
Allah forbid! Besides, the era of “Rukhnama” is different
from the era when the “Oguznama” epics were written”, not
the age of being formed by history but the age of forming
history. Whatever approaches we may use there, we need to
admit one thing: we ourselves are forming our history,
present and future because Allah gave us mind and will.
This superior nature is not a gift but a debt.
I want to make the young Turkmen alert to this simple
fact and to awaken his whole heart and mind to this fact.
Why is the Turkmen people a great people? There are vari-
ous reasons. “ Rukhnama” focuses on all those great Turkmens.
They are great because such great Turkmens made their own
historians and foreign historians say that the Turkmen has
been alive for five thousand years.
The Turkmen is all the greater for valuing creativity.
These values were quickly accepted in the early ages of man-
kind. Within these values, there are both moral and material
values.
The most immediately visible aspects of our nation are
the striking material values: the horse, the carpet, our musi-
cal instruments (dutar), jewellery and ornaments, local/na-
tive breed/species dog (alabay), the yellowish breed of sheep
and the genus of white wheat. It is obvious that there is no
need to find evidence to prove that these belong to the
Turkmens. They are there in full view for all to see. More-
over these values are all pure values which have reached the
zenith of their maturity in their areas. In short, these are unique
and inimitable values without compare.

67
Perfection and uniqueness here is the main measure of
the value. These kinds of values clearly demonstrate the per-
fection and uniqueness of the free development of Turkmens
as one nation because in its perfection the work shows the
craftsman’s mastery. The measurement of the perfection of
the work is the measurement of the skill, the physical and moral
powers, and the quality of striving which have been given to
the master by Allah. These are one dimension of the matter.
We also try to evaluate the historical value and the age
of the production of such material values. Thereafter, not
only the experts but also the ordinary people can know that
the ages of such invaluable things are in thousands of years.
Afterwards, the matter of their age is a matter of the age of
the nation because it is impossible for the age of the work
to be greater than the age of the craftsman. So, the real truth
is that thousands of years ago, the material value, as an ex-
ample of perfection, became mature.
There was white wheat five thousand years ago, too.
The same must be said of the Turkmen horse of
Akhalteke, the Turkmen iti (dog), the carpet and the other
artefacts.
From all this there arises the inevitable conclusion that
these values are precisely the proof, clear to the naked eye,
that the Turkmen nation is a nation with a history of five
thousand years. So this is not a frivolous, vain, fabricated
idea. So, our national honour is far above blackening others
with the false accusations others used against us. Hence our
national honour cannot be put into the same scale with oth-
ers. Our national honour has been established on principles
as strong as the Turkmen soil.

68
Of course, at certain periods when Turkmens lacked
complex and well-founded spiritual and philosophical meth-
ods and descriptions, there were stages in which Turkmens
were weak or in decline. We cannot understand fully now
from the existing knowledge and proofs, the exact reasons
why it should have happened so. There have even been peri-
ods of interregnum, but even those periods were not totally
useless or unproductive, as, in general, it can be seen that the
moral values and the creative capabilities of Turkmens were
preserved in some way and even rose to the highest levels.
This is because hard, grievous and complex historical op-
portunities incite the inspiration and moral creativity which
lie at the basis of the nation.
The wonderful Turkmen epics of “Oguznama”, our
unique poetry and poetic style, Turkmen Sufism and Turkmen
music, all comprise profound meanings in which are embed-
ded moral values which have formed over the course of thou-
sands of years.
It is very important to analyse these types of moral values
along with their historical context, meaning and significance,
and to comprehend and express these as the Turkmens’ way of
life to others. This is necessary, not only to establish and achieve
once more the greatness and fame of our ancestors, but also to
understand the principles and basis of our future.
In “Rukhnama” the Turkmen people’s historical con-
sciousness, matured over thousands of years, and their moral
power and strength are drawn together.
“ Rukhnama” is a ship. This ship is chartered to bear the
news of the past to the future over the vast sea of Turkmen
history.

69
Rukhnama is a courier. This courier transmits the past’s
secret and necessary news to the future.
Therefore, I say:
If the spirit of Turkmen is the universe then “ Rukhnama”
cannot replace or fully represent it. At least this is impossible
in terms of its breadth.
Nevertheless, “Rukhnama” must be the centre of this
universe. In this universe, all the current and the future cos-
mic matters should go on spinning, in Rukhnama’s attrac-
tion, centripetal force and orbits.
***
My Dear People!
Now, I want to mention my private and personal rea-
sons for the writing of “Rukhnama” and the other causes
which led me to begin this work. What is the meaning of
the Head of State writing on philosophical matters? This
has to be explained in the light of the features of the era and
the duties borne on my shoulders. Of course, had we lived
in another epoch, I would only be occupied with state and
political affairs and these would be enough. As it is, our era
falls at the turn of the new millennium. In this period, five-
or ten-year programmes are not sufficient for the needs of
our state. At this time, it is necessary not only to establish a
state but also to create a nation, for a nation needs far-reach-
ing moral values and criteria. We have to seek and find ways
in which these kinds of criteria can be provided through
moral work and traditional and moral philosophies.
Eras in which great changes happen always demand that
we take on responsibilities and liabilities much heavier than

70
an ordinary president’s normal burdens. The whole founda-
tion of society must be built to the same blueprint because a
nation needs a set of complete and up-to-date criteria.
“Rukhnama” offers a simple example of this kind of scale.
***
My beloved Country, My Dear People!
These fruitful lands, on which our grandfathers’ blood
flowed, should be our dining table.
Our ancestors left to our state a treasury full of moral
wealth. Let this be a national ideal for us.
Every state needs a national ideal. The train cannot move
except on rails. The religions which have been spread through-
out the world by prophets are an ideal. The people’s tradi-
tions, principles and particular customs which were composed
over thousands of years, also represent an ideal. The state
must be a school conveying the rules of good manners and
ethics for life.
History has proved what are the consequences of mak-
ing one nation superior to another or of one nation humiliat-
ing another. The maxim say that one who burns his mouth
with hot milk becomes cautious and even blows his cold
yoghurt, so as not to burn his tongue again. Alas, ... how-
ever, some politicians are still making the same mistake,
and it seems that they are not getting wise enough to avoid
repeating their errors.
If one person shows hostility to another, it proves that
someone’s interest is at stake. If one society shows hostility
to another, then a third society will benefit from that conflict,
and turn it to its own interest.

71
I believe that the Turkmen nation is a great nation.
The nation of Turkmens is a great nation but it is not greater
than other nations. The Turkmen harbours no such base
thought. Every Turkmen must bear this advice in his mind
throughout the span of his life.
***
My beloved Country, My dear People!
It is now ten years since the establishment of indepen-
dent and eternally neutral Turkmenistan. In these ten years
the Turkmen has totally changed; he believed in his being a
great nation and this state is his state. He possessed his own
freedom, sovereignty, land, water, state and his country. In
these ten years, we have developed economically and gained
a place among the leading countries in the world. This is a
significant and honourable achievement of ours. This is the
warranty of the industriousness of our people and their bril-
liant power.
The Republic of Turkmenistan has surpassed in a month
the distance which would normally be crossed in a year. It
has been observed that Turkmenistan is progressing towards
being a rich and developed country. All have seen this,
friends, foreigners, even the blind! Although, in the begin-
ning, there were some people with bad intentions who mind-
lessly criticized our ways, even they have now understood
the rightness of our path. Now we are proud of how
Turkmenistan has joined the top ranks of the developing
countries, in terms of social and economic advancement.
***
Rukhnama is truly the “Oguznama” of the third mil-
lennium. If we try to express it using the name of our na-

72
tion, which will be widely known along with its achieve-
ments, Rukhnama will be our nation’s “Turkmennama” of
the third millennium. I wrote this book as a generalization
of the history and moral experiences of Turkmen people as
handed down over five thousand years. This is the view-
point of our nation in the third millennium.
After completing the Rukhnama, I re-read it, looked at
the content once again, and it confirmed the feeling in my
heart: I realized that I had carried “Rukhnama” in my heart
all my life. I realized that “Rukhnama” was the fruit of my
aspirations and writing it was my task in life. That is why
today I dedicate to my nation these aspirations and works in
the form of this book.
Thus “Rukhnama” is not only a way of understanding
my nation and people, but also my method of perception. It is
my belief that the reasonable man’s perception of the world
depends upon his ability to perceive himself.
When a person enters the ocean of the historical memory
of the nation, he is at the same time diving into his own ocean.
When it is impossible to take two directions at one time, you
have to understand clearly that perceptions and philosophy
are not good enough by themselves.
You cannot approach reality using only thought and in-
tellect. Reality also requires the use of the whole heart. It
demands that you include your whole self and see your fate
and destiny as a whole.
It was my good fortune to involuntarily comprehend that
what I write as my understanding, perceptions and feelings
in the Rukhnama are in fact what I have been holding as feel-
ings and aspirations in my heart for a long time. These feel-

73
ings lived in me during my youth when I understood the
spirit, mercy and value of the homeland. The reason for the
intimate connection between my fate and the fate of my
homeland is the similarity between them. When, after leav-
ing my family and brothers, I was left feeling isolated and
bereft, the homeland was afflicted in the same way. I was
deeply affected and became as homesick as the soldiers and
heroes separated from their homeland.
When I walked the route from the village of Gypjak to
the city of Ashgabat, between Buzmeyin and Ymam Kasym
graveyard, I would sense the loneliness of the homeland, its
homelessness and its spiritual desolation.
The bleak steppes, the desolate plains, the shrivelled
fountains, the bowed cypresses, the disintegrating buildings,
the lonely homeland, in their entirety, all these do not exist
only outside me but live too in my internal realm, where they
cause my heart to ache.
The homeland reminds me of a woman who has been
slapped and abandoned in the street.
The resemblance between my fate and that of my home-
land almost pushed me into philosophical inquiries. For the
first condition of philosophical inquiry is emotional explora-
tion.
The human is like an instrument created by Allah to
detect the passage of time. The human differs from other liv-
ing beings in that, as a result of having mind, he possesses
the ability to know time.
In our era, the 20th
century, people only perceived the
passage of time too late when they realized they had not done
what they ought to have done. They regretted the chances

74
they had missed and the things they had neglected to do.
Their regrets pushed people to re-evaluate the past and
present, and this re-evaluation became in turn a spiritual
accounting, which eventually helped to bring about the col-
lapse of the state and the establishment of the new state. It
is necessary for the human being to struggle with time. Per-
haps this necessity is the good fortune of human beings.
The only tool with which we may struggle with time is
memory.
The human dies, his corpse blends with the soil, but
his heart by the means of memory reaches the mind of the
following generations. It is in the moral area of my heart
and memory that Oguz khan, Togrul Beg and Gorogly Beg
and many of the others live.
It is my aim to transmit by means of my own heart the
spirits of the brave men living in this moral area to the hearts
of all Turkmens so that Turkmens who receive the powers
from this endless moral fountain may rise again in the next
millennium. In this way, the Turkmen attains all the neces-
sary strength and transform himself into all that is his po-
tential.
So, Rukhnama, in all its uses and purposes, is a book
about the lessons of philosophy and the moral experiences of
past generations, rather than a history book. If we were to
compose an accurate history of the Turkmens covering thou-
sands of years, then it would make a very large book. We are
only now starting to write anew the history of the Turkmen,
the chronology of events and information about them.
Rukhnama is not a history book. This book explains the
world anew and the moral principles on which national his-

75
tory is written. The history itself is simply an additional
aspect to this. One of my main ends is to express the
worldview of Turkmens in the new millennium. For that
reason, ‘Rukhnama’ contains some history and personal
views too. The intellectuals of Turkmenistan must carry out
more extensive research on the matters expressed in
Rukhnama. The essential thing in your reading of this book
and the recognition of the ideas in it is not to take too nar-
row a view of its meaning and issues. Where history is men-
tioned, it is not as my main objective but as a tool to ex-
press efficiently, reveal and demonstrate my thoughts. It is
a tool to indicate the greatness of Turkmens.
Moral climates do not form suddenly or by coincidence.
The last seventy-five years we have lived and the burdens
which many of us could not bear rendered us Turkmens al-
most unable to gather any moral resources. This was a result
of the fact that others aimed to use the Turkmen territory
merely for the production of raw materials and in order to do
so they intended to bring Turkmens into the position of a
society which would be forced to import their all values
from abroad.
The greatness of the time, since the day we got our
independence to the present day, lies in the fact that
Turkmens transformed themselves from a consumer nation
to a producer nation. I assert that the transformation from
being a consumer nation, either materially or morally, to
being in the position of producer nation is a great historical
transformation.
Rukhnama is a book which will awaken our nation’s

76
capacity for moral productivity and will make them the most
industrious. In this historic task, it will be the unseen moral
catalyst of great material advancement. In this, the power
which is our helper is our pride in our past and our respect for
our future.
The philosophy of the Rukhnama is the basis of this
honour and respect; the emotional aspects of Rukhnama are
the essence of this honour and respect.
No book can be written without inspiration. The his-
torical opportunities and new duties facing my nation gave
inspiration to my heart. I have always been a poet. Since
my youth I have written poems in my diary. The responsi-
bilities resting on my shoulders now force me to move on
up from poetry. Nevertheless, the basic condition of being
fruitful or productive requires that we do not discard the
poetic inspiration of the heart.
The fountain of inspiration of my emotions, The Turkmen
nature,
The fountain of inspiration of my ideas, the history of the
Turkmen,
The fountain of inspiration of my philosophy, the memory
of the Turkmen.

77
THE SECOND SECTION
THE TURKMEN’S PATH
The Beloved Turkmen people!
The Beloved Turkmen nation!
The Turkmen people has a history of five thousands
years, a history of victories, defeats and heroism. We are proud
of this glorious history, which is the legacy of our ancestors.
Our glorious history, as we gain our independence and neu-
trality, will last forever.
Our history is like a light that excites the spirit of every
member of our nation. Inherited from our ancestors, our past
is sacred and precious. For thousands of years, our ancestors
have protected their self-identity and their consciousness of
being one nation, and they have perceived this mission as a
sacred value. It was not easy for them to overcome the great
impediment of history. This love, for our glorious homeland
and our history, gained by fortitude, sacrifice and sincere
enthusiasm, has marked the heart of every member of our
nation. In its every corner, village, and city the members of
our nation live warmly united.
With its cloudy mountains that reach the sky, this land is
Chandibil, Turkmenistan.
This sacred land with its mountains, fields, seas, deserts,
and rivers is of God’s grace and favour to our nation.
If it was said, “You are free. Travel around the globe and
choose wherever you want as your homeland,” the sons of

78
this nation could not find a more beautiful and beneficial
land. Our nation, founder of more than seventy great states,
principalities, and Soltanates, after roaming the globe,
settled in these lands.
Words lack sufficient power to tell of the fatherly mercy
and motherly compassion of this land.
During the last millennium, the love of our nation pen-
etrated the depths of this land. It seems the love of homeland
became an inseparable part of our nation’s spirit. Truly, our
nation and homeland are like body and soul.
For us, this land is splendid. Those brave men who sac-
rificed their lives for this land are buried here. In this land
you find Mane Baba (Abu Seyit Abyl-Hayyr), who influ-
enced the whole Islamic world and travelled every inch of
our land praying to Allah and shedding tears for the good-
ness of all people. You find sincere concerns and pleas of
Makhtumkuli, who travelled all through our land, the moun-
tains and valleys, keeping long vigils during the late hours of
the night and the early hours of the mornings praying for the
salvation of all people. You find the spirit of Gorogly riding
his horse all through our land at a gallop for the defence of all
the oppressed, ill-treated and innocent.
In this land, if you plant the stick in your hand it will bud
as green as a forest, or bloom like a rose garden; if you shoot
an arrow into the soil it will turn into a golden ear of grain! In
this land, the words which fall from your mouth become
wise sayings. These lands are no less than a blessed source
of bread and abundance for those who live here!
Like the breath of Gorkut ata, Hoja Ahmet Yasawy,
Bahaweddin Nagyshbendi, Nejmeddin Kubra, Salar Baba, Mane

79
Baba, this fertile and powerful land is a remedy for thousands
of ailments and problems. When you touch the soil of this land
to the face of a miserable exile who has become blind through
weeping over his loneliness, he will surely see again. This soil
will cure him. This land will open his eyes.
Our ancestors! Gun
4
Khan and Ay5 Khan are like the
golden thread of the Sun always watching over us !
Our ancestors! Gok6 Khan and Yyldyz
7
Khan like the
silver-coloured nights watch over us!
Turkmen Dag8 Khan stands on your right; Deniz
9
Khan
stands on your left!
The head of our generation Oguz Khan greets our na-
tion from five thousand years ago.
As our brave nation is thirsty for a state, this land has a
thirst to rise, for real progress!
Would it not be as exalted as the of Kopetdag, as excit-
ing as the river of Jeyhun, and as beautiful as the heart of
Sumbar, to live in such a land?
This land which Allah, the most Exalted, protects is
called Turkmenistan: Free and Impartial Turkmenistan.
***
The history of the Turkmen nation can be traced back
to the Flood of Noah. We go by the name of Turk-iman, that
is asli nur.
10
We originated from Oguz Khan.
4
Gun means day. 7 Asli Nur is made of light
5
Ay means moon.
6
Gok means sky.
7
Yildiz means star.
8
Dag means mountain.
9
Deniz means sea.
10
Here, the term Turkmen is explained in a different etiological method, that is as follows: Turk-
faith-divine light essence.

80
Oguz Khan had several sons, named Gun Khan, Ay
Khan, Yyldyz Khan, Gok Khan, and Dag Khan. Each son
also had four sons.
The 24 clans of Oguz originate from the 24 grandchil-
dren of Oguz Khan. Each of these clans has a different name
and reputation. The Oguz people all around the globe are of
these 24 clans.
BOZOK11
This is the right branch.
GUN KHAN
He is the eldest son of Oguz and he has four sons:
The first son: Gaya, which means strong, well built,
and undefeatable like a rock.
His seal is
. Bird, falcon, suyuk (a portion of meat);
right segment, right shinbone, neck.
The Second Son: Bayat, which means imperial, high-
born, magnanimous and blessed.
His seal is
. Bird, falcon, suyuk (a portion of meat),
right segment, and right shinbone, neck.
The Third Son: Akevli, which means they are every-
where, progressive and they are successful everywhere.
Its seal is . Suyuk (a portion of meat), right segment,
and right shinbone, neck.
The Fourth Son: Karaevli, which means their house is black.
Its seal is . Bird, Suyuk (a portion of meat), right
segment, right shinbone, neck.
11
Gray-arrow

81
AY KHAN
He is the second son of Oguz Khan and he has four sons.
The first son: Yazir, which means he has a lot lands.
His seal is
. Bird, eagle. Suyuk; anklebone and hipbone.
The second son: Doger, which means they go some-
where to gather.
His seal is . Bird, eagle, suyuk; anklebone and hipbone.
The third son: Dodurga, which means he has property.
His seal is . Bird, eagle, suyuk; anklebone and hipbone.
The fourth son: Yaparli.
His seal is . Bird, eagle, suyuk; anklebone and hipbone.
YYLDYZ KHAN
He is the third son of Oguz Khan and he has four sons.
The first son: Avshar, which means agile and good hunter.
His seal is . Bird, rabbit. Suyuk; right hipbone and rib.
The second son: Kizik, which means strong, system-
atic, order-oriented.
His seal is . Bird, rabbit. Suyuk; right hipbone and rib.
The third son: Begdill, which means speaks succinctly
like a prince.
His seal is . Bird, rabbit. Suyuk; right hipbone and rib.
The fourth son: Karkin, it means helper, serving food.
His seal is . Bird, rabbit. Suyuk; right hipbone and rib.
UCHOK12
This is the left branch.
12
Three-arrows.
6. Rukhnama

82
GOK KHAN
He is the fourth son of Oguz Khan and he has four sons.
The first son: Bayyndyr, which means he is rich and
prosperous.
His seal is . Bird, a white falcon. Suyuk; left stomach, neck.
The second son: Becene, which means he is hardworking.
His seal is . Bird, a white falcon. Suyuk; left stom-
ach, neck.
The third son: Cavul, which means honourable and known.
His seal is . Bird, a white falcon. Suyuk; left stom-
ach, neck.
The fourth son: Cepni, which means it gains no matter
where it is.
His seal is
. Bird, a white falcon. Suyuk; left stom-
ach, neck.
DAG13 KHAN
He is the fifth son of Oguz Khan and he has four sons.
The first son: Salyr, which means his sword is victori-
ous everywhere.
Its seal is
. Bird, Uc. Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
The second son: Eymur, which means he has many wives
and he is rich.
His seal is . Bird, Uc. Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
The third son: Alayunt, it means he has horses.
His seal in . Bird, Uc. Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
The fourth son: Uregir it means he is ready to help, useful.
His seal is
. Bird Uc. Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
13
Dag means mountain.

83
DENIZ KHAN
He is the sixth son of Oguz and he has four sons.
The first son: Igdir, which means goodness, complete-
ness, bravery.
His seal is . Bird, Chakir, Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
The second son: Bugduz, which means he has respect
for everyone.
His seal is . Bird, Chakir, Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
The third son: Yiva, which means his rank is above them all.
His seal is . Bird, Chakir, Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
The fourth son: Kinik, which means he is the most beloved.
His seal is . Bird, Chakir, Suyuk; coccyx and rib bone.
Having subordinated the banks of the Mankishlak,
Seyhun and Jeyhun and the foot of Kopetdag , Oguz Khan re-
turned to his homeland. On his return he invited all his sons
and grandchildren for a large banquet. Oguz Khan gave gold,
silver, and precious fabrics as gifts. Then he said:
“Oh my sons, I am now old. Death is approaching for
me. Listen carefully to my advice! See my advice as wise
words on the way of truth and live your life in accordance
with my advice. Pass my advice on to your children and your
tribe! And may they also follow my advice forever! May they
also pass my advice on to all their descendants. If your tribes-
men conform to my advice, forever and ever, you will be the
masters of the world; no enemy will be able to overcome
you! Follow my advice, and you will not change your reli-
gion. Obey my advice, and you will be prosperous in this
life and in the next. If they do not keep their word and do
not follow my advice and orders, they will certainly fall out

84
with each other. Each tribe will find itself in a different
climate, a different region.
Oguz Khan then said to his six son and twenty-four
grandchildren:
“Oh my sons! Give me an arrow.”
He was given an arrow. Oguz Khan took the arrow in
his hand and broke it. Then he said to two of his sons:
“Oh my sons! Give me two arrows.”
He was given two arrows. He broke them again. Then
he took three arrows from thee more of his sons, held them
together and broke them as well. Next, he took six arrows
from six of them and he tried to break all six arrows at the
same time.
He failed. Oguz Khan then requested twenty-four arrows,
one from each of his grandsons and tied the arrows together.
Then to his children he said:
Try with your all your will and might to break all these
together. Are you able to do this?
His sons replied:
“We cannot break all these arrows.”
Oguz Khan said:
“Take a lesson from this example and support each other.
According to my wish, following my death Gun should be
your new Khan. After him his son Gaya should be your new
Han. As long as there is a Khan from Gaya’s tribe, Bayat
should not be your Khan. Bayat should only be the ruler of his
tribe. As long as Gaya is the Khan, Bayat should be the
ruler of the right part of our land. The ruler of the left part
of our land should be Bayyndyr. Follow these arrangements;

85
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy of
the scripts of Rukhnama.

86
do not take the younger brother as your leader as long as the
elder brother lives. Gaya Khan can be the Khan of all of the
twelve tribes to the right and left.
***
In accordance with the order of Oguz Khan, they then
divided the people into three groups. Their duties were to
be divided in this way: it was to be the duty of scholars and
learned people to collect taxes and flocks of sheep. The du-
ties of budgeting, governing expenditure, the vizierate, and
the chief stewardship belonged to the same group.
Those who were brave and stout-hearted were to be as-
signed leadership roles. Those who were agile and nimble
were trained to use the lasso.
Those who were uneducated and ignorant were to be
given sticks to be shepherds of camels, cattle, and sheep.
If a captain or another commander should die, one with
the best capacity for grooming the horses and for cultivating
the land, was to take over. After the death of the chief of the
tribe, if there should be no son to represent him after his death,
whoever might be the bravest, the most experienced, the best
informed on military affairs, with a good record of war brav-
ery was to be the new chief of the tribe.
You should not keep moving from one place to another,
nor staying in one place. You should stay on the mountain pas-
ture during the summer. You should stay in sheltered seaside
places during the winter and in warm places during the au-
tumn. If you follow this advice your cattle will not waste away
and their milk will not diminish. You will thrive. No matter
how many years go by, no matter how many generations pass,

87
as long as you follow my advice your offspring will be blessed.
They will live in abundance. Allah will help them and send his
grace upon them. Their state will be everlasting, their lives
will be long and the nations of the world will pray for them.
After this age, there will be many kings, Khans and
many sons from them. If their advisors, and the wise people
with them do not protect the order, the Hanate and the
Soltanate will be shaken. When their order is shaken, they
will long for the return of Oguz Khan but it is impossible.
There will always be many captains, commanders, and
generals. Are those who do not abide by the advice of Oguz
capable of leading armies? Those who do not listen to our
advice in their own land are like those cast into great seas
who cannot swim, or they like an arrow shot into a great
forest. Such people cannot be leaders.
A man who can order his household can lead ten
people. He who leads ten people can govern fifty people.
Whoever leads fifty people has the right to govern a hun-
dred people. He who governs a hundred people can be the
leader of one thousand people. Whoever controls a thou-
sand people can be the leader of an army division. And he
who can control an army division is easily able to be the
ruler of his tribe. One who can be a ruler can also be the
leader of a province.
Whoever keeps his household in order can safeguard
his property and country from liars and thieves.
If a corporal cannot control his household, it is obvious
that his son and wife share the responsibility. From his army
unit of ten men a new corporal should be elected. The same
method should be applied to other rulers, such as command-

88
ers, ruler of divisions and so on. If a man commits a crime,
the commander of the division should request from the ma-
jor the identity of the man. The major should request the name
of the criminal from the captain. Finally, in this way, the crimi-
nal should be found and punished. The perpetrators of theft
and robbery should be caught and punished in the same way.
If there is a consensus of three learned men over an
issue, this opinion can be declared and repeated everywhere.
Otherwise it is impossible to consider an opinion to be true.
Compare your own and others’ opinions with such learned
people’s opinions. If it is in accord with such blessed opin-
ions you can adopt it. Otherwise do not speak of it.
If a horse which can gallop when it is fat can also gallop
when it is thin, it is a good horse. If a horse is not good in
both cases, it is not a good horse.
Great rulers who are leading and waging war or hunt-
ing with friends show their horses. They pray to Allah all
the time and they trust in Allah; they wish for victory and
blessings from Allah, the Truth. You should be as brave as
a young steer when serving in the military, and you should
be like a hungry white falcon ready to hunt when taking
part in a war.
A brave man is not always visible like the sun. If his wife
keeps the house clean and tidy and is hospitable to visitors
while he is absent because he is hunting or at war, she will
undoubtedly enhance his position in society. Her own fame
will also spread like her husband’s. A good man can be recog-
nized by the actions of a good woman. If a woman is not com-
petent in her own home, this problem influences her husband.
Traders are happy, exuberant and hopeful when they

89
come with their decorated fabrics, and their goods for the
bazaar. The commanders of armies should teach soldiers
archery, grooming horses and wrestling. The commander
should test the soldiers in these things. Those who are brave
and lionhearted will be happy and exuberant if they can
trust in their abilities and skills.
If a man from our people fails to comply with orders,
he must be warned first. If he fails for a second time, he
must be threatened and punished. If for a third time he fails,
he must be exiled to a remote place like Hotan, where no-
body lives and which hunters rarely visit. But he must be
allowed to return after a while. If he complies with the or-
der of the community, there is no problem; this is good.
Otherwise he must be jailed. If he is still far from comply-
ing with the order of our community, his brothers should
meet to consult about him. According to this consultation a
decision should be taken about what to do with him.
Whenever you see old people who need help remem-
ber this saying: “He who does not help the poor, cannot be
the leader.” So help all poor and old people.
The ruler is the father of the orphans and the homeless.
The ruler must show a father’s concern for them. As there is
a difference between a poor father and a rich father, the ruler
should behave like a rich father.
It is a great task to govern the land and the people. The
ruler must always be far-sighted and intelligent, and he must
be aware of every development. He must pray to Allah, The
Great. He must carry out all his duties in the way of Allah so
that from his works, knowledge and actions, the generations
may be raised that will be beneficial to this world and the next.

90
The ruler should assign important jobs to capable and
experienced advisors. He will regret it if he assigns impor-
tant duties to bad people.
All thieves, traitors and criminals should be punished
since no one should attempt to violate rules and prohibitions.
Those who are suffering tyranny should be helped in order to
reduce the numbers of tyrants and merciless people. As it is
said, “The ruler who does not punish the criminal and thief
strikes his own caravan and people with his own hands.” If a
ruler does punish crime, he gains absolute legitimacy.
A STORY
Anushirwan Adyl, died as an infidel. A man from the
community saw him in dream living a very good life and
asked him:
-
How did you manage to reach such a rank?
Anushirwan Adyl replied:
-
I had no mercy on criminals and I never offended
the innocent!
If a man treated with kindness by another man feels in-
debted to him and respects him and replies cordially to him, he
is one who respects justice and equity. Truly, the fame and the
reputation of rulers originate in their armies and states. If there
is no army and state, there is no governance. For this reason
the importance of army, state and land should be known and
appreciated. Those who have no such respect are merciless.
Giving power and authority to cruel people, even after
they have been punished, is like setting a wolf as shepherd
after it has taken an oath to be kind. Theft, criminality and

91
wickedness are intolerable. Killing a man whose tyranny is
clear is better than sending him into exile. Putting a snake from
your house into your neighbour’s house is not legitimate.
When a ruler gets angry, he should not be hasty because
a living thing can be killed, but the dead cannot be brought
back to life. A thing which has been mended can never be as
strong as it was, but the undamaged can be broken easily.
The property of the deceased should be given to poor
and homeless people. The blessed hands of the ruler should
not be polluted by taking the property of others. Nothing is to
be left in this world other than good remembrance and fame.
Never try to damage the friendship of two men. On the
contrary, try to make friends with both of them.
An unjust ruler is like a farmer who plants corn and ex-
pects wheat.
Good but weak people should not be injured. Ants united
can defeat a tiger or a lion.
***
The history of a nation rises like a river from a small
spring. However the golden periods of our glorious history
illuminate the world. Oguz Khan armoured in pure gold and
bearing his quiver on his legendary horse waits at the begin-
ning of this glorious history. The Turkmen people, the heirs of
Oguz Khan, holding green flags
14
wait at this point at the
beginning of another Golden Century. The green standard is
the symbol of spring, revival and rising!
The famous historian Riza Nur writes as follows on
Oguz Khan, the origin of the Turkmen: “Oguz Khan is the
14
The current Turkmen flag, which is on a green base or background.

92
national prophet of the Turkmens. But his name is not among
the names of the prophets. He is indicated only by the word
Torg in the old Hebrew books like the Torah.” In another of
his books, “General Turkish History”, written at the begin-
ning of the 20th century, Riza Nur writes as follows:
“...It was Oguz Khan who named the five Turkish tribes
as the masters of the earth. He reigned for 116 years. How-
ever this 116 years should be understood in the old Turkmen
calendar.”
Oguz Khan, the ruler of great lands, conquered them with
words inspired by Allah rather than with his sword. He re-
quested that we should be merciful and compassionate:
-
If I am asked, I have never said no. I always give
what I am asked.
-
I waited for the end of good and bad, and I reached
my goal.
-
I explained all my wishes to my people and I con-
vinced them.
-
Without a sword, I govern the people with good words.
-
I govern with justice and have organized my own state.
-
I never oppressed people, never attempted to kill in-
nocents; I was always patient even though I had been
oppressed.
-
He who follows the path of truth, never finds evil.
-
If your nation does not appreciate your way, you will
never see good.
-
He who oppresses his own subordinates, he will pre-
pare his own grave.
-
He who oppresses his own subordinates is doing what

93
his enemies want. His enemies will be happy about this.
-
A way other than justice never suits a ruler.
In the age when the Egyptian pharaohs declared them-
selves the sons of God, Oguz Khan came into this world. Af-
ter he had grown into an adult and a brave man, he trained his
own people to be the same. Finally he taught all the other
peoples of world in the same manner.
Soldiers without the fear of death wage war in their iron
armour. Great ideas live forever illuminating the people. The
Egyptian pharaohs were mummified and buried in their pyra-
mids made of huge stones in the wish that they might be
eternal. Our forefather Oguz Khan wanted to be eternal in a
different way, in the hearts, in the spirit of our nation. He
preferred to live in the opinions of our people. Opinions and
ideas are more permanent than stones and mummified bod-
ies. Oguz Khan knew well it was not people but their opin-
ions which are eternal and lasting. The treasure of Oguz Han’s
opinions, which we have inherited from him, has thrown a
light on us from five thousand years ago.
One day its time will come and Oguz Khan’s opinions
and ideas will illuminate not only us but also everyone on
earth who has respect for reason and opinion.
The man who knows Oguz Khan knows the wisdom
and richness of his words and opinions. Each of them opens
new horizons for us. His words are meaningful like those of
prophets. These words cannot be understood without a deep,
careful study.
***
Man should solve the two most important questions of
his life during his youth. The first is to find a profession

94
which will make his life meaningful. The second is to find a
beloved who will make him happy.
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) also tried to reach
two targets during his life. The first was to convince all
people of the unity of God and the second to gather human-
ity around this idea of God’s unity.
Oguz Khan also tried to achieve two targets during his
reign. The first was to become the ruler and the second to
establish his order and rule in the community in order to cre-
ate a new community.
There exist nations where the persons who live in them
should exalt the dignity of their nation.
There exist nations where persons should try to exalt
themselves to be part of this nation.
The Turkmen nation is the second type; it is a great na-
tion. Its members should work hard to exalt themselves to
the level of their nation’s dignity.
The lover who is as exuberant as the tumbling river Jeyhun,
does not believe that there is another sweetheart as beautiful as
his sweetheart. He sees his darling as an angel sent from heaven.
We are the lovers of our nation. However we are not lovers
who have totally lost their reason over their beloved. We are
trying to understand our nation by trying to understand our
nation’s ideas; we are proud of our nation’s dignity. Let us
think about the captivity and the unfortunate situation that we
have experienced within the last hundred years. We have been
part of a nation in which it was prohibited to say ‘I love my
nation’, in which it was prohibited to say ‘my nation’. For this
reason we should love our nation twice as much now.
We love our nation, our homeland, our state. Love be-

95
comes much when it is shared. Fire becomes fierce when it
is fed with firewood. Prayer becomes acceptable if it is fre-
quently repeated.
We first listen to our minds before commencing a task.
The mind of man never deceives him, because Allah is en-
throned in our hearts. Listen your own heart.
It is difficult to remain pure and clean on earth. Even
the light that illuminates everything around blackens what-
ever the fire touches. Be careful not to cause harm when
you are trying to do good.
***
Words, though they may resemble each other, have dif-
ferent meanings. The arrows we fire are similar as well, but
only few of them hit the target.
When a dog barks his owner checks what is happening
around him. Listen. Know how to listen. Even animals lis-
ten. You are human, so listen with your heart.
We say months and days pass so quickly. No, in fact
months and days pass so slowly; what passes quickly is life.
...The treasure we have inherited from fifty centuries of
our past is nothing but ruined cities and old buildings. It is
not enough to be learned to understand this legacy. In order
to understand the meaning of this legacy, you should read it
as you read the Quran. You should decipher the deep meaning
behind each word.
Oguz Khan’s name means sky and earth.
The names of his six sons denote the six great things in
this world.

96
Kyat, who was killed by Oguz Khan, was a totem of the
previous religion!
Gok Boru, who came to the world with a thunderbolt
from the sky, is a totem of the second period!
***
“He who knows himself is a saint”. The human becomes
human by knowing himself.
Recognition of the nation is the duty of brave men and
of clever men!
I desire to talk with our ancestors who rode on horse-
back in the depths of history. I try to talk with them, with
their fame. However they are busy with their important prob-
lems. Suddenly you hear Gorogly’s enthusiastic voice from
the mountains:
O lads! Let’s feast and drink,
And relieve our hearts for a while,
Let’s push our enemies off and clear the way
As our ancestors did.
Thy Gorogly says, “You, guys!
Fill the bowls full!
I am proud of the Turkmen!
I love you all!”
You shout, “Gorogly, Gorogly Beg, I am here!” Gorogly
does not hear you! However, you hear his voice, the hoof-
falls of his galloping horse, as they are close by you. Tears
fall from your eyes. The mountains where Gorogly lived be-
came misty...

97
Until the third decade of the 20th
century, the Turkmen
traditionally rode on horseback in heavy armour. This was
not a sign of rank or status, but a tradition. This tradition was
part of Oguz Khan’s legacy to us.
The big states founded by Oguz Khan lasted thousands of
years. The alphabet he prepared was also used for thousands
of years. Exactly when this alphabet fell out of use is not
known, but there is an 18th
century lamentation for it named
“Beautiful twenty five” by the poet Sheydai:
How pleasing sounds to ears,
Saying all the beautiful twenty-five
15
.
Some with tuneful voice, the vowels,
I followed all the beautiful twenty-five.
Seven were made of voice,
And eighteen contained noise,
After three thousand years of life
Why let yourself go, all the beautiful twenty-five?
Oh, Sheydayy says, Worse happened,
Alas, all the folk mourn, lament for you,
Now they scorn you,
Thus vanished, all the beautiful twenty-five
My beloved people!
We, as the heirs to the great Turkmen legacy should re-
spect and know the historical legacy of our ancestors, and we
15
The ancient, now forgotten, the alphabet of Oguzs, with 25 letters, 7 vowels and 18 consonants
7. Rukhnama

98
should study our cultural richness. This fidelity to our past
is our historical duty.
***
The style of our nation’s culture and life originates with
Oguz Khan.
We know the wise stories of the prophets and their tales,
lessons for us from Oguz Khan. The source of the great states
we founded in the past is also Oguz Khan.
“He who has respect for the elder becomes the ruler;
one who has respect for the ruler becomes glorious.” “Sell
your street to your neighbour so that you can come back
later.” “He who has no elder has no youth!” “He who has no
old has no new!” “My fellow countryman is my brother.” “I
have a brother so I never worry.” “I have a brother, I have a
supporter.” “See yourself as milk, and see your friend as
cream.” “Neighbour on doomsday!”
Oguz Khan ordered us to obey our brothers even they
are older by one day. By saying, “If there are no elders,
there are learned people”, he ordered us to obey our learned
people if there are no experienced old people among us.
The absence of Oguz Khan who illuminated humanity
with his opinions and ideas was felt on his demise. Then the
old vizier of Oguz Khan, Erkil Hoja summoned a consulta-
tive group of learned and experienced people.
They gathered for a special session to discuss how to
govern state affairs after Oguz Khan. The decisions taken in
this special session then became a book. In a chapter of this
book it says:
“If you cut up a sheep or ten sheep or a hundred sheep,

99
share the meat as follows. Each of you shall eat the meat
with his sons or friends”. “When a man close to the ruler
commits a crime, during his punishment none of the ruler’s
relatives or sons shall help the man who punishes the crimi-
nal. But anyone who says “This criminal protected me”
should be taken to the presence of the ruler and punished
severely. Then this shall be an example for all!”
A man from Bozoks of the Oguz generation shall be
the ruler. Two persons shall never be your rulers at the same
time. If there is one Han it means order, but two Hans means
disorder. Old, wise people said, “A sheath cannot handle
two swords”. “A woman cannot be engaged to two men.”
“Two customs cannot live in a land!”
Oguz Khan’s chief stewards on the council said, “We
shall never think of going against this advice! If our sons from
our lineage are on the truth path, they shall follow this book
and principles. If they say ‘We shall go by the illicit way,’
they will never consider the principles of this book”. Then
the chief stewards all signed the book and it was kept in the
treasury of Gun Khan.
Gun Khan at that time was seventy years old.
The descendants of Oguz Khan, following this covenant-
book, reigned for long years. The names of several tribes
cited by Oguz Khan, such as gaya and bayat, even survive
today, having passed from generation to generation.
Oguz Khan illuminated the path of the Oguz people, our
ancestors, for thousands of years.
Another advice our forefather Oguz Khan left for us was
to assume a task according to who you are! Big tasks for
big people, small tasks for small. If you are the husband of

100
your household, your duty is to protect your family; if you
are the chief steward of your tribe, your duty is to govern
your tribe; if you are the ruler, your duty is to govern your
land; if you are the leader your duty is to govern the whole
homeland!
Once upon a time, a very poor old man who had lived a
very unfortunate existence, was approaching the end of his
life, coming close to Allah and destiny. Upon the order of
God a wise man approached the old man and asked him about
his problems and life. The poor man complained about the
conditions of his life.
The wise man sent by God then said:
-I will give you a fixed period of time for the next month.
Go and try to find the best life you can. I will change your life
according to your choice and give you the life you most desire.
The poor old man after watching the rich men whom he
had envied before found out that there was nothing to be happy
about in their life. After a month the wise man sent by God
came again and asked the old and poor man:
-
Will you take such and such a person’s destiny?
He is both rich and wise. There is no one else like him here.
The rebellious man replied:
-
No, I do not want his life! He has no son!
-
All right, so take this one’s life and destiny. This man
has four sons like lions and he is the Khan of a great country.
-
No, I cannot! I am not mad enough to wage a war
if it happens.

101
The wise man sent by God offered several alternatives,
one after the other. In the end the poor man understood that
his life was the best one for him.
Everyone’s soul is so sweet for him; everyone’s des-
tiny is blessed for him. Oh my people! Be content, be happy.
Complaining only makes you unhappy and unsuccessful.
Instead of complaining, try to find a solution to the
problems you are facing. There is no problem without a
remedy. Allah, who gives the problems, gives the remedies
and solutions with them. The one whose soul is supreme
finds the better way.
***
The reign of Oguz Khan was a golden age. His ideas
and opinions were not limited to one country and land, but
were so great as to contain all the earth. He was such a great
man, whose opinions illuminated all the nations of the world.
A new nation was born with Oguz Khan and the for-
tune of the Turkmen nation was exalted with him.
Our ancestors said, “It is not only the reader who ben-
efits from the reading; the listeners also get the benefit.” It
was Oguz Khan’s eminence and humanity which led him to
adopt the sons of war martyrs as his own sons.
The Khans who came after Oguz Khan also followed
his path.
Our path is such a great path. On this great path, our
duty is to accomplish great things, my dear Turkmen nation.
***
After Oguz Khan’s death, as he had requested, his son,

102
Gun Khan, ascended to the throne. Oguz Khan’s vizier,
Erkil Hoja, became the vizier and advisor of Gun Khan.
One day Erkil Hoja said to Gun Khan, “Oguz Khan was a
great ruler. He conquered all the lands on earth. He had
countless treasure and property. He died leaving all those
to us. According to the will of Allah, each of you has had
four sons. May God protect your sons from conflict over
the throne. It is only by assigning a name and a symbol to
each tribe and group that unity and peace can be preserved
in our homeland. They shall each define their own trea-
sure, lands, domestic administration, cattle with their own
signs and official seals. Then none shall complain of an-
other. All shall know their way and symbols, and this is
the basis of the perpetuity of the state.”
Gun Khan accepted the truth of these words and Erkil
Hoja continues as Gun Khan’s advisor and vizier. After this
event, the titles of Bozok and Uchok were given to the six
sons. The tribes of the left and the right were named with
different names, and they were each given a different reputa-
tion, seal and sign. A specific animal’s name was given to
each of the 24 grandchildren as a title. According to this
tradition, no tribe kills the animal which represents their
tribe’s name; neither do they eat its meat, because this ani-
mal bears their sign and name.
Erkil Hoja in order to prevent conflict among different
tribes during meals given on specific occasions defined the
share of each tribe beforehand and distributed each tribe’s
meat before they started eating. In this way the names of the
24 grandchildren of Oguz Khan came out of this sharing. These
names later became their official names.

103
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy of
the scripts of Rukhnama.

104
The basic reason for the strength of the state founded
by Oguz Khan is that it rested on strong and wise customs.
As long as rules and order are respected, power and strength
are enhanced. We too should maintain and preserve the cus-
toms of Oguz Khan.
***
There have been many rulers from the descendants of
Oguz Khan. In every century there have been many power-
ful and fortunate rulers from the 24 Oguz tribes. The Oguz
lineage reigned for a long time. For example, the Salyrs
reigned for a period, and after them there came several other
famous rulers. In this way, through the stories of each ruler,
the history of the offspring of Oguz lasted.
We know from which tribe or son of Oguz Khan each
ruler or beg comes. The Soltans of Seljuk and their fathers
were also great and famous rulers. Rulers from the Oguz lin-
eage reigned in the lands of Iran and Turan, and even in the
large area from Egypt to China for more than four hundred
years. In Rukhnama, their history is briefly told within the
context of the history of the people of Oguz.
Gorkut ata of the Bayat clan lived in the age shortly
after the Prophet (peace be upon him). Gorkut ata was the
wise man of the Oguz people. What he said happened; he
foretold the future. Allah inspired his heart.
One day, Mahyya, the ruler of Merw, was given a letter
confirming his position as ruler by the Caliph Ali. In the let-
ter it said, “In the name of Allah, the Great and Merciful,
may the works of those who follow the just be easy. Oraz
Mahyya, the ruler of Merw, came to me. I am very pleased
at his visit.” This was after the Muslim army had entered

105
these lands and stayed in the region and Turkmens and other
clans and tribes had started discussions and formed rela-
tionships with them, and as a result they had converted to
Islam in groups without any fight.
Why did the Merw people do such an unusual, even
unique thing and open the doors of their city to the armed
enemy without putting up a fight?
Gorkut ata the spiritual leader of his nation was among
the first to accept Islam. He visited Mekka and Medina and
performed his duty of pilgrimage there.
Anyone with sense who reads the Book of Gorkut ata can
understand how far-sighted, successful and wise Oguz Begs’
worldview was. In the book of Gorkut ata it can be seen that
Oguz people had a great wealth of literature and cultural diver-
sity in festivals and holidays. Could a society with such a wealth
of literature, art and cultural range be close to the primitive
culture of fire-worshippers? The religion of fire-worshippers
was perpetuated by certain narrow-minded philosophers of the
ancient times, such as Mazdak and Mani. These philosophers
by modifying the religion of fire-worshipping suggested new
practices such as the sharing of property and even of women.
Their ideas and practices do not resemble our opinions and
ideas. The 10th century historian Ibn-i Fadlan wrote about the
Turkmen as follows: “The Turkmen people do not cover the
faces of their women and girls like their neighbours. Their
women are free. However, they do not know what it is to be
unchaste. Turkmen women throughout history have lived with-
out the slightest stain to their honour.”
The enemies of Lady Burla, mother of Oraz Mahyya,
wanted to make her drunk in order to seduce her. When they

106
came to the place where the women were held captive, they
asked, “Who is Lady Burla, here?” All the women in one
voice replied, “I am Lady Burla.” However, her devious en-
emies said, “Force all of them to eat the roasted body of her
son, Oraz. The rest may all eat of it but his mother cannot.”
And they attempted to kill the son of Gazan. Aware of what
was happening, Lady Burla asked her son, “How can I choose
between eating your flesh or dishonouring your father’s
name?” Her son angrily replied,
Mother! Let your mouth dry up,
Let your tongue rot away,
Were not your rights of God’s rights
Then I would force myself to rise against you,
And grip you by your collar and throat,
And bring you down under my coarse heels,
And kick your white face against the dark soil.
Let them slice my flesh and fry it on the fire
And put it before the daughters of the forty beg,
And eat from it two if they eat one,
But never will you defame the honour
Of my father, Gazan!
The religion of Islam penetrated deeply into the spirit
of the Turkmen people. After reading the Quran or after
performing the prayer, they open their hands and pray to
God sincerely with their purest feelings.
Since they followed the religion of Gok Tanry/ the God
of the Skies and they believed God was in the heavens before
Islam, it was easy for our ancestors to adopt Islam as their
religion.

107
Oguz Khan said to the girl to whom he was engaged:
“They have engaged you to me now. I will accept you as my
wife and love you wholeheartedly if you accept that Allah is
one.” The girl replied, “I do not know anything about the real
god, but I will carry out your orders and words.” Oguz Khan
this time said, “My only desire is this. I mean I order you to
believe in Allah, the One and Only.” The girl replied, “I con-
sent to all your words and orders.” After this, the girl became
a real believer with a real faith, serving God carefully.
Oguz Khan then took the girl as his wife and loved her
wholeheartedly and forgot his former wives.
The Turkmen were already rich in treasure, great cattle,
great amounts of property and trust in their own people and
country. After converting to Islam, they severed their con-
nections with other religions. It was for this reason the ruler
of Merw opened the doors of his city to the soldiers of the
Islamic army.
Could it have been possible to bring the people of Oguz,
such as Dali Domrul and Dali Garchar, to the straight path
by any other method?
An apprentice after learning his master’s skills can
change masters.
A student after learning the sciences of one school can
enter another.
After becoming adult, young people can move and set
up their own homes.
With the flag of Islam waving everywhere, the Oguz
people abolished their former religion and sought a new light
which would illuminate them.

108
Reading the book of Gorkut ata raises the spirit, re-
lieves the body, and calms the soul. You will be exalted and
close to your past.
What is told in the book of Gorkut ata is the religion
and his wise ideas and advice to people.
The ideas of Gorkut ata ruled over the land of Turkmens
for five hundred years. After this, in the third period of our
history, Seljuk Beg, from the lineage of Gorkut ata, became
the ruler.
The Seljuks reigned around Merw. This reign expanded
towards the West, towards Asia Minor.
***
Many Seljuk Turkmen Principalities were founded dur-
ing the Middle Ages. These are:
Turkmen Tuluni State 868-905
Turkmen Ihsid State 935-969
Turkmen Symirnia Caka Principality 1081-1098
Turkmen Dilmachogullari Principality 1085-1192
Turkmen Danishmentliler Principality 1092-1178
Turkmen Oguz Yabgu State 7th and 9th Centuries
Turkmen Karahanli State 840-1212
Turkmen Ghazneli State 916-1187
The Great Seljuk-Turkmen Empire 1040-1194
Turkmen Syria Seljuk State 1092-1117
Turkmen Kirman Seljuk State 1092-1307
Turkmen Anatolia Seljuk State 1092-1307
Turkmen HarezmShahlar State 1097-1231
Turkmen Yazirs 11 th and 13th Centuries

109
Turkmen Salyrs 14th and 16th Centuries
Turkmen Akgoyunly State 1350-1502
Turkmen Garagoyunly State 1410-1468
The Turkmen - Ottoman Empire 1299-1922
Turkmen Memluk State (in Egypt) 1250-1323
Turkmen Halacis (in India) 1202-1323
Turkmen Delhi Soltanate (in India) 1206-1414
Turkmen Tugluklular Principality (India) 1414-1555
Turkmen Safevids State 1501-1736
Turkmen Avshar Dynasty 1736-1796
Turkmen Kacar Dynasty 1779-1924
Many principalities survived as dependent or semi-in-
dependent entities within the Seljuk State. The vacuum which
existed after the end of the Seljuk State was fulfilled by
Harezemshahlar State.
Turkmen Saltyklylar Principality 1092- 1202
Turkmen AhlatShahlar Principality 1100-1207
Turkmen Artyklylar Principality 1102-1048
Turkmen Inalogullar Principality 1098-1183
Turkmen Mungucukler Principality 1072-1277
Turkmen Begteginler Principality 1146-1232
Turkmen Chobanogullar Principality 1227-1309
Turkmen Karamanogullari Principality 1256-1483
Turkmen Inanchogullari Principality 1261-1368
Turkmen Sahipataogullari Principality 1275-1341
Turkmen Pervanaogullari Principality 1277-1322
Turkmen Menteshogullari Principality 1290-1382
Türkmen Jandarogullari Principality 1299-1462

110
Turkmen Karesiogullari Principality 1297-1360
Turkmen Germiyanogullari Principality 1300-1423
Turkmen Hamidogullari Principality 1301-1423
Turkmen Saryhanogullari Principality 1302-1410
Turkmen Aydinogullari Principality 1308-1426
Turkmen Tekeogullari Principality 1321-1390
Turkmen Eretnaogullari Principality 1335-1381
Turkmen Dulkadirogullari Principality 1339-1521
Turkmen Ramazanogullari Principality 1325-1608
Turkmen Doburcaturk Principality 1354-1417
Turkmen Kazi Burhaneddin Ahmedi Principality
1381- 1398
Turkmen Eshrefogullari Principality 1326
Turkmen Barchemogullari Principality 12th
Century
Turkmen Tajeddinogullari Principality 1348-1428
Turkmen Yarlikogullari Principality 12th
Century
Turkmen Emirogullari Principality 14th
Century
Turkmen Boruler Atabegligi 1117-1154
Turkmen Zenniler Atabegligi 1227-1259
Turkmen IlDenizliler Atabegligi 1146-1225
Turkmen Salgyrlar Atabegligi 1147-1284
If we pay close attention, we can see that the Oguz people
at the beginning used similar names to the Seljuks. However,
in time each clan took the name of their ruler. If we look at
their dates of establishment and termination, it will be clear
that many of them are small principalities founded just after
the destruction of the Seljuks and Harezemshahs. Many of them
were later annexed to the Ottoman State by Osman Ghazi.
***

111
THE GREAT SELJUK TURKMENS
In the third period of Turkmen history (in the third decade of
the 11th Century), there occurred several new and important devel-
opments in our history. The Seljuk commanders Togrul Beg (993-
1063) and Chagry Beg (991-1061) founded the Seljuk State.
The other name of Chagry is Davud, the other name of
Togrul is Muhammed. Both Togrul and Chagry Begs were
among the foremost commanders. The metaphorical meaning
of their names is eagle. If the spirit of the Turkmen is accepted
as ‘horse’ in the fifth period, then it must be ‘eagle’ in the
third period. For this reason it was very normal for the
Turkmen commanders to be named in such way.
Chagry and Togrul Begs were the sons of Mikhail. They
were the grandchildren of Seljuk Beg.
The boundaries of the Seljuk State extended from the
Great Wall of China to Egypt, Asia Minor and the Caucasus.
Seljuk Beg and his sons waged war against Samanogullari,
Ilek Hanate, and Mahmyt of the Gazneli State.
The Seljuks are from the Kinik clan of the Oguz people.
In 1040 in front of the Dandanakan citadel, 70km from the
city of Merw, they defeated Mahmyt of the Gazneli state from
the lineage of Oguz. The state founded by the two brothers
grew in strength after this victory.
A khutba (sermon) was delivered in the name of the two
brothers in all lands under their control. Chagry Beg, who
was named “Soltan of Soltans”, ascended the throne in the
city of Merw; Togrul Beg ascended the throne in the city of
Nishapur. In a short time span, many places and cities such
as Belh, Curcan, Taberistan, Harezm and then Cibal,
Hemedan, Dinavar, Hilvan, Rey and Isfahan were conquered.

112
In 1055, Togrul Beg went to Baghdad and was declared
Soltan in the city, which was under the control of the Caliph-
ate. He was named “Soltan of the seven climates” by the
Caliphate.
The land of the Great Seljuk Empire expanded greatly
during the era of Alp Arslan, Chagry Beg”s son. It started to
collect taxes from tens of countries and principalities.
THE SOLTANS OF THE GREAT SELJUK
TURKMENS
Islamic Calendar 429-552
Gregorian Calendar 1308-1157
429
Rukneddin EbuTalib Togrul Beg
1038
455
Adudeddin Ebu Shuca Alp Arslan
1063
465
Jelaleddin Ebul Feth Melik Shah
1072
485
Nasreddin Mahmyt
1092
487
Rukneddin Ebul Muzaffar Berkyaruk
1094
498
Melik Shah II
1104
498
Giyaseddin Ebu Shuja Muhammet
1105
511-552
Muizeddin Ebul Haris Sanjar
1118-1157
433-583
THE KIRMAN SELJUK STATE
1041-1187
433
Imameddin Kara Arslan Gurt Beg
1041
465
Kirman Shah
1073
467
Huseyin
1074
467
Rukneddin Soltan Shah
1074
477
Turan Shah
1085
490
Iran Shah
1097
494
Arslan Shah
1101
536
Mugiseddin Muhammet I
1141
551
Muhyiddin Togrul Shah
1156

113
Bahrem Shah (the era of conflict)
563
Arslan Shah II (the era of conflict)
1168
Turkan Shah (the era of conflict)
583
Muhammet
1187
487-511
SYRIAN SELJUK TURKMENS
1094-1117
487
Tutush bin Alp Arslan
1094
488
Ridvan bin Tutush (in Aleppo)
1095
488-497
Dukak bin Tutush (in Damascus)
507
Ali Arslan Ahras bin Ridvan
1113
508-511
Soltan Shah bir Ridvan
1114-1117
511-590
RAQI SELJUK TURKMENS
1118-1194
511
Mugiseddin Mahmyt
1118
525
Giyaseddin Davut
1131
526
Togrul I
1132
528
Giyaseddin Mesud
1133
547
Muineddin Melik Shah
1152
548
Muhammet
1153
554
Suleyman Shah
1159
556
Arslan Shah
1161
573-590
Togrul II
1177-1194
470-700
RUM SELJUK TURKMENS
1077-1300
(in Asia Minor)
470
Suleyman I. Bin Kutalmish
1077
479
(Bashli-Baratlik)
1086
485
Kilich Aslan Davut
1092
500
Melik Shah I
1107
510
Mesud I
1116
8. Rukhnama

114
551
Izeddin Kilich Aslan II
1156
584
Kutbeddin Melik Shah II
1188
588
Giyaseddin Keyhusrev I
1192
597
Rukneddin Suleyman II
1200
600
Kilich Aslan III
1203
601
Keyhusrev I (for the second term)
1204
607
Izeddin Keykavus I
1210
616
Alaeddin Keykubat I
1219
634
Giyaseddin Keyhusrev II
1236
643
Izeddin Keykavus II
1245
655
Rukneddin Kilich Aslan IV
1257
666
Giyaseddin Keyhusrev III
1267
682
Giyaseddin Mesud II
1283
696-700
Alaeddin Keykubat II
1296-1300
THE PRINCIPALITY OF DANISHMENT
TURKMENS
(In Sivas, Kayseri and Malatya)
While the Seljuk commanders were expanding their con-
trol in Asia Minor, Gumush, son of Turkmen commander Da-
nishmend, conquered Cappadocia, Sivas, Kayseri and Malatya.
Gumush defeated the Franks, who invaded Anatolia up
to Malatya. The Danishmends became dependent on the
Anatolia Seljuk State after a short time.
The Danishmen Turkmens
Circa 490-560 (Sivas, Kayseri, Malatya) 1097-1165
Muhammet I Gumush bin Tilu Danishment

115
499
Gazi bin Gumush
1105
529
Muhammet II bin Gazi
1134
537
Zunnun bin Muhammet II
1142
Yagi (Yakup) Aslan bin Gazi
560
Ibrahim bin Muhammet II
1165
THE ATABEG TURKMENS (12th
and 13th
C.)
The education of the sons of commanders and important
personalities had been aimed at teaching them science and
morality in order to prepare them for public service since
the era of Oguz Khan. Those learned and experienced people
who educated children in this way then were called Atalik,
Ataliklar, and Atabegs.
The Atabegs started the education of the sons of Soltans
at a very early age. Atabegs were carefully chosen from
among the soldiers.
The children of the Soltans were taught foreign lan-
guages, military knowledge and command. The Soltans edu-
cated in this way could speak the languages of other na-
tions, understand world literature, and utilise the technol-
ogy of war.
This education must have been the secret of how Seljuk
Soltans with a smaller number of troops defeated great armies
of many soldiers.
From the start of the era of Oguz Khan until the Middle
Ages, the countries where the Oguz people lived were the
centres of science, wisdom, and education. Many students
from China and the Wyzantine Empire were sent here in order
to learn science, the art of war and related knowledge. Those

116
students who were taught by the Atabegs became masters
everywhere with their wide worldview, knowledge, bodily
health and their skill at command.
With the growing weakness and decline of the Great
Seljuk State, the Atabegs in their lands started declaring in-
dependence and founding free principalities.
Imameddin Zenni was the slave of the son of Melikshah,
who was the third Soltan of the Seljuk State. The Seljuk
Atabegs in Azerbaijan came from the lineage of Mesud,
who was the ruler of Iraq and came from the Gypjak
Memluks. Anustegin, the great grandfather of the
HarezmShahs was a servant at the palace of MelikShah.
BORI TURKMENS
479-549 According to the Islamic Calendar
1104-1154 According to the Gregorian Calendar
Atabeg Tug educated the younger Seljuk princes. Soltan
Tutush set Atabeg Tug free in return for his services. Atabeg
Tug educated his own son Bori as well.
Atabeg Tug conquered Damascus. After this event, his
dynasty started. After his death, he was replaced by his son
Tajimulk Beg.
BORI TURKMENS
Islamic C.
Gregorian C.
479-549
1104-1154
497
Seyfulislam Zahireddin Tug
1104
522
Tajimulk Bori
1128

117
526
Shemsulmulk Ismail
1132
529
Shihabeddin Mahmyt
1135
533
Jemaleddin Muhammet
1139
534-549
Mucireddin Abak
1140-1154
(or Anaz I, + 564)
ZENNI TURKMENS
(Mesopotamian and Damascus Atabegs)
521-648 According to the Islamic Calendar
1127-1250 According to the Gregorian Calendar
Atabeg Imameddin Zenni was the son of Hacip
Aksungur, who was the slave of MelikShah. Aksungur be-
came the ruler of Aleppo between 1085-1094 (478-487). Upon
the order of Tutush he rebelled against MelikShah. Zenni was
appointed the governor of Mosul in 1127 (521) upon the or-
der of Tutus. Baghdad, Sincar, Cezire and Harran were under
his control. Later, he also took over Aleppo and other cities
related to Damascus in 522. Zenni, thanks to his struggle
against the Crusades and his protection of the Muslim lands
against the Crusades, was compared with Selahaddin. After
Zenni’s death his lands were shared among his sons, the ruler
of Damascus, Nureddin Mahmyt, and the ruler of
Bori Turkmens Family Tree
1. Tug hokumdar
2. Bori
3.Ysmayyl
4. Mahmyt
5. Muhammet
6. Abak

118
Mesopotamia and Mosul, Seyfetdin. Both of his sons at that
time were waging war against the Crusaders. Later the Dam-
ascus segment vanished. However, other two segments ap-
peared from Sincar and Cezire. Sincar came under the con-
trol of Eyyubis in 1221 (618). The others came under the
control of Lulu, who was the vizier of the Mosul Zennis.
None of them fell to the Moguls.
Islamic Calendar
Gregorian Calendar
521-648 Zenni Turkmens 1127-1250
(Mesopotamia and Damascus Atabegs)
521-631
Musul Turkmen Atabegligi
1127-1234
521
Imamuddin Zenni (Also in Aleppo)
1127
541
Seyfeddin Gazi 1
st
1146
544
Kutbeddin Maudud
1149
565
Seyfeddin Gazi II
1170
576
Izzeddin Mesud I
1180
589
Nureddin Aslan Shah I
1193
607
Izzeddin Mesud II
1211
615
Nureddin Arslan Shah II
1218
616
Nasreddin Mahmyt
1219
631
Bedreddin Lulu
1233
657-660
Ismail bin Lulu
1259-1262
541-577
Damascus Turkmen Atabegs
1146-1181
541
Nureddin Mahmyt bin Zenni
1146
569-577
Salih Ismail
1174-1181
566-617
Sinjar Turkmen Atabegligi
1170-1220
566
Imamuddin Zenni bin Maudud
1170

119
594
Kutbeddin Muhammet
1197
616
Imaduddin SahinShah
1219
616-617
Mahmyt (or Omer)
1219-1220
576-648
Cezire Turkmen Atabegs
1180-1250
576
Muizeddin Sancar Shah
1180
605
Muizeddin Mahmyt
1208
6xx-648
Mesud
12xx-1250
Bedreddin Lulu (wezir IX)
(Mosul, Sanjar and Jezire, 637-660)
Salyh
Ysmayyl
(Mosul
657-660)
Seyit
(Halap
658)
Muzaffar
Alaeddin
Aly
(Sanjar,
657-658)
Seyfeddin
(Jezire,
657-658)
Mujahit
Zenni Turkmens Family Tree
I. Zenni b. Ak sunkar
A. Mosul atabeg
B. Sham atabeg
II. Gazy I
III. Maudud
I. Mahmyt
II. Ysmayyl
S. Sanjar atabeg
IV. Gazy II
V. Masut I
1. Zenni
(W. Jezire atabeg) VI. Arslan sha I
2. Muhammet
a. Sanjar şa
VII. Masut II
b. Mahmyt
ch. Masut
3.Shahanshah 4. Mahmyt
VIII. Arslan sha
IX. Mahmyt

120
BEGTEGINLER
(Erbil Turkmen Atabegs)
539-630According to the Islamic Calendar
1144-1233 According to the Gregorian Calendar
In 1144 (539), Imameddin Zenni appointed Zeyneddin
Ali Kuchuk Beg, one of the army commanders, as the new
governer of Mosul. In 1149 (544) he came under the control
of the ruler of Sincar. Later he took over Harran, Tekrit, Erbil
(Arbelum) and other lands as ruler. After Zeyneddin’s death
at Erbil in 1168 (563), his son Muzafareddin Gokboru, be-
cause of his fear of being murdered, escaped to Harran. Con-
sequently, Erbil entered the control of the younger son of
Zeyneddin, Zeyneddin Yusuf. Emir Mucahiddin Kaymaz
supported him. After Yusuf’s death in 1190 (589), Selahaddin,
the ruler of Damascus and Mesopotamia appointed
Muzafariddin Gokbori as his successor in Erbil and Sahrazur.
Gokbori gave several cities and lands, which had been un-
der his control, such as Harran, Ruhan (Eldessu) and
Sumeysat, to his nephew Tagiyaddin Omer. Gokbori died in
1233 (630). Since he had no son, he requested that Erbil
should be given to the Abbasid Caliphate.
Islamic Calendar
Gregorian Calendar
539
Begteginler (Erbil Atabegs)
144-1233
539
Zeyneddin Ali Kuchuk bin Begtegin
1144
563
Zeyneddin Yusuf bin Ali (in Harran)
1168
563 Muzafareddin Gokbori bin Ali (in Harran) 1168
586-630
Muzafareddin Gokbori bin Ali
1190-1233
(in Erbil)

121
ARTYK TURKMENS
(in Diyarbakir)
495-712
1101-1312
Islamic Calendar
Gregorian Calendar
Tutush, the ruler of Damascus, conquered Jerusalem
and appointed one of his most trustworthy commanders,
Artyk bin Eksuk, as governor of the city.
Sokmen and Ilgazi, the sons of Artyk, were the victors
in the war that they waged against the Ruler of Palestine.
Sokmen and Ilgazi replaced their father in 1091.
In 1101, the Seljuk Soltan Muhammet appointed Ilgazi
as the governor of Baghdad. In the same year, Sokmen was
assigned to Diyarbakir as the commander of the Hisn-i Keyf
fortress. Sokmen in the next few years annexed Mardin to
Diyarbakir. In 1108, Mardin was given to Sokmen’s brother
Ilgazi. Consequently Artuklular prevailed as two clans in
Hisn-i Keyf and Mardin.
Artyklylar (Artyklus) was recorded in history as a gen-
eration with a great respect for science. Artyklylar had made
important contributions to the development of science.
Islamic Calendar
Gregorian Calendar
495-629
A. Hisn Keyf Artyklylar
1101-1231
495
Muineddevle Sokmen I
1101
498
Ibrahim
1104
circa 502
Rukneddevle Davud
1108
circa 543
Fahreddin Kara Aslan
1148
570
Nureddin Muhammet
1174
581
Kutbeddin Sokmen II
1185

122
597
Nasreddin Mahmyt
1200
619-629
Rukneddin Maudud
1222-1231
502-712
B. Mardin Artyk Turkmens 1108-1312
502
Mejenmeddin Ilgazi
1108
516
Husameddin Demir Tash
1122
547
Nejemeddin Alp
1152
572
Kutbeddin Ilgazi II
1176
580
Husameddin Yuluk Arslan
1176
circa 597
Nasreddin Artyk Arslan Mansur
1200
637
Nejemeddin Gazi I Seyit
1239
658
Kara Arslan Muzaffer
1260
circa 691
Shemseddin Davut
1292
693
Nejemeddin Gazi II Mansur
1294
712
Imaduddin Ali Alp Idil
1312
712
Shemseddin Salyh
1312
765
Ahmet Mansur
1363
769
Mahmyt Salih
1367
769
Davut Muzaffer
1367
778
Mecdeddin Isa Zahir
1376
809-811
Salih
1406-1408
TURKMENS KHAHS IN ERMENISTAN
493-604 According to the Islamic Calendar
1110-1207 According to the Gregorian Calendar
Sokmen-el Kutbi was the slave of Kutbeddin Ismail, who
was a Seljuk Turkmen and the ruler of the Azerbaijani city of
Maranda. His name originates from this relationship. In 1100 (493),

123
Turkmens Family Tree
Artyk
(A. Kayfda)
(B. Mardinde)
1. Sukman I
Abdyljepbar
Bahrem
Suleyman
Belek
Yakuty
Aly
(Halap
(Anda, 497
(Mardin)
515-517)
Halap
we Harranda
517-518)
II. Ybrayym
III. Dawut
IV. Gara Arslan
1. Il-Gazy I
(Hartapirt)
Suleyman
Mahmyt
(Mayyafarikin
516-518)
a. Abu-Bekr
V. Muhammet
(581-tak. 600)
b.Abu-Bekr II
VI. Sukman II
VII. Mahmyt 2. Teymirdash
(tak. 600-620)
VIII. Maudud 3. Alpy
4. Il-Gazy II
5.Yuluk Arslan 6.Artyk Arslan
7. Gazy I
8. Gara Arslan
9. Dawut
10. Gazy II
11. Aly
12. Salyh
13. Ahmet
15. Dawut
14. Mahmyt
16. Isa
17. Salyh

124
Sokmen-el Kutbi took the city of Helat in Armenia from
Merwaniler. The city of Helat was under the control of Sokmen-el
Kutbi’s descendants until 1207, that is,. the conquest of the Eyyubis.
Islamic Calendar
Gregorian Calendar
493-604
ErmenShahs (Ahlat-Shahs)
1110-1207
493
Sokmen-el Kutbi
1100
506
Zahireddin Ibrahim Shah Ermen
1112
521
Ahmet
1127
522
Nasreddin Sokmen II
1128
579
Seyfeddin Begdemir
1183
589
Bedreddin Aksungur
1193
594
Mansur Muhammet
1198
603-604
Izeddin Balaban
1206-1207
ILDENIZLILER (Azerbaijan Turkmen Atabegs)
450-560
Islamic Calendar
1097-1165
Gregorian Calendar
Shemseddin Ildeniz was originally a Gypjak. He was
great man of science. Thanks to his successful years as an
Atabeg and his ability to educate Soltans from among his
sons, he was held in high esteem by all.
Turkmens Shahs in Ermenistan
Family Tree
1.Sukman
2.Ybrayym
3.Ahmet
4.Sukman II
5.Beg Teýmir
7. Muhammet
8.Balban 6.Ak sunkar

125
Ildeniz was an Atabeg who gave great importance to
teaching his students political knowledge in state adminis-
tration. In time, he added Azerbaijan to his control and he
enhanced his position in the region. Since his son Muhammed
was not satisfied with the current borders, he conquered the
Iraqi Seljuk lands.
After Muhammet, his brother Kizil Arslan, “the emir
of emirs,” became the new ruler. However he was killed
because he declared the independence of his lands. His two
relatives who then declared themselves rulers after his death
were also killed for their arrogance.
SALYR TURKMENS
(The Persian Turkmen Atabegs)
543-686 Islamic
1148-1287 Gregorian
After emigrating to Horasan, Salyr, after many cam-
paigns became a commander in the army of Togrul Beg, the
Soltan of the Seljuk State. Togrul Beg appointed him as a
commander in his own army. In 1148 (543) Shungur b.
Mevdud from Salyr’s lineage, after conquering the Persian
province, enhanced the Salyrs’ rule there. This rule of Salyr
atabegs lasted half a century. Atabeg Sagdi lost the war against
HarezmShah Muhammed. (p.128) He handed over Istahr and
Eshkevan to HarezmShahs. As a man of foresight, Atabeg
Ebubekir felt the forthcoming danger of the Moguls and sent
an ambassador to Ogedey Khan to declare his dependence on
and loyalty to the Han. The last ruler from the lineage of
Salyr was Abis Hatun, II, Sa’d’s daughter who was the ruler
for a while after the death of Seljuk Shah. Abis Hatun mar-

126
ried Mengu Timur, the son of Hulagu. The world-renowned
Poet Sadi was brought up in Atabeg Ebu Bekir’s palace.
543-686
Salyr Turkmens
1148-1287
(The Persian Atabegs)
543
Sungur
1148
557
Zenni
1162
571
Takla
1175
591
Sa’d
1195
623
Ebu Bekir
1226
658
Muhammet
1260
660
Muhammet Shah
1262
660
Seljuk Shah
1262
662-686
Abish
1263-1287
Maudud
1.Sunkar
2.Zenni
3.Takla
4. Sagt
5.Abu Bekr 6.Muhammet
Salyr
Sagt
9.Abysh
7.Muhammet sha
8. Seljuk sha
Salyr Turkmens Family Tree
LURYSTAN (HAZARASP) TURKMENS
543-740 Islamic
1148-1339 Gregorian
The founder and the commander of this Soltanate
was Ebu Tahir Atabeg. Ebu Tahir with the Salyr Turkmens
went and conquered the Great Lurystan in 1148 (543).
The areas under Ebu Tahir’s rule expanded rapidly, after

127
he had captured Huzistan, which was offered to him by
the Mogul Khan. Ebu Tahir later took Isfahan, after the
death of Afrasyyap I Argu. However, he was punished
for this after a short while. This small state lasted till
1339 (740) and its capital was Idaj. Some historians also
noted that Yusuf Shah II took Shuster, Huweyza and Basra
under his domination. Another family of these Atabegs
ruled over Small Lurystan from the end of the 12th cen-
tury to the beginning of the 16th century.
Luristan (Hazarasp) Turkmens Tree
1. Abu Tahyr
2. Hazarasp
3.Takla
4. Alp-Argu
5.Yusup sha I
7. Ahmet
8. Yusup shaII
6. Afrasyyap I
9.Afrasyyap II
Hushen
Nuralyberdi
x
543-740 Lurystan (Hazarasp) Atabegs 1148-1339
543
Ebu Tahir bin Muhammed
1118
circa 600
Nasreddin Hazarasp
circa 1203
circa 650
Takla
circa 1252
circa 657
Shemseddin Alp Argu
circa 1259
circa 673
Yusuf Shah I
circa 1274
circa 687
Afrasyap I
1288
696
Nasreddin Ahmed
1296

128
733
Rukneddin Yusuf Shah
1333
740
Muzaffereddin afrasyap II
1339
756
Shemseddin Hushen (or Nuraliverdi)
1355
circa 780
Ahmed
circa 1387
circa 815
Ebu Seyit
1408
circa 820
Huseyin
circa 1417
827
Giyaseddin
1423
KONEURGENCH TURKMENS (HAREZMSHAHS)
470-628 Islamic calendar
1077-1231 Gregorian
The HarezemShahs were the descendants of Anushtegin,
who was first employed as a servant by Bilge Tegin in Gazna
and later as a member of the palace staff during MelikShah’s
reign. As a result of his services to MelikShah and the state,
he was appointed as governor to Harezm. Among his descen-
dants, the first person to declare his independence was Atsyz,
whose first act was against the Soltan Sanjar in 1338 (533).
However, he was punished for it and driven off from
Koneurgench. After his asking for and being granted forgive-
ness, he was re-assigned to his former position. He gained
his full independence in 1156 and reigned over the land up to
Jend along the river of Seyhun.
Later, Soltan Tekesh included Horasan Rey and Isfahan
into his land in 1193-1194 (589-590). His son, Alaeddin
Muhammed, fought fierce battles with the Gurly Turkmens in
Horasan and in consequence conquered a great majority of
Iran in 1210 (607), and also took Buhara and Samarkand
later. After campaigns on the land of Gur Khan of Garahytay,

129
he took the capital Otrar too. He fought bloody battles against
Jengis Khan but was defeated and later took refuge and died
on an island in the Caspian Sea in 1220 (617).
His son, Jelaleddin, continued his resistance against the
Mongol expansion and proved himself a hero unprecedented
in history. He was the first to defeat the Mongols who had
been invincible until then. However, internal conflicts within
his ranks and the army prevented him from reaching his
goals. After his stay for two years in India and many inter-
esting adventures and journeys, he established his sover-
eignty in Azarbayjan from 1225-1231. There are many com-
mentaries about his ultimate end, one among which says he
was killed by a Kurdish person. Though the HarezmShah
state once stretched to the same borders and influence as
that of the Great Seljuks, it did not survive.
1. Anush tegin
2.Kutbeddin Muhammet
3.Atsyz
4. Il Arslan
5. Soltan sha
6.Tekesh
7.Alaeddin Nasyreddin Yunus Khan (Reyde) Tajeddin
Muhammet
Malik Khan
Aly sha
(Horasan + 593)
(Kurdustan)
Arslan sha
Rukneddin
Kyyaseddin
Jelaleddin
Gursanchy +619 Shir sha +627
Menburun +628
Koneurgench Turkmen Shahs Family Tree
9. Rukhnama

130
470-628
HAREZMSHAH
1077-1231
circa 470
Anustegin
circa 1077
490
Kutbeddin Muhammet
1097
522
Atsiz
1128
551
Il-Arslan
1156
568
Soltan Mahmyt (+589)
1172
568
Tekesh
1172
596
Alaeddin Muhammet
1200
617-628
Jelaleddin Menburun
1220-1231
GUTLUG KHAN TURKMENS (In Kirman)
619-703
1222-1303
Barak Hacip, who was one of the servants of Alaeddin
of Koneurgench (HarezmShah), declared his rule in Kirman
in 1222 (619). They came from Garahytays and established
their rule just after Jengiz Khan attacked Koneurgench. The
Mogul leader, Ugedey, acknowledged Barak’s rulership and
gave him the title of Gutlug Khan. Thereafter, Gutlug lead-
ers always remained loyal to the Mongols. Two of the lead-
ers married Mongol wives, and the daughter of the last ruler
married Muhammed, the ruler of the Muzaffars in Iran.
619-703 Gutlug Khan Turkmens 1222-1303
(In Kirman)
619
Barak Hacip Kutlug Khan
1222
632
Rukneddin Hojatilhak
1235
650
Kutbeddin Muhammet
1252
655
Kutlug Hatun
1257
(Kutbeddin Muhammet’s widow)

131
681
Jelaleddin Suyurgatmis
1282
693
Safveddin Soltan-Hatun
1293
694
Jelaleddin Muhammet
1295
701-703
Kutbeddin Shah Jihan
1301-1303
Gutlug khan Turkmens Family Tree
1.Barak-hajyp
2.Rukneddin
Taniku
3. Kutbeddin 4. Gutlug-hatyn
Hajjaj soltan
5. Jelaleddin
6. Safweteddin
7.Jelaleddin
Ilhan Abagy’ daughter
8. Kutbeddin
Muhammet b. Muzaffar’ daughter
Ilhan Baydun’ daughter
THE HEIRS of the GREAT SELJUK TURKMENS
in the WEST
14th –19th Centuries
It is widely known that the atabegs and the principalities
after the demise of the Great Seljuks Soltanate ruled over the
lands from Iran to Mesopotamia and Syria. As they were
unable to establish very powerful sovereignties or Soltanates
they were taken over by the Mongols and later helped pro-
duce the Ottoman dynasty, which would become the inheri-
tors to the Seljuks.
Togrul Beg, Alp Arslan and MelikShah were the rul-
ers of a powerful state. After MelikShah’s death, his sons,

132
Berkyaryk and Muhammed Tapar, started disputes and
clashes between them, and that led to the establishment
and independence of the new small states. Only during
the reign of Soltan Sanjar did the state manage to reorga-
nize itself and to keep its coherence and vitality till his
death.
Soltan Sanjar’s reign remained limited to Horasan.
However, other Seljuks states continued their existence in
Kirman, Irak, Syria and Anatolia as independent states.
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
(The Ottoman Turkmen’s State in Turkey)
Islamic Calendar 699
Gregorian 1299
In 1299 Osman Ghazi founded the Ottoman State, which
lasted 622 years, during which 36 Soltans reigned. He was
born in 1258, the third son of ErTogrul Ghazy, who was one of
the Turkmen Begs (principals). Due to external, hostile pres-
sures, the Turkmens who settled in Sogut, Anatolia, in 1277
asked for help from ErTogrul Ghazi, who lived in their home-
land, Horasan. As a result of meetings held in Merw, ErTogrul
Ghazi decided to go to Anatolia and to support Turkmens there
with his 400 horsemen. These 400 horsemen were composed
of the atabegs and the cavalry who had completed their fight-
ing and commanding training with flying colours and who were
able to fullfill the will of Oguz Khan, who had said, “Each
and every Turkmen soldier is equal to one thousand enemies.”
Osman Ghazi was one of the atabegs who received train-
ing in fighting and commanding and would establish a very
powerful state in Turkey after 20 years.

133
The ottoman dynasty
The Ottoman dynasty Family Tree
1. Osman b. Artogrul
2.Orhan
3.Myrat I
4. Bayezit I
Suleyman
5. Muhammet I
Musa
1403-1410)
1410-1413)
6. Myrat II
7. Muhammet II
8. Bayezit II
9. Selim I
10. Suleyman I
11. Selim II
12. Myrat III
13. Muhammet III
14. Ahmet I
15. Mustapa I
16. Osman II 17. Myrat IV
18.Ybrayym
19. Muhammet IV
20. Suleyman II
21. Ahmet II
22. Mustapa II
23. Ahmet III
24.Mahmyt I 25.Osman III 26. Mustapa III 27. Abdylhemit I
28. Selim III
29. Mustapa IV 30.Mahmyt II
31. Abdylmejit 32. Abdyleziz
33. Myrat V 34. Abdylhemit II

134
GARAGOYUNLY TURKMENS
Islamic calendar 780-874
Gregorian 1378-1469
The Turkmen clans and tribes, which carried the name
of Garagoyunly up to the end of 14th century, were named
after their flags which had a figure of a black sheep. The
Garagoyunly Turkmens captured the land from the Van Lake,
in the eastern part, to the western part of Turkey. They estab-
lished a Hanate which included Armenia and Azarbayjan in
its territory by concluding an agreement with Soltan Huseyin.
Garayusuf, the second ruler of the Garagoyunlys, was de-
feated and expelled by Timur (Tamerlane) a couple of times but
he managed to return. After the death of Timur, Garayusuf re-
captured in 1405 (807) all the lands he had formerly ruled. He
took the Jelayirs under his rule in 1411. However, in 1469 (874)
the Garagoyunly Turkmens accepted the rule and sovereignty of
the Akgoyunly Turkmens, whose leader was then Uzun Hasan.
Islamic Calender
Gregorian Calender
780-874
Garagoyunly Turkmens
1378-1469
780
Gara Muhammet
1378
circa 790
Gara Yusup
circa 1388
802
Timur’s Decline
1400
808
Gara Yusup (conflict)
1405
823
Isgender
1420
841
Jahanshah
1437
872-874
Hasan Ali
1647-1469
THE AKGOYUNLY TURKMENS
Islamic calendar 780-908
Gregorian 1378-1502
The Akgoyunly (Whitesheep) Turkmens captured the

135
land of their rivals, the Garagoyunly Turkmens in Diyarbakir
and Azarbayjan. Their reign lasted only 30 years, because
Shah Ismail, the Safavid ruler, defeated the Akgoyunlys in
a battle in 1502 (907) and ended their rule.
Islamic Calender
Gregorian Calender
780- 908
The Akgoyunly Turkmens
1378-1502
780
Gara yuluk Osman
1378
809
Hemze
1406
848
Jahangir
1444
871
Uzyn Hasan
1466
883
Halyl
1478
884
Yakup
1479
896
Baysunkar
1490
897
Rustem
1491
902
Ahmet
1496
903
Myrat
1497
905
Elwent
1499
906
Muhammet
1500
907-908
Myrat (conflict)
1501-1502
GAZNALY TURKMENS
(The Gaznalys in Afghanistan and Punjab)
Islamic calendar 351-582
Gregorian 962-1186
Gaznaly Mahmyt, who was the son of Sebuktegin of
the Gaya Boyu (tribe) of the Turkmens, was one of the great
rulers in Islamic history. He accomplished great services
for Islam in spreading and protecting Islam. Gaznaly
Mahmyt first defeated his own brother, who had risen against

136
him, and he brought Eciz Hukumdar of the Samanids under
his rule. He got the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdat to acknowl-
edge his rulership of Horasan and Gazna and to declare by
written decree that the Caliph himself was no longer the
sovereign in those regions.
Gaznaly Mahmyt made an agreement with the Ilek Khan
and the weakened Samanids and thus made joint military expe-
ditions with that powerful army to India. He enterd India sev-
enteen times between the years 1001 and 1026. He expanded
his borders, captured well beyond Kashmir and Punjab, and
added Kanuj and Mutturun in 1018, and Anhalwar - the capi-
tal of Gujarat - and Somnat into his lands in 1024 (415). With
all these campaigns, he not only became rich but also aimed
to eliminate robbery, pillage, injustice and idol-worshipping.
He was renowned as the ‘idol-bringer down’ and returned to
his land with wealth and treasure accumulated from those
temples. The effect of these expeditions on India was enor-
mous: Punjab completely submitted to his rule and Gujarat
conceded the amount of the tax to be paid to Mahmyt. Apart
from in India, he also ran military campaigns against Ilek
Khan and his land, and captured Gur in 1010, Murgap in 1012,
and Samarkand and Buhara in 1016. Towards the last years
of his reign, he realised that Togrul and Chagry Begs, whom
he had protected, were starting to become a threat to him.
Togrul and Chagry Begs remained loyal to and dependent on
the Gaznaly State till 1027 (418). After the death of Mahmyt,
their names become heard louder and more frequently.
Mahmyt’s interest in science, literature and art and his
patronage of scholars and scientists were no less than his
statesmanship and commandership. He hosted and protected
poets, such as Firdewsi, in his palace. His land, particularly

137
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy of
the scripts of Rukhnama.

138
the city Gazna, was far ahead and superior to others with
respect to its mansions, mosques, water canalets, irrigation
networks and facilities needed for health and social life.
His land stretched from Lahore to Samarkand and to
Isfahan. However, within a short period he started to lose the
provinces in the North. A few years later, in 1040 during the
battle of Dandanakan near Merw, Mahmyt’s son Masud was
defeated by the Seljuk Turkmens and in consquence, their
sovereignty and ownership of Horasan came to an end.
Islamic Calender
Gregorian Calender
351-582
Gaznaly Turkmens
962-1186
351
Alp Ruler
962
352
Yshak
963
355
Bilge Ruler
966
362
Piri
972
366
Sobuk Ruler
977
387
Ysmayyl
997
388
Mahmyt (Yemineddowle)
998
421
Muhammet (Jelaleddowle)
1030
421
Masut I (Nasreddin-Ala)
1030
432
Maudud (Shyhabaddowle)
1041
440
Aly Abul-Hasan (Behaaddowle)
1048
440
Abdyreshit (Izzadowle)
1049
444
Togrul
1053
444
Farruhzat (Jemalladdowle)
1053
451
Ybrayym (Zahyraddowle)
1059
492
Masut III (Alaaddowle)
1099
508
Shirzat (Kemaleddowle)
1114
509
Arslan (Soltaneddowle)
1115

139
511
Bahrem Shah (Yemineddowle)
1118
547
Hysrow Shah (Muyzzeddowle)
1152
555-582
Hysrow Malik (Tacheddowle)
1160-1186
Gazna Turkmens Family Tree
THE GURS – THE GURLY TURKMENS
(in Afghanistan and India)
Islamic calendar 543-612
Gregorian 1148-1215
There had always been a few independent Hanates in the
province of Ur, a mountainous place between Herat and Gazna.
The Gur Turkmens had abode in the citadel of Firuzkuh. Gaznaly
Mahmyt captured this city in 1010 (401). It was Muhammed Suri
who was ruling there at that time. Suri’s grandfathers were ruling
over Firushuh and Bamiyan when the Gaznalys reign was at its
most powerful. The Gaznalys and Gurs also inter-married. How-
ever, Kutbettin Muhammed of the Gurs killed his own father-in-
law at the behest of the Gaznalys. Upon this, Suri’s brother
conquered Gazna in 1148 to take revenge for what happened.
A year later Behram Shah recaptured the city and tortured
1.Alp tegin
2.Yshak
5. Sobuk tegin
3. Bilge tegin
6.Ysmayyl
7. Mahmyt
8. Muhammet
9. Masut I
13. Abdyreshit
10. Maudud
12. Aly
14. Farruhzat
15. Ybrayym
11. Masut II
16. Masut III
17. Shirzat 18. Arslan 19. Bahrem sha
20. Hysrow sha
21. Hysrow Malik

140
Seyfettin Suri to death. This ruthless act perpetrated for the
second time against their family strengtheed the will for re-
venge in Aleaddin Huseyin, the brother of Seyfetin Suri.
Aleaddin attacked Gazna, set fire to it and put all to death by
the sword. For this reason he is known as, “the man who set the
world on fire.” He left Gazna in ruins in utter disgust and ha-
tred for Gur. Aleaddin died in Gur in 1161 shortly after he was
taken captive by the Seljuks Soltan Sanjar. Around this time,
the Turkmens-Guzs (Oguzs) took Afghanistan and eventually
destroyed the states of Gur and Gazna.
Zent Turkmens Family Tree
1. Kerim Khan
5. Sadyk - (his wife)
Zeki
6. Japar
3. Aly Myrat
7. Lutf Aly
2. Abulfath 4. Muhammet Aly
Owshar Turkmen Family Tree
Ymamguly
Ybrayym
1. Nedir
Ryzaguly
4. Shahruh
2.Adyl sha
3. Ybrayym

141
Sefewi Turkmens Family Tree
1. Ysmayyl I
2.Tahmasp I
3. Ysmayyl II
4. Muhammet Hudabende
Haydar
Sha-Shuja
5. Apbas I
Hemze
Sefi Murze
6. Sefi I
7. Apbas II
8. Suleyman
9. Huseyin
10. Tahmasp II Sani (daughter) (daughter) Owshar Ryzaguly
Ysmayyl
Shahruh
11. Apbas III
Huseyin
Muhammet Murze
Gajar Turkmens Family Tree
Muhammethasan
1.Aga Muhammet
2. Fath Aly
Apbas
Huseyin
Aly Zilli-soltan
3. Muhammet
4. Nasyreddin
1193
1211
1250
1264
Gajar turkmens
Agamuhammet
Fath Aly
Muhammet
Nasreddin
1779
1797
1834
1848

142
Within the last two hundred years the Turkmens have
been accused of being robbers, raiders, and pillagers, and
from the 1930’s this was changed to invaders. These are
only the accusations of those who wish to raid and invade
the Turkmen land and of those who cannot find any other
excuse to do so. My High and Beloved People, we should
learn to take lessons, to draw morals, from the past. For this
to be so, the Rukhnama in your hand will support you!
My respected people!
The historical road of the Turkmen Nation is one of
glory and difficulty. This road is the one which has led us to
independence and enthused us for the Golden Century of
the Turkmen. I have briefly drawn your attention to the his-
tory of our ancestors. We should learn about our past and
the states established in the past very well. History is for us
the most valuable school of experience. And, what falls to
us is the duty to learn our sublime historical values and to
protect our moral values.

143
THE THIRD SECTION
TURKMEN NATION
My Dear Turkmen Nation!
Living as a nation is a great pleasure. The most important
condition of being a distinct nation is to be an independent
country. Turkmens have yearned to become an indivisible na-
tion for the last seven or eight centuries. Becoming an inde-
pendent nation gave us the opportunity to attain the centuries-
old aspiration of Turkmens. Since the Turkmens attained this
independent and neutral nationhood, it has become necessary
to write this book in order to review our heritage, which comes
from the Prophet Noah, and to support our life in the golden
century, golden spirit and golden life.
In 1889, stone tablets and epitaphs, on which there
were ancient writings, were discovered on the shores of
the Orhon River in Siberia. The scholars studied them and
concluded in the year 1893 that the script used in these
epitaphs was the old Turkmen alphabet and the texts were
written in the old Turkmen language. Thus, through these
studies we came to know the old Turkmen alphabet that is
composed of 38 letters. There is a sentence in the epitaphs:
“Oh Oguz Rulers! Halt and listen! Who can disturb your
tradition and your country unless Allah annihilates us or
the earth splits?” This indicates the continuance of the Oguz,
that is the Turkmens, and emphasizes our wish to be and
remain independent. The saying “as written on stone” il-
lustrates this fact much better.

144
I have thought over my past many times. I have thought
a great deal about writing this book, Rukhnama. Every time
it was as if the souls of Oguz Khan, Gorkut ata and Gorogly
were appealing to me. The soul of Oguz Khan said:
“Write! The place where your nation came into existence
will be the route; the place which your nation favours will be
the territory; the wishes of your nation will be realized.”
The soul of Gorkut ata said:
“Write! The things that the nation favours, and the things
that are written on the fate, mind, and heart of the nation are
sacred.”
The soul of Gorogly said:
“The nation that travels a straight road is happy. The
happiness of the nation is the basis of the brave preserva-
tion of the country and the territory. Today, the happiness of
your nation is in your hands. Saparmyrat, show the way of
the golden life to the Turkmen nation. This will be your
task; this will be your way.”
The soul of our father Makhtumkuli said:
Souls and hearts beat together,
The army marches, soil and stone dissolve.
If the food is prepared and served at one table,
The future of Turkmen is bright and prosperous.
My guiding souls, my father and my mother, said:
“Allah selected the four heroes of the Turkmens – Oguz
Khan, Gorkut ata, Gorogly and Makhtumkuli – as the inheri-
tors of the prophets. Today, Allah the Great has designated

145
you as their inheritor. Son, devote your life to maintaining
the unity of the Turkmen nation and to sustaining the golden
life for them.”
Every human lives with hopes and desires.
I want Turkmens to live the golden life, in the golden
spirit, with pride and unity.
I want you to live with the qualities of unity, coopera-
tion, charity, and high moral values.
I have prepared Rukhnama for the Turkmen nation to
be a light and a guide on its journey towards its goal.
All Turkmens, not wasting the breath bestowed by Al-
lah, should devote their energy, effort, and capabilities to their
nation and their country in order to provide our nation with a
life of well-being. Then, there will be no target that cannot be
reached, and no task that cannot be accomplished.
***
Sometimes, I wonder whether I feel too proud of my
nation, or whether my eyes are dazzled by the light of the
word “Turkmen,” or whether I am enchanted by the magic
of the word “Turkmen.” However, so far human beings have
never been damaged by affection. Nobody has ever been in-
jured by his or her love of the nation. Be afraid of those who
do not love their nation. If everybody likes their own nation,
then the nations will like each other. Those who do not like
their own nations cannot like other nations. The word
“Turkmen,” lies in my bosom like a beloved baby warmed
by the heat of my heart.
In this word can be seen the proper pride of a people
who have been driving their horses on at full speed for five
10. Rukhnama

146
hundred years, as well as their natural modesty and the
warmth of their hearts.
This word, like an enchanted meal, gathered our people
around itself and made us friends, united us and, thanks to
this word, we became a whole.
Turkmen, the name of our nation.
Our fathers consecrated this word as a flag and they
fought bravely against its greatest enemies. This word was
an inseparable comrade to them even when they fell, a spear
lodged in their breasts.
Feelings of duty and responsibility and action underlie
the love of the nation.
Our nation prevented deviations from unity and collabo-
ration even in severe conditions by the saying, “Do not leave
your nation even if you are killed.” One feels sorrow for the
peoples of the world who have not yet achieved nationhood;
and one feels twice that sorrow for those who leave the path
of the nation and consider this great idea, the nation, to be
merely the detritus of history.
Our nation is the greatest source of pride to us! We live
to fulfil our due to this great word; even if we die, we desire
to die as Turkmens.
If you live a wretched and dissolute life, whether near
or far away, they do not say, “That man is like that,” but
they say, “That nation is like that.”
If you live an honourable and excellent life, whether
near or far away, they say, “That man is Turkmen! They are
the nation that directed the course of history.”
Turkmens! The mud thrown at you is also thrown at
me; and my cleanness, my brightness is also yours.

147
Turkmens! All my love is for you; all the pain is for me.
Sometimes I become extremely downcast, thinking, “If the
savage army of Chenghis Khan had not annihilated the Oguz
inhabiting the regions of Koneurgench Maru-shahu-jahan
(Merw), Shahrislam, Abywerd, Amul, Zem, Dehistan, and their
prosperous towns with great populations; if the libraries with
thousands of books, the “homes of science” had not been de-
stroyed and burnt, then now, Turkmenistan would be one of the
most prominent and strongest states in the world in its politics,
its economy, its civilization and science.
The Turkmen nation has been able to survive the ruthless
cruelties and destructions of Alexander the Great, Chenghis
Khan, Teymir Agsak (Tamurlane) and other invaders and man-
aged to transmit its sacred values, name, honour, traditions
and civilization, the legacies of Oguz Khan, to the glorious
days of the contemporary era.
Our great Turkmen nation overcame those terrible disas-
ters and troubles by the guidance of the word “Turkmen.” Be-
ing Turkmen has saved the nation from the fire.
Thus, how can I not be proud of my beloved nation?
***
My Beloved Turkmen Nation!
Your origin lies in Oguz Khan. Twenty-four tribes, forty
families constitute the essence of the Turkmen nation. In
the course of history, some of these tribes have dispersed
across the world and preserved their national self-aware-
ness by means of forming new groups. However, today, when
Turkmenistan has become an independent state, tribal rela-
tions are detrimental to the unity of the Turkmen nation.

148
My beloved Turkmen nation, it is on this issue that I am
addressing you now.
The Turkmen nation has been reborn as a whole. To
have an independent and impartial state is only possible by
the unity and indivisibility of the nation.
The idea of tribe is temporary; it constitutes a lower
stage in the progress towards national integrity. In the mod-
ern era, this idea causes the integrity of the nation to degen-
erate. Let us give up the idea of tribe from now on. Debates
on tribes should be things of the past; each Turkmen should
make an effort not to turn to tribal debates. All the Turkmens
are brothers.
Beloved people, the one who will carry the Turkmen to
the future is the Turkmen himself. Today, there are more
than 22 million Turkmens in the world, and there are
5,500,000 Turkmens living in our independent and impar-
tial country. I especially want to make clear here that there
are people living in our territory from more than forty dif-
ferent nations; they are living in peace, happiness and unity
with the Turkmens. They cooperate with the Turkmens and
work in different fields of production. Uzbeks constitute
two percent of our population and Russians constitute one
percent. Five percent of our population is comprised of vari-
ous other nations.
The Turkmen sees other nations as his own brothers,
his own friends. Racism cannot find a place among
Turkmens. Turkmens respect the languages, the religions
and the traditions of other nations. The rights and responsi-
bilities of all citizens living in Turkmenistan are equal be-
fore the law of the Turkmen state.

149
***
There are sacred values and wonders which have been
wrought by the Turkmen nation in the course of our long
history.
The dining table is assumed to be holy by the Turkmen
nation. The dining table is the sign of unity and it gathers
the Turkmens around itself. The dining table is the pledge
of the Turkmen. When the Turkmens are asked, “Who is
Khan?” they answer, “The dining table.”
Turkmens gather with their brothers, friends and rela-
tives around a dining table. When a Turkmen wants to marry
a girl, he takes a bundle with a loaf of bread to the girl’s
family. If her family accepts the boy as a son-in-law, then
they take the bread from the bundle and send it back with a
new loaf.
There is a belief among the Turkmens that when they
go on a short or long journey they should take a piece of
bread with them; that bread becomes a comrade to them
and brings them safely home again.
Today, we have attained the understanding, the com-
prehension, and the unity that Gorkut ata desired.
Today, we have reached the state and statehood that
Gorogly Beg desired.
Today, we have reached the unity, the integrity and the
collaboration that our Father Makhtumkuli desired.
Today, Turkmens have gathered around a dining table
within the independent state. We Turkmens have reached
the desires of our ancestors.
Turkmens, know the value of this destiny. Turkmens,
trust in Allah and preserve these days.

150
***
I have borne many difficulties throughout my life. I
grew up feeling the absence of my father, who struggled
and died for the sake of the homeland; I have always felt
honoured by the name of my father. A sudden and terrible
earthquake destroyed our home and separated me from my
brothers, who were like my eyes, and my mother, who was
my guide in life. Just as Gorogly came into the light of this
world from the grave, I also came to this world from the
ruins.*
When I see my father’s contemporaries, I remember
my father and live the feeling of captivity; when I see the
contemporaries of my mother, I remember my mother and
live the feeling of orphanhood. I have lived the meaning of
the saying, “Captive without father and orphan without
mother,” and known Allah, the Supreme, as my sole pro-
tector.
When I learnt to read and write, I realized that my home-
land was a captive and an orphan like me. I have lived in the
bright world of the Creator along with my sorrows stemming
from this reality throughout my life. Eventually, I began to
search for the souls of my ancestors through the pages of
books as a captive searches for the homeland or as an orphan
searches for his close relatives.
Thus, when I was just a small child, I learnt who the
Turkmen is and what the homeland is. I have consoled myself
with the epigram, which is firstly recorded in my heart and
then in my diary, “The one who bears the sufferings of the
*
In the Turkmen version of the epic of Karolin, it is explained that Gorogly came from the grave
where his mother had been buried. Gor means grave and the name of Gorogly derives from this
root.

151
world earlier can understand the realities of the world ear-
lier.” In the course of time, I have realized that those injuries
which were done to my heart have been removed.
I understood the nature of human beings earlier. On
the one side, there was the man who was pleasant and
cheerful. I considered this man good and was pleased with
his words.
On the other side, there was the man who was bad-tem-
pered and angry. The words of this man were like poisoned
arrows to me. When I attempted to beat them, my hands re-
fused to do it; when I attempted to swear at them, my tongue
refused to do it. So the only thing that I could do was to
digest those words which were like poisoned arrows.
Gorogly has opened new horizons in my life; there was
justice in his world. I have understood that there can be noth-
ing greater than justice.
I was separated from my homeland, which I love very
much, when I began to study in Leningrad. By going to the
libraries there, I immersed myself in the depths of history so
that I felt as if I was at the heart of my homeland. During my
education in Leningrad, I learnt the five thousand year his-
tory of my people by reading every single line about it.
When you go for a long journey, your mother prepares
your food. I, however, have no mother, so I took the word
“Turkmen” in place of food.
When you go for a long journey, your father sends you
with his blessings; I, however, have no father, so I have taken
the blessings of my homeland on my journey.
When I considered my situation, I understood that I was
not an orphan! How can someone be an orphan if he has a

152
father like Oguz Khan, a teacher like Gorkut ata, an elder
brother like Gorogly, an advisor like Makhtumkuli?
The rise of the Turkmen commanders Togrul and
Chagry Begs annoyed the Soltan of the Turkmens, Gaznaly
Mahmyt, who had conquered huge territories in the East
and West, including India. He called one of the Khans of the
Seljuk Turkmens in order to learn about them. Ysrayyl Khan
started out towards the headquarters of the Soltan with ten
thousand riders. The Soltan immediately sent a message to
the Khan and indicated that he had not summoned support
but was only calling the Khan to meet. Then Ysrayyl came
to the meeting with three hundred of his riders. The Soltan
cheerfully welcomed him and then asked:
“If we needed military support, how many soldiers
would you send us?”
Ysrayyl took an arrow from his quiver and said:
“If you send this arrow, then an army consisting of thirty
thousand soldiers will come from the Balkans.”
“If we needed more than that?”
“Then, if you send this arrow, ten thousand more riders
will also come.”
“If we needed many more than that?”
“If you send this arrow towards the Balkan Mountains,
then an army of a hundred thousand soldiers will come.”
“Yes, but if we needed a greater force than that?”
Then Israyyl gave another arrow and said:
“If you send this to Turkmenistan, then an army of five
hundred thousand soldiers will come.”

153
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy of
the scripts of Rukhnama.

154
Only a commander of a Turkmen tribe was capable of
forming an army of five hundred thousand soldiers. This was
a great army.
Think how great was a nation which could form such a
huge army. The Gorogly Era, the third era in Turkmen his-
tory, was the era when the world heard the reputation of the
Turkmen nation.
***
By means of preserving its national characteristics, af-
ter many years the Turkmen nation has succeeded to great
spiritual power. By building upon this historical foundation
and the experiences of the past, we have managed to estab-
lish stability and well-being in our country in the transition
period. Within a short period of time, the regulations and
constitution of the organization of the national state have
been prepared and implemented; the required background
for our foreign relations has been achieved.
Our state structure is harmonious with our national char-
acteristics, the traditions of the Turkmen people, and the “Uni-
versal Declaration of Human Rights” of the United Nations.
In all of our policies we consider the national interests of
Turkmenistan on the one hand and the stability of the region
and the strengthening of international security on the other.
We always see that all of these are indivisible realities.
We have huge resources. We want to draw maximum
benefit and maximum utility from them. Thus, we are ready
for relations which rest upon reciprocity, equality and coop-
eration. Destiny has bestowed on Turkmenistan the oppor-
tunity to be at the centre of international relations between
Europe and Asia. Our underground and surface resources

155
are evidence of the possibility of a golden life for the
Turkmens in the golden century.
In the past our ancestors presented themselves to the
world by the strength of their swords; now, we should present
ourselves with our rationality and with our immense spiri-
tual values. Turkmenistan is known for its unique Akhalteke
horses, for its carpets that are examples of the wonders of
the world’s art, and for its limitless wonders of nature. To-
day, in its peaceful policies, the Turkmen nation displays
endeavours worthy of recognition by the world. As our great
thinker Makhtumkuli Pyragy once said, “Look at your fu-
ture, do not forget your past, utter polite speech, restrain
your anger. If you are able to speak, please say pleasant
things; the public has suffered much from bad things.” I
can see happy days in the future. I believe that nothing is
able to damage our happiness today and in the future and I
am always proud of our statute of impartiality.
***
Independence has changed the fate of the Turkmen na-
tion completely and has brought it to the point of perfection
because the nation state is the clear evidence that idea of the
existence of the nation is not only an imagining or a sweet
desire. A nation is constructed only by the existence of a na-
tion state. Thus, being a nation is different from being a people.
A people is a community whose future is uncertain because
it is deprived of the state which implements the values of the
people in real life by means of a political movement. Since
the future of that community is uncertain, this means that it is
possible for that people either to survive or to disappear. There
is only one way to sustain the existence of a people and that

156
is to become a nation. To be a nation means to have a nation
state.
Looking at history we can see that nation-building
among Turkmens is not just a recent process. The historical
fate of this nation is very complex; it does not only include
progress and development, but also includes decline and
underdevelopment. Marxism defines history as linear and
only records forward progress. According to its understand-
ing, firstly tribes emerge, then these tribes transform into
peoples and these peoples transform into nations. However,
history shows us that fall and rise are different sides of re-
ality. The life and the national history of the Turkmens dis-
play many such two-sided developments. There have been
different periods when the various Turkmen tribes trans-
formed into a unified nation and others when a unified
Turkmen nation divided into tribes again. Thus, today it is
necessary for us to embrace the idea of the new Turkmen
nation, and this is appropriate to the objectives of our na-
tion.
We are right to be extremely proud of our new Turkmen
nation and our national state.
As we are proud of the beautiful buildings and infra-
structure being constructed in our homeland, we should
succeed in seeing the “beautiful buildings” being built in
the inner world and hearts of our people. The most beauti-
ful buildings should be established in our hearts and souls,
rather than in our cities and villages. A certain amount of
understanding is needed to see them. As our Father
Makhtumkuli said, it is necessary to acquire wisdom to
see them.

157
***
Rukhnama is a new worldview in the sense that it is a
spirit that stimulates nature, society, and people to work.
Without a spirit, it is impossible to speak of life; spirit is
the source of life.
Nation is the transformation of human groups in the
context of certain spiritual foundations. A nation is shaped
materially according to these spiritual foundations. The rea-
son for my frequent repetition that Oguz Khan is the father
of our nation is that Oguz Khan has provided a political and
national identity to the Turkmens. By means of his efforts,
the foundations of the Turkmens, who are one of the first
nations of the world, were built upon. This gives us the fol-
lowing lesson: nation begins with the spirit and its material
form, civilization; thus, spiritual integrity is needed for a
people to transform into a nation.
Spirit is like the ‘bismillah’, the starting point of life.
The starting point of everything is spirit. Life gradually dis-
appears when the spiritual order weakens. If it is assumed
that the world is the body, then the spirit is the life of that
body.
As is understood from the Oghuznamas, the personal-
ity of Oguz Khan matured very early. After maturing, he
crossed his father. The area of conflict between them was
the new attitudes that would shape their society. The basic
difference between them stemmed from Oguz Khan’s con-
version away from his father’s religion. He believed in a
monotheistic religion while his father believed in a poly-
theistic one. We feel the echoes of historical changes in these
events.

158
I say that the ancestor of the Turkmen nation is Oguz
Khan because, when Oguz Khan is spoken of, the first things
that come to mind are belief in one God, spirit and moral
values. Furthermore, I want to emphasize an important point
here: the main underlying reasons for the successes, cam-
paigns, and developments of the five thousand year history
of the Turkmen nation, founded by Oguz Khan, are belief,
spirit and moral values. Belief in only one God provided
the Turkmen nation with the power to explain all the forces
of mind, reason, and heart inherent in its very nature.
The greatest rivers rise from the accumulation of the
smaller water sources flowing from the slopes of the moun-
tains.
Even the largest forests are formed by the cracking of
very small seeds.
However, rivers do not drink their own water.
Gardens do not eat their own fruits.
So, the main reason for the creation of the spirit is to
constitute the source of life and to be perfected.
Among the first things that Oguz Khan implemented
were the use of the national Oguz alphabet and the wagon
for during military campaigns. These were fundamental to
other inventions which would contribute to various devel-
opments at a world level.
The ox-cart with two wooden wheels, which was in-
vented by the leader of the tribe of Kanly, was the second
important contribution of Turkmens to world civilization.
Turkmens have transmitted these two inventions up to
the present through the course of history. Undoubtedly, the

159
wagon has lent speed to history and to life. The design of
our alphabet has changed throughout history; and today we
see it in the form of the embroidery on Turkmen carpets.
The carpet is an art to us.
For our ancestors, the carpet was science and worldview.
The basic reason for distinctive values is the distinct
forms taken by spirit and moral values according to time
and space.
When importance is given to the mind, then science and
technology develops; when importance is given to the heart,
then art develops.
***
Our people called the Milky Way the Oguz arch or the
Oguz Khan arch.
Amyderya was called the Oguz River until the era of
Gorkut ata.
In the old days, the group of stars known as Taurus (The
Oxen) were called the group of Oguz stars. By the time the
group of Oguz stars rose, the Oguz were on the plateaus; and
by the time they sank, the Oguz were in their winter quarters.
What is now known as the Hazar (Caspian) Sea was called
the Gurgen Sea by the Oguz of the Gorkut ata era. The name
of the city of Gurgen in Iran, and the name of Gurgen, which
we find frequently in the poems of Makhtumkuli, is the name
of our old totem, the Wolf. The Oguz considered themselves
wolf-blooded. A wolf was always in front of our father Oguz
Khan during military campaigns.
The Turkmen goes out to nature, the mountains, the sea, the
banks of rivers and the desert when he feels lonely, when he is

160
perturbed and also when he is very happy. If you walk in the
mountains and rivers and climb high hills, your heart will began
to fly like a kite; at that moment the human being forgets all the
pains and sufferings of the world, and participates in the world
of the spirits. If you go around the world, you may find moun-
tains and forests that are a hundred times more beautiful than
those of the Turkmens, like Paradise. However, those mountains
cannot understand you and cannot share your sufferings. Out-
side this territory you cannot find deserts, seas and rains that can
blow musical instruments and sing songs in Turkmen.
The things that unite us are not only our mother tongue,
our state, our blood, our soul, our dress, our similar faces,
and our traditions, but also our nature because Turkmen
means integrity. Integrity is understood as the highest value
in the Turkmen conception.
Material and spiritual values are the ingredients of the
integrity of the Turkmens.
As in the relations between humans and nature, bal-
ance is also needed in the relations between state and na-
tion. There should not be discrimination between tribes in
our state; the fundamentals that consolidate national unity
should be accentuated. The idea of tribe remains in the past;
national integrity is the essence of the future.
The balmy breezes of the Turkmen land waft through the
heart of the Turkmen.
The mountains of the Turkmen, which reach the sky,
talk in Turkmen and support you; the huge deserts talk in
Turkmen; and spring seasons grow tulip gardens in your
heart.
The great rivers of the Turkmen speak in Turkmen and

161
flow with your fate; the rough sea of the Turkmen speaks in
Turkmen and contributes to the maturing of your spirit.
Your spirit combines with the spirits of your ancestors
and fills your heart with love, pride and enthusiasm.
The directions of Oguz Khan have remained in the
memory of the people as the way of Oguz Khan.
The directions of Gorkut ata have remained in the
memory of the people as the way of Gorkut ata.
The directions of Gorogly Beg have remained in the
memory of the people as the way of Gorogly Beg and the
directions of the father Makhtumkuli have remained in the
memory of the people as the way of Makhtumkuli.
Our way of independence and impartiality is the way
that is composed of the affection, love, wish, desire, and fun-
damental aims of our Turkmen nation; and is the way that
provides us with a golden life in the golden century. This
way is the eternal way of the Turkmens.
The meaning of the way is varied in Turkmen.
Those who carve a way in the world are recorded in
history; and those who deviate from the way are damned by
society.
When the snow covers everything in winter, the house-
holder who rises early clears the snows up to the door of his
neighbour. Then up to the hearth...
The best way is the way one follows to visit a sick per-
son. As our prophet told us, the way which is followed to
visit a sick person is a charity for the visitor.
The best way is the way that goes through the heart of
the human being.
11. Rukhnama

162
The best way is the way of justice, friendship, brother-
hood, and peace.
The best way is the way of the people.
The way of the people is the way of Allah, The Truth.
***
My Beloved Turkmen Nation!
Gorkut ata, Oguz Khan, Gorogly and Makhtumkuli have
transmitted many pieces of advice and good counsel to us
about considering the Turkmen way sacred and the unity
and integrity of the Turkmen nation. If you think of that
advice and counsel, then your heart will be filled with love
of your nation and pride in your nation.
I have known my nation as beloved, considered my ter-
ritory as sacred, loved my homeland very much.
The homeland responds to those who love it very much.
Our ancestors held this territory as sacred; they valued
this territory and they lived here. Here exist the sacred tombs
of our ancestors.
The scarlet soil of the Turkmen is sacred, beloved and
lovely as fresh bread.
This land is such a fertile land that if you plant a dry
stick here with sincere intent, it becomes green.
Every single seed sown in this land yields a thousand,
two thousand, three thousand more.
The words scattered in this land grow into views and
thoughts.
The arrows fired into this land grow into golden spikes
of wheat.

163
The corpses of our ancestors were scattered on this land
and gave birth to our everlasting affection, pride, and bless-
ing for our territory.
Our affection and effort become a divine gift in this
land, to return as food on the dining table of the Turkmen.
I began my life loving this country; I turn to the bosom
of this land in affection.
There is nothing more sacred and beloved than the land.
To be Turkmen is nothing other than to love our own
land.
We have become the Turkmen nation by loving this
land and by uniting on this land.
We have attributed sacredness to this land, we have
struggled for this land, and then we have established a coun-
try, Turkmenistan.
The Turkmen nation accepts unity and integrity as its
fundamentals.
If there is unity in a country, then that country is devel-
oping. National interest and love of the country unify parties
and movements.
If a family is unified, then peace prevails in that family.
If a village is unified, then the people of that village are
happy.
Turkmen means “believer territory, territory with
houses.”
Thanks to Allah, we have a unified country, a unified
people. We should appreciate this unity and should preserve
it.

164
Unity does not form by chance; it is impossible to pre-
serve unity by force. If the way that we chose had not been
right, it would have been impossible to build integrity in the
country by advice, counsel, speeches, and orations. The in-
terests of our people, of whom there are more than five and a
half million, underlie our unity. Those interests unify all of
our people like a hearth, like a meal.
The power of our unity springs from our way, that is
the way of the Turkmen. On that way, our national interests
and personal interests converge. If the way that we have
selected had been wrong, then everybody would go in dif-
ferent directions.
A territory is a large ship, and each citizen is an oars-
man on that ship. If each oarsman rows in a different direc-
tion, then the ship does not depart. If all the oarsmen obey
only one captain, and row in accordance with the orders of
the captain, the ship will put out to sea. Our unity and integ-
rity is priceless. The harmony among us is the main factor
in our success in achieving the eight centuries old desire
and dream of our ancestors, establishing a strong state, and
making fundamental developments. Turkmenistan is not only
the Turkmen territory and Turkmen country, but is also the
place where the desires, aims, wishes and passions of our
citizens, our people, and the brother peoples who live among
us have become reality. All our citizens see that they are
richer as compared to the past, and believe that, tomorrow,
they will be richer as compared to today.
***
Once upon a time, there were three orphan brothers.
One day they met an old man in the desert. They brought

165
the man to their home and looked after him. The old man
was a philanthropist who intended to test these three broth-
ers. The old man introduced himself to them and gave them
great riches. The young bought homes and much property.
They lived a prosperous life with their wives.
One day, when these three brothers had gone to their
business, the philanthropist approached the wife of the el-
der brother and said:
“My sweet girl! I am going away. If you need some-
thing, ask me for it.”
The wife of the elder brother requested riches and gold.
Then the old man approached the wife of the second brother
and asked the same question. She answered:
“Go in safety and good health. If you give us such riches,
we will be happy with you.” The old man agreed to the wishes
of that woman and approached the wife of the youngest
brother and asked:
“My sweet girl! I shall make a long journey. Ask from
me whatever valuable thing you wish.”
“Dear sir, may Allah be pleased with the favour that you
do us! If you stay here, we will welcome you sincerely; if
you want to go, I hope you will go in safety and good health.
The riches that you have bestowed on us is enough, if not
more, than we need. The best thing that you can give us is
unity and integrity.”
The old man was delighted and said:
“Oh my sweet girl! How can I go, if I give unity and
integrity to you? The sole source of all of my wealth is unity
and integrity. Thus, I should stay with you until the end of
my life.”

166
Now this Turkmen tale has become a reality in the
Turkmen territory. Remember that Makhtumkuli the Great
made great endeavours to give unity and integrity to the
Turkmens in the eighteenth century. No matter how he tried he
could not make others heed his words because there was no-
body able to lead the Turkmens. For the leader of one tribe to
unite with another, one of the two leaders would have to ac-
cept second place, but there was no Khan humble enough to
bear to take second place.
When is the unity and integrity of our country and people
not degraded? It cannot be degraded when we accept the unity
and integrity of our state in our heart and spirit.
Look! We live in brotherhood and friendship with our
neighbour Iran, with our Uzbek and Kazak brothers, and with
Afghanistan.
Citizen! Firstly, your relations with your neighbours and
relatives should be brotherly. Brotherhood should prevail in
the relations between one village and the next, one tribe and
the next, one town and the next, one city and the next.
If our feeling of unity and integrity begins in each fam-
ily, it will be very strong.
Unity and integrity are like the hearth. Unity and integ-
rity are like a meal. May your hearth be happy and your meal
nourishing!
Unity and integrity are the treasury of the state! The trea-
sury belongs to the people! The people who cannot preserve
their treasury will lose their senses.
Unity and integrity form the eternal and fundamental
principle of the Turkmen nation.

167
***
Beloved Turkmen!
Turkmen, your ancestors were generous people; gener-
osity and bravery were the flag of our ancestors.
“The life of a man is thirty years,” is one of the most
celebrated proverbs of the Turkmens. Our brave youths have
died in wars in the contemporary era. A brave man is ready
to accept his fate. He views one of our own who thinks “In
order to stay alive I can even be despicable,” as being even
lower than our enemies.
The Turkmen have always respected brave men.
In the time of Gorkut ata, exceptionally brave men were
called “mad” or “insane,” for example, Mad Domrul, Mad
Garchar. In the epic of Gorogly we find Mad Matel and
Mad Harman. These men who were called “mad” were the
ones who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country.
The commanders would command the soldiers, “You
should accept the prospect of death before battle, if you want
to defeat the enemy and to survive.” The commanders were
right, because the army of the enemy who were fighting only
for spoils could not triumph against lions who would risk
even death.
Cowardly soldiers were punished by having to clean
out the ashes from hearths and were taken from village to
village. Remember Gorogly saying to Veli Hyrtman, who
had shown cowardice during the war, “Wear a headscarf on
your head.” Remember Jelaleddin. One wing of Jelaleddin’s
army defeated the Monguls in the Isfahan War, while the
other wing was defeated because some of the commanders

168
in the defeated wing had retreated. After the war, Jelaleddin
forced the ones who had retreated to put on headscarves
and walk in the streets of Isfahan. After this, nobody
showed cowardice again. Thus our ancestors answered the
question, “What is worse than death?” with “Cowardice.”
Today, bravery should underlie the foundations of work,
life, thought, and awareness of Turkmens as a nation.
Turkmens should cope with their difficulties and have self-
respect. Then we will be able to find our place in the bal-
ance of the world.
People who present heroism as a way of life are always
brave.
How can a nation which holds the country sacred and
sincerely believes that one who dies for his country is im-
mortal not be brave?
How can a man who rides horses, learns to fight at four
or five years of age and is trained for war not be brave?
How can our nation not be brave and self-sacrificing,
when all our books, epics and talks are related to the home-
land and bravery?
The vizier of Baly Beg in the epic of Gorogly said to
his Soltan, “My Soltan, if you want the Turkmen to be slaves,
be sure that the first thing that you should do is to take them
off their horses.”
In the end the enemy understood this.
They managed to make Turkmens dismount and took
away our horses at the end of the last century.
***

169
My Beloved Turkmen Nation!
Turkmen people are hard-working.
Anyone who flies over Turkmenistan in a plane, from
that bird’s-eye view, will see that a great number of cities
were built in ancient times in all corners of the country.
If you look from above, you can see fertile lands, agri-
cultural lands. Wherever you look, you can see irrigation ca-
nals.
Today, we cultivate approximately two million hect-
ares of the Turkmen land. But, our ancestors cultivated more
than that. Irrigation canals, dams, man-made pools, and ar-
tesian wells refresh our territory in Kesearkach, Balkan,
Dehistan, Misserian, Hawaran plateau, Merw, Amul, Urgench
and Etrek Gurgen. These canals are signs that Turkmens
hold life important and Turkmens are hard-working.
There are wells 200-300 meters deep in the Turkmen
lands like Dehistan, Misserian, Ahal, Karakum, and in the
deserts along the Lebap shores. Today, almost all of them
still supply the water needs of our people.
Our ancestors managed to reach the underground spring
waters by digging wells in the sands and building walls from
desert plants and vegetable fibre in an era when there were
no facilities like there are today. Those wells are very deep as
if they extend into the deepest parts of the ground. Turkmens
call those wells “Yyldyzboylu” as a reference to the great
depth. Here is a sign of the love of the Turkmen nation for
life!
It is not difficult to see that Turkmen people need
thousands of wells to live at ease, if you consider that

170
ninety percent of the land of Turkmenistan is desert.
Our ancestors dug that number of wells because they
were well aware of the value of a comfortable life.
They sank wells in the arid lands to collect the waters
accumulated underground and they used that water
through all the seasons. These wells are called
“sardoba.” Our ancestors grew melon, watermelon,
sesame, lentil and more on these arid lands. They sowed
wheat and harvested it. They built great cisterns where
they had gathered the winter snows. Then, they cov-
ered them with the branches of trees and sand and saved
the water for use in the summers.
By building tunnels, some kilometres in length, from
the mountains to the fertile lands, they managed to carry
water from the mountains to the cultivable lands. These tun-
nels were complex irrigation systems.
The tunnels were built at the foot of the mountains.
Within these tunnels, there were wells, each 30-40 meters
deep. The stone and sand excavated from the wells were
lifted out using wickerwork baskets. When we see the sand,
heaped like a mountain next to each well, we understand
the depth of our ancestors’ affection for life.
Our ancestors managed to transmit the brilliant water
from the bare, arid, barren mountains to the fertile lands.
If the cities established by the Turkmens in the course
of history had been preserved, they would fill all the land-
mass of the world.
***
The human being consists of body, heart and mind. The
nation also has its own body, heart and mind. Its body is its

171
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

172
material civilization, its heart is its language and music,
and its mind is its philosophy and worldview.
Turkmens have succeeded in preserving the limpidity
and uniqueness of their language and music for centuries.
The reason for this is their national self-esteem. Thus it is
possible to read our writings easily even if they were writ-
ten a thousand years ago. The richness of the Turkmen spirit
praises you when you read the writings of Hoja Ahmed
Yasawy, Yunus Emre, Neway, Nesimi, and Fizuly and the
epic of Gorkut ata. Preserving the plainness of the language
provides continuity between generations and prolongs the
life of the nation. There were attempts to insert needless
foreign words into our language in the Soviet era. It is not a
coincidence that the internal harmony, content and mean-
ing of the Turkmen nation has grown since the beginning of
the first months of independence. Independence has res-
cued the Turkmen language from artificiality and narrow-
mindedness. Independence has brought freedom not only
for the Turkmen nation, but also for the Turkmen language.
From now on, we should preserve the clarity of our
language. Certainly, there will be international concepts and
loanwords, but we should not borrow words or jargon for
concepts where we already have exactly equivalent words
in Turkmen.
If a language is clear and healthy, then this means that the
ideas in that language are also clear and healthy. The more
the horizons of the thought of a nation enlarge, the richer the
language of that nation becomes.
The national music of the Turkmen is the tunes of the
heart of the nation. The entire world witnesses the clarity

173
and uniqueness of Turkmen music. Turkmen music is dif-
ferent from others in the sense that it has been wrought with
deep philosophy. This characteristic has given it a depth of
meaning. Generally, the arts of speech, literature and music
are the realms in which the Turkmen mind had the opportu-
nity to express itself. The sound of Turkmen dutar* is a clear
sign of the creativity of this nation.
One of the factors that differentiates Turkmens from
other nations is our approach towards religion. Our nation’s
view on religion has always been the same even in the cen-
turies when religion was dominant. The main reason for
this is the secular bases inherent in the character of the
Turkmen nation. The nation has always based its behaviour
on discipline in life. It has accepted Islam with its own in-
terpretation. It managed to synthesize pre-Islamic beliefs
and traditions with Islamic ones without deviating from the
essence of Islamic principles. This strengthened the life of
this nation because in this way the Turkmen nation was able
to protect its own foundations.
The secular and national character of the Turkmens is
intimately related to their understanding of democracy in his-
tory. The following developments show that Turkmens do
not believe blindly: the elimination of the differences be-
tween classes, the equality of rich and poor before the law,
the togetherness and closeness of the rich and poor in meet-
ings, the lack of discontented classes, the freedom of women,
the active role of women in the family and social life. The
religious men did not form a different stratum in Turkmen
society. They generally served the religious needs of the so-
*
The national musical instrument of the Turkmens. It is a string instrument made from wood and
only two strings.

174
ciety, such as the adhan or call to prayer and the performance
of marriage and funeral ceremonies. Furthermore, religious
education has been important for the development of the natu-
ral sciences. However, nobody thought to transform it into an
instrument of political struggle and exploitation. For Turkmens
religion has always been an instrument for strengthening per-
sonal belief and enhancing human qualities.
***
In the rainy, grey lands of the North, plants are leafy
and green. However, in the South, with its hot climate, al-
most all the plants are thorny.
In the rainy, grey lands of the North, fruits are tart;
even the melon must be eaten with sugar. However, in the
South, with its hot climate, all the fruits are very sweet.
In the rainy, grey lands of the North, there are few poi-
sonous creatures. However, in the South, with its hot climate,
there are countless poisonous creatures.
It is very difficult to cure someone who has been poi-
soned by a reptile living in the desert sand. However, it is
very easy to save someone poisoned by a snake which has
been living in the water for centuries. Everything on this earth
has its own characteristics.
One of the unique characteristics of the Turkmen land is
its ability to attach its inhabitants to itself. Our ancestors con-
quered the most beautiful places in the world but they were
not fascinated enough by the beauties of those places to settle
there. If they had wanted to settle in the most beautiful places
in the world, they could have done so because they were the
Soltans of those places. Instead they returned to their own
homeland, no matter where they had conquered and no mat-

175
ter what they had acquired from other places in the world.
They had warred for and protected these lands. They worked
on these lands and reaped the benefits of this as fertility.
We have now, following our independence, gained the
chance to learn our history in full. Now there is the chance to
learn not only about the political developments in our history
but also about the developments in the history of agriculture.
I found some very interesting information while researching
our agricultural history. Then I understood the reason for our
ancestor’s affection for these lands.
The historical evidence shows that the origin of white
wheat is Turkmenistan. The seeds of white wheat which were
grown five thousand years ago were found here in Anew.
From this information, we can conclude that the source of
white wheat is Turkmenistan.
Oguz Khan wanted every corner of our country to be a
rose garden. Before the war, he ordered the soldiers to plant a
tree; he would allow any soldier who had not planted a tree to
go in his forces to war. In the era of Oguz Khan, our ancestors
would go to the district of Baherden and the region of Durun in
summer. These places were the resting places for our people. It
was held as a sin to cut down the trees in the forests. However,
the trees in these forests have been cut down in the last century
to build railways and some avaricious people have cut down
these trees in order to sell the lumber.
Our beautiful land will regain the beauty and fertility that
was hers in the era of our ancestors through our “Rainbow”
project, by which the natural gas is delivered to the public for
no charge. When I say “beauty and fertility as in the era of our
ancestors,” I mean the beauties of nature depicted by the Greek

176
scientist, Diogenes, of the first century B.C., and by Strabon,
who lived in the first century A.D. These scientists described
the beauties of nature here as follows: “Alexander has con-
quered all the cities of Girkaniya and arrived at the place called
‘Bagtly halk’ (fortunate people). Nowhere in the world can
rival that place for its wealth and interesting fruits. Girkaniya
is a country with several cities, huge, fruitful, and with great
plateaus. Here, a grapevine gives 450 kilograms of grapes, a
fig tree gives 3 tonnes of figs. The seeds spilled in the harvest
time are sufficient for the harvest of the next year. There is a
tree like an oak. There is a liquid, resembling honey, which
comes out of its leaves. The native people eat that liquid. In the
forests beekeeping is a widespread profession.”
“The plain surrounded by the deserts is irrigated by the
Marg River. The Margiana lands are very interesting. The
grapes grown there are delicious and each bunch of them is
as long as the length of two arms. To defend these fruitful
lands, Antioha surrounded the environment of these lands
with walls which are 5.2 metres high and 250 kilometres
long.”
These walls can be built up again. However, this time
they shall be built not from the soil, but from the trees.
The relations of the Turkmen nation with nature show
interesting features. Our material spiritual and cultural val-
ues have been developed within the natural environment that
we inhabit. We live in a varied material and spiritual culture
which we have constructed with nature. The simplicity and
beauty in our history stem from the harmonious relations
between our nation and the natural environment. The life of
the nation which harmonizes with nature will last as long
and be as fruitful as nature itself.

177
Read Oghuznama, Gorkut ata, or Gorogly and you see
a harmony with nature; this harmony reminds you of the
relations between father and son. Thus Turkmen nation calls
this country the “homeland.” This kind of relationship gives
the Turkmen spirit naturalness, health, spiritual loftiness,
and beauty. In this we can see the affinity between the hero
Gorkut ata and the rivers and the plains, and the respect and
attachment of Gorogly for the mountains. The fundamental
principles of the Turkmen character, naturalness, honesty,
and trust stem from this relationship with the environment
and the qualities of the Turkmen spirit.
The nature of the Turkmen is the essence of the
Turkmen nation.
The nature of the Turkmen is the first and main source
of understanding of the spiritual world of the Turkmen.
The nature of the Turkmen is the alphabet of the spiri-
tual language of the Turkmen.
The clothes and national costume of the Turkmens are
not merely the external appearance of the Turkmens, but
also show their relations with nature. Turkmenistan is a hot
country. The spring, which is colourful, effervescent, beau-
tiful and full of fragrance, lasts for only two months. In the
rest of the year, the steppe and the lands remain as yellow
as grief. The clothes of the Turkmen girls and women, which
are bright, light green, red, pink and violet, continue the
short spring season throughout the year. Turkmens have al-
ways woven perfect fabrics, like linen, broadcloth, the red
caftan, and robes. Even the developed weaving industry of
the twentieth century has not persuaded Turkmens to aban-
don their traditional clothes.
12. Rukhnama

178
The ceremonial clothes of the Turkmen young are also
coloured by spring. In days of war, they wear their brown
headgear and caftans. The warhorses of the Turkmens are
light bay. These colours harmonize with nature. So travellers
describe the youth of the Turkmen like this: “They emerge
suddenly, as if they emerge from the ground, and if neces-
sary, they disappear suddenly, as if they go into the ground.”
The travellers that came to our country said that the
Turkmen horses were well-kept and ready for war through-
out the year. More interestingly, young Turkmen men are also
ready for war throughout the year. In contrast to the other
peoples of Central Asia, even the farmers and the keepers of
animals in our country do not like meat very much. They
consume it as fried dried meat. It is easy to prepare food
from dried meat and this meat can be conserved for a long
time. The most famous food of the Turkmens is bread; much
care is taken in baking bread. There is no need to eat anything
else with the bread because it is delicious on its own. The
Turkmen, who gives hay to his horse, himself eats bread made
of dries wheat. He drinks the milk of the camel and also gives
it to his horse. So he and his horse are always pure and healthy.
When it becomes evident that Turkmens will go to war,
they pay attention to what they eat for three or four days be-
fore the battle. They feed themselves up on melted white fat,
and they exercise to become supple. They always have logala
(a round food made up of oil or dough for the animals) for
their horses. Logala is made of a mixture of the tail fat of the
sheep and salt. It is given to Turkmen horses which will go
to battle. If the war lasts a long time, then the soldier will
give more logala to the horse. It gives the horse more
stamina. It can maintain its strength even if it does not eat

179
for a few days after eating logala. Our shepherds still drink
a half plate of melted fat before noon in summer so that
they do not become hungry and thirsty until the evening.
The special robes of Turkmens, their red caftans, make
them look big, strong, and broad-shouldered.
Great caftans and robes protect them from the heat.
In this way, our many national characteristics make us
the Turkmen.
***
Some travellers among those who stayed for a few
months in Turkmenistan in the past made some baseless
claims about the Turkmen land and people based on false
impressions of the Turkmens and the course of historical
events. In these writings the Turkmens, who wore large
robes, large caftans, black boots and belt, and carried arms,
were portrayed as bandits and bloodthirsty robbers, pillag-
ers and raiders. However, the reality is quite the opposite.
The hearts of the Turkmen people are as good as the Turkmen
carpets, as brilliant as our cotton, as emotional as our mu-
sic, as modest as our nature.
Turkmens are the people, whose doors and hearts are
unlocked, whose eyes are pure and brilliant as spring water,
and whose hearts are as clear and clean as the sky.
Praise be to Allah a hundred thousand times.
Sin does not get entrap the Turkmen.
Turkmens put an infinite border between right and
wrong.
The Turkmen does not take anything by force because
he believes that Allah protects the weak.

180
He does not take what he did not give before.
Once upon a time, a wife and a husband without any
children were preparing to go to Mekka on pilgrimage. How-
ever, they could not decide what to do with the two hundred
sikkes, which was their life-savings. Finally they divided the
sikkes into two equal bundles. They left one of these bundles
in the care of one of their neighbours. And they left the other
bundle in the care of their Turkmen neighbour.
The Turkmen neighbour said to them:
“Open the box in that corner and put the bundle in it.”
On returning from pilgrimage, the husband and wife
went to take their money.
The first neighbour said them:
“Oh neighbour, I used your money and increased your 100
sikkes to 150 sikkes. I have taken some of them for myself.”
Then they went to their Turkmen neighbor and asked
for their sikkes. Their Turkmen neighbor said to them:
“Open the box in the corner and take your money.”
Nothing happens by chance in life. A Turkmen saves
the goods left in his care better than his own goods. If he has
to use an item and damages it in any way, he buys a new one
and apologizes to the owner of that item.
Save the things you hold in trust because they belong to
someone else!
Halal (lawful, commended) and haram (unlawful, for-
bidden) are two basic categories of Islam. All issues in Is-
lam have been specified as halal or haram and no issue has
not been specified. An idea or understanding similar to halal-
haram existed among Turkmens before Islam.

181
The Turkmen nation likes what is halal, so they do not
eat or commit what is haram for themselves or for their chil-
dren. The Turkmen does know that if he commits haram he
will be punished immediately. He also holds that if he is not
punished, seven generations of his descendants will be pun-
ished in the future.
If you take and use anything that belongs to another
without permission, later you can give back it to the owner
and you can also apologize to him. But how can you give it
back if you take and consume something that belongs to the
state and its citizens?
To eat something that does not belong to you is like
eating a piece of meat from your own shoulder.
The thing that Turkmens hate most is haram. I hope
that our honourable people will live within the fold of halal.
May Turkmen meals be halal!
Halal elevates the Turkmen towards the sky!
The way of Turkmen is the way of halal.
***
I hope my eyes shall see the good things!
What is bad is obvious and has been specified.
A wise man was asked:
“Where does the world begin?”
“At your two eyes!” he replied.
Allah has given eyes to living creatures, humans and
animals. The eyes should see! The duty of the eyes is to see,
but what and how to see? This is the most critical issue in
life.

182
One person may see blood while looking at milk on the
one hand, and another may see milk while looking at blood
on the other.
One person may see the beginning of the world while
looking at fire on the one hand, and another may see the end
of the world while looking at fire on the other.
Indeed, ideally you should look at the world, humanity,
and life from Allah’s perspective. But there is nobody who
can see or conceive Allah. Thus you should judge events by
means of the belief and justice that Allah put in your heart.
The Turkmen does not easily say bad things about any-
one. He says, “The one who has deficiencies also has sur-
pluses.” He also says, “A man created by Allah is at least as
good as me.”
Malik Shah was asked:
“You are always calm; those who meet you leave here
happy. There is nobody who has seen you who leaves angry.
How can you manage to be like this?”
He replied:
“If the things that I want to be done are carried out, even
if I whisper them, why should I become angry? A man fears
me when he is in front of me. He knows that he will lose his
life, if he does wrong things and he also knows that he will
be rewarded if he says good things. How can I threaten those
who fear me even without threats? They pray to Allah to
give my heart goodness before they come here. They want
from me the things that are required by Allah. They ap-
proach me, thinking I am a representative of Allah. Should
I make them think that the representative of Allah in the
world is very bad?

183
***
There are thousands of titles and degrees of respect in
the world: artist of the state, public writer... Besides these,
there are hundreds of medals and awards given to those who
have served the state and the country. However, there are no
medals, awards and degrees of respect given for great hu-
manity. Turkmens have this now.
This independent and impartial state of ours is now one
step from honouring the doctrine and humanity of Oguz Khan.
It has invented a great title, “Il yashulusy” (highness of the
country). Now it is time to respect the fundamental character-
istics of the human.
***
Turkmen sees treachery as worse than anything; he sees
it as base. He condemns the traitor.
The Turkmen nation has condemned traitors for thousands
of years.
The commanders and soldiers who took part in the
Gokdepe War unanimously say in their writings that they
never even encountered a traitor, let alone received any help
from a traitor. They point out the Turkmens’ indifference to
money, gold and other such things when patriotism, inde-
pendence or some other invaluable principle is concerned.
Our nation knows that a noble Turkmen would never com-
mit high treason. Of course, it is not right to say that no
one has ever committed such a crime out of greed and
weakness of character. In fact, there were a few such trai-
tors in the Gokdepe War. They were flattered or bribed
with favours by the Russian Tsar and in exchange sold

184
their motherland to the Tsar. Those traitors were punished
in their destiny. Every fact should be evaluated by our na-
tion, as should any good or evil in our history.
May those who would betray the motherland (atavatan)
never be allowed to take a place among us!
***
The Turkmen nation always maintained its freedom,
honour and dignity, although needless to say it is not always
easy to protect such values. Wars took place in Garrygala,
Merw, Sarahs, Balkan and Yoloten in the previous century.
The fact that wars were being fought in Turkmenabat and
Dashoguz was always concealed from our nation during the
Soviet era because no other nation has faced as many wars as
the Turkmen nation. I wholeheartedly wish that there may be
no more wars in the world from now on!
Fighting for freedom is right. The jewels of Turkmen
literature, “The Book of Gorkut ata”, “Gorogly”, Legends of
Dowletyar, “The Epic of Yusup-Ahmet”, the writings of Yunus
Emre, Garajaoglan, Burhanetdin of Sivas, Bayram Khan,
Abdyrrahym Khan, Shabendi, Andalyb, Magrupy,
Makhtumkuli, Seydi, Zelili, Mollanepes, Kemine, Mataji, are
works of art which all show the patriotism, courage, manli-
ness, heroism of the Turkmen nation. What is astonishing in
these writings is that the word “traitor” is never mentioned.
No, not a single mention of a “traitor”. Cowardice is criti-
cized, timidity is denigrated, but there is not even a single
statement about “treachery” in those writings! It should also
be pointed out that all the writings mentioned above are not
only kept on the library shelves, but are kept alive and con-
veyed to each new generation when they are told and recited

185
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

186
by poets, orators and narrators at wedding ceremonies and
festivals.
Our literature is vivid and vigorous, a life in itself. It is
passed on as songs or epics by from mouth to mouth. A
nation fed on such literature can never put forth a traitor!
The word “traitor” has no synonyms in the Turkmen
language. In fact it is a word of foreign origin which has
been borrowed into our language! In contrast, courage and
patriotism have numerous synonyms!
A man or woman with a Turkmen spirit cannot commit
a cowardly act because life in Turkmen society makes cow-
ardice impossible. After Chenghis Khan, each clan settled
in a part in the motherland, razed its rivals to the ground
and lived independently. When a foe was mightier than the
clan, then it called on the other clans for help. Those wars
took a week sometimes, and a month at most, and revealed
who were the courageous and who the cowardly. How would
you live in your village, what could you say to your parents,
how could you face your beloved and how would you mix
with others if you had proved yourself a coward in war?
Moving to another village would not ease your plight for
those villagers would not welcome you. They would also want
to know who you were, whether a thief, a criminal or a war
fugitive and would never let you settle before they knew the
answers! You would face the same things whichever village or
settlement you went to! The disgraced have no place! They would
not even bury you if you died! So we put aside thoughts of our-
selves and our property during war. Cowardice is an insult to the
spirit of our ancestors. Turkmen heroes in battle never think
about death, for they are called ‘the unblinking heroes’.

187
The traitor is always cursed on Turkmen land!
***
My honourable citizens, this is my request to you;
“Be humble but with honour like the snowy mountains!
“Be as wise as your grandfathers and as merciful as
your mothers!
There is no greater miracle than mankind in the world;
his level is the level of Allah’s pulpit. Allah makes the way
easy for those of good will; those of bad will receive nothing
but enmity.
Your body is created of clay, but your soul is given by
Allah. Though your body is here on earth, may the abode of
your heart be on high!
The world contains three types of people:
1.Hakayyl: such people have the knowledge of Allah
(irfan). They have a strong relationship with Allah.
Magtymguly says, “Man should get to know the world
before he is forty years old.” Hakayyls perceive the
world early, including the past and present, with a cer-
tain divinely granted perception.
2.Hanayyl: they have a certain earthly reason, and are
distinguished above others; Hans, padishahs, and
Soltans are such people.
3.Hamayyl: they are ordinary people and waste their time
dealing with ephemeral, worldly matters. They are not
very well-equipped intellectually and need to be en-
lightened and led to the straight path.

188
A hakayyl is selected by Allah, and then he tries to be
hanayyl and appreciate science and knowledge. For there is
no status higher than that of being a human.
A person may be praised as being “like an angel,” but
remember Allah made and assigned the angels to the service
of men. With the angels at your service, never be misled by
the godless. When you act magnificently, the Turkmen people
act magnificently; when you improve yourself, the Turkmen
people do so too; when you prosper, Turkmenistan pros-
pers.
If money, gold, or rank were the real wealth of the world,
we would show many examples of riches within our history.
In fact, our ancestors treated such people with irony and re-
proach, as in the example of Gorogly’s treatment of his older
brother, Genjim Beg.
Word of wisdom spring from the heart and travel straight
to the heart. The wise men ( dervishler) put their own interests
aside and work for the well-being of the nation in a self-sac-
rificing way and, like words of wisdom, find a place in
people’s hearts.
Friendship is mutual. People are the hosts and guests of
one another. It was not his wealth and prosperity which won
a place for Gorogly in people’s hearts. He galloped into
their hearts on his white horse and won his place by his
gallantry.
Being humble, patient, contented and merciful.... This is
the true character of the Turkmens. I do not speak in vain when
I say: “Come, be Turkmens!”
Shake yourself, rise, develop yourself and cast off sev-
enty years’ filth from your body and soul and be the most

189
perfect Turkmen in your five-thousand-year history! When
Turkmens praise someone else from another nation, they
say “just like a Turkmen.” We have the essence and spirit of
five thousand years in our souls, blood and in the depth of
our hearts.
Turkmenistan follows the way of its ancestors. If it is
in your destiny, each of you will be rich with your state, but
you should deserve it beforehand. The rich should be rich at
heart first. To reach the Golden Age, material and spiritual
wealth must be brought together.
In the character of Dali Domrul, Gorkut ata taught the
next seventy-seven generations how arrogance brought ca-
lamity to man:
Wealth and ease make Dali Domrul vain and arrogant
and he starts to challenge passers-by to wrestle with him.
Looking for an excuse to challenge people, he constructed a
bridge over a dried-up riverbed. He collects a toll from those
who pass over the bridge. He takes thirty toll-fees from people
crossing the bridge and forty from people who do not want to
cross over the bridge. Of course, he collects the toll unfairly
by brute force. Dali Domrul becomes world famous.
One day, he hears the noise of a quarrel coming from a
village nearby. He goes to find out what is happening there.
They say:
“Oh! Our Khan, one of our heroes has died.”
Delighted to think he has found a worthy opponent,
Domrul asks:
“Who killed your hero? “
“Azrael with the red wings.”

190
Then, his eyes blurred with malice, he searches for
Azrael. But Azrael is supported by the divine power and
never yields to earthly power. A clash between two ends
with Domrul begging for mercy.
The way to save yourself from arrogance is to repent
and ask for forgiveness.
The Gorogly Epics show where arrogance leads to. The
story is so clear that even the blind can see its meaning.
Gorogly goes on a hunting trip together with forty of
his warriors and puts them under the command of Kose,
saying they should bring back forty types of game. He him-
self sits and drinks wine, one glass of wine, then a second,
then a third. His adopted son, Owez, tries to persuade him
not to drink. Gorogly says:
-O my Owez, say ‘Right’ to whatever I say otherwise
I’ll cut your head off!
-Right, my master.
-Even Nowshirvan Adil never ruled fairly, but I do.
-Right, my master!
-Even Hatam Tayam didn’t share fairly, but I do!
-Right, my master!
-Even Ali the Great, didn’t fight, but I do!
-O my master, you speak presumptuously because you
challenged the Quran!
Gorogly himself sees that he has really gone far beyond
the limit, takes all the warriors’ blankets and sleeps. In his
drunken sleep he is captured by Arap Reyhan. Arap Reyhan
boasts of his power while carrying Gorogly away to his lands.
So, having been captive to his own arrogance, Gorogly gives
Arap some advice even though he is his enemy:

191
I stole a sheep from every range,
Looted all Istanbul,
Scourged by my arrogance, here to crouch.
Arap, never be so arrogant!
Gorogly even advises his rival not to be so arrogant.
Arap Reyhan’s arrogance leads to his death and Gorogly’s
plea for mercy leads him to freedom.
No one suffers from problems because of his humility,
but so many because of their arrogance!
Soltan Alp Arslan, who levied tributes on dozens of
states, punished his chief rival with the sentence of death.
He ordered:
“Tear him into four parts with four horses, each tied to
a leg or arm! For he is not an ordinary rival but the Khan of
rivals.”
His rival shouts out saying, “You are a coward since
you do not grant me a heroic death!”
Alp Arslan orders, “Just give him a weapon.” Then he
charges at his rival angrily, sword in hand. But his foot gets
tangled in one of the tent ropes, and, taking advantage of
the opportunity, his opponent brings him down with a deadly
blow.
While the doctors try to treat the wound and save him,
and everybody curses the rival, Alp Arslan says:
“It is not an evil from my rival, but a curse from Allah.
Yesterday, when I looked down from the hill, I thought ar-
rogantly, ‘O my Lord, I have so many soldiers, wide red
tents and heroes filling the whole valley. Is there anyone in

192
the whole world who could defeat me?’ This is indeed the
result of that thought!”
The Turkmens are humble in their nature, but this is life...
Mankind is not always full of virtue or conscious of
virtue; arrogance may triumph sometimes. Why does arro-
gance lead to calamity?
In this world, if people establish the balance between
their heart and the world, their deeds progress properly, in
the right course. Though man lives on Earth, he is always
watched over by Allah, the Almighty. Allah did not send man
and then leave him all alone in this world. Every one has a
friend or companion.
One who follows and abides by the injunctions of reli-
gion and consults friends about his or her affairs always reaches
his destination. But if one says, “I am the man. I succeed - no
need for help,” one fails. “My Lord sent me to the earth and He
backs me up” is not the right approach either!
Socrates, Shakespeare, Voltaire... all had friends and
companions. Our nation knows that our Oguz Khans, Gorkut
ata, Mane Baba, Makhtumkuli ... all had friends and com-
panions.
Gorogly and Alp Arslan were not ordinary men. So who
becomes haughty? Those who are always successful may
become arrogant. They may cause themselves to be deprived
of divine help and heavenly companions. The heavenly com-
panion says to that person, ‘You are haughty, but what could
you do if I did not help?’ If the man then follows the wrong
path, the wholeness, the integrity of the man, which is both
earthly and heavenly, which consists of body and spirit, will
be lost and the man condemns himself to loneliness.

193
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.
13. Rukhnama

194
May Allah protect you from arrogance, and may you
never distance yourself from Allah!
O may brother, never boast of your wealth; poverty is
never far away!
O my brother, never be grieved at your poverty; Allah,
the Allmighty, the Protector of all, is behind the poor!
Malik Shah said: “O my Allah I can get rid of hunger.
Save me from satiety!”
Wealth is a great burden. A burden requires a strong will.
My beloved brothers, it is time to live in comfort and wealth.
I beg Allah that you may not be led astray!
Allah tests man with wealth or poverty. The rich man
who does not restrain himself goes astray, the poor man who
endures his poverty patiently achieves his goal and becomes
fully human. A plant dies if it is under-watered or if it is
overwatered. Allah is the One who cherishes sustains and
irrigates every heart and soul!
***
My Dear Nation!
For the last three or four centuries, the small
Turkmen population has been unable to regain its former
glory and magnificence, living scattered in distant vil-
lages and small towns, barely able to survive, their way
of life, traditions and costumes threatened with eradica-
tion, their boiling pans of food on festive days knocked
to the ground in contempt for their beliefs and festivi-
ties, their feast days systematically turned into days of
mourning. However, the closeness of their life style to
nature and naturalness has given great insight and purity

195
to the nature of our people, who have absorbed natural-
ness, honesty and integrity into themselves.
Our people call people they admire “Ar” (brave man,)
but the term is not used to refer to people who are very brave
and fearless. A person designated “Ar” should also have many
other commendable attributes; in addition to showing brav-
ery or courage, he should have integrity and be humane, com-
passionate, and generous. The term “Ar” derives from the word
“ary” (pure), as in Garajaoglan’s assertion: “Our essence is
pure Turkmen”. The Turkmen word “Ar” is widely used in
the languages of other countries as “ser, her, gerr”.
In our past, when our people were looking for a new
site to settle and establish a village community, the leading
figures of the community would go out, find and agree upon
a few sites. They would leave in each site an earthenware
pitcher full of fresh water and embed a long pole on the ground
with a piece of meat tied to the top. When it was time to
migrate and settle, those wise and respected people would go
and check the freshness of the water and the chunk of meat.
If the water and meat were spoiled and rotten they did not
settle down in that area. That is, even if they did not use
scientific terms to think and talk about bad quality soil and
land and how they influence the human body, they had
learned about these things through experience. Sayings like,
“The place wasn’t good or beneficial”, “The land didn’t ac-
cept” prove that Turkmens knew about the merit, productivity,
or unproductivity of sites and lands.
In the past, when our ancestors wanted to dig a ditch, they
used to put a sack full of sand on the neck of a mare, which
would find and follow the most sloping route. Then, our ances-

196
tors struck stakes on that route and then dug the ditch. This
method is equal to current methods of digging canals.
When their cemetery was full and they wanted to make
a new one, they would not appoint just anybody as a watch-
man. The watchman had to be a good man, may be not a
great religious authority or a religious man, but he should
be a virtuous man.
Once upon a time, a village had sent a caravan for six
months’ supply of food, but it had not returned within the
expected period. They waited but there was no news about
the caravan. The relatives of the people who were in the cara-
van searched everywhere for the tracks of the caravan and
inquired in the surrounding villages. The unfortunate cara-
van seemed to have sunk into the soil. Since they did not
believe they had died and so there had been no funeral rites,
the people of the village continued to hope for news of the
caravan. After seven or eight years, news reached to the vil-
lage that a shepherd had seen human bones in the desert.
Horsemen set out from the village. In fact, bandits had at-
tacked the caravan, plundered everything, killed everybody,
buried them and erased their tracks. All the bones were dug
up from wherever they lay. Since there was no concept of a
common grave at that time, the villagers were not sure what
to do. The historical experience of the Turkmens helped them.
The skeletons were all laid out near to each other. The rela-
tives cut their ankles with daggers and let their blood drop
onto the skeletons. If those particular bones had not be-
longed to their relatives, they blood flowed off them. But if
they were the bones of their relative, the bones absorbed the
blood. Thus, everybody found relatives and buried them in
their village.

197
“You see my boy, where the expression “bone relative”
comes from!” said my grandfather when he told me this sad
story.
***
After creating the magnificent universe, and its innumer-
able systems and the blue planet in them, Allah, in his mercy,
created man upon the Earth. Therefore, Allah made the earth
and man in it as the best of creation. That is why a human
loves the soil, from which he was created, and the earth and
Allah, the Creator of all.
The heart of the wild seas rises into the sky in the form of
clouds which then fall on the earth as rain. In one part of the
world there is spring, full of beauty, while in other part there is
summer, full of blessings; in another part there is autumn, full
of abundance, an in another there is winter, with snow as white
as cotton, excited at the prospect of the coming spring.
It would be shameful to live in such a great country and
have a narrow heart. Then the greatness of the Turkmen coun-
try would have no real significance.
O brother, for fifty centuries, the Turkmens have been
living under the sky and on the sacred soil with the belief
of Allah. With the meritorious work and deeds of our an-
cestors, our nation has been united with the motherland,
like the union of the spirit with the body. We were born in
this sacred land, our motherland and united with the grace
of the heavens. It is the Turkmen’s obligation in life to be
worthy of his nation!
***
Our development as a nation in the golden age gives
rise to the maturing of the characteristics in the golden per-

198
sonality. With the development of the nation, the personal-
ity develops too. The most important characteristic of the
personality is excellence. The physical and spiritual excel-
lence of the Turkmen personality is a measure of our devel-
opment. We have done everything necessary bring the per-
sonality to a state of excellence.
Personality is the essence of the nation. The origin and
essence of both is the same. Therefore, each individual must
strive to ensure that his moral and spiritual level is the same
as that of the nation. For the individual, there is nothing more
important and more valuable than the nation. The heart of
every individual Turkmen must be united with their nation
and never part from it. In the golden age, Turkmenistan needs
people whose hearts and minds are one with the nation. The
motherland and nation must be on everybody’s tongue and
must be the motive in all their doings.
Since they require that the reality be concealed, forgery
and hypocrisy make people two-faced. Immorality and ille-
gal earnings have a similar cause and effect. What makes a
person hide his true face? He hides his true face because his
conscience, heart and actions are contrary to principles ac-
cepted by society. An individual whose way of living is con-
trary to the national understanding is afraid of punishment,
and hence tries to conceal himself and his true character, and
assumes the semblance of another, better character . Conse-
quently, deceitfulness is one of the characteristics most hated
by Turkmen people. In some people there is one thing in the
heart, something different on the tongue, and something else
again in their actions. These people are very unfortunate
morally. They are deprived of the most important value, that
is, inner moral freedom.

199
Allah created men to live in real freedom and real obe-
dience. These are part of the essence of men. A pure and
honest man is spiritually strengthened by his honesty. The
faithful actions of this man result in his living in harmony
with his being. Regardless of the difficulties he may encoun-
ter, his purity before Allah and the nation increases his effort
and strength. Even if he lives in a bad environment and age,
the heart of this man, protected by Allah, resembles a house
closed to badness.
The ill-intentioned person, when he does a bad thing,
thinks that he is keeping it from people by hiding it. How-
ever, the inclination remains in his soul. Later, due to this
inner compulsion, he does another bad deed, and thinks that
he hides it. Yet the prick of conscience increases. The more
bad deeds he does, the more torture, the more remorse he
faces. In time, this irrational pursuit of bad ends becomes
part of his character and nobody or nothing can prevent him
from carrying on.
Lawful (halal) things give pleasure while forbidden
things (haram) are bitter and sorrowful.
Ideas and interests may be very complex and varied
but we can reach the truth by assigning each to its proper
place. And this order determines the place of each indi-
vidual and group in helping the nation.
In order to do this every individual must be taught the
concept of the nation and Turkmen nationality. Hence, each
individual must be made aware of the glorious route of the
history of the Turkmen nation and of all its phases. The
Turkmens, whose moral realm was a vacuum, whose links
with their ancestors were severed, whose origin was forgot-

200
ten during the Soviet era should acquire national values
once again. The basic feeling in the heart of the individual
must be the feeling of national pride; the basic idea in the
consciousness of the individual must be the idea of per-
ceiving the world as a Turkmen national; the basic value
in the morals of the individual must be Turkmen morals;
his dignity must be national dignity; his spiritual belief
should carry the characteristics of the Turkmen nation’s
belief. In short, the spiritual perspective of the individual
must be shaped by national values. The conditions pre-
vailing now mean that this must be so. For only then can
we continue our life as a nation state.
Of course, we are not making light of humane and reli-
gious values; we are not removing them from our life. Hu-
mane and religious values are important when they reinforce
our nationality. In fact, Turkmen national values do not con-
tradict these other values. What is important is how these na-
tional elements are capable of shaping the moral structure of
our thought in the 21st century.
All our values can help us to become a humane and
harmonious nation. Brothers should establish good relations
with one another. Factors which could destroy good relations
between two brothers must be quickly eliminated. One
Türkmen is the friend and brother of another Turkmen. This
idea must be the most sacred idea of Turkmens. Within the
golden personality of Turkmens, national feelings and val-
ues must be to the fore and other ideas, such as tribalism
and racism must be eradicated in the golden era. In order to
eradicate them, we must abandon the outdated process of
identification of tribal differences. When we look into the
depths of our history, we can find periods when there was

201
no tribalism. Nevertheless, the Turkmen nation still existed
in those eras. The Turkmens, starting with Oguz Khan, have
a history of 5000 years.
Nations are forever, but tribes are temporary. National-
ity carries a society towards eternity, while societies based
on tribalism are short-lived. Every member of the Turkmen
nation must accept this principle. Life depends on our under-
standing life and reality. The more we understand our being
of Turkmen nationality, the stronger our nationality becomes.
In the 21st century, the Turkmen nation gains its strength from
the model of personality it puts forward.
Two factors are necessary to be powerful: knowing our
origin and devoting ourselves to our aim.
The world knows the origin and roots of the Turkmen
nation. We have to know our origin well even better. As a
nation we have set ourselves the target of having a great his-
tory, and we must advance towards this target with firm and
determined steps.
Each member of the Turkmen nation plays a part in reach-
ing this target and he must feel responsible for his part. We
are encouraged by the clarity and certainty of our target. The
finite nature of life does not disturb us. We accept that our
life is a period of opportunity of fixed duration granted by
Allah. Well then, what is this opportunity and duration? Of
course, this is the opportunity for the Turkmen to expand his
spirit and significance. If we do not appreciate this opportu-
nity and duration, as we ought, we will be held responsible
before Allah for abusing the trust of Allah. So the character-
istics of recklessness, indifference, laziness, and apathy do
not suit the Turkmen personality. Each nation is a rose planted

202
by Allah in the garden of the earth. For Allah, each individual
and nation has a unique scent. We cannot be the cause of the
fading of our bloom before its due time. Hence, we must
hasten confidently towards our aims.
Turkmen is a nation cherished and beloved by Allah. I
understand this truth from this fact: since Allah the Most
Exalted loves the Turkmen nation, he has let them live for
5000 years. If he didn’t love them, he would have removed
them from history. For this reason, the Turkmen nation bears
the great duty of preserving our religion, belief, national dig-
nity, and national values; and the duty to transmit them to
future generations without any change.
For 5000 years, Turkmen people have lived through all
kinds of events. We have saved our Turkmen identity. We did
not give up the struggle in difficult times, or become pitiful;
we did not become arrogant in happy times. For this reason,
Allah Taala has loved the Turkmen nation.
In the Golden Era, we must be stable and constant indi-
viduals like our ancestors. We must be constant, stable, seri-
ous, noble, and modest. We must be so because these quali-
ties are vital to the development of spiritual loftiness and af-
fluence.
The spiritual loftiness of the Turkmens is a model for the
entire world. Spiritual loftiness is always vital. Spiritual
loftiness means avoiding desperation, grief and sorrow.
Since he is alone, the human being depends on assistance
from other people. Accordingly, even older people are like
children. In different periods of history, men have estab-
lished ways of helping each other. There is no room for
difficulty and hopelessness in our era. However, even in the

203
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

204
most peaceful periods of history, people have needed each
other’s assistance. This is a fact of creation and the nature
of man.
We have established the nation state so that it may help
the Turkmen people. The Turkmen country, the Turkmen na-
tion, the Turkmen state guarantee the welfare of every
Turkmen.
On the other hand, spiritual loftiness cannot be deter-
mined by looking only at outer appearance. For this reason,
our inner world is also very important, even more important
than the outer one. So, the personality should discover itself
and should understand its significance. Humility is the basis
of spiritual loftiness. Patience and conviction are the broth-
ers of humility.
To see the value of these qualities, wisdom and percep-
tion are necessary. Before opening the eye of the heart, it is
important to open the eye of wisdom. Wisdom, and intelli-
gence provide remedies for all known and unknown dis-
eases.
There are people who complain of their intelligence
but nobody has ever been injured by his intelligence.
Intelligence, feeling, character and good morals are the
elements that contribute to the excellence of the individual
Turkmen personality in the Golden Era. The golden quali-
ties of the Turkmen personality, in the 21st
century are the
attributes which attract the hearts of onlookers.
May your spirit be lofty!

205
THE FOURTH SECTION
THE STATE OF TURKMEN
THE ANCIENT OGUZ STATE
My beloved Turkmen!
In the course of the development of humanity, many na-
tions and countries have made momentous contributions to the
world community. China and India achieved enormous advances.
These advances also happened among the Oguzs or Turkmens.
World History, however, offers insufficient information about
the progress made by Turkmens. Great efforts are being made to
retrieve what has faded of Great Turkmen history. There is not
infrequent distortion of the history of the Oguz who, ever since
the period of Oguz Khan, have left significant historical traces
in the destiny, politics, economics and culture of Asia and Eu-
rope by founding many great states in the world. Sooner or later,
however, time will put all things in their proper place.
The achievements of the Oguzs between the 1st
and the
13th
centuries cannot be denied. It is an undeniable truth that
the Parfiya State, the Gaznalys, the Seljuks, and the
Koneurgenchs affected the historical and political develop-
ment of the world and reached a high level of accomplish-
ment in the cultural and economic realms. But because some
historians were Arab and Iranian in origin, they tried to con-
nect all of these historical advances with Iran, or with the
Arabs and later generalized them as Turkish... Our histori-
ans, brought up in the Soviet era, did not perceive the evil

206
intentions of those historians writing without proper scrutiny
of their work, and simply repeated their views. They did not
realize that these ideas form part of an invading country’s
imperialist purpose.
When I read and examined the history books, I real-
ized that the word ‘Turkmen’ has been replaced by the word
‘Turk’ for more than 50 years. In Rukhnama, however, I
make the word ‘Turkmen’ regain its real meaning in order
that today’s Turkmens come to know their ancestors and
became vigorous with their spirit. May God help us!
On the day I declared our independence, I stated that
Turkmenistan and Turkiye (Turkey) are two states, and one
nation. For Oguz means Turkmen in one sense. The Oguz lan-
guage is the Turkmen language. The language of the Seljuks
and the Ottoman language is also the Turkmen language. Con-
temporary Anatolian Turkish differs little from Turkmen. Our
religion, culture and lineage are identical. We Turkmens are
proud of this and expect the same from our Turkish brothers.
5000 years have passed since the foundation of the
first Turkmen state. This is proved by the arrowheads,
arches and other remnants excavated in Bagabat, Altyndepe,
Takgala, the Ary Region, Margiyana and Koneurgench,
which have yielded significant information about the Oguz
civilization and state of that period. These lands under the
rule of Oguz Khan were known as the Oguz Homeland.
We have accurate information about this in the book
Hududul-Alem,16 which was written in the Medieval Pe-
riod. Ancient sources tell us that the Oguz Homeland
stretched from Altyntepe through Anew, Anew, Nusay,
Takgala, the entire Merw, Koneurgench and Caspian-Belh
16
It means ‘the boundaries of the Universe’.

207
region, including Seyhun-Jeyhun from east to west up to
the Idil Sea in the north. Belief in Gok Tanry
17
was domi-
nant amongst Oguzs. The word Gok refers to a feature of
God: ‘the Exalted’. This shows that Oguzs believed in one
God. Their language was Oguzca, the ancient Turkmen lan-
guage.
Oguz Khan’s lineage goes back in a chain to Hz. Nuh.
18
The ancestors of the Turkmens are the Kara Khan. We have a
noble lineage.
My Beloved Turkmen People! I have given vast amounts
of information about the lineage of Oguz in ‘The Turkmen Way’.
Beloved Turkmen, I did this in order that you and your posterity
should never forget your history again. Here, then, I want to
quote some of the advice of Oguz Khan for your good.
Oguz Khan’s advice about the land and homeland:
Whoever cultivates the land finds comfort.
The life of one who plants a tree becomes eternal.
He who does not love the soil does not love the homeland.
One who harms the land in the slightest degree is not a
Turk Yman (Turkmen).
When you pluck a leaf, your life is curtailed by one year.
If you crack a bough, you also break your arm or leg. If you
uproot a sapling, you also destroy your life. By cutting down
a tree you cut down the tree of your life.
Do not buy gold; buy land.
Water is father; ground is mother.
The soil is your body; the sky is your soul.
17
The faith of ancient Turks, called the Sky God Belief.
18
The prophet Noah.

208
Even if your head touches the sky, respect the earth.
Oguz Khan’s advice about language:
The tongue tells what exists in the heart.
(If there is) no language, (there can be) no country.
A word is effectual if said by the heart.
Wisdom adorns the word.
The wealth of the language is the wealth of the country.
A wise man learns language.
One who knows more language, knows more.
The word of the generous is also wise.
When you set out, hold your tongue.
The language is the state.
A wise statement is eternal.
Teach your children the language with its meaning.
I have a language, so I have a world.
When the Oguzs are united, these signs are seen in them:
Their state becomes invincible, and they are blessed. Wher-
ever they go, they are victorious. They live on the plateau
19
in
summer, and in winter quarters in winter. They rule vast lands.
They are ready to face dangers. They conquer and rule over the
nations. They become very agile, active and eager to hunt. They
are strong and powerful. They respect prohibitions. They are
highly esteemed like old people. Their food is plentiful. They
work honestly and are persevering. They are esteemed and their
fame is widespread. Wherever they face the enemy, they go to
war with them. They are both humanitarian and generous. Their
19
Nomads’ summer camping ground.

209
livestock is well-fed. They set up good businesses. They are
brave and lofty. Their advice is appropriate. They serve their
elders. They are of high esteem.
When the ‘golden arch’ is found this happens: It illu-
minates your standard, shows the signs of the Seven Cli-
mates of the Earth. You become closer both to the Earth and
Heaven. However, you will find your way by the ‘Seven
Stars.’
20
Though you walk on earth, your way is to Heaven.
Ease and tranquility is in your fortune, as you own the key.
There are many differences between you and those who came
before. Wherever you go, your way is open. All this is so
because you have conquered the heart of the World.
The golden arch unites the top of three silver arrows
and changes into abundance. You find the ancient waterfall
and drink to repletion from the Oguz fountain. In order that
you obtain the golden arch, the golden soul of the anteced-
ent generations unifies in you. All the powers of the nation
are united, and states are founded.
OGUZ TURKMEN’S GREAT KHAN STATE
2500 years after Oguz Khan’s state, there was another state
founded with the same spirit and structure. One of the most
impotant Khans of the Great Khan State was no doubt Mete
Khan. His name in Chinese sources is Mao-Tun. His origin was
Oguz. Mete Khan was also called Oguz Khan because of his
resemblance to his ancestor. In his reign, he ruled the country in
a way very similar to that of Oguz Khan. For this reason, there
have emerged contradictory views about Mete Khan and Oguz
Khan, some claiming they were the same person. Mete Khan,
20
Great Polar bear star group, Big Dipper, Ursa major
14. Rukhnama

210
however, was the Hakan who recognized the necessity of unify-
ing the Oguz Khan and all the Turkmen tribes and ensuring this
unity by following the example of his ancestor Oguz, when he
felt the state was threatened with complete collapse and ruin.
Mete Khan’s father was Duman Beg. In Chinese sources
he is recorded as Teoman. About 220 B.C., Teoman expanded
the borders of the state up to the edge of Chinese territory.
After Teoman, Mete Khan succeeded to the throne in 209 B.C.
Mete Khan had whistling arrows manufactured and spe-
cial factories built for the production of bows and arrows.
Great Hun Khan Mete brought 26 states under his rule and
divided the administration into 84 provinces. He ruled over
18 million km2
, land stretching from the Caspian Sea to the
Indian Ocean on one side and from the Himalayas to Sibe-
ria on the other side. After Mete Khan his son, Gok Khan
took his place. Some of the letters written by Mete Khan to
the king of China, Hiao-Wen, are preserved in the archives
of China. Mete Khan’s ideas concerning peace, ease and
security, mentioned in one of his letters sent to the Chinese
king, are very interesting. In this letter he states the follow-
ing:
“Great Hun Khan enthroned by God sends his compli-
ments and greetings to the Chinese ruler. Recently a letter
concerning peace and our good relations was received from
your exalted Person. This is the desire of both parties and
the conditions mentioned in the letter have been fulfilled as
is due.
In recent times, your frontier guards have disregarded
Bati Khan, Toki. On the other hand, provoked by Hu-Heu
Nanchu and others, Toki has fought with Chinese guards
without obtaining my consent. Thus the provisions of the

211
treaty signed between two rulers have been violated and
this has harmed our friendly relations. The Khan made his
country the enemy of the neighbouring state. I received
two letters full of rage from you. Our envoy, who was con-
veying our reply, has not yet returned. However, the Chi-
nese envoy also might not return. This situation has caused
an unintended eventuality between two neighbouring coun-
tries.
It was the actions of some guards which violated the
treaty. I gave an order to Toki Beg for the punishment of
these men.
As our brave men are agile, our horses are strong and
hardy, by the help of God, they won a victory in the battle
against the instigators. Owing to the sharpness of our
swords, we defeated the instigators and they surrendered.
Recently we have taken under our rule a total of 26 tribes
and countries in Central Asia, such as Loan, Usun, Hukut...
The people of these countries have become subject to us
and all their lands or countries have become our provinces.
After I secure peace and security in the northern coun-
tries, my intention is to rest the army and graze the horses.
Leaving the things which have occurred between us be-
hind, I want to renew the old agreement. As in the earlier
period, the people of the frontier tribes may live comfort-
ably in peace. May the children grow up and elders live at
their ease till the end of their lives. May peace and ease
prevail for generations.
Since I have not received any information from the
Chinese ruler for a long time, I am sending this letter
with the vizier of the Palace, He-u-Tsiye. I am sending a
camel, two saddle and eight carriage horses as a gift. If

212
the Khan doesn’t want the Huns to violate the Chinese
borders, he must order the people living along the fron-
tier line and the frontier guards to stay at a distance from
the border.”
Because this letter exemplifies the policy of the Oguz
State, when it had secured its unity for the first time, I give
the text in its entirety.
GOK TURKMEN STATE
As a continuation of the Oguzs and the Great Khan
State, the Gok Turkmen State was established by Bumyn
Khan in 552. It was demolished by the Uýgurs and Garlyks
in 745. The reign of Bilge Khan was the most brilliant
period of the state. Bilge Khan was born in 683. His father
was Ilterish Gutlug Khan. At the age of 33 he became the
great ruler of the Gok Turkmen State. Gok Tanry belief
was prevalent in the country and the state took its name
from this faith. The meaning of Gok Turkmen is the
Turkmen belief in the exalted God. Bilge Khan declared
his Oguz descent with a statement in the inscription on his
tombstone: “The Oguz land is my own homeland.”
The state had a vast territory neighbouring the Sasanid,
Roman and Chinese States.
As a consequence of internal turmoil, battles for the
throne and declining power, the Gok Turkmen State col-
lapsed in 630.
One of the well-known statements of Bilge Khan was
as follows: “O! Oguz Begs! Shudder and listen! Who can
break down your country and traditions unless the blue sky
above us tumbles down, the dark land below us cracks.”

213
The power of the state lies in the unity and solidarity of
the people who consecrate and protect their country and
national values. Gok Turkmens had their own alphabet and
they made notable advances in art.
GARAHANLY TURKMEN STATE
The Garahanly state was founded in Turkmenistan and
Maveraunnehir by Bilge Kul Kadyr Khan in 840.
The state derives its name from the title of Kul Kadyr
Khan: the ‘Garahan’. Garlyk, Jyky, and Yagma tribes were
dominant among the Garahanlys. The role of Islam was no
doubt great in their growth.
After Kadyr Khan, his sons Bazar Arslan and Ogulchak
Khan ruled the state.
Saltuk Bugra, the son of Bazar Khan was brought up by
Ogulchak Khan after the death of his father. When Saltuk
Bugra became Muslim, Islam spread rapidly in Central Asia,
especially in Turkmenistan.
When Saltuk Bugra Khan died in 966, his son Baydash
Arslan Khan took his place and restored the state which was
about to collapse. In 1006, Garahanlys took control of
Maveraunnehir, destroying the Samanly (Samanid) State.
Subsequently, their struggle with the Gaznalys started. In 1042
the state was divided into two parts, East and West Garahanly,
as they could not resist the power of the Gaznaly Soltan
Mahmyt.
The Garahanly State has the distinction of being the first
Turkmen state that accepted the religion of Islam.

214
GREAT OGUZ TURKMEN STATE
This was the state founded by the Oguz tribes. In an-
cient Arab and Chinese sources, one comes across the word
‘Yabgu’. yabgu (or yagby) is a title meaning ‘Great’. Those
tribes which founded the Oguz Yabgu State later established
‘Nine Oguz Khanates’ alongside the Don River after the
collapse of the Gaznaly State.
The most significant activity of the Oguzs was in
Maveraunnehir at the beginning of the 10th
century. They called
the state they founded on the territories they had inherited
from their ancestors Oguz Yabgu. Retreating from Khorasan,
the Chinese frontiers and the banks of the Idil river, they
were squeezed into the land between the Seyhun and Jeyhun
Rivers. The Yanykent, Garajyk, Sayran and Jent regions re-
mained to them as a homeland.
The turmoil within the state in the middle of the 10th
century and the rapid spread of Islam caused the collapse of
the Oguz Yabgu State. Dukak, who was famous under the
name Demir-Yayly (the man with the iron-arch), fought with
Oguz Yabgu. Later on his son, Seljuk, converted to Islam
and broke away from Oguz Yabgu.
***
The essential feature of the Oguz Yabgu State is that it
strove to keep up the Oguz tradition. However, the rapid ex-
pansion of Islam caused the destruction of the state. Another
important feature was that this state raised a shrewd and
intelligent commander, Seljuk Beg.
The Seljuks were from the Kynyk tribe of the Oguzs and
the lineage of Ayhan. They founded their mighty state in Jent.

215
Seljuk Dukak was a shrewd subashi.
21
Historians trans-
lated his name as ‘the Man with the iron-arch’ in different
sources.
Expanding within the Maveraunnehir and Buhara re-
gions, they lived near related clans and tribes who were liv-
ing a settled life. They established good relations with the
Koneurgenchs and became friends of the Garahanlys.
The Seljuks were a brave and dauntless people who
liked horses and rode them well. Otherwise, Gaznaly
Mahmyt would not have invited them to Khorasan! Con-
trary to what many historians have claimed, Soltan
Mahmyt’s intention was not to do favours to Turkmens.
Soltan Mahmyt was himself a Turkmen, as were the major-
ity of his soldiers. Turkmens lived in the villages and cities
in Khorasan. They dwelled especially in the Merw, Aby-
werd, Nusay, Sarahs, Amul, Balkan, Zem, Maveraunnehir,
Mungyshlak and Was regions.
Soltan Mahmyt had organized 18 military campaigns to
India, and filled the treasury of the state with gold and silver.
However, there now emerged a challenge to him and a threat to
his state from his relatives, the Seljuks. Soltan Mahmyt’s re-
sponse was the wise strategy of having the Seljuks cross over
the Jeyhun Sea and settle in Khorasan. This was a part of a
policy known and implemented by many for thousands of years,
‘Divide, Disintegrate and Rule’. The Seljuks migrated, but no-
one would give them land or pasture. So, the Seljuks had to
struggle for survival. Their struggle was against the settled
Turkmens of Merw, Sarahs, Abywerd and Nusay. In fact it was
the Soltan himself who had invited the Seljuks but it was basi-
21
The name of a rank in the military staff.

216
cally because the Seljuks were stronger and more vigorous
than the settled Turkmens. The Soltan left the choice of land to
the will of the Seljuks. These domestic conflicts were the har-
bingers of war. Thus Soltan Mahmyt would more easily orga-
nize his military campaigns to India because, he had sown the
seeds of war among the Turkmens. On one occasion, to dem-
onstrate his power in comparison with the Seljuks, Soltan Mah-
myt called Arslan Khan for a meeting and had him arrested
and imprisoned in Kelejar fortress. Incidentally, the Seljuks
did not fight amongst themselves over territorial claims. They
challenged only the Turkmens in Khorasan and there existed
no other option for the Seljuks at that time.
Through all this, the Seljuks did not war with their rela-
tives, the Turkmens, and chose to request a homeland offi-
cially from the Soltan himself. Soltan Mahmyt gave them a
place. However the descendant of Soltan Mahmyt, his son
Soltan Mesut, changed this policy. Relations between Seljuks
and Soltan Mesut worsened continuously until Soltan Mesut
sent a great army under the command of his pre-eminent com-
mander Begdogdy. However, this talented commander was
defeated by the Seljuks. In the battle, the Seljuks made use of
the tactic called ‘ Strike and Retreat’.
After their victory in the Dandanakan War, the Seljuks
called a council. In the council they proclaimed the new
Turkmen state and sent envoys to the Caliph and neighbouring
begs and Khans.
Seljuks increased their power still more by promising
unity with the indigenous Turkmens. Consequently, they at-
tained their ideal of ‘ World Domination’.
Because of ulterior motives, some historians accuse

217
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

218
the Turkmens of barbarism, claiming that the Seljuks de-
stroyed the Gaznaly state and the Koneurgench ended the
Seljuk State. In fact, the Turkmens were peaceful, tolerant
and conciliatory in character. Turkmens are highly toler-
ant. But they have never run away from war when faced
with the injustices of surrounding Khans or Soltans. A
Turkmen never swerves from his decision. He shows pa-
tience until the last moment, but he straps on his sword
unhesitatingly in case the conditions become unbearable.
Nothing can stop him after that point.
Soltan Mesut followed an unjust policy towards the
Turkmens and attacked them three or four times. The
Turkmens tried to bear this situation, but there was a limit
to their patience.
The Seljuk Sultanate fell in Soltan Sanjar’s period in
the same way because of the implementation of an unjust
policy like Soltan Mesut’s. Relations between the Great
Seljuks and the Turkmens around Belkh broke down. Soltan
Sanjar refrained from warring with the Turkmens who were
his relatives, though.
One may claim that Nizamylmulk ascended to the
vizierate through trickery and shrewdness. He succeeded in
sowing discord between Soltan Alp Arslan and the elderly
vizier. The young Soltan ordered the old vizier’s execution.
Before his death the old vizier said: You have taught the
Turkmen Soltans to shed blood.” In fact, the Turkmen Soltans
believed that anyone who shed blood unjustly, distanced him-
self from Allah.
The last words of the old vizier were the best proof of
this general attitude of Turkmen Soltans. In Turkmen

219
Soltanates, and Khanates, the mothers and wives of the
princes were shown great respect. They were called Tarhan
(Terken, Turkan) Hatyn... The wife and mother of the Soltan
was respected as the mother of the entire Sultanate, though
the Turkmen Soltans tried to restrain the interference of their
mothers and wives in state affairs. Turkmens say: “Both
the throne and fortune of the woman is her fireplace.”
Turkan Hatyn, the widowed mother of Koneurgench Soltan
Alaeddin Muhammet, violated this sound principle. Turkan
Hatyn gained an equal say with her son in ruling the coun-
try. The begs and religious savants did not endorse her
behavior. In the end, this great state could not resist the
invasion of Jengiz Khan and collapsed.
GAZNALY TURKMEN STATE
The founder of the Gaznaly State was the Khorasan
governor, Alp Tegin, from the Gay (Kayi) tribe of Oguzs,
who had earlier served the Samanids. He came to the city of
Gazna in 962 and took it under his rule. The state took its
name from this city. Although the territories of the state
were extended by Sebuk Tegin, the most splendid period of
the state had been during the rule of Soltan Mahmyt.
In a short period, Gaznaly Soltan Mahmyt, having
gained the support of the Oguz tribes, became a great power
and endeavoured to spread Islam in the neighboring coun-
tries. His main target was to expand his state and dissemi-
nate Islam. The borders of the state expanded to Khorasan,
Harezm, Iraq, Belkh, South Iran and north India in a very
short time.
For a certain period, he maintained friendly relations with

220
Garahanly State. During that period, he could not come to an
agreement with the sons of Seljuk. Furthermore he had Arslan
Beg arrested and put into jail. However, he later authorized the
migration and settlement of the Seljuks in Khorasan. Though
he had disputes with Togrul and Chagry Begs, the grandsons of
Seljuk Beg, he prevented fraternal quarrels amongst the
Garahanlys. On this issue he said: “Stop your enmity towards
each other. Put your swords in their sheaths. Everyone must
concern himself with the province under his rule,” and settled
the disputes between them. However, by his death, they had
started struggling for the throne again.
After Soltan Mesut ascended to the throne, the Seljuks
settled in Khorasan became his main target. These two Oguz
tribes could not share the land and fought first in 1038 near
Takgala and later in 1040 near Sarahs on the Dandanakan
Plain. This resulted in Soltan Mesut withdrawing with great
losses and Khorasan, Iran, Koneurgench and Maveraunnehir
passing to the control of the Seljuks. After this, the Gaznaly
State faced great turmoil and finally became subject to the
Seljuk State.
THE GREAT SELJUK TURKMEN STATE
This State was founded in 1040 by Togrul and Chagry
Begs after their victory in the Dandanakan War against the
Gaznalys. The Seljuks are from the Kynyk tribe of Oguz.
The Seljuks underwent a very troubled period after ar-
riving in Khorasan. When Seljuk Beg died, he was over 100
years old. In his old-age, leaving all else aside, he brought up
his grandsons, Togrul and Chagry Begs. The son of Seljuk
Beg, Arslan Khan, settled on the Nur Plateau near Buhara,

221
taking Togrul and Chagry Begs with himself. The sole aim
of the two brothers trained by Seljuk Beg was to make
Khorasan their homeland.
To attain their goal, Chagry Beg together with his brave
men crossed over Khorasan to reach the Roman Land
(Anatolia). The two brothers’ intention to conquer Khorasan
intensified after the arrest and imprisonment of Arslan Beg
by Gaznaly Makhmyt.
After crossing the Jeyhun River in 1035, they settled
near Takgala. They informed Soltan Mesut of their inten-
tions in a letter. In it they demanded that Soltan Mesut grant
them for settlement the Nusay and Paraw provinces, where
they would put their animals out to pasture. They stated
that they could suppress the insurrections likely to happen
in the corridor from the Balkan Dagi, Dekhistan, and Urgench
frontiers to the banks of the Jeyhun River.
Soltan Mesut, who did not accept their offer, fought
with the Seljuks near Takgala in 1038. Soon after, in 1040,
there was another battle near Sarahs on the Dandanakan
Plain. By way of war the Seljuks gained the things they had
not been able to attain peacefully, and laid the foundations
of the Great Seljuks’ State.
This victory made the fatherland their property forever.
After the war, they summoned a council and declared their
independence. Togrul Beg received the title of ‘Soltan’. They
made the city of Rey their capital (1040-1063). Chagry Beg
stayed in Merv (1040-1060). The two brothers ruled the state
in unity and cooperation.
In 1063 Alp Arslan, the son of Chagry Beg, ascended
to the throne. Alp Arslan was the great Soltan who unlocked

222
the gates of Anatolia. His son Malik Shah expanded the
borders of the Seljuks and his son Soltan Sanjar promoted
improvements in science and civilization.
The Great Seljuk State promoted Islam along with the
Oguz culture, and in this way they enlarged their frontiers
from Istanbul to China. Furthermore, being a great state,
the Seljuks were honored as being the guard of the entire
Islamic World. In addition, intending to dominate the
world, they treated the people under their rule equally and
justly and made great progress in the realms of culture
and civilization. They improved the whole country, build-
ing roads, bridges, caravanserai, small mosques, madrassas
(schools, universities) and hospitals.
My beloved citizens! It is an important fact that great
Turkmen heroes, Muhammet Togrul Beg, Chagry Beg, Alp
Arslan, Malik Shah and Soltan Sanjar, succeeded in becom-
ing the Soltans of the Islamic World with the states they estab-
lished, their heroism, prudence, and policies. As the Turkmen
Nation, we must study these great personalities. Oh Turkmens,
be proud of your lineage!
KONEURGENCH TURKMEN STATE
The Koneurgench State was founded by Kutbeddin
Muhammed of the Beydili tribe of Oguz in 1093. Kutbetddin
Muhammet was the son of Anush Tegin, who was the gover-
nor of Koneurgench in the Seljuks State. When the Seljuks
weakened, the Koneurgench State achieved full indepen-
dence under the leadership of Atsyz. After Atsyz, his son Il
Arslan became the Soltan.

223
After the death of Il Arslan, first his youngest son
Soltan Shah took his place in 1172, and then in 1174
Alaaddin Tekesh ascended to the throne. In their era,
the Koneurgench made great advances. The
Koneurgench State collapsed as a consequence of the
Mongol invasion, which began in 1219. At that time,
Jelaleddin Menburun (1220-1231) was ruler of the coun-
try. He is known as a brave, valiant Soltan. The
Koneurgench State collapsed totally in 1231.
KERMAN TURKMEN SELJUK STATE
After the Dandanakan triumph of the Seljuks, the
Kerman region was given to the Oguzs under the grandson
of Chagry Beg, Gara Arslan Gurda Beg. After taking power
in Kerman, Gurda Beg reigned for many years (1040-1073).
The Kerman Seljuks became fully independent in
MalikShah’s period and their rule continued till 1187.
ANATOLIAN SELJUK TURKMEN STATE
This state was established by Gutylmyshogly Suleyman
Shah in 1075 and endured till 1308.
One of the fundamental causes of the establishment of the
Anatolian Seljuk State was the victory of Alp Arslan at
Malazgirt in 1071. The Seljuk Turkmens who rushed in through
the gates of Anatolia gathered under Gutylmyshogly Suleyman
Shah. Gutylmyshogly Suleyman conquered Konya and, mov-
ing ahead, captured Iznik. He made Iznik his capital. Later,
Suleyman Shah conquered Tarsus, Adana, Mersin and Malatya
and, by 1085, Antakya.
Gylych Arslan became the second Soltan of the Anatolian

224
Seljuk State. He is famous for his great contribution to the
settlement of Turkmens in Anatolia, the expansion of Islam
and the unification and strengthening of the Turkmen begs.
SYRIAN SELJUK TURKMEN STATE
Tutush, the son of Soltan Alp Arslan was appointed
to Damascus as Melik. The semi-autonomous Syrian
Seljuks were dependent on the Great Seljuk State. After
the death of MalikShah, the brother of Tutush, they be-
came fully independent. On Tutush’s death in 1095, his
two sons became Melik (ruler), Ridvan of Halep and
Dukak of Sham. However, their reigns did not last long.
While Artygyogullari took Ilgazi, Boriogulari (Sham
Atabegs) captured Sham. The Syrian Seljuks ended de
facto by 1117.
Sham became developed greatly as a centre and, with
the settlement of Turkmens, contributed to the progress of civi-
lization.
ARTYKOGULLARI TURKMEN STATE
The most famous ruler of Artykogullari was the Seljuk
Emir, Artyk Beg. Artyk Beg went on the Caucasus Cam-
paign with Soltan Alp Arslan, and later was assigned to the
conquest of Anatolia. After the death of Artyk Beg in 1091,
his sons Sokmen and Ilgazi took his place. Artykogullari
rule lasted from 1101 to 1409. Later, however it disinte-
grated into different branches.
This principality played an important role in the
Turkmenification of Anatolia. The madrassas they built, the
scholars they supported and their works of art show the great

225
contribution of the Artykogullari to the progress of civili-
zation. Moreover, the first mechanical robots were invented
by Artyki’s scholars.
IRAQI SELJUK TURKMEN STATE
From the first days of Islamic expansion in Khorasan,
the number of Turkmens in Iraq rose steadily. Turkmens
played an important role in the establishment of the city of
Baghdad. However, struggles for the throne between Iraqi
Turkmens were always a great problem. Soltan Sanjar aimed
to end these quarrels. Taking the opportunity to capture au-
thority and strengthen political power, he appointed his
brother Muhammet Tapar’s son Mahmyt as Melik. With
the death of Mahmyt, ferocious crisis and turmoil resumed.
MOSUL TURKMEN ATABEGS
The Mosul Atabegs was founded in 1127 by Imameddin
Zenni who had been the Mosul Emir of the Iraqi Seljuk Ruler,
Mahmyt. Later, they became famous as ‘Zennis.’ They annexed
Jizra, Nusaybin, Harran and Halep to their territory.
The ‘Zennis’ separated into two branches, the Mosul and
the Halep Atabegs. They reigned till 1259.
EYYUBY TURKMEN STATE
The Eyyuby State was one that maintained the Oguz
tradition. They were kin to the Mosul Atabegs or ‘Zennis’.
Sending troops under the command of Salahattin Eyyuby,
Nurettin Mahmyt Zenni conquered Egypt. After Nurettin
Zenni, Salahattin Eyyuby became the Soltan of the state.
15. Rukhnama

226
Salahattin Eyyuby overthrew the Fatimid State in Egypt.
Later, the state became an entirely Turkmen state with its
language, military and culture.
The Eyyuby’s lived their most sparkling period during
the reigns of Kamil Muhammed and Salih Nejmeddin. Be-
tween 1222 and 1239 the majority of the Gypjaks migrated to
Eyyuby land because of the Mongolian invasion.
The Eyyuby State started to weaken on the death of
Nejmeddin Eyyuby in 1224. The Turkmen language and cul-
ture reached the lands of Egypt during the Eyyuby reign.
SALYR TURKMEN STATE
The Seljuks were the Turkmen tribe which settled Shiraz
after conquering Iran in 1147. This principality was founded
by Sungur Ata Beg from the lineage of Salyr Khan. It was
dissolved in 1284, and passed under the rule of Ilhanlys.
ILDENIZ TURKMEN STATE
Ildenizliler state was founded by Ata Beg Shemsettin
Ildeniz in 1146. Its capital was Tebriz. Nahchivan and Gence
were its most important cities. It kept Iraq and southern Iran
under its rule for a period. It was demolished by Jelaleddin
Koneurgench in 1225.
DELHI TURKMEN KHANATE
It was founded by Gur Soltan Muiziddin Muhammed
Shah at the end of the 12th century. Aybeg became more
influential than the Gur and taking the title Kutbeddin as-
cended to the throne in Lahore in 1206. Turkmens also seized

227
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

228
power and started to reign in Delhi. Being originally
Turkmen, Aybeg was brought up by Gazi of Nishapur
Fahreddin Abdulaziz. Punjab, Buhara, Kashmir and the
Middle India Plateau were within the borders of his state.
The reign of the Delhi Turkmen Khanate lasted till 1526.
The Memluks, Halachs, Togalaks, Seyits, and Ludis consti-
tuted the main elements of the state.
MEMLUK TURKMEN STATE
The Memluk state was founded in Egypt in 1250 by
Soltan Aybeg. Soltan Aybeg ruled till 1257. After that Gutuz
took his place. He is famous for his victory over the Mon-
golians in 1260. As a result of this victory, the Mongolians
could not set foot in Egypt. The Memluks ruled the country
according to the Turkmen-Islamic tradition till 1527.
RESULOGULLARY TURKMEN STATE
Resulogullary was a Turkmen who settled in Yemen. The
son of Muhammed, Karun, known as Resul, was one of the
Turkmen begs from among the Eyyubys who went to Egypt.
Selahaddin Shah sent his brother Turan Shah to Yemen. Resu-
logullary went with him. Nureddin Beg of the Resulogullary
held an important position in the state. He took power in Yemen
on the death of the Eyyuby ruler Melik Mesud in 1228. In Ye-
men Nureddin Beg and his sons reigned till 1455. Resulogul-
lary played an important role in the construction of Yemen.
OTTOMAN TURKMEN STATE
The Ottoman state was founded in 1300 by Osman Gazi,

229
the son of Artogrul Gazi tribe of the Oguzs, who had come
to Anatolia from Merw.
In 1071 Chagry batyr’s, son of Alp Arslan had opened
the gates of Anatolia with his Malazgirt victory over the
Wizantines. The Turkmens rapidly began a great movement
for the conquest and Islamization of Anatolia and estab-
lished the Antolian Seljuk State in 1075. This state endured
until 1308. As a consequence of the weakening and collapse
of the Anatolian Seljuk state in 1300, many beyliks emerged
in Anatolia. The Ottoman state was one of these beyliks.
Artogrul Gazi was a frontier beg who lived in Sogut, with a
cavalry of 400 at his command. Artogrul Gazi and his
brother, Dundar Beg, had settled in Anatolia, but his other
two brothers Gundogdy and Sungur Alp had returned to
Horosan. After moving from place to place in Anatolia,
Artogrul and Dundar Begs had finally taken Sogut from the
Wizantines in 1270. Later, the Anatolian Seljuk Soltan
Alaaddin Keykubat granted Sogut to them and Sogut be-
came their property. The Domanich and Ermeni Mountains
were given as pasture. Artogrul Gazi made Sogut his home
and died at the age of 93 in 1281.
After Artogrul Gazi, his son Osman Gazi replaced him.
Gathering many Turkmen Begs around him, Osman Gazi es-
tablished the state in 1300.
Osman Gazi was one of the three sons of Artogrul Gazi.
He was distinguished from his brothers by his foresight and
vigorous personality. After the death of his father, he suc-
ceeded in unifying the Turkmen Begs under his leadership. He
was 23 years old when he came to power. He was a very
handsome young Turkmen, tall, deep-chested, with heavy black

230
brows over hazel-colored eyes and a Roman nose. He was
broad-shouldered and the upper part of his body was longer
than the lower part.
When Artogrul was on his deathbed, he announced his
last testament: “ O! My Son! Every man will die. By the will
of Allah, death has come at last to me. This state is entrusted
to you. And I am entrusting you to Allah. Be just in all your
affairs.”
The state Artogrul and Osman Gazis had founded domi-
nated one third of the world for more than 600 years under
the title ‘Devlet-i Aliye.’
22
GARAGOYUNLY TURKMEN STATE
Garagoyunly state was founded in 1380 around
Erzurum. Eryis and Mosul. Garagoyunlys were Turkmens
of the Yuwa, Yazir, Doger and Owshar tribes of the Oguzs.
They were divided into different clans, the Varanli, Duharli,
Sadli, Karamanli, Hajili and Bozdogan. Bayram Hoja had
been at the head of these Turkmens till 1380. After
Bayram Hoja, Gara Mammet expanded the borders of the
state. After the conquest of Tebriz, he made this city the
capital of his state.
Kara Yusuf’s era was the most marvelous period of the
Garagoyunlys. By the death of Teymir, Garagoyunlys had be-
came the most powerful state in the region. Kara Yusuf cap-
tured Mardin in 1409 and ended the Artykly dynasty. The
Garagoyunly state became a great state after the conquests of
Erzincan in 1410 and Soltaniye in Azerbaijan in 1415.
JihanShah ascended to the throne in 1436 and became
22
It means The Eminent, Great, State.

231
the sovereign of Kirman with the conquest of Baghdad,
Soltaniye, Kazwin and Isfahan. The state became very pow-
erful. The collapse of the Garagoyunly State was caused by
the Akgoyunlys. The ruler of the Akgoyunly State, Uzyn
Hasan, fought against the Garagoyunly State several times.
The Garagoyunly ruler, Jihanshah, was captured and killed
in 1467 after his defeat in the war against Uzyn Hasan. Af-
ter this incident the Garagoyunly State collapsed.
The Garagoyunly State played an important role in the
dissemination of the Turkmen language and culture in and
around South Anatolia and Azerbaijan.
KUTUBSHAH TURKMEN STATE
This was the state founded by Garagoyunlys in India.
Its foundations were laid by Soltanguly in 1517. Soltanguly
was from Bayram Hoja’s lineage.
After Jihanshah, the Garagoyunly state was unsuccess-
ful in resettling its power back again and under the leader-
ship of Abdullah a great number of people withdrew to
Khorasan and India. Soltanguly and his sons took refuge
in India, Dakka and the State of Bahmani. The Soltanguly
had been brought up under the tutelage of the Bahmani
State ruler Mahmytshah. After the collapse of the Bahmani
State, the Turkmens founded a new state under the leader-
ship of Soltanguly. In a very short time, this state became
the most powerful state in the region.
The Kutubshah State lasted till 1687. In time they were
assimilated into India. This state produced Bayram Khan,
who was both a great statesman and a poet.

232
AKGOYUNLY TURKMEN STATE
This state was founded after the collapse of the Ilhanly
State in 1350. The Akgoyunlys lived in and around Diyarbakir,
in Anatolia. It was founded by Turkmens gathered under the
leadership of Tur Aly, who was one of the begs of Akgoyunly.
The Akgoyunly people were of the Bayyndyr tribe of the Oguz.
Later, by uniting with the Duker, Bayat and Chepni tribes,
they increased their power.
During the period of Tur Aly Beg’s leadership, a mili-
tary campaign was organized against the Trabzon Rum
Pontus State. The king of Trabzon Rum Pontus State gave
his daughter in marriage to Kutlu Beg, son of Akgoyunly
Beg in order to prevent these attacks.
Under Gutly Beg’s son, Ahmet Beg, the Akgoyunly
people fought with the Garagoyunly several times. In one of
these battles, Ahmet Beg escaped from the hands of the
Garagoyunly with the assistance of Sivas’ Emir
23
Kazi
Burhaneddin. The prestige of the Akgoyunly State increased
during the reign of Ahmet Beg’s brother, Gara Osman Beg. It
is Gara Osman who is seen as the real founder of the
Akgoyunly State. In 1389, Gara Osman captured the city of
Sivas from Kazi Burhaneddin. In order to acquire full inde-
pendence, the Akgoyunlys had to leave the Ottoman patron-
age. The Akgoyunly people therefore made an alliance with
Berkuyarik, Memluk Soltan of Egypt against the Ottoman
Empire. After that they sought the protection of Tamerlane.
In this way, they took authority over Diyarbakir, Malatya and
the surrounding areas.
The most famous of the Akgoyunly Rulers was Gara
23
Emir means the governor.

233
Osman’s son, Uzyn Hasan. Uzyn Hasan recaptured Diyarbakir
in 1453. In 1457, he defeated Jihanshah, who was the ruler of
the Garagoyunly people. Later the Akgoyunlys added Khorasan,
Bagdat, Shiraz and Isfahan to the territory under their rule.
Uzyn Hasan was defeated by the famous Padishah of
the Ottoman Empire, Soltan Fatih Soltan Mehmet in the
Otlukbeli War in 1473. Shah Ismail, who succeeded in unit-
ing the Turkmens living in Eastern Anatolia, Azerbaijan and
the surrounding areas, founded the Safavid State, thus put-
ting an end to the Akgoyunly State.
The Akgoyunlys were the people who maintained the
traditions of the old Turkmens. Uzyn Hasan chose for the
flag of the Akgoyunly State the symbol that had been used
before by the Bayindir tribe.
SAFAVID TURKMEN DYNASTY
At the beginning of the 16th century after the Akgoyunly
State, a new Turkmen dynasty came to power in Iran. The
Safavid people were the Turkmens who had migrated to Iran
from Anatolia. There were several reasons for the migration
of Turkmens. The Akgoyunly people who lived in Erdebil
belonged to the higher religious elite of the Safavids; the
Garagoyunly people returned back to Iran because they could
not stand for this. The Turkmens migrated group by group be-
cause of the effects of the Safavids’ religious beliefs. The
founders of the Safavid State, like the founders of the Otto-
man Empire were Turkmens by origin. The mother of Shah
Ismail, the founder of the State established in 1502, was the
daughter of the Akgoyunly ruler.
Iran, Eastern Khorasan, Iraq, Georgia, Azerbaijan,

234
Daghestan, Turkmenistan, the Eastern coasts of the Arab
Peninsula and Eastern Anatolia all lay inside the borders of
the Safavid State. The period of Shah Abbas’ governance
was the most splendid era of the Safavid State. This period
lasted till his death in 1628.
This state is remembered as the Iran-Turkmen or
Iran-Turk state. Despite the great influence of Persian
culture on the Safavid people, they preserved their
Turkmen identity.
OWSAR TURKMEN DYNASTY
Nedir Shah, who had been a commander in Safavid state,
came to power in Iran in 1736. Nedir Shah was descended
from the Owshar tribe of the Oguz. He defeated the Uveysi
people, rulers of Iran for a short period, and expelled them
from Iran. Using his military might, Nedir Shah captured the
throne. On Nedir Shah’s ascent to the throne, Iran gained many
things. First of all, it regained the land which had been taken
by the Ottoman Empire earlier. In addition, Nedir Shah de-
feated Babur Shah and took over Delhi.
After Nedir Shah’s death in 1747, his descendant Adyl
Shah was not able to prolong the reign of the Owshar tribe.
In 1750, the Owshar dynasty reached its end.
GAJAR TURKMEN DYNASTY
The Gajars were the last Turkmen dynasty in Iran. The
Gajars were also originally Turkmen. From historical sources,
it is clear that the Gajars were one of the seven Oguz tribes
sent by the Safavids from Anatolia to Iran as a ransom to Shyh
Ala. These tribes were as follows: Ustachli, Chamli, Tekeli,

235
Baharly, Dulkadyr, Owshar and Gajar. The Gajars had con-
trol of Azerbaijan, Astrabat, Merw, Khorasan and even the
lands up to Kazwin and Isfahan.
In 1779 Aga Muhammed Khan from Gajar ascended the
throne and declared his authority. The Gajar reign in Iran, which
began with the reign of Aga Muhammed Khan, lasted till 1925.
INDEPENDENT AND PERMANENTLY
NEUTRAL TURKMENISTAN
As the nation that founded all the many states men-
tioned above, we, the Turkmens, have established our own
national, independent state in our own land again. The power
of the state we have established lies here. Finally we have
our independent and permanently neutral Turkmenistan,
which will be the greatest of all the Turkmen states in his-
tory and a source of pride. We note and recall all these pre-
ceding states as a sign of our respect for them. We have
revived the soul of our forefather, Oguz. All these states in
our history are related to the state we have now established.
In addition this state has three distinctive features that pre-
vious states could only wish for: National Independence,
Permanent Neutrality and the Rukhnama of Turkmen.
I want to touch on these three sound foundations.
First, National Independence. The Turkmens who be-
lieve in their people, their fatherland and their leader founded
the Republic of Turkmenistan on the 27th October 1991. In-
dependence ensured our confidence in our people, our fa-
therland and justice, and the unity and cooperation of the 24
tribes of our ancestor Oguz. By uniting sovereignty and na-
tionhood we became independent in our fatherland. We took

236
our flag and marks of the state from the essential meaning
derived from our profound roots.
There exist many traces of our history in countries such
as Saudi Arabia, Caucasus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Afghanistan, China, Russia, India and Pakistan. In this region,
there have been periods in which Turkmens established direct
relations with everybody. However, this was not possible in
recent times. Now after re-inspecting all our historical rela-
tions we have succeeded in establishing good relations with all
of them. When I declared our status of permanent neutrality to
the whole world on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th
Anniversary of the United Nations, I mentioned our legacy to
the civilizations which have developed in that terrain which
was occupied by the Oguzs, Turkmens and Seljuks. Today, our
conciliatory nature constitutes a good example. Our peace-lov-
ing and conciliatory character is not peculiar only to today,
however, and those countries, which had many relations with
us in the past know this best. Therefore, our neighbors and
other states in our region were first to support our status of
neutrality. Later, all states showed their support for this policy.
Constant Neutrality was the second foundation we
achieved on independence. It was Oguz Khan’s wish and
prayer uttered five thousand years ago that our land may be at
peace forever. Our ancestors’ belief was always that our blue
sky should be dominated by peace and tranquility. We became
confident that we could survive on earth by adopting and
enacting this faith of our ancestors as the fundamental prin-
ciple of our state. Since the very first day, we have known
that peace and trust are the secrets of life on earth. Devel-
oping our good-will further, we started the Open Door Policy
in the economic realm and we accepted neutral status in our

237
foreign policy. Believing that integration with the world de-
pends on our being committed to it and loving everybody
and that this is possible first of all by ensuring peace in our
own country, we regarded the foundation of the Turkmen State
as one of our primary duties. All the countries of the world,
starting with the neighboring countries in the region accepted
the rightness of our path and started to support us. By a unani-
mous vote of 185 states, on 12 December 1995 the Central
Assembly of the United Nations gave our state the status of
Permanent Neutrality. Thus, for the first time in history, the
neutrality of a state was legalized and we became officially
the only neutral state in the world. We put the olive bough,
which is the symbol of peace in the United Nations’ flag, on
our green flag.
To recognize the humanitarian ideas and particular
qualities that make us a nation, and to bring these values to
light as an example for us and our descendants is very im-
portant. I have thought a lot on this subject and I have al-
ways shared my ideas with my people. Finally, I have
reached this conclusion: there must be a book that integrates
the most valuable characteristics, the spirit of the Turkmens
on earth. That is to say, the Turkmens shall have a Rukhnama.
By the way, this book can take the place of our lost books
and be, after the Quran, the book of the Turkmens. Besides,
until now Turkmens have not been able to found a state on
their own land based on such moral unity, though they have
established numerous states elsewhere. We can now confi-
dently say that we have established a state in a spirit of
unity. Our Rukhnama has the nature of a bridge that leads us
to this. Rukhnama is a book which advises so that Turkmens
may not repeat in the future mistakes from their past, and

238
so that they may always and everywhere be an example and
show the way. I believe that Rukhnama will be one of the
first guides of the Turkmens.
I want to remind you once again that our way gets its
power from history. It is a fact that our ancestors migrated
all around the world. Our economic route is also well-de-
fined, as is our way of peace that leads to the hearts of the
states and nations of the world. Our aim is to scatter inti-
macy and radiance into the hearts of the states of the world,
that is, to heat and light the homes of other peoples with the
natural gas from Turkmenistan.
Our independence and neutrality illuminate our Golden
century and are illuminated by our national values. Reviving
with Rukhnama, God willing, we can alter our future in the
Golden Age. In the Golden century, in the 21st century, our main
aim is to build a Turkmen nation which can be a model for the
entire world. With our independence, which lets us now cut our
own cloth to fit, and our neutrality which spreads the sign of
peace in the world, our nation will also prove itself a model in
human relations by displaying its affluent spirit.
May our people and state live in security under our tran-
quil sky.
***
State is the unity of ideas and values; homeland is
the unity of feeling and values of the heart. When I look
at the map of Turkmenistan, the shape resembling a strong
bull goring the Caspian Sea comes to life before my
eyes...from the Caspian to the mountains of Serhatabat, from
the fertile lands of Hojambaz to the vast plains and moun-
tains of Dashoguz Aybowru. On my office table there

239
stands a five or six-thousand-year-old statue of a golden
bull which was found in Altyndepe. There is a golden statue
of a bull bearing the World on its horns to the right of
Palace of the State Presidency...
In every corner of our land the golden pages of human
development lie hidden. Indeed these lands are a treasury of
humanity waiting to be discovered.
This land is the land that has granted many civiliza-
tions to the world.
This land is full of oil, natural gas and underground
resources. Turkmenistan is one of the richest states of the
world in terms of underground resources. 30% of the world’s
oil and natural gas reserves lie in Turkmenistan.
Our peasants know that every handful of this land is more
precious than gold or jewels. Agriculture began in these lands
and this land is the fatherland of white wheat. There is no
country which can compete with the quality, goodness and
flavour of fruits, vegetables and cereals grown in this land.
Beloved Turkmens! This land is the Turkmens; these
gardens, plains, deserts, mountains and plateaus are lands
that we call our homeland. When we say homeland our an-
cestors come to mind and when we say our ancestors our
homeland comes to our mind. Turkmens who never bowed
before sword, spear or mace, shall bow to this land and our
ancestors and kneel to show reverence for them.
In these sacred lands we have established our indepen-
dent and permanently neutral Republic of Turkmenistan.
Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan! You are beloved
because we found you in this sacred land.
Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan! As the world

240
endures, you will live, because we are dedicating our lives
to moulding you with love and affection, to adorning you
with sincerity.
Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan! You are blessed
because you are the state which our ancestors, though it was
their hearty wish, could not achieve in eight centuries. We
have built you on the wishes of our ancestors.
Independent and Neutral Turkmenistan! The Turkmen
miracle and consecration starts with you. Only Allah is over
you.
There is an interesting tale narrated about Urgenj, the
world-famous capital of Koneurgench. In ancient times, the
son of Koneurgench, Shehzade Genj, fell in love with a fairy-
like girl. Since the father of the girl was also a Soltan, he
bestowed on his son-in-law a caravan-load of gold. The gold
he granted was so much that the treasury of Koneurgench
could not contain it. Therefore, the remainder of the gold
was allotted to the people. For the share of posterity, the
Shah also scattered much of this gold over the land of
Urgench, and ploughed it in several times.
Turkmen land is the land on which gold was scattered.
If you serve such a land, it will give back its gold abun-
dantly to you.
Love your land so that its golden red becomes a crop,
you become cheerful and the scents of the clumps of flowers
permeate everywhere with their sweet fragrance.
Love your land so that your love fills your granary like
the crops which wave like a sea. Your love endows with its
blessed favour the plane tree, the pomegranate, the apricot,
the plum, and the apple.

241
***
Reason and mind shall serve to strengthen our moral in-
dependence and sovereignty. The doors of our neutral state are
always open to the external world. However, there must be
intellectual labourers at these doors. Accepting ideas and
thoughts haphazardly does moral damage. We must adapt these
values to our own moral, intellectual and cultural structure.
Our ancestors left us examples of the love and respect
that must be shown to the fatherland.
Here is an example of the Turkmen’s love for his fa-
therland.
At the period when Oguz Khan’s state was not yet very
powerful, taking advantage of this situation, a powerful state
tried to capture Oguz land by war. The enemy sent a mes-
senger and demanded the best horse in the Oguz country.
Oguz Khan’s commanders put forward their ideas:
“The enemy is ill-meaning. Let us make war, but let us
not give the pedigree horse.”
Oguz Khan said to them:
“It is wrong to prefer the worst, when what is only worse
is still possible. One never knows, we may lose all our horses
if we are defeated. Give him the horse and let him go!”
The messenger that took the pedigree horse came back
with more depressing news. This time the demand of the
enemy was the most beautiful girl in the country. The com-
manders said:
“We can’t accept this shameful demand. This time they
want us to surrender our honour. There is no way out except
war.”
However, the prudent and far-sighted Oguz Khan said:
“In case of a war, many a brave man may die. One
16. Rukhnama

242
never knows what may happen! If the enemy defeats us all
at once, all our sisters, daughters, brides and wives may
become slaves. It is frivolous to prefer the worst, when what
is worse is still possible.”
The messenger took the most beautiful girl and came
back with a more oppressive proposal, demanding land this
time. Oguz Khan who had realized war was approaching
and had prepared his army cried:
“We shall give our heads, but we will not give land,”
and immediately he declared war.
He taught the enemy a lesson.
No historian can be sure of the number of wars which
took place on Oguz land, but everybody agrees on one point.
Every part of this land has been mixed with the blood of our
brave forefathers and tears of our mothers. You can feel the
warmth of the hearts and hands of our ancestors in each
handful of this terrain. The love and affection, the efforts
and pains of our ancestors permeate every inch of this coun-
try. Thousands of poets have described this land.
In this case, how blessed is this land!
***
As the first man and prophet Adam was created in his prime
(28) by Allah, the Most Exalted, so the Turkmen State was al-
ready based on substantial principles at its foundation. There is a
proliferation of examples of state-building and administration in
world history. Some states have progressed well in terms of their
administrative structure. Some of the types of state are: demo-
cratic, monarchic, theocratic, republic, and socialist.
Each of these state systems has unique characteristics.
We are deriving essential and valid methods from each and

243
adapting them to our state administrative structure. We also
make use of some of the numerous experiences of our an-
cestors which are appropriate for the contemporary world.
Today, we have founded a state based on golden principles
originating from Turkmen society’s political, economic and cul-
tural structure. We call this style of governance ‘The Turkmen
Way.’ This is to the benefit of the Turkmen state and people.
The making of our state is still in process. I hope that
the Golden Century will be the most splendid and devel-
oped era of our state administration.
We are newly-embarked on a natural process. We have
changed to a wholly different economic system. Initiating
new economic relations, we put forward new ideas and ways
that can inspire many developed countries of the world.
We do not hide the fact that we will only follow our own
way without imitating any state or nation. No person repeats
the life of another, nor can a state or nation follow the way of
another state or nation. The ways may only resemble each
other. However, in the development and regression of societ-
ies, it is possible and generally the case that many events
occur which are beyond the control and will of mankind.
***
We feel at every moment the great love of Allah, the
Most High, for his own creature, humankind. There are
380 thousand kinds of plant in the world. Each of them tries
to show its beauty to humanity in its own language. For this
reason, each of them is different in colour, scent and beauty.
All of these are signs of Allah’s love of humankind. Allah,
the Almighty created the universe for humans. Nature,
plants, animals, in short, all beings are created for humans.
Being is the manifestation of Allah’s compassion.

244
O, my dear countryman!
Look around you at once at the beauties around you,
the manifestations of the compassion and mercy of Allah.
Conceive that you yourself are the creature of Allah’s com-
passion and try to merit that love!
You must love humanity!
The meaning of life is mutual love and affection.
The golden principle of your happiness is hidden in
your affection for the world and life.
Man is the most excellent of all creatures. However, this
perfection is possible only by living in accord with our cre-
ation. Man is human insofar as he knows himself (his own
World) and lives accordingly. This is a completely different
World. You cannot reach there by technological progress, sci-
ence or technique.
Zarathustra, who set out on his camel from Merw 2500
years ago reached these worlds and preached: “O, Men!
Avoid the Fire and repent, because the sins are cleaned with
fire in the other world.”
Gorkut ata also called the Oguzs, who had distanced
themselves from being human, on a journey toward human-
ity 1500 years ago.
Man must know his status and capacity, and respect
human beings.
Independent and Permanently Neutral Republic of
Turkmenistan!
With my whole heart, I desire your development and
progress and devote all my life to you. You must be exalted,
the great Türkmen State.
For we founded you on this sacred Turkmen land.

245
Our ancestor, Makhtumkuli, keeping you in his dreams,
wrote:
Know that what I built,
Is the peg of this world.
Forever it will stay independent,
This is the edifice of the Turkmen.
It is we who have realized his dreams.
Independent and Neutral Republic of Turkmenistan!
You shall be powerful because we established you follow-
ing our ancestor’s way.
Your national anthem is the anthem of justice, your em-
blem is the sign of justice. Your green flag is the herald of
spring.
As it was narrated that the Prophet Ibrahim had built
the Ka’bah, the last Messenger of God, Muhammed, first
built a mosque when he migrated from Mekka to Medina,
before building himself a house.
Beginning in the name of Allah, we constructed a mag-
nificent mosque, first in Gypjak and then in the middle of
Ashgabat. Later on, we built a beautiful mosque in Gokdepe in
the memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this
country.
O, my beloved citizens, my dear people! May your
heads be held high, and your spirits raised! Walk with pride,
and be honourable, because you have this good state.
My brother, my beloved sister, my dear mothers! Never
scowl, live happily because you have this good state.
Let’s live, work, produce, reach our target, and so leave
our future generations a stable, independent and neutral
Turkmenistan as a legacy.

246
Let the state be our legacy to the generations.
As Gorkut ata said, we are leaving a developed, power-
ful, rich and stable state to our children. There can be no
happiness greater than this.
***
MY OPINIONS CONCERNING THE
FOUNDATION OF INDEPENDENT AND
PERMANENTLY NEUTRAL TURKMENISTAN
Beloved Turkmen people!
There can be no tree without a root, no building with-
out a foundation. Our people have lived in tough conditions
for the last 3-4 centuries; our dreams of unity did not come
true. We lived as scattered masses. Our body broke into
pieces, as if our head was somewhere and our legs and arms
were somewhere else. So, the tree of life did not flourish,
the state building could not stand on a firm basis and good
fortune did not smile on my nation.
I did not rest by day or night until your head could be
held high, and your heart had faith and hope, and your
hearth was blessed. Thanks to Allah, and by His Grace and
Mercy, in the blessed country of our ancestors we estab-
lished a new independent state after many centuries. We
prepared everything needed for each of our citizens and
introduced our state to the other nations of the world and
developed countries, and had it recognized. From now on,
may our state be stable and eternal. I thank Allah, the Most
Merciful, a thousand times for allowing me to gain for my
country the neutral status which is a special privilege in
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247
My beloved nation!
Our ancestors, Soltans, Khans and begs clothed the na-
ked and fed the hungry. They did not do this for reputation,
glory and fame, but for the pleasure of Allah, the Truth.
I started building the state from the hearth of our people.
Essential necessities, such as flour, natural gas, electric, salt
and water, we made free. We expect no return for this policy.
Our real intention is that our people live in comfort, be the
owners and masters of our own natural resources, and be
always proud and dignified beside others.
After the appropriate utilization of the economic re-
sources of the country, we turn to the greatest and most
significant issue, the moral and spiritual health of the people.
The State: The Independent Turkmen state was founded
after 600 years. The significance of today’s Turkmen State
can be understood better when examined from a historical
perspective. When the period in which Turkmens lived with-
out a state is compared with today, it is seen that the state is
the only principle that unites the people.
The People: It is the group of people which emerged
as a result of free and non-obligatory relations between dif-
ferent strata of society. There is no political aim or illegal
sanction in the relations between people.
The Nation: It is the unity that owns the state organiza-
tion.
The Language: The Turkmen language is the one with
a wealth of words, expressions and meanings.
The People is a group of people, but the nation is
the unity. The group refers to quantity, where unity is
related to quality. Also unity refers to organization and
the formation of institutions. The People transforms into

248
a nation when it makes use of its capacity to be orga-
nized internally according to differing political, eco-
nomic and social norms. Institutionalisation concludes
with the state.
The nation is the unity of language, religion, customs
and tradition, ideals and state. When this unity is composed,
the fortune of the people is enhanced. The meaning of the
state for a nation is the same as the meaning of the house and
other necessities for a couple who will build a new family.
The state is like a grand family. Certain duties and
places are attributed to each member in this family in order
to establish order. If these duties are performed properly,
the state lives long.
The fundamental feature of our state is its being a na-
tion-state. This trait can be understood better when com-
pared with the Soviets who ruled us for 70 years. Soviet
domination worked to keep the Turkmens, who are the real
owners of this land, backward rather than to make the coun-
try develop and progress. The Soviets did not only exploit
the natural resources of Turkmen for their sake and the sake
of others but also tried to annihilate completely the national
and moral values of the Turkmens.
The Turkmen nation-state is the only owner of this coun-
try. ‘Nation-state’ means a state that uses the material re-
sources and natural wealth of the country for its nation, and
protects the moral values of its people and respects them.
That is to say, the state is born and survives as the system
that organizes the historical life of a nation.
Rule: As a form of administration, the state is com-
posed of these three systems:
1) Laws

249
2) State Institutions
3) Local Administrations
The state’s legislative organ is sovereign. The People’s
Council (Halk Maslahaty) is the Legislative organ of the
Turkmenistan state. Government is the executive organ and
is regulated by laws made by the sovereign state.
Turkmenistan is a democratic, law-based and secular
state, in which the rule of the state is implemented in the
form of a presidential republic.
Turkmenistan has ultimate and complete control of its
territory and independently conducts its domestic and for-
eign policy. The state of Turkmenistan is unitary and indivi-
sible.
To defend the independence and territorial integrity of
Turkmenistan and to ensure independent functioning of the
legislative, executive and judiciary branches are the funda-
mental duties of the state.
The People are the sole source of power in Turkmenistan.
Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation. The
People of Turkmenistan exercise their sovereignty directly
or through representative bodies.
No part of the People nor any organization, institution
or individual has the right to appropriate power in the state.
Human beings are the highest value of the society and
state in Turkmenistan.
The state is responsible to each citizen and ensures the
creation of conditions for the free development of each per-
sonality. The life, honour, dignity and freedom, personal
inviolability, and the natural and inalienable rights of the
citizen are protected.

250
Each citizen is responsible for the fulfilment of duties
placed upon him by the Constitution and laws.
The state is based on the principle of separation of pow-
ers – the legislative, the executive and the judiciary- which
shall exercise their authority independently and interactively.
The duties and responsibilities of the state and all its
bodies and officials are determined according to the Law.
The Turkmenistan Constitution is the supreme Law of
the state. The norms and provisions stipulated therein have
direct effect. Laws and other legal acts that contradict the
Constitution do not have legal force.
All the Legal information concerning the state bodies is
published for general dissemination or made public in other
ways, with the exception of that containing state secrets or
private information guaranteed by law. Legal acts affecting
the rights and freedoms of citizens that are not generally dis-
seminated become invalid from the moment of their adoption.
Turkmenistan recognizes the priority of the generally ac-
cepted standards of international law. Turkmenistan is a full
member of United Nations and adheres in its foreign policy to
the principles of peaceful coexistence, rejection of the use of
force, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.
Turkmenistan has its own Citizenship Law. Citizenship
can be acquired, retained and fortified in accordance with
the law.
A citizen of Turkmenistan may not be turned over to
another state or deported from Turkmenistan and deprived
of his right to turn his motherland.
Citizens of Turkmenistan are guaranteed the protec-
tion and patronage of the state, both in the territory of
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251
Foreign citizens and/or stateless persons enjoy the rights
and freedoms of citizens of Turkmenistan unless otherwise
prescribed by law.
The Turkmenistan state grants the right of asylum to
foreign citizens persecuted in their countries for political,
national or religious convictions.
Property is inviolable in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan
confirms the right of private ownership of the means of pro-
duction, land and other material and intellectual assets. These
may likewise belong to individuals, corporate bodies and the
state. The state guarantees equal protection and equal condi-
tions for the development of all types and forms of property.
The state guarantees the freedom of belief and worship
for all religions and their equality before the law. Religious
organizations are separate from the state and are not permit-
ted to interfere in state affairs. The state educational system
is separated from religious organizations and is of a secular
nature.
Everybody has the right to define his attitude towards
religion, to profess any religion or not to profess any, either
individually or jointly with others, to disseminate and pub-
licize his beliefs concerning religion and to participate in
the practice of religious cults, rituals and rites.
In order to protect its territory, Turkmenistan state has
its own army.
Turkmenistan guarantees equal rights and freedoms to
its citizens, as well as the equality of citizens before the law
irrespective of nationality, origin, property, status or official
position, place of residence, language, attitude towards reli-
gion, or membership of any party, association or institution.
Men and women have equal civil rights in

252
Turkmenistan. The violation of equality entails liability un-
der the law.
The exercise of rights and freedoms cannot violate the
rights and freedoms of other persons or the requirements of
morality or public order or cause a threat to national security.
Every person has the right to life. No one may be de-
prived of life. The People supported my speech on the abo-
lition of capital punishment. The World Community wel-
comed this significant initiative.
A citizen may not have his rights restricted or be de-
nied the rights belonging to him, or condemned, or sub-
jected to punishment, other than in clear accordance with
the law and upon the decision of a court.
Every citizen has the right to the support of the state in
receiving well-appointed living space and in construction
of individual housing. There exists the inviolability of pri-
vate property. For the Turkmen, the house is sacred. For
this reason I abolished unlawful encroachment.
Everyone has the right of free movement and the right
to choose his place of residence within Turkmenistan.
Women and men, upon attaining the age of marriage,
have the right to marry and to create a family by mutual
consent. Spouses have equal rights in family relations.
Parents or legal guardians have the right and obliga-
tion to raise their children, care for their health, develop-
ment and education, prepare them for life, and to instill re-
spect for laws and historical and national traditions in them.
Adult children are obliged to render their parents assistance.
Each citizen has the right to participate in managing
the affairs of society and the state, directly and through his
or her freely elected representatives.

253
Citizens have the right to elect and to be elected to
bodies of state government.
The citizens of Turkmenistan in accordance with their
capabilities and professional training have equal right of
access to the civil service.
All citizens have the right to work, to select at their
own discretion a profession, type of employment, and place
of work, and to healthy and safe working conditions. Forced
labor shall be forbidden, except in cases established by law.
Persons who work for hire have the right to payment
corresponding to the amount and quality of their work. This
compensation shall not be less than the established minimum
wage.
Workers have the right to rest and leisure. For persons
who work for hire, this right shall be reflected in the estab-
lishment of work hours of limited duration, provision of
paid annual vacation, and weekly days off.
The state has the responsibility to create conditions that
are conducive to relaxation at the place of residence and
rational use of free time.
Citizens have the right to health protection, including
free use of a network of state healthcare institutions. Paid
medical services shall be permitted on the basis and in the
manner established by law.
Citizens have the right to social security in their old
age, and in the case of illness, disability, loss of work ca-
pacity, loss of the breadwinner, and unemployment.
Families with many children, children who have lost
their parents, war veterans, and other persons who have lost
their health while defending state or public interests shall

254
be provided additional support and privileges from public
resources.
The procedures and conditions for benefiting from these
rights are arranged by law.
Each citizen has the right to education. General sec-
ondary education is obligatory, and everyone shall have the
right to obtain this for free at state educational institutions.
Organizations and citizens shall have the right to es-
tablish paid educational institutions in accordance with the
law.
All citizens of Turkmenistan may practise any kind of
art. The legal rights of citizens in the areas of scientific,
technical, artistic and cultural activity are protected by law.
The state facilitates the development of science, art,
popular creativity and physical training.
Exercise of rights and freedoms are inseparable from
the performance by a citizen and a person of his or her obli-
gations to the society and the state.
The defence of Turkmenistan is the sacred duty of ev-
ery person. For male citizens of Turkmenistan, there is uni-
versal compulsory military service
Citizens of Turkmenistan are obliged to pay taxes and
other payments in the manner and amounts established by
law.
No one shall be forced to give evidence against him-
self or close relatives
The highest representative body of popular power is
the People’s Council (Halk Maslahaty) of Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan’s administrative system consists of great
provinces (welayats), provinces (etrap), districts (shakhers),

255
boroughs and villages in which central and local adminis-
trative bodies are formed.
The People’s Council includes:
-
the President;
-
the deputies of the Parliament (Mejlis);
-
People’s Representatives who are elected from prov-
inces and districts for a period of five years and for the
services they make they are not paid.
The President, the Parliament, the Cabinet, or not less
than one quarter of the established number of members of
the People’s Council have the right to submit bills for the
consideration of the People’s Council.
The work of the People’s Council is chaired by the Presi-
dent or any member elected by the People’s Council.
***
The state is the essence of the national spirit. That is
why the nation state is the realization of the moral and spiri-
tual values that belong to the nation and a symbol of the
combination of unity with political will.
Our ancestors had the custom of all coming together
and building a house for one of their number. Similarly, in
the establishment of the foundations of the state, we came
together and established the structure of our state following
the same custom. It is the essential duty of every citizen of
ours now to consolidate this structure, which will dissemi-
nate its light to the whole world, and to exert all their ef-
forts for it to reach its goal – to enter the Golden Age.
To give priority to, show respect for, and refer to the
opinions, intelligence, wisdom and experience of the eld-
erly has been one of the ethical values of the Turkmen state

256
since ancient times. This value is one of the main principles
of the modern Turkmen state we have established. The most
essential element in establishing the state is to take into
account national values, history, worldview and so on. That
is why the Halk Maslahaty, the People’s Council, is the prin-
cipal organ of the state administration, and it should remain
so in the future. In this way, we will have retained the expe-
rience of state which belongs to our national history.
The high spiritual dynamics which belong to the na-
tion have become whole in the state. The natural catastro-
phes which hit the Turkmens in the last few centuries oc-
curred because such high and spiritual values had not come
together. To serve the state is to strengthen the internal dy-
namics that belong to the nation. Serving the state guaran-
tees the present and future of the whole nation.
The nation-state is the historical method of realiz-
ing the essence of the national outlook. By means of a
nation-state the values belonging to a nation are inte-
grated. Such integration regulates national life histori-
cally and gives it direction. Establishing a nation-state is
the expression of a nation’s respect for its history and its
trust in the future. A nation state cannot be like a tree
which has been brought from a different country and cli-
mate and re-planted and which does not flourish but dies
because it is unable to adapt to the new climate. On the
contrary, it must be born and bred in the soil of this land,
rooted deeply in it, and stretching up into its sky. It is
certain that imitation does not yield positive results in
any field, and the dangers of imitation for the interests,
benefit and the future of the people and nation are of an
enormous scale and dimension.
The establishment of a state is the action of a nation

257
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.
17. Rukhnama

258
gaining existence for itself. New values, which did not exist
before, in the social, economic, political and spiritual fields
are gained.
To be respectful to other nations and to respect and re-
vere the faiths and principles of the adherents of other reli-
gions lies in the Turkmen’s blood. The Turkmens are of a
nation which is generous, humanitarian, just, open-hearted,
patient, contented and sincere. Showing the utmost respect to
other nations has always been a characteristic of the
Turkmens. There have not been any national disputes and
conflicts among the Turkmens, and let there never be in the
future either.
The internal disturbances, which have happened in the
last eight centuries, taught the Turkmens well what sepa-
ratist movements mean. For eight centuries, states near
and far have pursued the policy of ‘divide, destroy and
rule’, instigated unrest, stirred up disagreements, and
caused either small- or large-scale conflicts among the
Turkmens.
That is why it is no coincidence that we find so many
mentions of unity, togetherness and solidarity in the works
of hundreds of our poets. On the declaration of the Indepen-
dence of Turkmenistan State, all our people acknowledged
this as the nation-state awaited for eight centuries.
All the Turkmens and the rest, the Russians, Uzbeks,
Ukrainians, Azeris, Belujs and Armenians, united, bind all
their hopes to Turkmenistan.
Independent and Impartial Turkmenistan is a rich state,
and as long as unity and solidarity are maintained and pre-
served, people will prosper. Every Turkmen understands this
very well.

259
In no part of Turkmenistan today, is there any dis-
agreement with or belittling of one another. There is po-
litical stability in Turkmenistan. All the ethnic groups live
with a single view or understanding, that is, in friendship
and brotherhood.
There are no political prisoners or restrictions in
Turkmenistan.
We, in our independent and impartial Turkmenistan,
have established our own national military forces to main-
tain national security, to protect and patrol our borders.
***
On some occasions people consider that their personal
rights are being violated even when they are legally ques-
tioned and prosecuted. On some occasions, individual rights
are violated for the sake of another person without any le-
gal grounds. This can happen to anyone and this should be
properly investigated and remedied by the state.
In short, the issues, which need to be investigated and
dealt with are numerous. What is important in all these is
that every citizen should know fully his or her rights, duties
and liabilities, and retain his or her trust in the law, and
belief that the law is just and trustworthy.
We, the Turkmen, became accustomed to ill and unjust
treatment. During the 74 years of Soviet domination, we were
oppressed and we were not allowed to express our own opin-
ions. But we bore all this. In all the administrative meetings of
the central Committee of the Communist party, and in the Gen-
eral Assembly and Congress, in the Parliament, and in Mos-
cow, we, the Turkmens, were criticised in a profound sense.
This became a custom then. They always accused and belittled

260
the Türkmens for not having been able to rid themselves of the
so-called harmful remnants and effects of the past, of having
an undeveloped social thinking, and of being backward eco-
nomically, all of which accusations were beyond any compre-
hension. However, as some of us started to take all these seri-
ously and to appropriate them to ourselves, we started to un-
dermine one another, which, moreover, became normal for us.
In that sense, some of our own writers went further and started
conceitedly to criticise harshly and unjustly our shared tradi-
tions and customs and the moral values belonging to our na-
tion. That in turn brought about mutual recriminations among
people, and thus national pride and the honour and self-esteem
of our people and history were lost. Unfortunately, the Turkmens
perpetrated such acts against each other.
I have learned all the details of the 74 years of Turkmen
history under the Soviet era inside out. In all those only the
conflicts and clashes of the Turkmens among themselves
were mentioned, whereas not a single word was mentioned
concerning the rich historical past and works of the
Turkmens, as if such a history had never been lived and as
if anything matters as long as it concerns the present. The
destiny of our nation and people was taken into consider-
ation and valued through that only. It was indeed very diffi-
cult to produce alternative solutions to those too. All the
issues on whatever related to Russia and the general prob-
lems of the USSR were shown and imposed as issues and
problems belonging to the Turkmens.
The basic reason for these events was the struggle be-
tween the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks (i.e . the socialists
and anti-socialists) during the 20s and 30s. During the 30s
and 40s the nationalists were labelled as fascist and “the
unity groups” of atheists were against them. In truth, during

261
this period there was an ongoing conflict within which there
were show trials, prosecutions and massacres. This struggle
was carried out under different names. Like all the other
nations of the USSR, The Turkmens were not permitted to
do any research into their history and destiny.
Were the Turkmens guilty in these events? If so, to what
extent? This question is of importance to us. We know it is
impossible to erase the reality that the USSR was founded
in 1922. During those years in all the Soviets, the internal
conflicts continued ceaselessly. However we must admit that
the Turkmens damaged themselves mercilessly. The con-
flicts in the names of new and old, religion and atheism
were weakening the Turkmens and the same struggles
brought them to vanishing point. The worst such struggles
were tolerated. During the war years, the 40s and 50s, a new
purge within the party was begun. The struggle against na-
tionalism was continued by a different method. This struggle
continued during the 50s and 60s. Some intellectuals were
blamed and were exiled to deprived regions of the USSR.
Thanks to the achievements of the 60s and 70s, fulsome
praise became a fashion: many persons and institutions were
praised. Exaggeration and delusion became common. This
was a social disease and it demonstrated the heartbreaking
condition of society. To tell the truth it is impossible to show
a single healthy period during those 74 years. Political thought
became dominant and people forgot how to think freely. They
became accustomed to toadying and to delivering speeches
praising the party. The individual had no significance, and in
the social context the status of the individual was completely
destroyed. Social ideas were praised but individual responsi-
bility was ignored; the administrative system was established
according to this principle. In this way these principles were

262
presented to people as the successes of Soviet democracy.
However all the things cited were nothing but worthless de-
velopments. These slogans became part of our society’s char-
acter and they became a social disease.
Today it is so difficult to recover from those diseases.
This is the most important and immediate duty in our Golden
Century.
***
Dear Citizens!
I have repeated many times in my speeches that the
Turkmens in history were not defeated by external forces but
were defeated by internal forces. My aim was to draw your
attention to the reality that as a nation we should learn a les-
son from history and we should re-organize our life accord-
ing to this. Gorkut ata advised that there are three reasons for
any possible calamity and misfortune, and these are: disagree-
ment, egoism and taking something which is unlawful ac-
cording to religion. We should heed Gorkut ata’s advice.
My Beloved Turkmen nation!
Each citizen should work hard for the progress of our
independent and neutral state, and should strive for its eter-
nal endurance, and should try to remove any obstacle that
might prevent our state’s steady progress.
Many things are the direct responsibility of officials. I,
as President, have to be very careful when appointing new
governors that they are sensitive to the nation’s and the
country’s interests, that they are trustworthy, and that they
are sincere in the performance of their duties. For the selec-
tion of new civil servants we have to ratify a national act in
our National Congress. This act shall set out the following:
what are the prerequisites of being a civil servant, the rules

263
governing appointments, civil servant posts in official bu-
reaus and new cadres, and the boundaries of delegated
power. Each citizen’s right to enter the civil service should
be protected. In the selection of civil servants nationality,
citizenship, economic and official status, domicile and re-
gion, and faith should not be taken into consideration. Only
their abilities and capabilities in a merit system should be
considered. Officials should appoint those who are capable
and competent in their work and should check the work car-
ried out by them. If a manager is successful, there will be
progress and responsibility in his unit or department.
The appointment of those who are loyal to the nation
according to their capabilities to the proper duties and posts
is very important. An administrator, rather than for his own
personal interests, should care for the interests of his na-
tion, people and state.
I want to emphasize seven elements which can damage
the progress of the state:
First element: unqualified officials
Second element: the spread of tribal and sectarian con-
sciousness
Third element: disagreements between people and tribes
Fourth element: religious and sectarian conflicts
Fifth element: disagreements with neighbouring coun-
tries
Sixth element: domestic turmoil
Seventh element: the effects of natural catastrophes.
I, as the first President of Independent and Permanently
Neutral Turkmenistan, accept as one of my basic duties the
responsibility for preventing the development of the seven

264
elements cited above. I advise the presidents who will suc-
ceed me to be sensitive to them, always take them into con-
sideration, and work hard in order to prevent the develop-
ment of such calamities which might harm our state.
THEY SAID
The snow-capped Kopetdag has a lovely tune, they said,
Roars from time to time like a young man burned in-
side,
they said,
Has rains coming with thunder and lightning, they said,
Wandering the Turkmen land, there is a lot worth
looting, they said,
There is the wisdom of Gorkut-ata on her mountains,
they said.
Her valleys and mountain ranges are like paradise
The shadows of the clouds roam over her ravines,
The Kopetdag is no ordinary mountain, this is the
spring of a fortune,
The Koyten, Hasar and Balkan mountains and the
whole Turkmen world,
There is the majesty of Oguz Khan on their mountains,
they said.
Tigers roar in her canyons and her summits are cloudy,
Her mountains where the eagles nest on their heights
remain always young,

265
The great land, on her outskirts mountain cities are
built,
is safe,
There are bowers in Chandybil and the future is the time
of magnificence,
There are the messages of Gorogly on her mountains,
they said.
One of my sides is Garagum, which is a caravan migrating,
Kills those who come as enemies and gives the
Turkmen freedom,
When angered, rises in fury like a tornado and flood,
Like a witness who saw the creation of the world,
The desert with Hydyr, which Makhtumkuli certifies so,
they said.
YOU ARE TURKMEN
Let’s, O my heart, walk my heart. Let’s look around our land.
With lions in its fields, the beautiful land of Turkmen,
Now the day has come for the poor, sad, brave, men,
You are the Turkmen, with such heroes like Jelaleddin.
Let’s select a thousand-winged horse
And travel praying over her plains and mountains
And seek for the ancestors who became part of them,
And You are the Turkmen which hosts 360 saints

266
The old people are as wise as Gorkut
The mothers are as merciful as Yunus
If you feel lonely and sigh, you see compassion
You are the Turkmen with beautiful houri-like girls like
Agayunus
You are braver than the brave, just find an opponent as you
are
You are a lion more than a lion, just find a battle field for
you
Let your cream boil over always, never feel the lackof it,
You are the Turkmen, with Garagum, so many minerals
in its core
History is your ancestors and grand children
And grandfathers, father, children and nation.
Entering the most fortified palaces with your horse,
You are the Turkmen with strong and agile arms.
The rich and noble are godly like saints
Your horsetail-standard is always hoisted brightly,
You words are fine, pleasing, and heart is illuminated
You are the Turkmen, with his face and heart smiling
Oguz is your forefather, and Gorkut is your master,
Your memory is the history of the sixty ages.
Your Garagum is your table and treasure,
Your provision is blessed, you are the prosperous
Turkmen.

267
IN MY MOTHERLAND
Oh my crazy soul! Conceiving wishes and peace
I find in my motherland,
Determination, learning, diligence, fame, glory,
I find in my motherland,
The winter over the raging spring
I find in my motherland,
Mourning my death and rejoicing over
my birth-relations I find in my motherland,
Absurdity of living abroad and the cherished birth
place I find in my motherland,
Through its deserts I roamed and its mountains
I took for my protection
And the breeze that blew from the valleys
I took for Allah’s blessings
Its deserts, rivers, and mountains,
I took for the edifice the True One Built,
The dutar became the source of my wisdom, while
the
great jangling of the gyjak was the pain of my
soul
The goal I pursue hard and endless riches and wealth,
I find in my motherland,
Grazed our cattle and tended it by nights,
roaming over all the Akhal plains without naps,

268
Heard the voices of my ancestors in its thunder
claps,
And my dear mother’s groan in the melodies
sung by winds,
Lone I was left, in this world orphan, between
Arsh and Kursi,
Alas I lament my soul set on fire, but the place
I worship in I find in my motherland,
For I am Akoyly’s son, my head I hold high,
Going through fire and Water never did I complain
Farewell to the bad lot, let me this life enjoy
Time and again the True One and my Lord I pray
My past, my future, amass great wealth
I find in my motherland.
***
Every nation in the world, every reasonable and con-
scious member of a nation, every community... is busy find-
ing the way to the best development and finding and estab-
lishing their own position in the course of history in our
age.
No one can separate himself from this historical
progress because the past does not guarantee that things will
be all right if he disregards the future. The past is a kind of
fulcrum on which our future decisions and jobs turn. Our
decisions and plans for the future will be successful as long
as they are in accord with the demands and developments
of the future. This is most probably a feature of the new
age.

269
Today, time passes so fast; this is just a point between
the eternity of the past and the future. However time offers
the opportunity to determine the future if it is recognized in
a conscious and appropriate manner. This age shapes the
worldview of the nation and guarantees the future of the
nation. At the beginning of the third millennium, there are
several important issues waiting for the Turkmen people to
resolve immediately. These are issues of our people’s
political, economic, scientific, civic, health and social life.
If our government solves these problems in time, our
unity and cooperation will survive in our country. The basic
principle of independent Turkmen state is to believe in Allah,
the Most Exalted, in our religion. This is trust in ourselves
and humanity. This is confidence in man’s power to affect
the progress of human history and in the victory of
productive and peaceful qualities. This is also our major
philosophy of international relations and shapes our
approach to foreign policy and our philosophy of
development.
One of the most important problems of our age is to
establish a healthy, just and mutually agreed and
beneficial, functioning relationship between the countries
whose level of social, economic and industrial
developments are not equal. Countries or continents cannot
be blamed for problems which have become apparent
recently in all their aspects but which in fact have
accumulated over the past decades or centuries.
Never before has the world witnessed such a high level
of injustice and disequilibrium among the nations in terms of
sharing and benefiting from the wealth and resources of the
world. Such danger, which shakes all the trust and stability of
the whole world, has never been felt so clearly. Many hot

270
conflicts and ethnic problems now ongoing arise from this
inequality among nations in terms of social and economic
interests. Bringing clashes between faiths and civilizations
to the world agenda and defining them as “crusades” under
present circumstances does nothing but distort the facts and
add fuel to the flames. The real problem is not the conflict
between the Eastern and Western ideas, worldviews or clashes
between the different religions. On the contrary, it is the
irreconcilability of the present forms of international
economic relations, which have been concealed up until now,
with the current social and political configuration of the world.
This is one of the characteristics of the 21st
century.
Turkmenistan accepts mutual respect, conciliation,
reconciliation and humanism as the basis of international
relations, and employs the same principles in its domestic
politics as well. Turkmenistan maintains and works for
domestic, regional and international peace, welfare and
social cooperation, and it sustains the same principles within
its own society and state.
The day Turkmenistan became independent humans
became the most important asset of the state. The State holds
very highly its citizens’ lives, health, security, prosperity,
education and excellence in physical and spiritual
development. Social security in society is given its due top
priority, and the necessary decisions, policies and
infrastructure related to these have been completed. These
developments contributed to social and political stability, and
social trust in the new implementations grew. Thanks to new
policies accepted and carried out in Turkmenistan, during the
days following independence the rate of infant mortality fell,
the average age and longevity increased, and the crime rate
decreased. Also, the state took the protection of the health of

271
Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

272
infants and mothers, and the rights of children, youth and
women under its own guarantee and protection.
The social policy of the Turkmenistan state is declared
in the program of “The Basic Targets of Social and Economic
Development Policy, The Main Targets Until 2010.” The
aim of the economic development policies since
independence is to improve the social and economic
conditions of the people. Today Turkmenistan is among the
countries that produce all the grain it needs. Our country
has accomplished the main parts of its program for economic
stability. It is pleasing to see that the Turkmen people’s
endeavours and industriousness is praised among the nations
of the world.
The main development plan in Turkmenistan entails
setting the value of 18% as a minimum limit of progress in
every different economic domain. Another important aim
is to increase our production by 2010. As always, the fuel
and energy sectors are very important in this domain. We
plan to invest in different areas, which entails huge
investment costs.
Considering current potential, the futures of several
sectors are promising, for example, agriculture, food
industry, tourism, house construction and infrastructure
services. The main target in agriculture until 2010 is to
increase the production of grain and cotton. In 2005 the
projection for production of cotton is 2.5 million tons and
for wheat 2.5 million tons. This year 2 million tons of wheat
was produced. Let’s make a comparison. During the early
years of Turkmenistan, 70 000 tons of wheat were produced.
These numbers are the fruits of independence reflecting our
endeavours to contribute to the production of the basic needs
of our people and humanity. In order to enhance our national

273
economy existing opportunities and resources are being
considered and re-considered for possible new
developments. This also entails investing in fertile and
productive areas. It is planned to increase fiscal sources fixed
for investments 2.7 times in 2010 as compared with 2000.
Economic development is not enough to improve the
conditions of our people. This only sustains the essential
conditions. For this reason our law must pay attention to
and resolve the social problems of our nation in a pre-planned
and targeted way.
The basis of Turkmenistan’s social policy until 2010
will be the improvement of people’s standard of living.
As in the past, the important parts of the budget are fixed
for this aim. With respect to people’s standard of living,
the construction of new social facilities and the
improvement of current infrastructure facilities are among
our most important targets. It is especially emphasized
that natural gas, water, electricity and salt are supplied
to the people free of charge. Those who live below the
level of average income should be supported and
protected.
The growth in the private sector is of importance in our
development strategies. The number of private business
enterprises in this realm will increase remarkably. Development
strategies will progress speedily with the improvement of private,
public and mixed enterprises, the organization of agricultural
cooperatives, and the legal arrangement of the related subjects
in this context. In the context of the development plan three
thousand state-owned corporations will be privatized.
Our aim is to make Turkmenistan a developed country
and make it a valued and sacred home for every citizen. All
18. Rukhnama

274
the state programs of independent Turkmenistan have as
their aim the improvement of people’s standard of living
and protection of its citizens rights without any exception.
In the related session of the Halk Maslahaty (the
National Council) in 1999, capital punishment was abolished
in law. With the intention of improving the social life a
general pardon was enacted by the congress in Turkmenistan
on the sacred occasion of Kadyr night.
These policies help people to find the true path, listen
to their conscience and thus reform and find a new, proper
direction for their lives. They also display our determination
to establish a democratic, humanitarian, and just social
welfare state, respecting the principles of human rights and
freedom. We are also proud of the fact that we are the first
of the states which gained their independence recently to
realize the developments laid out above.
It is well-known by all that all events are interrelated and
interdependent today. The line of development of events is as
follows: citizen-state-region-continent-world-humanity. Thus, no
matter its size and importance each nation and state with respect
to its capacity should accept its responsibility to contribute to
humanity within the context of this chain. This reflects
Turkmenistan’s way of resolving issues in her domestic and
foreign policies. Within this context, economic and political
immorality and arbitrariness should never be given a chance.
That some international organisations, states or financial centres
provide financial assistance for a country should not mean by
any means that the law of the sovereignty of that receiver state
or its independence can be taken lightly. Real power is the respect
for truth itself, which is a feature of our new century. Such a
manner, policy and application has been the basic approach of
Turkmenistan in the past and at present. This principle is in accord

275
with the Turkmen nation’s ethical character and its political
understanding, which forms the basis of the state’s neutrality.
The National Council of Turkmenistan that convened
on 27 December 1999 accepted the document, “A
Declaration on Turkmenistan’s Foreign Policy of 21st
Century that Depends on Neutrality, Peace-loving, Good
Neighborhood Relations, and Democratic Principles”. In this
historic document it is declared that Turkmenistan as a
neutral state has and employs a foreign policy related to
love and respect for human life, full respect for democracy,
and protection of human rights and freedom. These principles
are the basis of Turkmen foreign policy and diplomacy.
Turkmenistan accepts international human rights
standards accepted by other members of the international
community. It was also stated in the document that
Turkmenistan now and in the future is willing to cooperate
with the United Nations.
My dear nation!
We are all the people of the 21st
century. Since we
have difficult and important duties to face in the future,
we should unite all our efforts and strengths. At the same
time we should take care of our individual or private
responsibilities. This is the politico-ideal structure of
Turkmenistan. It is defined by its own development process
within this age and millennium. When all the Turkmens
unite all their strengths and are united, Turkmens will
transform the 21st
century into a more secure, just,
prosperous and happier age than the 20th century, and make
this new age the Golden century of the Turkmens.

276
May the Turkmen Country be Safe and Secure
O God, bless and save our great people!
Make my Turkmen country safe and secure I revere my
land
May my Turkmen country be safe and secure
May the route we take be safe and secure.
The heart is a bird, let it fly to the sky
May each citizen embrace his fortune
Our generations are stable,
May my Turkmen country be safe and secure
May happiness be your companion.
May my green flag wave
May our people and country become prosperous
May our name be renowned
May my Turkmen country be safe and secure
May it always be the Golden Era,
My ancestor’s sincere wish,
Which Pyragy passed away without having seen
We made it the Independent State
May my Turkmen country be safe and secure
May all our routes be proper and lawful
May all the Turkmens rise from the hearth
Lion is the Turkmen, valiant is the Turkmen,
God is your Companion, O Turkmen!
May my Turkmen country be safe and secure!
May the future be the Golden Era!

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THE FIFTH SECTION
THE SPIRITUAL WORLD OF THE
TURKMEN
My dear people!
My beloved countrymen!
I feel we are one and the same. I am no different from
you. I hide nothing from you. Your joy and happiness are
mine too. I am pleased to serve you and to fulfil my
responsibilities for the purpose of making your lives easier.
To achieve this end we have prepared the essential conditions
to grant you free access to the lands that you need to cover
your daily expenses including gas, electricity, food and
agricultural products. We have also arranged that those
accommodated in public housing will not be liable to pay
any fees. And those in need will be able to have access to
essential foodstuffs. We have worked to provide you with
peace and tranquillity. We have done all these in line with the
law.
I have thought since my youth that whenever a people
has access to these facilities, the nation that forms the basis
of the state will elevate spiritually. Our present success is the
fruition of our Independence and eternal Impartiality.
May your spiritual power be raised! Let our spiritual
strength be an example to the world at large!
***

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When I talk of the spiritual world of the Turkmen, I speak
of his morally high mode, his awareness of the fact that mankind
always lives on hope, his confidence in his country, nation and
justice, and of his certainty that his needs and desires will be met.
When man loses hope, his spirit is drowned and he
becomes disappointed. A man should have feelings of mercy,
honesty, justice, spiritual loftiness, an ideal to maintain
integrity, a love of his nation, neighbours, fellow citizens and
his country in his heart.
Allah bestowed upon man a body and spirit when He
created him. The individual spiritual strength of men
contributes to the moral elevation of a society. If a man is
strong spiritually, the society he belongs to will have the same
strength.
When one thinks of the concept of time in its peculiar
conditions, one can see life shrink into a single entity or being.
That being neither speaks nor hears. However it expresses
itself through the winds whirling over the endless Garagum
desert, and the winds surfing through the peaks of the waves
of the Caspian Sea, and the gentle spirit.
The silence that arises from the tongue of centuries rings
in my ears; my ancestors whose voices became the sound of
the Garagum wind, whose vision turned into the horizon of the
Turkmen desert, whose high spirits changed into the clouds in
the sky, whose honourable love became springs under the
ground, whose painstaking efforts turned into the Turkmen Sun,
whose shadows formed the shadow of Kopetdag, whose bones
turned into Turkmen soil, for five thousand years have been
making my soul exuberant and adding to my spiritual strength.
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back to life and gains vitality again, so too are the souls of
our ancestors regenerating in my soul. Spiritual ideals
transfer from one soul to another. These ideals regenerate
in the souls of future generations.
The spiritual life has three essential components. These
are the mind, wisdom and memory. The first two we inherit
from our forefathers. I always see the making of human life
and maturity in two periods.
The first period is the one in which the person does not
know about or recognize himself. The second is the one when
man starts to know and recognize himself. The period which
starts after man gets to know himself is called the period of
memory. In this period the human memory grows to
completion and he remembers the events and happenings that
take place in this period. In other words, this period is the
individual and personal life. The man lives off the experiences
of the lives of his ancestors before this period. It is wisdom
that presides over this earlier period. This wisdom includes
properties inherited from our forefathers, such as body, blood,
creativity, renewal, productivity and mobility.
The noble spirit of his ancestors makes the Turkmen very
active and joyous in his spiritual world. This spirit is the source
of his love for the Turkmen nation, language, religion, nature,
music, of his love for his family and life, in sum, for all proper
traditions.
The Turkmen nation had a national character from its birth.
This character adopted different qualities at different times
but it has not lost its core values and has progressed
continuously over five periods.
The first age of the Turkmen Spirit is the period from

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BC 5000 to AD 650. The spiritual leader of the nation in
this age was Oguz Khan. He worked as a simple and honest
Turkmen. The sacred symbol of the era is the ox. The ox
shapes nature through its own effort. The ox causes Mother
Nature to yield crops. The ox moves the world and society.
The route led by Oguz Khan is one of justice, lawfulness
and propriety, and its features are enthusiasm, courage,
forbearance and endurance.
Only those who persist will reach their objectives.
Oguz Khan is also symbolized by the bull. It represents
the skill, cleverness, maturity and strength of the Turkmen.
If Oguz Khan leads us to unity, oneness and integrity,
then such qualities as resistance to problems, having
willpower, strength and ability to remain hardworking are
essential.
Oguz Khan said:
“The living need mobility”
And the dead tranquillity.”
This idiom shows how hard-working were the Turkmens
who were the contemporaries of Oguz Khan.
The second age of the Turkmen spirit begins around AD
650. This was an era when the Turkmens spread throughout
the world.
This age caused the spiritual strength displayed in
difficult conditions by Turkmens during migrations, and
campaigns. The Turkmens were inspired by Oguz Khan’s
instruction telling them, “not to remain immobile.”
The spiritual leader of the Turkmen in this second age
was Gorkut ata. The spirit of this era found expression in the

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tones of the kopuz. Gorkut ata converted to Islam of his
own volition and discovered the new comprehensive space
unique to the Turkmen soul. Gorkut ata established new
moral principles inspired by his personal faith and
philosophy of the afterlife. Life was divided into three, and
not two parts. People believed that in the next world they
would have to account for what they did in this world.
Turkmens retained their moral values in this era. We
know that a wolf figure was found in Altyndepe in addition
to the ox figure. And we know that Oguz Khan was led by
the wolf. Therefore, the ox was replaced by the wolf in this
second era. This is because the days of continuous peace
and tranquillity had come to an end. Islam opened up new
ways for the Turkmens. The power, bravery and speed of
the wolf were essential for survival in these new spaces.
The Turkmen spirit exceeded its former borders and spread
to the Islamic world.
This spirit became the wolf of the desert, travelled vast
lands, and hunted prey. As such, it adopted qualities of extra
mobility and having access to an infinite amount of space. It
also became courageous and resistant. It took notice of the
weak and the powerful. It did not enrage the powerful, nor
did it oppress the weak. It resided in the open spaces, gave
birth to offspring, and felt the love of its country. It did not
allow strangers to trespass on its land. It did not have a desire
to acquire lands belonging to others. Its coat and mane bore
the colour of infinite skies and eternity. It did not grow arrogant
in happy days, nor did it fall victim to the hopelessness of
unhappy days. It inspired others to say, “The face of the wolf
is sacred.” It did not let others trap it, nor did it enter the cage
of the lion or do the circus tricks of the tiger.

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The third age of the Turkmen spirit is from the 10th to
the 17th centuries. This period does not only represent the
era of the Turkmen sword. This is also the period when the
Turkmen spirit became known to the whole world. World
history confirms that there were large-scale Turkmen states
in this period. The Great Seljuk State, the Ottoman Empire,
the Garagoyunlys and Akgoyunlys States were signs of the
eminence, and political and historical success of the Turkmen
spirit at that time.
The legendary hero Gorogly did not play his dutar in
vain. The spirit of this age was symbolized by this
particular instrument. The spirit of this age accumulated
the strength that broke stones and destroyed mountains.
This strength had impacts not only on the ground but in
the sky as well.
The political and military pace at which Oguz Khan
travelled became a cultural and historical pace. The spiritual
leader of this era is Gorogly.
The Oguz Turkmens gained a permanent place in history
in this period. They gained a great deal of political and
administrative experience. There was an adage in the East,
“If you want to found a state, call the Turkmens.” There were
a number of Turkmen states established in the Orient and the
Occident, in Egypt, India and other locations. Many of the
Turkmen Soltans had names given to eagles. In fact, every
grandchild of Oguz Khan had the name of an eagle, for
example Gaya-shuykar, Begdili-bahri, Dodurga-garchgay,
Owshar-lachyn, Chepni-humay, Salyr-burgut, Bukduz-utelgi.
The founders of the Great Seljuk State, Dawud and
Muhammed, were known by the names Chagry and Togrul

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which were eagle names. The phoenix and humaý birds
served as a point of reference for the Turkmens.
The Turkmen spirit hovered over the summit of the
rocky mountains like an eagle. It became morally elevated
and strong. It hunted prey that flew in the sky and that fled
along the ground. It became very active and ebullient. It
moved close to the sun, and absorbed its heat. It settled on
an unreachable rock, one no voice could reach and no arrow
could strike, and saw how transitory and deceptive the world
was, observed the greedy, mortal struggles of those below.
Thus, it acquired qualities of grandeur, comprehensiveness
and depth.
The fourth age of the Turkmen spirit is between the 17th
and 20th centuries. This period was the weakest in terms of
cleverness and skill. Action was replaced by idleness and
waste, resoluteness was replaced by spending time doing
nothing. The Turkmen started praising the achievements of the
past and regretting his deficiencies. The historical creativity
of the nation’s spirit ceased to exist. Having discarded the
historical burden, the Turkmen made efforts to maintain his
national characteristics. Innumerable and complex historical
events divided the nation into various groups and tribes. The
sincere leaders of these divided groups made painstaking
efforts to give unity to the nation’s spirit. The Turkmens needed
occasion and a peaceful life to pass their historical experience
through the sieve of the mind, and to set future goals. So the
Turkmen remained aloof from the foreign world and became
engaged with himself. Makhtumkuli Pyragy is the spiritual
leader of this period.
When the Turkmen changes his traditions and his way, he

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is defeated. For example, the city of Merw, which is also
known as ‘the Capital of the World’, was a major city for the
Turkmens of 4 thousand years ago. During the reign of Soltan
Sanjar it had a population of more than 2 million. Jingiz
Khan devastated this beautiful city in the 13th century, but
the Turkmen people re-established Merw again. Then, in
the 16th century Tamerlane sacked Merw. And the Turkmens
restored Merw again. In 1787 the city was severely damaged
by the Khan of Bukhara and was re-constructed by the
Turkmens. Is there any other city in the world that has been
ruined so many times? The sublime spirit of the Turkmens
protected the city and it will do so forever.
Here is yet another example. There were bloody battles
between the Sayyl Khan of the Yomut tribe and the supporters
of the Akat shah of Iran. Battles took place in the villages of
Astrabat and many people were killed. Many Turkmens killed
their wives themselves during these battles since they did not
want the enemy to capture their loved ones. Nevertheless,
eight thousand Turkmen women and children were captured
and many of them committed suicide to protect their chastity.
O Allah Almighty! May You let them reside in Heaven, and
May You bestow upon all Turkmens of this day the beautiful
Turkmen spirit inherent in them!
Internal conflicts shaped the essence of the Turkmen
spirit in this age. The lack of state caused dispersal and
weakening of the historical memory. Relations between the
nations in Eastern countries diminished. Historical skills
were seized by these nations.
Despite all difficulties, Makhtumkuli emerged as an
outstanding figure. He inspired the whole Turkmen nation.

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Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

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Makhtumkuli’s nephews talked like him; Zelili talked about
patriotism; Seydi about heroism; Mollanepes and Kemine
about love and peace; and Mataji about ideas on life. They all
worked so that the Turkmen could be proud of his nation and
have moral strength.
The 20th century was one full of severe difficulties.
The Turkmens who had never before been subjugated to
the rule of a foreign country were forced to endure foreign
rule. The death toll of Turkmens who fought in the First
World War from 1914-1918 is around 80 thousand. More
than 900 thousand Turkmens were deported between 1917
and 1930 because they were wealthy. Some 4 million
Turkmens had to leave the country in the same period.
Countless numbers of people were killed and sent into exile
on the grounds that they were nationalists, enemies of the
public and terrorists. Their number cannot be known
precisely because people were seized secretly from
villages, towns and cities. People were afraid to learn about
what happened to those seized. The Turkmen nation lived
in a state of moral discontent.
We sometimes come across people today who say that
they were better off in the Soviet era. My dear Turkmen! Don’t
be mistaken! Don’t you ever bring the greatness of the state
and independence down to your own level! Our values, such
as independence, freedom, and sovereignty, are priceless.
O Turkmen! You almost lost your native tongue during
the Soviet era. You were not admitted to schools and you
could not find employment if you did not know Russian. You
forgot about your religion, tradition and values. You lagged
economically. Our nation lived under terrible conditions in

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villages and towns. It is essential that our old tell the young
about all this.
Turkmenistan contributed revenue of US$10 to 18 billion
from the production of oil, gas, cotton and chemicals to the
Soviet Treasury, and less than US$1 million came back.
Because of this, moral values ceased to exist, and immorality,
lack of trust, infidelity and fraud became widespread.
The 5th Golden Age of the National Turkmen spirit
starts on 27 October 1991.
In fact Allah the Almighty decreed an interesting fate
for our nation. The Turkmen spirit rises at the beginning of
each millennium. This was the same for the beginning of the
third millennium. Allah the Almighty granted the return of
historical creative inspiration to the Türkmen. This is the
age of maturity for the Turkmen spirit.
This spirit now takes the form of a horse. The spirit of
this age requires that not only the traditional musical
instruments of deprek, kopuz, dutar, gycak are played but
that 72 instruments are played harmoniously. The horse took
its place in the Turkmen flag and brought Golden life, Golden
spirit and contentment to the Turkmen soil. The horse became
an example and a symbol of the Turkmen nation’s affluence
and wealth, Golden spirit, and Golden life.
Our ancestors and forefathers maintained carefully and
passed down through the generations the ideas and thoughts
that had an impact on the Turkmen spirit. Fellow Turkmens
told what they knew to their children and grandchildren.
Thus, the invaluable advice of our ancestors has reached
this day.

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MAY YOUR SOULS BE RAISED
AS HIGH AS THE FLAG!
The Turkmen bears a great feeling of responsibility in
his blood, soul and heart. No matter whether you are a director
or a servant, a farmer or a holy figure, a shepherd or an ordinary
soldier or a commander, you should try to be the best person
in the age of Independence. If you are not a good person, all
that you do in this world is in vain.
The Turkmen nation has high morals. The Turkmen hopes
that his neighbours have the same high morals as well. The
Turkmen is very pleased to do favours and to support humans
morally. The Turkmen may sacrifice his own benefit for the
sake of others.
If you ask for a loan from someone, he will lend you
money, even if the lender is a bad person. But if the lender is a
good person and does not have money, he says, “Come and
relax, and have a cup of tea,” and then goes out secretly and
borrows from his neighbour so that he can lend money to the
asker. Even the bad person will reply to all requests for help,
but the good one shares his bread too.
Only thanks to the will of Allah can we breathe. Our heart is a
great and enchanting table where love, peace and spiritual blessings
abound. When the contents of this table are shared they increase. If
you act meanly, then they will cease to exist and fade away.
The more it is drunk, the sweeter and more abundant the
water in an artesian well becomes. If it remains idle, the water
supply decreases and smells stagnant.
Smile at your fellows when you greet them. When you
smile, so will your fellows, and their smiles will invoke
blessed feelings in your heart.

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When you meet a crowd of people, don’t hurt anyone and
pay compliments to everybody, and you will win everyone’s
heart. This way you will see that they smile not only on the
face but in the heart and their hearts will blossom like roses.
Both you and others will be pleased to see this.
So you should be a good person, not for the sake of others,
but for your own sake first of all.
Man lives on the earth but his spirit is both sky and
heavens. If a man is morally degraded, no order or decree
can change him.
States make efforts to educate people and make them
aware of being a member of a state, and to protect and provide
people with happiness.
All religions, first and foremost, and then literature and
art which aims at the good of mankind put forth an exemplary
model of man.
The main objective of our state is to educate excellent
people who will be praised in world literatures, who have
good spirits, who are generous, brave and bold, and who set
great goals. Every member of our nation should be comfortable.
But they should first be knowledgeable, consistent and have a
progressive view of the world.
The Indian dervishes, Muslim Sufis, and Tibetan monks
make contact with Allah the Almighty through their words
of praise. They say repeatedly that this is the most pleasurable
thing to do in the world. We Turkmens set out into the world
with our own slogan too. Our slogan is to lead a life which is
spiritually high. There is no substitute for the pleasure of a
high spiritual life.
There are so many awards and titles in the world that
19. Rukhnama

290
grant man reputation and raise him to high ranks. Among
such titles are “hero labourer”, “artist of the state”, “esteemed
artist” etc. There are medals awarded in return for services
rendered to the nation and the country. But there are no ranks,
medals, titles or honorary designations that relate to the
exemplary man. But such titles are necessary. I hereby
establish the medal of “Virtuousness.” Let us award this
medal to people who bear the most humane qualities, who
win the hearts of the majority and who share their love and
affection.
The Independent and Eternally Neutral Turkmen State has
displayed great respect for the Oguz Khan traditions and
remarkable philanthropic ideas, and, as such, enhanced these
traditions. An honorary title, “Outstanding Public Figure,”
was established. We award honorary titles to professionals,
to people with high ethical standards and to philanthropists.
We encourage others to show more respect to these people.
The new titles are appropriate for farmers, labourers,
musicians, governors and shepherds, but there is only one
condition for receiving the “Outstanding Public Figure” title:
that one has good ethics.
When people with good ethics increase in number, life
itself becomes more beautiful.
The world is moving towards perfection, love and
concern for humanity and integrity. Man is moving towards
Allah! All religions tell us that after a man dies his soul is
purified and reaches a place before Allah.
Man should set out on this voyage when alive.
If we are to appear before Allah, we should be in proper
condition for that appearance.

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The Turkmen should recite the following poem
when going out to the world at large:
Be grand and noble, set your sights at grand targets,
May your soul be as noble as the standard!
Wave goodbye to the old-age sorrows,
May your soul be as noble as the standard!
The hopeless look healthy but they’re not,
The spiritually high have double the blessings
Don’t drown in indecision,
May your soul be as noble as the standard!
An upright man will never be down even if his work
does not go well,
He will have no grief in his high place,
His dreams ebullient, his mind joyous,
May your soul be as noble as the standard!
Be high in spirit, as your people always are,
Being a low Turkmen is a shame on you,
Allah loves generous souls,
May your soul be as noble as the standard!
Once, a number of people were talking about a thief in a
village. During the conversation Dovletmammet Azady spoke
of the good manners of the thief. As if they had agreed in
advance, all the sufis started saying good things about the
thief. Other participants in the conversation thought that the
thief was being treated like an angel, although he was clearly
far from being one.
Days and months pass by, and the thief visits Azady in
his home.

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“Azady, Your Highness, I am enchanted by your power,
look where you’ve placed me,” he cries out. “I heard of your
remarks in that conversation praising me. I felt elevated and
immediately gave up stealing. Even when I engage in any
minor deed that might be improper, I always question myself
as to what Azady His Highness would say in such a case.
You really won my heart.” Azady says in reply:
“You have faith in your heart, so your conscience awoke.”
In another exchange some people said to Azady, “Your
Highness, you knew that so-and-so was a thief, but you praised
him. Why?”
“If you say good things about a man, and if I do the
same and so do others, then the good aspects of that person
will come out. But if you say bad things about that man, and
if I do the same and so do others, then it will be as if that
person were coated in black pitch. If possible, talk about the
good qualities of a man, and not the bad ones. This is what
wisdom tells you to do.”
If a man blushes, his heart cannot be all bad.
If you don’t have a brother, the blame is not yours. If
you do not have a friend, the blame is not Allah’s.
Behave in such a way that even strangers become close
to you.
Speak well of Allah’s subject, so that he may correct his
evils by himself.
As a member of this nation, you should live together
with and attached to your fellow members of the nation.
If you improve your relations with other people, then
people will have better relations with you. If there are a great

293
number of good men around you, you will be able to build a
fortress. It is your fellow Turkmen who will maintain the
essential qualities of the Turkmen identity. No outsider will
come up, arrange and order our own society. We need to
correct our own people.
IT IS THE TURKMEN
The real brave man, the gallant! Think, contemplate,
It is the Turkmen himself shall make this nation grand
Visit your past and take an excursion to the future
It is the Turkmen himself shall make this nation grand
The Turkmen boy is a lion, and a lion’s son is a lion,
Unwillingness and avoiding duties are a shame
For those who run for the other, it is victory which
accompanies them,
It is the Turkmen himself shall make this nation grand
Take lessons from the past and be an example for the future,
May all seven climates be proud when they see the Turkmen,
May the route the Turkmen take be the course
the world follows,
It is the Turkmen himself shall make this nation grand
Try to be the equal of the learned Pyragy and Gorkut,
Try to be the equal of the valiant Alp Arslan,
Chagry beg and Togrul,

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For Oguz Khan people lagging behind does not suit
It is the Turkmen themselves who can make
this nation grand.
If we help each other on the way to perfection, Allah
will help us more.
The existence of a united people in a place is a harbinger
of progress. May your spiritual power be great! If you are
strong spiritually, Allah will love you and bless you more
and give you longer life!
When a miserable person approaches you and talks
complainingly of the world and other people, his lack of
enthusiasm will affect you and you will grow indifferent to
your tasks.
In contrast, if a man full of joy and happiness with high
moral powers approaches you, then your soul will be pleased,
you will apply yourself to your tasks with a new enthusiasm.
Spiritual eminence gives you an infinite amount of courage.
So you, Turkmen, should have that never-ending moral power.
Life itself is a competition. If you are in competition with
good people, then you become good too. May goodness and
good people be with you.
Allah loves men who are strong spiritually, He is proud
of such men. And you too would love the most joyous, the
most attractive, the most life-loving among your children.
No one has ever conquered a fortress or reached his goals
by being discontented. You do not relieve yourself of grief
and sorrow by merely complaining of grief and sorrow. That
only helps grief and sorrow to invade your soul.

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May you be strong spiritually! The soul is a bird placed
by Allah in the cage called the body. His breath is a fresh and
noble one. Allah gave that to us in order that we could live
peacefully and in joy and happiness.
Maintain your spirituality at high levels. Let your soul
flutter in the skies like your noble flag!
The ultimate direction of your soul is the way of Allah.
One should not arrive before Allah with a soul in grief.
Love your life, living and your children!
Love your beautiful country, Mother Nature and the
generous land!
Once you do so, your soul will rise and your spirituality
grow, and you will benefit from your duties!
My dear citizens!
My beloved countrymen!
The soul is a part of Allah located in ourselves. We must
maintain properly the soul granted to us by Allah.
It is not difficult to drown in grief. One needn’t be
knowledgeable, skilful or privileged to suffer from grief and
sorrow. And it is very easy to complain. You can continue
complaining even though you have everything on track and
you are wealthy and a man of rank. That’s because there is no
limit or border to wealth. The same also holds for ranks.
Wouldn’t the wealthy man who thinks he’s wealthy but who
complains that his wealth is not as great as that of Karun
drown in misery? Certainly he would!
There was a sufi of Turkmen origin called Bayezit-i Bestami.
He left us a myriad of words of wisdom and stories. Here is one:

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Ebu Musa asks Bayezit the Sheikh:
“O, Our Master, what do you plan to do tomorrow?”
The Sheikh says:
“I know nothing about tomorrow or tonight because
Allah said to me:
‘O Bayezit! There are various prayers and services
rendered to my Treasury. If you wish to arrive before me,
bring me something that is not already with me.’
I asked then:
‘O Allah, the Merciful! The Almighty! What is there
that is not with you?’
Allah said:
‘Hopelessness and weakness, poverty and neediness,
being offended and miserable are not with me or in my
Treasury. Because these are not the things I need.’ Allah is
the Undisturbed. Allah is Great. Allah is to be praised with
good words only. Allah’s will is an obligation upon the
Turkmen.”
Bayezit is a leading Turkmen figure in Islam. His thought
is:
We are simple and mortal human beings. We are human
beings sent to the world to live. We should live in line with
high humanitarian principles and follow the way of the great
nation called the Turkmens; we should make use of worldly
benefits, keep our head high, make efforts and see the beauties
of life according to the same principles.
Our great thinker, Makhtumkuli, is undoubtedly a great
figure in the East. We should look to Makhtumkuli as a
proper example at every step we take. Would it be proper

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for us to follow Makhtumkuli at this age in exactly the way
he did, in that he adopted the sufi way, waking at dawn and
cry and pray with all the plants, trees and creation? We are
different from those people who adopted the sufi way.
Two types of power are granted to man for survival. A
man spends all his efforts on worldly affairs in the first half
of his life, or his youth. He establishes a family, receives
training to provide his daily needs; renders services to people.
Thus, he shows himself to the world at large. But when he
grows older, and he thinks more about life he starts
understanding that he was not created for this world with its
limitations of time and space. He starts to grasp otherworldly
realities. As Makhtumkuli says “There is a period of
transition from one era to another.” In this period, he
perseveres and expresses regrets by saying: two poems again-
You ploughed the earth, you did indeed,
And you reaped benefits thereafter.
You’ve reached forty years of age.
Mature, you’ve become a man of wisdom.
Mind grows to completion when one’s forty
So holds it for the mankind
And the things done in youth seem strange to man
After he passes forty and becomes mature in mind.
Then repent for them and follow a spiritual guide.
All Turkmen poets express similar philosophies.
During the reign of the Seljuks when the Turkmens
ruled, Soltan Sanjar read a poem by Enweri and invite him
to his palace:

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The course of the world, the wicked world,
Caused severe pain and damage.
All evils on earth and in the sky ask,
“Where is Enweri’s little home?”
Immediately after reading the quatrain, the Soltan says:
“O poet, if all evils strike your home alone, don’t just
complain, but think a while. And say, ‘What if it is the result
of my sins?’ Nothing is groundless. Even the slightest motion
does not take place without a cause for it. There is a sign of
wisdom in everything.”
Enweri listens to the Soltan and understands what he
means: “Even when he is living rough, the soul of man resides
at the top of the legendary Kaf Mountain.” He realized that
not every single one of his desires could be fulfilled, that he
could not adapt to every condition and that he could not reside
in a particular place for long.
It would not be right to remain idle and claim that this
was our fate. Everyone should strive to improve his future
and be happy in his life. “Perseverance means success,” as
the saying goes.
Remain upright, even if you encounter a difficulty. Don’t
just be upset. When you suffer from grief and sorrow, just
think that these are the salty ingredients in a sweet soup.
It is hard to live in a world colder than ice, if you don’t
have warm heart. Man’s life after the beautiful days of
childhood is not full of peace, joy and comfort only. No matter
how wealthy, prosperous and affluent a society is, daily
hardships and duties will continue to exist. Man should not
lose his human qualities when he encounters such difficulties.

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One should not let oneself be morally disheartened or unable
to solve problems. Man needs to have spiritual strength so
that he cannot be embarrassed and overcome by difficulties.
The Nobility of the Soul means not losing love and the
desire to live.
The Nobility of the Soul means not losing your
determination and perseverance to live.
The Nobility of the Soul means feeling the honour of
being a human.
The Nobility of the Soul means not losing
wholeheartedness and sincerity.
Men are active and high in spirit during their youth. But
many forget these beautiful feelings when they grow older.
This is because the body is strong when men are young and
they feel more the joy of life. The body is so programmed
that it gradually grows older and weaker. The real man is the
one that remains strong throughout his entire spiritual life.
For his eminence in spirit does not depend on ambitions,
lust and sexual desires, but on the contrary, it depends on
spiritual enthusiasm and values. A man grows all the more
enthusiastic spiritually when he feels the same as his fellow
countrymen do. The union of hearts is the love that does not
separate you from your fellow people and country. The life
and the heart of a man with spiritual eminence is his homeland.
The concept of homeland is a comprehensive one and it has
many connotations. One’s spouse, children, brothers, relatives,
state, friends, place of birth, colleagues, history and today
are all contained in reference to the concept of homeland.
Values and ideas should be personified so that a people
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is a sophisticated one. The personification speaks of the
perfect degree of man and the national identity. When man
reaches the right level of maturity in his ideas and thoughts
on soul and spirituality, he reaches His Creator, Allah, the
idea of His Oneness and Uniqueness. By the same token,
the individual both generalizes and personifies the values
that are important to him and refers to them through the
concept of homeland. The homeland is one and unique.
Unique means unequalled and invaluable.
Once he understands how sacred is the homeland,
through his mental perception and feelings, the Turkmen
can never yield to spiritual debasement. Since for him the
concept of homeland turns into a proof when he speaks,
into love in his heart, an unbreakable belief in ethics,
perseverance in working, and into benefits in motion.
Spiritual debasement is a result of loneliness. If a man
has faith in his heart, he will never feel inferior to others even
though he earns less and lives in a simpler house. Regression
in material things does not necessarily mean spiritual
debasement. Material deficiencies might harm one’s body.
But, only spiritual poverty, slackness of spiritual strength and
faith can do harm to the soul. Therefore, maintain a pure heart,
and never, ever neglect your spirituality, your spiritual well-
being.
Man is a spiritual being. The most important problems
and the most severe difficulties have to do with the soul. Even
though he has material needs, man can survive if he adapts to
the world at large in a modest way. But in the cases of spiritual
hunger, needs of the soul, or ethical weakness, it is harder for
man to maintain his human qualities. Man can be subjugated

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only when spiritually debased. Therefore highness in spirit
is essential for everyone who carries the name Türkmen. It
is as essential as the air we breathe, or the food we eat. Just
as air is essential to the lungs and bread to the stomach, so
too is spiritual highness essential to the heart and soul for
the Turkmens and all others.
The Turkmen people have held various viewpoints in
their rich and complex lives. These are the springs that feed
the Turkmen soul. So here is my real advice: always remain
strong and sublime spiritually!
A FATHER HAS THE RIGHTS OF ALLAH
I wish to draw your attention specifically to three sayings
by Gorkut ata:
The Soltan’s right is the same as Allah’s right.
The father’s right is the same as Allah’s right.
The mother’s right is the same as Allah’s right.
The word haq, right, is synonymous with the word justice,
huquk. They are indeed the same thing.
Thus, the Turkmen grants almost the same rights as Allah’s
to only three people in society: the ruler, the father and the
mother. The ruler’s rights imply each and every citizen’s
responsibilities before the law and the ruler. The rights of the
father and mother also imply one’s responsibilities to one’s
parents.
If you are indebted to someone, it means you are to give
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The indebtedness of children originates from the
patronage provided for them by their parents. The children
are dependent on their parents in various respects.
The children should be indebted to their parents because
they were born.
The children are indebted to their parents because they
raised them to be benevolent people.
The children should be indebted to their parents because
they helped them become members of society.
Allah Almighty created man as follows:
Allah created the child so that he is dependent on his
parents until he reaches maturity. Man should thank Allah
because he is born. And he should remain indebted to his
parents and pray for them as they provided for him with proper
care and upbringing.
But the youth mistakenly think that they grew up on their
own. They can only understand the sufferings of their parents
in raising them when they get married and have children.
Therefore our ancestors said the following:
“You will understand the value of those who helped you
subsist only when you help others subsist.”
“You will understand the value of those who protect you
only when you protect others.”
Helping others subsist and protecting them does not
merely mean providing them with material needs. This is
patronage and maintenance.
Every age has its peculiar properties. The child has
different thoughts of his father at different ages:

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Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

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5 years old: “My father knows everything.”
10 years old: “My father knows quite a lot.”
15 years old: “I know as much as my father does.”
20 years old: “To tell the truth, my father does not
know anything.”
30 years old: “Nevertheless, my father knows
something.”
40 years old: “It would be fine if I consulted my father.”
50 years old: “My father knows everything.”
60 years old: “If only my father were alive and I could
consult him about this and that. I should have appreciated
him properly when he was alive.”
One understands the value of one’s parents when one
grows older. We start thinking about the value of things only
after we lose them. But Turkmen girls and boys should
recognize the value of their parents beforehand. Fortunate is
the child that pays respect to his parents. Being born itself is
a blessing. Transforming the Allah-given blessing of life into
real happiness depends only on man’s ability to do so. Life is
a blessing bestowed upon us by Allah. Leading a meaningful
life is not only a right but also a duty on us. Allah granted me
the chance to lead a life in this world. But Allah deprived me
of maternal affection and paternal patronage. Therefore I knew
of the value of parents even before I had children. I felt lacking
and low in myself compared to my friends when their fathers
expressed affection to them. I used to feel bad, in a way
inferior, when their fathers would smile at them.
Yet Allah provided me with the cure for my suffering.

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Although I was an orphan, I was given by Allah the spiritual
power to overcome inferiority, neediness and loneliness.
Allah Himself provided me with parental affection and
patronage. Allah Almighty also gave me the chance to convey
my experience full of pain to others and to tell them what
the homeland meant.
My beloved child!
Allah is followed by your father in terms of your
patronage.
Life is led in three castles. One castle lasts for a lifetime,
and the other two follow the footsteps of time.
The lifelong castle is your homeland. You are in it from
your birth till your last day in the world.
The second castle is the home you are born and raised
in. You are raised with parental affection in this castle. This
is a sacred place for you because this place includes your
mother and father who provide for you and protect you from
evils. You start speaking in this castle. You become mature in
this castle. This castle provides you with the necessary means
to survive in the third castle.
The third castle is the home you establish with your
beloved one. This is the life castle that will blossom like a
rose and gain meaning. You should always remain indebted
to your parents when you are in this castle, and you should
express your indebtedness. You should behave consistently
and show that your parents raised a good child.
Your dignity, reputation, honour, your respect toward
them and the services you render to them add to their lives.
The daily greeting you express and assistance you provide
are signs that express your indebtedness. In this way you
20. Rukhnama

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obtain the approval of your parents and behave in a way
that shows their affection for you was not in vain.
Your mother gives shape to your intrinsic qualities, and
your father protects you from external evils.
When a child is scared, he cries out “mother” for help.
When he grows up, he seeks the support of his father.
The father is an example of wisdom, logic, patriotism,
chastity and justice in the Turkmen tradition. The father is not
thought to be the one who raises the child because he never
says “Be like this, do this and that.” He sets an example for
his child through his actions, his deeds, clothing and
characteristics as to how one should be and live. A father can
talk to his child through his eyes.
Once a father and his son were unjustly convicted of
theft. They were brought before court and the Soltan. The
judge decreed 40 lashes for the alleged criminals. First forty
lashes are administered to the father. He suffers, his whole
back becomes a pool of blood, but he does not cry out a single
word that expresses pain.
Then they start to lash the son. Each time they hit the
son, the father cries out, “Oh my son, no.” The Soltan calls
the old father to him:
“You were flogged with forty lashes but you did not utter
a single word of pain. Why do you cry now?”
“O Your Majesty, the lashes were touching my flesh only
when they beat me, but when they beat my son, I felt the pain
deep in my inside.”
The Soltan was pleased with the answer and ordered
that the two be released, saying that such a father could not
be accused of theft.

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O sons of the Golden Age, the Awaited generation!
You have matured and become older. When you become
older still, don’t think that your fathers are a burden upon
you. For your fathers carried you on their shoulders carefully
as a burden on them, and they raised you.
Listen to the advice of Gorkut ata: “Gain your reputation
while your father is alive, and get ahead while you have your
horse.”
Your father is a base for you in society. People measure
your value first by looking at your father. Don’t let your father
be ashamed among others because of you.
You are the heir of your father. It is not merely wealth
that you inherit. Your father’s reputation or dishonour is left
to you, too. Your father’s heritage is divided equally among
his children, but his authority transfers to you and your
brothers undivided.
May you never forget who your father is. Let others say
of you, “Better than his father,” and be proud if they say so.
Be ashamed if they say of you, “He is not up to his father.”
Don’t you ever forget that you were created out of one
drop.
If it weren’t for your father, you wouldn’t exist. You
would not have been born if not for him. It is your father’s
existence that made your existence in the world of beings
possible. Your father is your previous self.
Disregarding your father means disregarding yourself.
Being disrespectful to your father is being disrespectful to
yourself. The more favours you do your father, the more you
do the same for yourself.

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I spend much time thinking about the relations between
fathers and their sons. A Turkmen saying goes: “If your father
is a dog, then feed yourself at a trough.”
Once in the old times, a saint spoke ill of a certain man,
saying:
“May you bark as a dog does.” The very moment the
saint uttered this, the man became a dog, by Allah’s will.
That man’s son fed his father at his doorway. After people
went to bed, he washed the dog, brushed it and ate at the
trough with his dog-father. This lasted seven years. When
the saint saw how honest and sincere the son was, he prayed
to Allah for the man to become a human being again and
afterwards he said to the man:
“Indeed you should have lived in this world as a dog
because of your deeds, but I see that you’ve raised a perfect
son. It is for that Allah elevated you to your human status
again.”
Men are parts in a chain. Each individual is a part of the
chain. You are a part only because your father was a part.
Never, ever seek benefits from your father in return for what
you did for him, and if he does that, then be patient.
Life means existence, and death is absence. Absence is
one, existence is of three stages. You yourself are the present
existence, your child is tomorrow’s existence and your father
is yesterday’s existence. Death comes all of a sudden. If you
are not one of three, you cannot win victory over death.
The fear of death settled on earth at the same time as the
human being. That fear is removed when your first child is
born because your child is a continuation of you.
Fathers don’t die. They live in the souls of their children.

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I noticed a certain feeling after my youth. I think all mature
people have that feeling. I sometimes feel that I am not myself,
and I am my father instead. It is as if I touch through his
hands and not mine. It is as if I move forward on his feet and
not mine. It is as if I speak through his tongue and not mine.
This sounds strange and interesting at first sight. It is indeed
not the kind of feeling that you could talk about to someone
unless you had felt it. At those times, I feel that my father’s
movements, characteristics and behaviours are reviving in
me. I understand that my father is reviving in me.
This is the kind of feeling that shows one is mature. Try
to have this kind of feeling. By doing so, you will extend the
life of your father and show respect toward him. Respect for
the father is respect for the homeland.
NONE WOULD CARE AS MUCH
AS MY MOTHER WOULD
My dear Turkmen Nation!
The mother is a sacred being. Then talk of the mother is
sacred too.
One can understand the value of sacred things only after
one has lost them. The values of certain things can only be
perceived after they are lost. A man’s real nature can be
understood by looking at his respect toward his mother. A
Turkmen saying expresses how beautiful a mother is to her
child:
“Fatherless, I am orphan; motherless, I am captive.”
This saying clearly speaks to one with Turkmen feelings
and consciousness of how sacred the mother is.

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Turkmen people compare the mother to the father to
express the fact that the privileged status of the sacred mother
cannot be compensated for by anything.
For the Turkmen has a national understanding of the
concept of “sacredness.”
A father’s endless efforts, and a mother’s heart feeds the
child.
The heart is where feelings reside; and humanity is home
to various comparisons.
The Turkmen combines the words mother and heart, and
tells us that sacredness has nothing to do with material benefits
or values.
A child is a part of his father’s body, but he is a part of
his mother’s heart.
The word orphan has connotations of material
insufficiency or having material needs. But the word captive
refers to spiritual lack, insufficiency of spiritual patronage,
and lack of spiritual ground. Being a captive means falling
away from one’s homeland and suffering from all kinds of
difficulties. The captive suffers not from the lack of material
support from his friends, but from the lack of spiritual aid
and from their insensitivity.
The world itself seems ruthless and cruel to the captive.
The orphan is better off than the captive.
Fate decreed two pains for me. I was both an orphan and
a captive. This double suffering is recognized only by those
who have faced it.
I can say that the severest pain is the need for maternal
love. The pain felt by the heart is sharper than bodily suffering.

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Bodily pain abates, but the pain felt by the heart goes on,
bleeds all the time and remains with one, as long as one’s
heart remains beating.
If one’s father passes away, then one is in need of material
things.
If one’s mother passes away, then one suffers from lack
of love.
A mother’s love and compassion for her child is the
source that binds the child and the mother, and that is home
to invisible warm feelings between the two. This warmth
transforms the mother and her child into a world that is
composed only of the two.
One’s blood comes from one’s father, whereas one’s body
is from one’s mother.
The mother is the first place where one resides. The first
homeland where one lives for nine months, becomes a human
being and enters the world is the womb of one’s mother.
The mother’s lap is the second homeland where the child
lives, is taught to speak, has his mind and feelings developed
from infancy toward adolescence. Compassion originates
from the warmth of the mother’s lap.
The caring hands of the mother are a homeland that raises
the child from infancy to adolescence, provides it with desirable
qualities and brings it to perfection. People who were cared for
by their mothers grow up as individuals who are ready to love
the homeland which is our ultimate place to reside.
Compassion results from the mother’s womb, lap and
hands. Sacredness finds a safe place in the human body and
becomes the essential factor that improves him. Therefore it
is the mother who renders the individual sacred.

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Allah creates; He is the Creator. The mother is the
reproducer, the deliverer.
Human beings other than Adam and Eve gain life in
their mother’s wombs and are prepared for worldly life there.
The creation of Eve shows that Allah reserved creation for
Himself, but shared the power to reproduce humans with
mothers.
Thereafter, Allah did not create another human being
without a mother, except in one instance. This instance was
the creation of Jesus Christ. Makhtumkuli says the following
on Allah’s creation of Jesus Christ:
“He is the one that came into being without a father.”
Allah Almighty is definitely powerful. He could have
created Jesus Christ without a mother too. But that’s not how
He did it. I think this a sign of the special value placed upon
the mother by the Creator. It is an obligation upon every
Türkmen to praise and love the mother, who is given a special
value by Allah, the Creator of you and me and all, Who creates
everything out of nothing by His Will and Command, Who is
the Creator of the whole universe.
If any word at all has the quality of a miracle, if any
word at all has superior qualities about it, that word is mother.
Life has its origins in the mother.
Once upon a time the great Seljuk poet Enweri
approached a saint with great enthusiasm. The saint said:
“Allah has given me a special privilege; ask of me any
wish you desire and it will come true.”
“I wish to see my mother who is the ultimate direction I
turn to, and my father’s face for one last time. Let them see
that their child lives in the world in a benevolent way, causing

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no harm. Let them be in peace in the other world knowing
this,” asked Enweri of the saint.
By Allah’s will, the saint let Enweri see the faces of his
mother and father. They met and were happy.
The saint said:
“You could have been given wealth or a Sultanate if you
had wished. But yours was the most sacred of all desires. Go
and you will be rewarded with the Sultanate of hearts!”
Under Soltan Sanjar’s patronage, Enweri the Poet
became the most famous poet of all Seljuk Turkmens, Arabs
and Persians. He is deemed to be one of the three poets who
followed the way of the Prophet.
There is a myriad of anecdotes and stories about mothers.
Man can understand that the most miraculous thing in the
world is the mother, although he does not necessarily
understand everything. He elevates the status of the mother
with wise sayings.
Once there was a couple in love. The girl wished to learn
how much her beloved loved her:
“Tear apart your mother’s chest and bring her heart to
me, if you really love me,” she said.
The girl’s beloved was mad about the girl and he tore
apart his mother’s chest and took the bloody heart, which
was still beating, in his hands. He ran to the girl’s house. A
stone on the way tripped him and he fell down. At that moment
his mother’s heart in his hands gained the power to speak and
said:
“O my dear, you haven’t hurt yourself, have you?”
This is a mother. No matter what happens, she feels and

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lives for her child with such love, compassion, attachment
and dedication that it can never ever be given up. After a
long and painful delivery, between life and death, every
mother gives birth to her child in difficulty.
Once, a mother was dying during delivery. The
physicians resuscitated the baby and the baby uttered a very
loud cry. By Allah’s will, the mother who had just died,
revived at the cry of the baby.
I don’t believe everything I am told. I am not very pious
either. But I do feel like believing very much in the story told
above.
Doctors who work in the maternity ward say:
“On some occasions, it is really hard to save the lives of
some mothers. Realizing the dangers, those mothers always
say, ‘Save my baby. Leave me but deal with my child and
save it,’ and so give life to their babies.”
The following story is attributed to a poet who lived in
historic times:
The poet’s mother wishes to eat apples when she is with
child. There are dark red apples hanging in the trees in the
gardens that belong to their neighbours. She cannot ask for
apples from the neighbours since she is at odds with them.
She cannot buy apples because she does not have the money.
She goes back and forth to the gardens wishing for some
apples and thinks she should not take them since the apples
do not belong to her, so it would be wrong to take those apples.
Then the baby is born and grows to be the famous poet. The
poet says:
“Our neighbour’s garden is a fertile land for apples. I
sometimes wish to fulfil my mother’s wish and eat those

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apples. But I don’t, because I do not want to hurt my
mother’s soul. Therefore I control myself.”
There is no limit to the respect to be displayed toward
parents. A couple of years ago, a man was talking to a famous
religious figure:
“We were raised under Soviet policies. I wish to believe
in Allah, but I can’t. I am so old now but I just can’t live
without a faith.”
The religious figure said in reply: “If you do not believe
in Allah, go bow to your parents’ graves.” Faith has its origins
in belief in the parents. Makhtumkuli also expressed something
in the same vein, “Forgive my sins, for the sake of my parents.”
Maintain respect for your parents. Allah will forgive you for
the sake of your parents, if not for your own sakes.
The Turkmen nation does not know much about the
great poet Enweri. I sometimes think:
“Enweri was so happy that he saw the faces of his
mother and father once again, and I would also give all that
I have to be able to see the faces of my parents.”
The women who knew my mother say, “How dear and
affectionate a woman your mother was!” Those who knew
my father say, “Saparmyrat, your father was a bold and
fearless man. He would help people, and if he couldn’t help
others himself, he would try to find others who could. He
had such light in his face, he spoke courteous and beautiful
words, and he was a man to be heard with joy.”
Thus I saw that what my parents had left for me was
more valuable than what the Soltans left to their children. I
raised myself to be the proper son that my parents would
want me to be.

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Stay away from people who hurt their parents. Such
people cannot be human. Do not believe in people who do
not take care of their parents. Such people will not be of any
use to the public and their homeland.
It is not proper to pay the slightest respect to a person
who does not take care of his parents. Even Allah’s angels
would not pay any respect to the person who does not take
care of his parents.
We say the mother is the soil, the father is the homeland.
The mother teaches us to love the soil, and the father
teaches us to love the homeland through their painstaking
efforts and their lives.
No matter if her child is deaf, disobedient or stupid, a
mother will always understand what her child says.
The Turkmens say, “Only the deaf person’s mother
understands what the deaf person says.”
“My son, when you were a baby, all you could do was to
cry. You could not speak. You could not say a word. I would
understand what you meant, though. You are now grown up,
but I simply cannot understand you,” complained a mother
of her ungrateful son.
An ungrateful person who breaks the heart of his mother
cannot achieve anything all through his life.
One who does harm to his mother could do harm to other
people and the homeland, too!
Don’t believe it, if they say of someone that he does not
take care of his mother, but there are others he takes care of.
I believe the mother carries with her powers and
miracles. This I have witnessed many times in my life. If I

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am going to be happy or upset tomorrow, I see my mother
in my dream.
My dear daughters and sons!
Don’t think that you were not taken care of. Your
mother’s careful eyes over you watch out for you day and
night. Wherever you are, your mother’s heart is with you.
The Turkmen have a beautiful saying: “Only my mother’s
tears are real, others’ are fake.” The mother always takes
care of her children. Respect mothers! Love mothers! We
wouldn’t be paying them the respect they deserve, even if we
carried them on top of our very heads. People who are
respectful of their parents are happy and productive in their
lives. Don’t believe in the greatness and goodness of those
who are disrespectful of their parents. A man’s real essence
can be understood in the respect he displays toward his parents.
OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR CONTINUATION!
My dear citizens!
My fellow countrymen!
The child is the product of the love, sincerity and will
of the mother and the father. For parents, even a single hair
of their children is worth the whole world. Because Turkmen
people are hardworking and determined, sons are given a
special value. When a son is born, the parents say, “We are
wealthier, stately, now,” and his relatives say, “We have
become more fist (powerful) in the family now.” When one
asks the number of members in a family, they don’t tell you
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number of heads. The Turkmen’s love for his daughter
requires special mentioning. That is because daughters are
more vulnerable and they will become parts of other
families in the future. A daughter should be very happy in
her parent’s home.
The love found in a child’s heart has its origins in the
child’s mother.
The dignity, bravery, foresight, and fearlessness of the
child stem from the father.
The father is like a high mountain with a grandeur of
body and a snowy summit as high as the clouds in the sky.
The mother’s heart is an ocean full of love and peace.
When our father, the Prophet Adam, had a son and a
daughter, he asked Angel Gabriel:
“I haven’t felt the mercy of a mother, nor do I know of
paternal love. Then why was I granted this fate?”
“Allah is your father and mother. Wouldn’t He replace
both?” Gabriel replied.
It is an obligation upon the child to please his parents.
When are parents happy with what their children do?
When a child surpasses his father in work, respect, wealth
and affluence, then his parents will be as pleased as their
child makes them.
The child is the most precious belonging of the father.
The child is a continuation of the parents.
A child can leave his parents upon obtaining proper
consent and approval from them, as required by a proper
upbringing. And on the part of the child to gain consent is a
debt to his or her parents.

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Turkmen people have various sayings, principles and
ethical rules regarding children’s responsibilities to their
parents. These are the accumulation of thousands of years
of experience. The Turkmen family lies at the root of these.
Society is in fact based on the family. So the ultimate aim
is the reinforcement and strengthening of society. Therefore
personal values, familial values and social values are not
separate entities in the Turkmens but they stand as
inseparable parts of a whole. It is this harmony that helped
the Turkmen nation survive as a nation for thousands of
years. It was only under the Soviet regime that the relations
between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and our
national values were grievously harmed. The aim was to
destroy the Turkmen family. They understood that this was
the most appropriate method to decimate the Turkmen
nation, and this policy was implemented on purpose.
In our contemporary age, the Golden Age of the
Turkmen, our main objective is the revival of familial
relations and revitalization of family values. In this
framework, the responsibilities of the child to his parents
have a special role.
The well-behaved child does not grow on his own. The child
needs guidance. An unguided child is like an untrained horse.
Equipping the child with social values, and rendering
him beneficial to society at large as a skilled individual are
the main aims of this guidance.
Man is born to live as part of a society in this world.
Without a society, it is impossible for a man to live. However,
there are certain rules and principles to be honoured when
living in a society. There are certain responsibilities that

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are to be fulfilled. The first responsibility of the child is the
fulfilment of the duties that are incumbent upon him
regarding his parents.
The main ethics to be pursued when fulfilling this
responsibility are as follows:
The child should definitely know that his parents always
want the good of their child, and they only wish happiness
and peace for their child.
The parents’ hearts reside in their child.
But the child needs beautiful examples, not insincere
advice.
The best guidance is being a proper example. That is
possible through being consistent in word and deed. Only
under these conditions can a child be expected to grow up as
a proper person.
The provision of subsistence is a duty, finding means to
live on is a task; but providing proper guidance is the task
that precedes both of these tasks.
If the father does not regret that he made certain
mistakes, it is a fact that the child will repeat these mistakes.
Therefore if you love your child, stay away from improper
and unlawful deeds and show regret for what you have done
improperly!
If the child does not observe ethical conduct, then he
cannot be expected to display such conduct. The best way to
conduct oneself ethically is by imposing certain restrictions
upon oneself.
It would cause social disrespect against one if one did
whatever one wanted and tried to fulfil every improper desire,

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Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.
21. Rukhnama

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ambition and sexual desire. That would also result in others’
being ignorant of your words. That would also make one
ashamed. The disrespect toward a person is a great shame for
that person’s child.
The best inheritance is ethics. A child who knows how
to behave well is one who has learned how to do so from his
father.
Your child is a part of you. You are responsible for that
part of yours. If it is harmed, then that means your whole
body will be harmed.
Dear mothers and fathers, I ask of you to do the
following:
Show the difference between the proper and improper;
permissible, lawful, and forbidden, unlawful;
Show the difference between the truth and falsehood;
Show the difference between the good and the bad;
Show the difference between honourable labour and
work driven by greed;
Show the difference between knowledge and ignorance;
Show the difference between benevolence and
malevolence; good and evil;
Don’t do this through words. If you have understood the
difference for yourself, in this case you will have provided
proper guidance for your children. Benevolence means
sacrificing your own interests, and malevolence is the
disregarding of others’ interests. The damage caused by
malevolence and the benefit that benevolence generates are
not immediately obvious.
The malevolent man blames time and society for his

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faults, without ever looking at himself. Teach your child to
improve himself, he will do the rest himself.
Don’t do favours for the sake of gaining title or reputation.
Faith in Allah is the greatest guarantee that you will serve
the public.
Avoiding difficult tasks, turning to improper and
forbidden deeds because they are easier is a betrayal of your
child. A person seeking worldly benefits by doing favours to
others could easily engage in improper and unlawful deeds
too.
Protect your child so that he doesn’t become like that!
Possession of wealth does not mean living apart from
the ordinary people, but rather it is a means to unite with
them.
If you take on a good deed, have confidence in Allah, in
your people and country.
If your child is malevolent, then blame yourself.
Don’t engage in affairs unacceptable to the public. As
long as you desist from such things, the public and society
will readily accept you.
Improper, unlawful and forbidden mean acting contrary
to the good of society
Proper, permissible and lawful mean acting toward the
good of society.
My dear fellow Turkmens!
Engaging in lies, gossip and slander lie at the source of
all evils. For these are means that set a veil over sins and
improper deeds.

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If proper deeds are replaced by improper ones in a
society, then it means that society does not value moral
guidance. Moral guidance means protecting the society and
bringing about social unity.
Teach your child how to be pure.
Suspicion of others is a burden on the heart. Being
suspicious of one’s fellow, of society and the state is in fact
the first step toward committing a sin.
Improper, forbidden and unlawful deeds say, “We are
the proper and lawful thing to do.” For that is the only way
they can exist. Man must use the permissible and lawful as a
shield.
Proper deeds do not say, “We are the proper thing to
do,” for that would be meaningless.
Purity, integrity and humanity are the protectors of the
proper, permissible and lawful. It is when he has bodily
cleanness combined with internal purity that the human being
becomes a proper man. If one has bodily cleanness but lacks
internal purity, then that is the most despicable condition.
The child is indebted to his parents to an enormous extent.
The child cannot repay the value of even one single day’s
effort spent by his parents even if he serves them for a whole
lifetime.
Parents are obliged to their children in the following
ways and they should:
give the child a proper name;
guide and bring up the child properly;
provide training for the child;
provide the child with a profession;

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help the child marry;
help the child establish his or her own home and family;
make the child available for service to the public, country and
his or her fellows.
Although not great in number, these obligations are very
important. These all add up to mean that the parents have to
raise their child as a proper man or woman and make him or
her available for service to the nation.
Parents should think about these even before their child
is born because one can only do useless things without
planning. Good deeds require planning in advance. Therefore,
if you do something wrong, you will regret it; and if you do a
good deed, you will receive blessings.
Teach your child how to make efficient use of time.
The Devil keeps a close eye over your time and faith,
both of which are your precious belongings. Time is your life
in this world, and faith is your life in the other world. Wasting
time means losing one’s life or oneself.
Teach your child how to save his time and life.
All that you can save of time will belong to you.
Time is a mace. Hit or be hit!
Be clever, skilful and hard-working! Laziness means
being profligate and leaving oneself to be blown about by the
winds of fate.
Be hard-working and you will generate returns in cash;
be lazy and you will get into debt.
The comfort that laziness provides is like the taste of a
sour cucumber.

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Out of mercy for yourself, work.
Joblessness, lack of wisdom and laziness will damage
you more than your enemies ever could. Time is a wild
predator, but if you train it, you may use it to your benefit.
Do not be subject to time; let it be your subject.
Live so that you regret nothing when you die.
Living does not only mean passing time. It means
reaching eternity after passing through time.
Teach the foregoing to your child.
If you do so, the child will be proud of his parents and
fulfil his responsibilities sincerely.
The child is indebted in the following ways in the
Turkmen tradition:
Do whatever lawful thing your parents tell you to do.
Don’t engage in tasks unapproved by them.
Don’t lead a way of life unacceptable to your parents.
Maintain a smiling face toward them.
Be their lifelong companion.
Be with them when they are in need.
Do what they tell you to do on time.
Don’t seek benefits for what you’ve done for them; don’t
remind them of what you did and do for them reproachfully
otherwise you will harm them.
Keep your voice low when speaking to them or in their
presence.
Always help them if they have bodily pain or illness.
Don’t offend them, nor be offended by them.
Address them with the polite form of “you.”

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Don’t utter bad words to them.
Don’t speak to them looking at them directly in the
face and eyes.
Pay compliments and be courteous to them.
Avoid false or inappropriate words or behaviour when
in their presence.
Always remember that they are your closest friends.
Share their happiness and grief.
Don’t warn them offensively if they boast or speak highly
of themselves.
If they cause problems because they are old and unable,
be patient.
Share their problems.
Try not to cause or give them harm.
Don’t be suspicious of them.
Wish them a long life when they are alive.
Provide them with clothing better than yours.
Provide them with food better than yours.
Serve them in a serious and sincere way.
Help them reach their desires and make them happy.
Provide them with their needs.
Do not be mean toward them.
Adopt their friends as yours.
Remember them after they die, do favours and charities
on their behalf, recite from the Quran and have its verses recited
for their benefit. For the Turkmen holds that it is the prayers of
the children that reach the souls of the deceased parents first.

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After their demise, one means of doing good on their behalf
in this world is their children’s righteous deeds.
My dear child!
Continue serving your parents even after they pass away.
The services you render to the homeland will be of use after
death, as well. Don’t forget about your homeland. The
homeland can continue to exist only because it is always
remembered.
It is a very sacred duty upon you to love and protect the
father’s and the mother’s homeland and your independence
in the way you would protect your most precious belongings.
Our fathers have spilled lots of blood on the way to
independence. Oguz Khan, Gorkut ata, Alp Arslan...the heroes
in the Gokdepe Castle.. all made the Turkmen known to the
whole world. You are their descendants. Only patriotism and
bravery will suit you. Be loyal to the country whose resources
you make use of, and to your mother who feeds you with her
milk. For the resources granted by the homeland to you and
your mother’s milk are sacred. Allah Almighty ordered that
we should not waste his treasures. It is an obligation upon
you to protect these sources of wealth because generations to
come after you have a share in them. You will always be
fortunate if you share their grief and happiness, and act in
harmony with your fellow countrymen. Your fellows are
valuable to you. Look for guidance from your homeland.
Follow the path of justice. For those who follow the path of
justice will never be misled. This way is a source of light in
the darkness. Be guided by the moral conduct we inherited
from our forefathers. Be obedient to them and you will become
the most caring person in the world.

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My dear son, my beloved daughter! Read! Learn!
Produce! It is essential that you be knowledgeable and skilful
so that the homeland can survive powerfully and
independently, and so that our people remain prosperous and
heroic as ever.
LET ME SEE WHAT I’VE WORKED
FOR IN YOUR SMILING FACES!
My dear Turkmen people!
The rose blossoms from within, and may you blossom as
a rose would. This way you will win the hearts of other people.
Speak of good things, do good and favours to all, be courteous
and complimentary to them. The smile is a sign of love. Smiling
faces bear a sacred light in them. Allah says, “Those smiling
high-spirited people are closer to Me, I will grant them twice
as much as I will grant to others.” The smile is the reflection
of the human soul. People who smile are generous because
they are successful in the jobs they do. Through a smile, man
pleases not only himself but those with whom he has contact.
People who smile become more beautiful.
“There will never be any wrinkles on a smiling face,” as
the saying goes. This means people who smile do not easily
become old.
I often remember my mother. Her smile still appears
before my very eyes although she passed away more than
fifty years ago. The smile is visible to me in the dark of the
night, even if I have my eyes shut.

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My mother wove rugs all day.
The sound of the loom echoed in our home like the
clatter of hoofs. I woke up early, as usual, and I saw that my
mother was awake working. She kept on working after
putting us to bed. I was rather worried, for my mother did
not take a rest as other mothers did. She would not go out
either. It was only after she passed away that I could
understand that she worked day and night to provide a living
for us. She relieved herself of her pains through working. I
remember saying to her:
“My dear mother, please have some rest. Look, your
hands seem tired.” Then she would take me on her lap and
would caress me as if she was hugging and caring for a baby.
She would look me in the face, watch me with her dark eyes
and smile at me. That smile of hers is still in my heart, mind
and world. I always remember the smiles of my mother. How
interesting! Neither years nor winds have been able remove
that smile from my memory. When I encounter a difficulty, I
remember my mother’s smile. That smile spreads throughout
my soul and takes away the pain I have. It is as if a hand
stretches out and takes the pain away. Like the hero in the
tale, I get rid of all my pains then. With the power of the
smile, I turn into a little child instead of the old man I am, just
like the old man in the tale; my soul flies like a bird in the
sky; and I even feel as if I understand the language of all the
birds, flowers and other creatures. The sacred light in my
mother’s eyes brightens my heart. Then my life becomes
sweeter than my mother’s smile. That smile gives me
extraordinary powers.
That smile I inherited from my mother is my treasure,

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my wealth. I can’t find anything worth that smile even if I
pay thousands in gold for it. I can’t find it anywhere even if
I strive like a treasure hunter.
In fact, people can all have access to these smiles. Your
mother who is as valuable as the holy Ka’bah, and your father
who is as precious as the Qibla to you have left lots of such
smiles to you. It is those smiles that make us live. But it is
probable that we may not have understood and appreciated
fully the real value of such smiles.
A smile can make a friend for you out of an enemy. When
death stares you in the face, smile at it and it may leave you
untouched, I believe.
Spring is the smile of the earth. Smile at each other. Do
it honestly when you meet. Greet one another through smiles.
Talk to each other with smiles.
My dear Turkmens, you are much closer to one another
than relatives are. You are the Turkmen nation that lives
around the same hope, on the same ground and under the
same flag.
It is a blessing from Allah that He taught us to smile.
A smile can open up your soul, gives you pleasure and
relaxes you.
It is that smile which elevates your heart just like an
unexpected sunny day in winter.
It is that smile which removes grief and hatred from your
heart just like the ocean wind that disperses fog.
Your smile can also serve as a remedy for your problems
when you talk to others. That very smile is to the benefit of
yourself, the friends you talk to, and your homeland. If your

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smile is an essential quality of our state, then isn’t our
country a beautiful and fine place?
The smile is a sign of peace and love. A person who
can smile can love too. Your smiles become love and spread
through the world.
Love all beings. Through love you can understand the
meaning and the expressive language of plants and animals
and have some kind of wisdom and saintly perceptions.
Love your vast lands and plains where Hydyr 24 strolls...
Love your mountains and seas where Kowus and Kyyas
travel.
Go see for yourself where Gorogly and Togrul Beg fought,
and love the mountains Makhtumkuli loved...
Love the human, the most miraculous being in the
world! Love the nature that is endlessly at your service.
Love the trees that call out to you with their flowers, leaves,
branches and fruits.
A man can be a saint through climbing the ladder of
love.
A man can incorporate himself into nature and become
as pure and fine as nature. From such a stance and
understanding, Allah the Most Exalted is not far away.
If the oceans and seas did not rise and fall in the wind,
then their waters would lose their beauty and have a dull smell.
If soft winds did not blow over the seas, then what would
touch man’s face gently? Who or what would clean up the air
man breathes!
24
the immortal Helper that arrives unexpectedly and in time to help people when in trouble

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The waves of the lively seas, and the soft winds of the
earth are indeed their smiles.
Smile, for the smile is the door to man’s world.
May smiles start from your very eyes. For that smile is
the door that opens to the world of the soul.
They asked Joseph the Prophet: “What makes you so
incomparably beautiful?” He replied:
“Throughout my whole life I have engaged in deeds that
would please and give benefits to others. I smiled at them,
and this made me beautiful in the eyes of those who believe
in me.”
I sometimes get so tired. I take the first opportunity to
visit the stables at that time. My white horse starts neighing
and moving around when he hears my footsteps. He expresses
his love for me like that. He approaches. I caress his head. I
comb his mane. I look into his eyes that are like apples.
Gorogly’s saying comes into my mind: “White horse, if you
can speak, then do so.” Although he can’t speak, he expresses
his pleasure with his eyes. I feel like I should give him a hug.
Then I remember Gorogly again. I understand better why he
says, “I didn’t wish I had a son, but I wished I had my horse.”
Gorkut ata says: “When words fall short to convey
feelings, then the saz (musical instrument) will be in charge.”
And I’ve seen that when the saz does not have anything to
convey, the smile is in charge. The sacred and enchanting
smile...
The smile is home to a sacred blessing and power.
The lover is ready to sacrifice his life for one single smile
of his beloved.

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The poets for centuries have not been able to do more
than define the qualities of the smiles of those whom they
love.
A single smile can touch you with sacred power.
I remember I would spare no effort to obtain a single
word of gratitude or a smile from my mother. I would try to
do more than she would ask of me and to please her.
Today, you are my relatives, friends, protectors my fellow
Turkmens! I am sparing no effort to win your smiles and
gratitude.
So happy would I be to see that I have a share in your
pleasure and happiness! I would not regret anything if I could
see that. I am ready to sacrifice my sweet life for my nation.
For no honour in the world would place me higher than the
honour of winning your smiles and seeing your happiness,
my dear Turkmens!
I can understand at a single glance whether you’re truly
smiling and if I see this I will understand that my sincerity
was not useless.
KNOWLEDGE IS THE LIGHT OF HAPPINESS
The most beneficial knowledge is the one that works to
the benefit of society.
One should doubt the authenticity of the kind of
knowledge that has no social use. Every single deed of man
should yield a result. For this is what makes social life possible.
The scientist should work to help improve society in
material and spiritual respects. If the scientist forgets this

335
task, then the knowledge he possesses is meaningless,
useless and of no value.
Knowledge is not the sum of pieces of information
which serve no purpose for anyone. False knowledge is
the collection of such pieces of information that have no
use for anyone, just like the wealth accumulated by a mean
man.
The real scientist holds real knowledge. That knowledge
should first of all be of use to society. This also amounts to
saying that it should serve the holder of it too.
The kind of knowledge disliked by society is vain.
The scientist elevates knowledge, and society elevates
the scientist.
A society cannot live without proper knowledge, just as
a man cannot survive without his mind. The most vital means
of survival granted by Allah to man is the mind. Therefore,
mind precedes all other material aspects of the man, such as
the hands, legs, working tools and hand-power. Centuries-
long accumulation leads to proper knowledge. That
knowledge is a privilege for man.
It is of that proper knowledge that a man is made.
The mind is the source of proper knowledge, and wisdom
is its seed.
The soul compensates for the bodily losses of man. It
elevates him and proper knowledge is a sign of spiritual
completeness and activity.
Allah Almighty bestowed upon man the mind, which
He did not in the case of other beings. The human mind
becomes more mature with the aid of proper knowledge

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and gains access to more than it initially finds. Man has no
wings, but he can fly above the birds, thanks to his possession
of proper knowledge. He can’t move so fast, but proper
knowledge allows him to reach the greatest of speeds. Man
does not have a predator’s claws, but he can accede to the
greatest strength, thanks to proper knowledge.
The mind and proper knowledge bring man closer to
Allah.
Possession of proper knowledge allows man to look into
the far distance.
Proper knowledge is a means to save oneself from the
flood of life that would otherwise have a devastating impact.
Only proper knowledge can provide an answer to the
question of how to live and what to do to live. The kind of
knowledge that fails to provide answers to this question is in
fact an illusory attempt, totally in vain.
Man should know himself; this is what renders him
superior.
Man is indebted in that he should know.
Knowing means thinking about the world, finding a
proper place for oneself in the world and proving oneself.
The time of the sword is over. But even the sword itself
is a product of the mind and proper knowledge.
When I say the time of the sword is over, I mean that the
mind and proper knowledge that was once utilized to produce
the sword should now be directed to producing and inventing
new useful things.
There are three steps to knowing:
Education;

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Science;
Proper Knowledge.
Science is a treasure created by mankind. Education is
the key to that treasure. It is a door that provides access to the
world of science through literacy.
Science teaches man about the treasures and perceptions
of those that came before him. Man selects from among these
and leaves aside the ones that are of no use to him. He takes
those pieces he needs and internalizes them.
Dear fellow citizens!
I started implementing a “New Science Policy” after
major reforms in the fields of science and knowledge in the
Independent and Eternally Impartial Turkmenistan. The
schooling of the Soviet era does not meet our contemporary
needs. The main objective of the science policy is to protect
children from the evil guidance of the streets, and to provide
assistance to parents in guiding their children.
If the teacher teaches his classes at school and does
nothing after that to guide his students, then the students will
be open to the evils of the streets. There he will adopt useless
habits.
If we wish to protect our children from the evils of the
streets, then we should provide them with proper guidance in
the family and at school. Our tomorrow lies in the hands of
our children. If we wish to see in the future an affluent
Independent and Impartial Turkmenistan respecting science
then we should do all that we can to provide proper guidance
for our children.
I think it would be proper to quote a letter I received:
22. Rukhnama

338
Dear Saparmyrat Atayevich!
This letter I am writing to you is not an ordinary one.
This is a part of my sincerest feelings, and an indication of
my regret.
I worked under your supervision. You appointed me to a
post that required responsibility, and you had confidence in
me. You appointed me to the chairmanship of an enterprise,
though not a major one. But, but...but.
But Allah decreed an undesirable fate for me. I was
brought up in very harsh and difficult conditions, and in severe
need. I just wanted my two sons not to suffer from the kind of
hardships that affected my life. To that end, I stole money,
accepted bribes, and accumulated so much wealth that it was
enough to use till my death. I bought apartments, cars.. such
beautiful cars. But...
My younger son had an accident while he was drunk
and driving. He almost died. It would have been better if he
had died. His backbone is severely damaged; he will stay in
bed for the rest of his life. My older son acted irresponsibly
and wasted time during the privileged days of his father, and
became a drug-addict. One day we’re fine, the next two we
fight. He squandered all that wealth in five or six years. He
made my younger son a drug-addict as well. His mother could
not bear the sufferings of this world and died of heart disease.
I suffered a lot when I was a child. I encountered many
difficulties. I was raised as an upright man, but the wealth I
obtained was of no use to me.
I stole and fed my children on what is forbidden and
unlawful. The improper deeds we engaged in have their effects
now.

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My two sons were my sharp eyes; they were my hands
and feet. I would not complain if I was blinded at my discretion
by a physician. It would be my fair share to live as a creature
with feet and hands cut off. If only death could find me and
take my soul away. Unfortunately this is not so; I can neither
live nor die in this world. This is how I ruined my future and
didthesametobothofmysonstoo.Iamtheonlyonetobe
blamed. I fed my children on what is impermissible and
unlawful. Makhtumkuli was right to say, “You will give your
account of your proper deeds, but you will definitely be
punished for the improper, impermissible and unlawful.” Now
I have received the punishment for such...
Either a devout saint or a criminal can be made out of a
child.
Happy is the man who raises the child as affectionate
toward mankind, as a knowledgeable person that has the
ability to foresee trouble.
An Atabeg educated the son of a Soltan for 18 years.
Upon completion of the education the Atabeg awarded him a
certificate showing that he had received proper training. The
Soltan’s son was raised as a brave man, a perfect horseman,
and as sharp as an eagle. He had the mental abilities that
would allow him participate in discussions with scholars. The
Atabeg showed the skills he taught the Soltan’s son. The
Soltan was pleased and said: “Go swim through the sea, my
son Oguz”
The Soltan’s son replied, “Master Atabeg did not teach
me how to do that.”
The Soltan turned to Atabeg and said:

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“My son’s friends could have taught him what you
taught. If he ever needs to swim, neither his friends, nor I,
nor you could help.”
There are certain things in life with respect to which
parents, friends and brothers and relatives cannot give any
help. Man faces the realities of life many times. At those
times, one should be able to overcome difficulties without
needing assistance from others. If one cannot do so, then
one is not properly and sufficiently raised. I lived under
very difficult conditions. It is a mistake to prevent a child
from encountering difficulties. Indeed this is a form of
enmity toward one’s own son. The child has to prove to
himself certain things by undertaking tasks proper to his
age. The efforts spent earlier by the child will yield positive
results for him in the future.
Proper knowledge is the summit reached after following
certain procedures. It is not the mere reception of information
from others; it also has to do with displaying what you know
to others.
Proper knowledge prepares one for life, and helps one
face the realities of life.
Proper knowledge means the ability to change and
improve life. If one wishes to understand whether a form of
knowledge is the proper one, one needs to look whether that
particular form has the ability to change and improve life. If
it does, then that is proper knowledge.
Education puts the hands, words and ears of the man
into action. Science puts the mind into action. Proper
knowledge puts these into a coherent unity and moves them
in directions related to life.

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Science means taking information from others and
using it for oneself.
Proper knowledge means giving information from
oneself, and creating from within. The greatest miracle is
the mind given to man. Proper knowledge can release that
power and make it apparent.
Proper knowledge is the freedom of the mind.
It is never too late to learn science. The mind does not
grow old as the body does. The longer one lives, the more
sophisticated the mind becomes.
The teacher is superior to the student. For a student
receives training for a couple of years only, but the teacher
is engaged in education for a lifetime.
The best teacher is the one that learns when teaching.
Reviewing your knowledge is the key to science. Adopt
it as a habit. Each time you review you learn something
new; this is the main principle of science.
Creativity is the essence of proper knowledge.
Wisdom is the guide that leads the mind to science.
Teaching without learning is similar to spending money
without ever earning money.
Proper knowledge takes worldly and religious forms.
Proper religious knowledge is aimed at knowing Allah;
proper material knowledge is meant to grasp the nature of
realities. The first yields faith, the second affluence.
Everyone has a duty to society. The teacher has a duty
to society in that he should provide the youth with proper
knowledge and science.
Proper knowledge should increase our affluence and
spiritual strength.

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Science and proper knowledge decrease the likelihood
of evil to the minimum.
If you fail to improve the wisdom given by Allah, you
will lose your mental power.
The best way to learn is to read. And the best way is
reading through reflection. If there is no reflection, then
there is no science at all.
The real man of proper knowledge has the following
properties:
He doesn’t seek to gain material benefits through his
possession of proper knowledge;
He does not see proper knowledge as a form of skill, but
thinks it is matter of progress;
He is calm and modest;
He has good moral conduct;
He confirms his words through his actions;
The type of knowledge of no use to society is meaningless
to him.
Engaging in the type of knowledge that has no social
use is similar to trying to sew cloth with a needle with no
thread.
No day is possible without a night, and no society can
exist without proper knowledge.
The real man of proper knowledge is a friend of realities
and serves his society.
My blessed Turkmen nation! The Golden Age must be
one where the Turkmen way of knowledge must spread to

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Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.

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and enlighten the whole world. The doors of proper
knowledge are always open here. We desire that all Turkmen
citizens may have access to proper knowledge. Proper
knowledge should attract public attention in our country.
For the 21
st
century is one of proper knowledge. The door
to the Golden lifestyle of the Golden Age of the Turkmen
passes through proper knowledge.
MAY BROTHERS BE FRIENDS,
AND FRIENDS BE BROTHERS
Our forefather Gun Khan’s son, Duyp Yabgy Khan,
was a wise Soltan, so wise that he would himself examine
potential employees or others whom he would appoint to
posts. There were two friends among Duyp yabgy
Khan’s commanders. Those friends were both very
brave, virtuous, handsome and polite men. Duyp yabgy
Khan kept a close eye on the two friends for a long time.
He once wanted to appoint one of them as the chief
commander of armies responsible for the protection of
the whole nation and its lands together with the provision
of security for the Soltan himself.
Duyp yabgy Khan issued an order. The guards of the
Soltan would go and seize the potential chief commander,
tie his hands and beat him almost to death, and jail him.
And later the judges of the country would accuse him of
attempting to assassinate the Soltan and sentence him to
death.
The commander whom the Soltan was planning to appoint
to the post of chief commander was thus awaiting death.

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The Soltan subjects the jailed commander’s friend to
the same plot. He is accused of the same crime and jailed.
Before the execution of the penalty, the Soltan calls the first
commander before him and says:
“I loved you as I did my son. I was planning to appoint
you to the office of the chief commander, and I now see what
you were after.”
The commander replied:
“Soltan of the world, I don’t know how I betrayed my
country. How could you decide that I had done so?”
The Soltan said:
“Before I take decisions of any type, I spend much
time thinking. This friend of yours told me that you were
planning an assassination. Here’s his letter telling me that.”
In all seriousness, the Soltan told the commander that he
had been betrayed by his friend. Knowing that the Soltan
was a man of integrity, the commander said in a shocked
manner:
“If it is my friend who told you that I was planning that,
then do punish me. My friend would never lie. I trust him as
much as I do myself. The death penalty is right for me.”
The Soltan said nothing in reply. He went to the jail where
the commander’s friend was detained. He told him the same
as he had said to his fellow commander. That commander
said in reply:
“If it is my friend who did what you said, then carry out
the punishment. For my friend would prefer death to lying.”
The next day the Soltan called the two friends before
him.

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“Now that I have such upright and honest men like you,
there is no castle I can’t conquer,” said the Soltan, tears in
his eyes. And he told them about the scheme he had planned.
The Soltan then appointed one of these fellow commanders
to the office of the chief commander, and the other to the
office of the vizier.
In fact, it was a tough test. But it is also tough to keep
the country afloat in difficult times. A friend is a mirror that
reflects one’s heart. The Turkmen is ready to sacrifice his
life for his friend. There are many cases in history that
exemplify this. No one is to sacrifice his life today. But a
friend in need is a friend indeed. It is necessary to have
friends, but this need is much greater at difficult times. One
should pay compliments to others, say words that express
friendliness, know how to appease people and encourage
people toward life.
My dear Turkmen Nation!
May friendship and brotherhood always accompany
the Turkmen. Let us set it as an essential principle of our
age of independence to pay compliments not only to our
friends but to everyone else, to utter friendly words, to
know how to appease people, to encourage people toward
life and happiness, and to wish a long life and joy for
others.
We should visit the ill and give them moral support.
“A sweet word can even break up a bone,” as the
Turkmens say. They say this for they believe sincerely in the
power and strength of sweet words.
The Turkmen reached his desired day of independence.
Let us adopt friendship and brotherhood as our main principle

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in our independent society. The Turkmen should live in
unity and be one and the same with fellow Turkmens in
our independent nation. Friendship is a great power. Let
our power of friendship be the main ground on which our
lives rest. Let it activate our souls, and let it help us reach
our desires and goals. May it add to the meaning and taste
of our lives.
Man is composed of a body and a soul. The relations
between the two components have come to change throughout
the development of man.
There are certain activities that take place in man’s
life. They have a pure form. These are related to man’s
soul and his spiritual composition. The soul is, in essence,
free and independent. Among the said activities is
friendship. Friendship means the harmonious relations that
result from the love and respect between people. Friendship
is a spiritual and ethical issue. It is for this reason that
friendship is peculiar to human beings, or it is a concept
related to man.
Friendship does not result from any spiritual need of the
human being. One does not have the option of choosing one’s
brothers. It is not dependent upon one’s wish that one has a
brother. But having friends is at one’s own discretion and
will. That means friendship is a spiritual need and is an evident
indication of human personality and freedom.
It is the man’s internal wishes and his inner “self” that
motivate him to have a friend or friends. The human soul
looks for a fellow that shares the same thoughts, same fate,
same inclinations and character as him. As such, a friend is
the inner “self” of the person who seeks a friend. For as soon

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as one feels that he has matured as a person one starts seeking
an individual close to him. Those who succeed in finding such
people are happy. Just as one rarely comes across real love,
so does one rarely find real friendship. Making friends, being
friends to others is a rarely accomplished task.
There is a story full of examples that is about how the
Turkmen values his brother:
Once a family had to escape from the enemy. But there
was one horse to ride in the attempt, it would be able to carry
a limited number of people to a limited distance.
Then the young man thought and took his brother first
to the horse, and escaped the enemy, and saved all his family
so, as the story goes.
Only brothers can understand their mutual values, and
the one who gave birth to them.
If parents die, among the remaining children the oldest
in age replaces the parents. He is to raise all the other children,
help them be educated, marry and socialize. I remember
reciting the following lines when I was a child:
O my brother, o my brother
Whose head is high, upright brother,
Fights against the enemy together
Speaks like a castle in support of you!
You are the shield in my left hand
And the dagger in the right, my dear brother!
Even the younger of twin babies should pay due respect
to and greet the older when they grow up, no matter that they
were born on the same day and at the same hour.

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Two brothers make the two hands of the same body.
One hand washes the other hand, but two hands together
can wash the face.
Our father Oguz Khan told his elder sons that they were
the bow and told the younger ones that they were the arrow,
and they had to go where the bow sent them.
A brother and his elder brother should pay respect to
one another.
When the Turkmen wishes to speak well of someone, he
says, “May your brother be your friend, and your friend your
brother.” The friend and the brother are the same in rank.
A friend is one’s second “self”. But it is not possible to
say the same of every brother. The Turkmen says, “Identify
the brave man by looking at his friend.” A man’s friend is a
measure against which that man is evaluated. A man becomes
a friend only to people who are close to his heart and with
whom he has a rapport.
If it is blood relations that fix brotherhood, then what
measures friendship? In old Turkmen thought, every man had
a jinn. The jinns were short in height, and their napes were as
bright as their faces. Every man’s jinn always stood nearby.
When walking, the jinn would go a few steps in front.
Therefore, before men contacted one another, their jinns had
contact and talked to each other. If the two jinns that met
before the men could have rapport with each other, then the
two men would also become friends. For this reason, we have
certain idioms in the Turkmen language such as, “His jinn
could not get close,” or, “His jinn did not like the other.”
I am not talking about these national characteristics only
because they are interesting by nature. What I wish to say in

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particular is that in this old line of thought, one sees clearly
that friendship is a pure and spiritual thing. For the jinns are
not after any material benefits whatsoever. They don’t have
any special wishes either. They established relations only on
the basis of whether each one’s “self” agreed to talk with the
other. This means that real friendship has nothing to do with
material benefits. It is first of all the harmony between souls,
characteristics and ideas.
Therefore there are different kinds of friends:
True friends;
Friends of gluttony;
Friends of women;
Friends of material values;
Friends of professional posts.
Only the first one is your real friend. All the rest are
false and after their own benefits from you.
Friendship is a great concept. For it relieves one of
spiritual loneliness. Since friendship is an excellent matter of
ethics, there are many beautiful literary works on friends and
friendship.
Friendship between the same genders, mentality or
interests are usual.
The relations between two people take place in the private
world where third parties are not allowed to intervene.
The friendship between the brave man and his horse are
dealt with in many beautiful works. These works define
friendship as sharing the same destiny and the relations

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between the two in moments of difficulty. This is the
sincerest form of friendship.
There is a friendship between man and his Creator.
Allah the Almighty’s friends are called saints or holy people.
These are people that devote all their lives, and bodily and
spiritual assets to Allah. Some of them even avoided
marriage so that their hearts were not divided.
“You told all your secrets to that friend of yours. What
if he intends to speak ill of you and discloses them to the
public?” one man asked another. That man replied:
“If that friend of mine speaks ill of me and discloses
my secrets to the public, then life would be meaningless for
me. It wouldn’t be worth living then. For that friend of mine
is the meaning of life for me.”
The friend is what gives meaning to life. When one
talks sincerely to one’s close friend, one feels relaxed. Man
wishes to talk about certain things that cannot remain inside
him. Such things man can share with his friend. Then he
will become relaxed.
Friendship means devotion of one’s heart to another
person. This means friendship is an ability that resides in the
heart. The heart’s main ability is to love.
Friendship is affection, compassion and mercy.
The wealthiest is he who is rich in love and mercy.
Turkmens should be rich in love, compassion and mercy.
Independent and Eternally Impartial Turkmenistan should be
a country of friendship and brotherhood.

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WEALTH IS A MEASURE AGAINST
YOUR WILLPOWER
Wealth is not an end in itself, it is a means. A means to
become a proper man.
Wealth provides benevolence as long as it remains as a
means. When it becomes an end in itself, it works counter to
the good of man and does severe harm to man, and in the
end, destroys man totally. In that case, wealth acquires that
man, and the man himself becomes a tool.
Wealth should be at man’s service, and not vice versa.
Therefore one of the most important problems in life is this:
What should one’s view of wealth be? What matters is that
one should not surrender his heart to wealth. In that case you
will always manage wealth. One should really be able to
manage wealth because man has the following essence: Allah
created man out of light and soul, whereas all types of wealth
are material, so such material things must be at men’s service.
Therefore, excessive love of worldly goods is attempting to
be the ruled rather than the Ruler.
Your bodily appetites are the most dangerous threats to
you. If you do not put an end to them at the beginning, then
they can devastate you completely.
Wealth is water and man is the seed. If you use water
sparingly and use it efficiently, you will obtain great amounts
of crop out of the seed. If there is insufficient water, the seed
will die. And if there is more than necessary, then the seed
will rot. Find the golden ratio between drought and
devastation, and this will make a man out of you.
If you do not satisfy your desires by saving,

353
contentedness and spirituality, then you will not be able to
satisfy them through material things. Greed will debase man,
and it will make enemies out of his relatives.
Bodily appetites are a problem; your modest self is the
solution. Your modest self can teach you how to live happily
on limited resources.
Wealth is a flood. You cannot a resist a flood. It is
preferable to step aside and avoid the flood. What can save
you from that flood is your modest and contented heart.
Bodily appetites cause greediness.
Allah Almighty created everything in such a way that
creatures can decompose in themselves. Your bodily appetites
might ruin you from within at an unexpected moment.
Be concerned about your head, and not about your
stomach.
The best thing in the world is holy light. The best kind
of wealth is spiritual wealth.
If you have enough for your subsistence, then don’t try
to be rich.
Everything is transitory. So is wealth. Allah is the
possessor of time. All wealth belongs to Allah and he gives
extra wealth to the wealthy. He bestows wealth in your
account. It is deposited in the names of people, So that wealth
is in fact not yours but granted or deposited to your account.
Wealth cannot last forever. For it cannot stay at a certain place.
It transfers from one name to another by the order of Allah.
The man who is rich in his modest self and heart is indeed
one who does not surrender himself to wealth, and run after
it greedily.
23. Rukhnama

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If the amount of labour spent equals the wealth acquired,
then that wealth will be acquired through halal or proper
means.
Wealth acquired through improper (haram) means is the
kind acquired through the abuse of others.
Proper wealth comes after honest deeds, and improper
wealth follows from deceit.
Allah made you wealthy so that you may use what you
have for the benefit of humanity. The best kind of wealth is
the one utilized to the benefit of society.
Proper wealth is an equal of faith.
Generosity is the sign of propriety, and meanness is the
sign of impropriety.
If a man cannot free himself, society cannot free that
man, either. One can free oneself through integrity. Integrity
gives you the right to live as an upright man and to feel relaxed.
An honest man will never feel guilty.
Let your thoughts and plans be true in essence, let your
words be right and let the jobs you do be proper in nature.
This is how real truth will come around.
Proper acquisition of wealth, and spreading the
accumulation of this type of wealth everywhere is directly
proportional to concerns over the unity and oneness of society,
and social well-being and happiness. When wealth is acquired
in improper ways, the moral structure of society is harmed,
and society is damaged gradually. Honest men are a guarantee
of faith and security in a society. They are the means to purify
the moral conduct of the society. The more honesty there is,
the better humanity will be.

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Maintenance of wealth and utilizing it in proper ways
are more difficult than acquiring it. The first condition for
utilizing wealth for proper ends is the acquisition of it through
proper means. I do get upset when I see that some people are
spending money on improper deeds. Learn more about how
to spend when one is wealthy. When you earn, spend so that
your expenditure benefits your nation, relatives and family!
Spend so that your spirit becomes richer, your reputation
grows, and your mind and knowledge expands! Strive to be
consistent in your spending or using your wealth. Do not let
additional spiritual benefits leave you by depending on one
single such benefit. Work always, so that the spring of wealth
continuously releases sources. Always focus on this issue.
Wealth should make you closer to the ordinary people, rather
than separating you from them. You need your mind to be
rich. Buried money is of no use to you or society. That will
only add to your fears, hesitations and doubts. It will ultimately
cause problems for you.
Wealth that does not benefit the public is not real wealth.
That is not Golden wealth, but an ordinary piece of iron.
Wealth is not the pleasure of one’s self, but it is the interest of
the public. If you utilize wealth for proper and righteous ends,
it will grow. If you don’t, it will shrink. For the value of wealth
will be evident after its proper use.
Avoid doing improper deeds with the wealth you have.
That is the gravest of all sins. Investing money in the exchange
of things that lead astray or corrupt people in fact does harm
to one’s nation. For the gains you make out of such investment
would only be a disaster that your own family would suffer
from.

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Wealth results from labour. But work not for extra gains
first of all. In the beginning work to survive and be happy to
a modest extent. The amount you need for survival will be
enough for you live on properly. The kind of wealth acquired
improperly is the total of gains unjustly seized from others.
Properly acquired wealth is a blessing. Get others to call
you not merchant, but blessed, noble. Let people see that your
wealth is legitimate and blessed and not without legitimacy
or blessing. Labour helps you survive. Proper labour relieves
man of his illnesses, being upset, greedy and poor.
Laziness is the essence of one’s bodily self.
Labour is the source of being blessed.
Labour is also the source of wealth.
Think about how you will make use of your wealth before
attempting to acquire it. Don’t wait too long to think about it.
If you don’t know where and how you will spend it, then
unfortunate results await you.
The real Turkmen is the one whose heart moves away
from the concept of wealthiness as he gets wealthier. He does
not display arrogance on the grounds that he has accumulated
lots of wealth. Nor does he become upset if his wealth
decreases. The wealthier he becomes, the broader his horizons
get since he can find proper ways to make use of his wealth
for his own needs and to the benefit of society.
Wealth is the foundation and its construction on that
ground is Allah’s mercy.
Let your wealth be at the service of your spiritual world.
Wealth is not the possessor of man but man is the
possessor of wealth. Now that you are the master already,
don’t try to become the slave!

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Once in ancient times a modest farmer had two sons.
They told their father:
“Father, we wish to travel the whole world and look for
the means of subsistence that will make us happy. We would
like to give it a try. If we become very poor, we will come
back and follow your path,” and they left the village.
Allah’s grace made them meet a saint on the way. The
saint said:
“Boys, you are the sons of a generous farmer, ask of me
whatever you wish to have. It is my duty to fulfil it.”
The more knowledgeable of the young boys, mounted
on a farm horse said:
“May Allah thank you, I did not come to this world to
call out prayers and wishes all day. I can work. I am mentally
sound. If I am not worthy of what I have, may I find what I’m
worth.”
The saint said in reply:
“May Allah be with you, my son, go find your fortune.”
The other young boy, who was riding on a mare, said:
“My master, how lucky that I met you. I don’t want to
spend my whole life trying to earn just one loaf of bread.
Give me wealth.”
“OK, pass through this river, and you’ll find a cave in
the mountains there. You will see a grand gate to the cave.
Open that gate and take the treasure inside,” said the saint
and gave him the key. “My advice is that when you go to get
the treasure, just don’t forget the real thing.”
Obviously the young boy did not listen to the advice of
the saint, for he had learned exactly where the treasure was.

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He took off his clothes, held the key in his teeth and jumped
into the river. He swam to the other side of the river. As the
saint had told him, he reached the cave and opened its door.
He saw that there was a great treasure inside. But he had
nothing with him to put the treasure in; he had no bag or
sack! Then the boy realized that he had forgotten to take the
real thing. Nevertheless, he tried to take as much as he could
and left the cave. He wished to enter again, but the door
was closed already. The saint appeared nearby at that very
moment:
“So, that’s your share of the treasure, young boy! Because
you forgot three essential things: First, you should have
thought about how much you should take, second, how to
take it, and third you left the key to wealth inside for a fistful
of gold!”
Once upon a time a saint was told to visit a mean man
called so-and-so who lived in such-and-such street.
The saint arrived at that man’s house in the evening. He
knocked at the door. The mean man asked:
“Who is that?” The saint replied: “I’m a visitor that Allah
sent; I thought you would be able to help me.”
“That’s fine. If you are a visitor that Allah sent, then
there is a little mosque over there. Go there and stay as long
as you wish. Obviously Allah will not expel you from that
place,” replied the mean man, without even opening the door.
Facing this unexpectedly, the saint turned back towards
his home. But before he left he saw that a poor man was
warming himself close to an oven in the mean man’s garden.
The saint approached and the poor man, who did not know
the saint who greeted him said: “Come, have a rest.”

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“What are you up to here?” the saint asked.
“The judge has called me before him tomorrow. I have
no place to stay now, nor do I have anything to eat. I saw that
the oven was very hot. I think loaves of bread have just been
baked in it. I took the smell of the bread, that fed my desire,
and with the oven’s heat I have warmed up my body.”
The next day, the saint accompanied the man to the office
of the judge. The judge assessed the case and gave the man
the death penalty. The judge asked the poor man:
“You will be executed in the afternoon. Tell us your last
wish.”
“I complain of nobody in this world, but they call Turan
shah a man of justice. If he is really so, may he let me dig my
own grave in the ruins of a former estate of ours, and may he
allow me to be buried there,” the poor man said.
The Soltan was informed of the man’s wish, and gave
permission for what he wanted. The Soltan thought:
“There is an interesting side to this event. Let me see for
myself how the man digs his grave. For this is the first time a
criminal has requested something like this.” The Soltan then
went to the ruins where the man would be. He saw that the
criminal was digging his grave in the corner of the field. Those
who saw the Soltan all stood up and greeted him. The criminal
dared to extend a hand to salute the Soltan. The Soltan did
not feel offended since the man would soon be executed. The
Soltan said:
“I read the decree ordered by the judge. There are three
witnesses against you, but you have none who will speak for
you.

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“My Soltan, I had two such witnesses. Didn’t you just
hear them speak a while ago?”
“I heard them indeed, but the judge wouldn’t accept them
as witnesses.”
Thinking that the criminal was trying to avoid execution,
the judge cried out:
“He has no witnesses.”
The man was still digging at that time. He unearthed a
large jar at the bottom of the pit. He took the jar out of the pit.
They opened it to see that it was full of golden coins.
The Soltan said:
“Here he has a third witness.”
The saint added:
“No, my Soltan, the witnesses are four in number.”
The judge grew angry and asked:
“How come? Where are the witnesses?”
The Soltan said in reply:
“Didn’t you just notice the man’s hands when you first
came up to him? His palms have got callouses on them. A
man whose hands are so because of the hard labour he has
done cannot be engaged in theft. His two witnesses are his
two hands!”
The saint continued:
“I heard a secret voice telling me to look for my share in
the property of a mean man. But that mean man did not even
take time to open his door to me. Therefore not the mean
man, but this man who was warming himself up next to the
mean man’s oven found a fortune. Neither the judge nor you,

361
my Soltan, is to be blamed. For if this man had not been
sentenced to death, and if Allah had not inspired in him the
feeling that made him wish to be buried in these ruins that
once belonged to him, then this fortune would never have
come out. By Allah’s will, this man has found the fortune he
had a right to have.”
The Turkmen has a peculiar and interesting
understanding of material wealth. The Turkmen does not
like material wealth. But that kind of wealth is essential
sometimes. The Turkmen adopts a modest way as usual
with respect to that matter. Man should not yield to material
wealth, for this would make man greedy; but complete
denial of it would make him abstain from the world as a
whole.
The proper thing to do is to find the medium way. But to
do that requires the existence of your own moral values and a
philosophy. What does the Turkmen’s philosophy say in this
respect?
That philosophy aims at adding a spiritual aspect to
wealth. The Turkmen has never praised wealth to an excessive
extent. Money, wealth and material things have never
occupied a significant place in the Turkmen’s heart. But
properly acquired wealth is welcomed by the Turkmen. He
thinks that kind of wealth is a fortune and he respects such
wealthy people.
How does wealthiness differ from proper wealthiness?
At first sight, it seems as if there is no difference since they
both refer to material things. But the matter concerns the
thoughts behind them. Every idea is a measure against which
the extent to which the citizens agree to the truth can be

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measured. Material things do not differ from one another
but ideas are totally different.
Wealthiness refers to ordinary material things.
“Proper wealthiness” refers to the material benefits that
have a spiritual aspect. That kind of wealth is acquired through
proper work. The benefits are the gifts granted by Allah to
man in return for his honest deeds. This wealth and these
gifts relate directly to the proper deeds. Properly acquired
wealth does not lead one to excessive behaviour or bad deeds.
This is the essence of the whole matter.
Proper wealthiness is limited in amount. Allah grants to
every being its proper share. That is, Allah loves those who are
moderate. For sure, no one will be granted another’s share since
man does not need a great amount of wealth to survive. But
there is no spiritual limit to proper wealthiness. Therefore try
to acquire proper wealth and not material wealth. Material
wealth will lead you out of the way. Material wealth is the
source and result of improper acts. Proper wealth is acquired
proper deeds and it leads one to a pure soul and ethical conduct.
The Turkmen of the Golden Age should limit himself in
material respects, and should try to gain all that he can
spiritually.
Improperly acquired wealth will be the share of those
who are improper. Therefore, those who acquire improper
wealth develop uncontrollable inclinations toward improper
deeds. His desires shackle the man, and he becomes their
slave. The total of these desires is called the “evil self” by the
Türkmens.
Properly acquired wealth and comfort purifies one’s
heart. The man with a pure heart feels that a giant force stands

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behind him. He has no sins to be ashamed of, he is clear
before everyone else, before the nation and before Allah.
This is spiritual freedom.
Wealth enslaves the man, properly acquired wealth
yields freedom.
Escape slavery, march toward freedom!
If you want to build a house you should first flatten the
ground and lay a foundation.
Wealth brings evils to the unskilled. You see many
examples of this in your daily life. The Turkmens say, “Even
the beggar needs to spend some effort.” To be wealthy, you
should first prepare yourself for the idea of being wealthy.
Then you should learn how to maintain that wealth.
Maintaining wealth is more difficult than acquiring it. This is
the all the more difficult for the Turkmen. The Turkmen is
generous in material and moral terms. The Turkmen is like the
Hatam Tayam, who was a generous man.
I am not arguing for meanness, stinginess or greediness.
But I don’t like profligacy either. The best way is the modest
way. The modest way is the Golden guide!
The Turkmen nation has access to infinite wealth. Our
citizens may become richer and richer if I distribute all we
have to them. But are our people ready for such richness after
70 years of poverty?
“It is the sheep that likes comfort, especially the sheep
darkest in colour.”
Man needs great willpower to be able to cope with
wealth. Man needs to have a comprehensive grasp of things,
be wise and thoughtful to be able to cope with wealth. Dignity
is essential!

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One of my main goals is to prepare the Turkmen nation
for the acquisition of wealth. I am making my nation adapt
itself to wealth slowly. Your lives are improving day by day,
year by year. Maybe you don’t notice this. But this does not
escape my eye even for a single moment.
The Turkmen nation must be one that can cope with wealth
and that can utilize wealth to the benefit of society and its
bright future.
Adopt it as your desire to acquire proper wealth. My
main goal is to realize this desire of yours. When we join
hands, we will definitely reach our targets.
THE WOMAN IS THE CORE OF THE FAMILY
Those who love deeply and who marry their beloveds in
sincerity and deep affection are the fortunate ones whose ways
are paved by life and Allah!
Men who respect their wives and who can get on well
with them without harsh quarrels and without being attached
to an excessive extent are those lucky people who have a
great fortune. It is unity and integrity, fortune and mutual
understanding that prevail in such a family. Such a family is
a very fortunate one.
The woman is the Soltan of the home; she presides over
the household!
Women should be given their proper value through
affection, love, and mutual respect.
If newly-weds do not treat each other with respect from
the first day of their marriage, but always do harm to one
another and damage their reputation, then in-laws will not

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respect them for long. Then their relatives and neighbours
will not respect them either. In this case, one or other of the
pair starts struggling for survival day and night, and the two
of them fight with one another and the relatives and
neighbours. Gorkut ata wished that one might be protected
by Allah against the evils of a bad spouse. Yet Allah will
not protect one from a bad spouse because, “even a monster
would flee from such a spouse,” as they say.
A sweet word opens all doors; a bitter one causes enmity
toward you!
It is the husband’s and his relatives’ duty to help the new
bride to get used to the habits and behaviour of the family.
The Turkmen have a beautiful tradition; a new bride bows
her head to her father-in-law and mother-in-law, then the
daughters in the house take her to the neighbours’ and
relatives’ houses. The bride greets them in the same way.
She shows respect to her new relatives by complying with
this wise Turkmen tradition. This amounts to saying that if you
have respect for your husband, then you should also show
respect to his family. That is how relationships are grounded
on the foundation of respect. May this respect and affection
turn into a great love and friendship as time passes. May the
new bride be the most beloved and beautiful bride of the
family and the neighbourhood. This depends on how the men
act in this regard.
There is a principle in life: One should choose a
profession and spouse for oneself in youth. However the
young have their heads in the clouds. They wish they could
marry the most beautiful and cleverest girls. But the wisest
thing to do is to choose your equal.

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I remember listening to a story when I was a child:
Once, a young boy jumped into the river to swim. He
sees with surprise that a water fairy is swimming in the river
unaware of what is happening around her. The young boy
moves close to her without being seen and catches the fairy:
“I love you. Marry me!” he says.
The fairy replies:
“Brave boy, your lot is to be loved. But you cannot live
under water, and I cannot live above it. This love would
ruin us. The best we can do is for me to try to realize some
wishes of yours. But be wise and choose your equal as your
beloved!”
The fairy then tells the young boy to swim across the river
and light a fire at the foot of the mountain. She gives a lock of
her hair to the young boy before he leaves, and tells him to put
the hair into the fire he will light. The moment the young boy
does what she says, the skirt of the mountain splits into two
and a grand door opens. The young boy enters through the door
and sees a magic mirror the fairy mentioned before he came to
the cave. The young boy looks at his image in the mirror for a
long time and then walks through the curtain hanging there. He
is startled. He sees a fairy living in a fine and beautiful mansion,
and he starts trembling as soon as he looks her in the eye. To
that fairy’s right was another fairy. She was hardly visible as
her clothes were so heavily embroidered in pearls, silvers and
golden jewellery. On the left was another fairy displaying
affection, love and merciful feelings.
The young boy looked at the fairy girls for a while and
took away the one that was living in the highest place. As
soon as they left the cave the beauty of the fairy surpassed

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the light of the sun. Proud, the young boy looked at the fairy
and got a huge shock: the beautiful fairy whose hand he was
holding was in fact a snake. Surprised, the young boy calls
out to the water fairy:
“Who is this I am holding in my hand? Wasn’t it a
fairy?”
“She is not a snake. By the will of Allah, she will become
a monster after your wedding!”
“What harm did I cause to you? Why did you give me a
monster?”
“Didn’t I tell you to look in the mirror at the cave’s
entrance?”
“Yes, you did, and I did what you said.”
“Although you did, it seems that you couldn’t see
yourself properly. Although you saw yourself in the mirror,
it seems you didn’t recognize yourself properly. You were
silver yourself and you took away the golden fairy. It’ll be a
fairy one day, and a monster for the next two. Your share was
the girl who was displaying affection and mercy. She was the
proper one for you. You won’t be a lover to the fairy you
chose, you’ll only be a slave to her.” The water fairy then
plunged deep into the sea and disappeared.
One who marries a wealthy girl without considering his
own poverty will obviously have to suffer from many
difficulties. He lives on earth, but falls in love with the one in
the sky. He sticks to a branch where he shouldn’t, and this
becomes a lifetime’s evil for him.
Know yourself, and know the girl you will love and
choose for yourself!

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If a man and a woman pass over the bridge of love,
then they will always be happy!
If the man and the woman pass over the bridge of logic
and wisdom, then they will have a long-lasting family!
If the man and the woman are not proper for each other,
then this family will be an unhappy one!
It is the child that brings strength, friendship, love and
happiness to the family. The existence of a child in a household
turns the love between the man and the woman into one between
the father and the mother. That is the noblest among the various
kinds of love. For the parents can dedicate their whole lives
and happiness to their child, and this gives them happiness.
My advice to the young is to love and be loved but be fit
for one another! You can tie a horse and an ox to the same
carriage, but then that carriage is not a carriage proper, and
you cannot go any further with it.
The woman is the ground on which the household stands.
One wishing to have a long-lasting family should first respect
the woman who works hard for the good of the household.
The woman will then spare no effort for the household.
The husband and the wife constitute a new family, a
new household and a new core. No matter how many
children you have, if the ground is torn up, then the
household becomes uncared for. When the woman is gone,
then the comfort of the household is gone, When the man is
gone, a major component of the household is gone. Allah
created everything in pairs. The sky and the earth, the Moon
and the Sun and even the mountains and the seas exist as
counterparts of one another.

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Our Respected Leader Great Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy’s copy
of the scripts of Rukhnama.
24. Rukhnama

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In Turkmen folklore, in the tale of Akpamik, the souls
of the giants are kept secure in a glass jar under a rock.
That is why no one can kill the giants. As the soul of the
man is maintained in the heart of his beloved, they have
the desire to live. The courtesy of the beloved elevates
men and makes them persevering. If a man’s wife is at
odds with him at home, then he will not be spiritually strong
at work or in other places. The man whose wife awaits
him with deep love, who has no credit in his own home is
easily recognized through facial expression, speech and
clothing.
In another tale, once they asked the Moon:
“You sometimes become full and polish the world with
your silver light; and sometimes you are very small and one
can hardly see you in your crescent form. What is the reason
behind this?”
“When my husband the Sun smiles at me I will be the
full Moon; I become very happy. And when he glares at me
angrily, I become so small that I cannot be seen.”
O Youth! Each of you is a Sun. If you smile at your
wives they will fill the world with light just as the Moon
does.
***
In fact, the Turkmen nation is one that knows how to be
thankful to Allah, how to save, and how to maintain the
traditions of their forefathers. It has no respect for digressions
from the true path.
The great independence of our nation, the sovereignty and
freedom of our nation, and the eager spirit of our “10-Year

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Development” program and the national development
movement requires us to maintain and add to the value of
each and every acre of our land as if maintaining pieces of
gold.
Small peoples that survive by depending on a greater
state lose their own traditions and get intermingled with the
people of the sovereign people. But we the Turkmens have
not lost our identities and we are protecting our traditions.
We have great plans and we want to become a great nation.
This we must be proud of.
My beloved people! If this Rukhnama inspires your souls,
then you will not need to worry about your powers to sustain
the development of Turkmenistan’s independence and the peace
and comfort of its citizens and to protect its land.
Our youth and the rest of our nation should be strong
morally and be rich in spiritual wisdom.
From now on, we should make sure our entire Turkmen
nation, our grandmothers, our grandfathers, our children in
kindergarten, our young boys and girls, never loses its
enthusiasm. We should always strive to make our people
happy. Honesty should be their companion; they should be
enthusiastic with pure desires and wishes.
A people living in its own land freely and independently
and without fear is a happy people.
Nothing in history could degrade the humane qualities
and hospitality of the Turkmen nation. Neither has anything
reduced its spiritual power. Any Turkmen you can come up
with would either be writing a poem or playing a musical
instrument to express his or her happiness. Many of the lines
that Makhtumkuli recited as the signs of the brilliant

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Turkmen spirit have already become proverbs in the daily
lives of the Turkmen nation:
Pyragy asks from the Turkmen land / May the enemy
keep away from its red rose / Before we pass away / May
the enemy retreat immediately!.. O mankind, the Turkmen
land is my land / No other farther land is preferable to me...
Pyragy my eyes are so tired reflecting upon the homeland /
It seems that I will remain apart from my homeland...May
vast lands Hydyr wonders about be the share of ours/ Let
our homeland be settled and permanent / May we eat at the
same table...A brave son comes from a brave father, a coward
will never become brave, / Never will a land be unpleasing
if those born in that land are honest!...Rather than remaining
homesick in lands far away, / I’d prefer my being in my
homeland despite difficulties, or bad treatment...Come my
self, listen to my advice,/ May you not leave your
hometown...Fighting against one another is not an affair for
true men, / This is the devil’s affair, or maybe they are blind
against one another, / Conflicts will remove peace from our
land / And this will give the enemy privilege in this
world...Pyragy I fell in love, / I jumped into the sea and was
captured by the waves, / May my descendants not be held
low, / I wish for a sustainable peace...The great lands will
disperse and slacken / If the brave men do not remain so...A
land in conflict, / Is as if it lost peace...One would be
ashamed / If the country was headless...If I stole your
valuables I did not mean to assault you / Since I am the
poor, I have no place other than beside you...”
My dear Turkmen! Let me briefly express some of my
advice to you. We’ve been living as a free and independent
people for 10 years.

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Our souls become one in various festivals and
commemoration days attended by all the public in every
corner of our nation to remember past sorrows and
anniversaries. These events contribute to the spiritual
strength of our people. They make people closer to one
another. This is life, and it bears an infinite number of
difficulties. The festivals help us erase these difficulties
from our minds.
Each Turkmen should enthusiastically celebrate our
festivals in the way our ancestors did. Life will seem to be a
form of beauty, the bright future in the vision of smiling faces,
smiling eyes and tired souls who are celebrating one event
here and another there.
Turkmen rugs, jewellery and handmade golden and silver
products should always be exhibited in those events. Our
historical silverware and goldware have come to be the
favourites of women as beautiful as fairies. The Turkmen horse
should be on view at every event. Our historical silver- and
goldware that somehow appear in the world market are
priceless. Famous movie artists, theatre stars, famous women
of arts and letters would deem it a privilege to own Turkmen-
made silver- and goldware.
Pay attention to the jewellery worn by Turkmen girls; the
gupba-tuvulga, chekelik-bukav protects the neck from
attacks with swords, the gulyaka protects the chest. The
bracelet covers the wrist, and various pieces attached on the
front and back of dresses prevent injuries from arrows and
spears. If the Turkmen girl wears all her jewellery, she
becomes like a warrior shielded by her jewellery.
Calculations tell us that a woman should be carrying a total

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of 36 kilograms of silver and gold if she wears all her
jewellery. The Turkmen praises the woman highly.
Our forefathers said of the various kinds of saz (musical
instruments) that add colour to celebrations and festivals,
“Music and celebrations provide guidance for man. The
celebration relates to the bodily world, and the music relates
to the spiritual world. When combined, the celebration and
the music will guide man’s material and spiritual world.”
I wish to say, “If you want to understand the
characteristics of the states and nations, listen to their music;
if you wish to know of the level of happiness in the family
listen and see how songs and music find reflection in that
household!” When setting out for warfare, our ancestors
brought with them musical instruments, standards and flags
to support the enthusiasm of the soldiers. The sound of the
kos, reminiscent of thunder, the sounds of the zurna that
shake hearts, and the sacred tone of the gycak25
have all
been sources of power, courage and inspiration for the
Turkmens. Each musical group plays seven to twelve
instruments. Now is the time to show the whole world the
continuity of the rich Turkmen music with its national
qualities pleasing the ear and soul, inspired by our ancestors.
And first we ourselves should own and reclaim it.
***
I have travelled in almost all the places in the Turkmen
land consecrated by the Turkmen nation. I travelled recently
to the highly esteemed Uzboy.
25
a small stringed musical instrument made out of a gourd keeping its original shape and played
with a fiddle on the knee

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Uzboy means the place where the houses of Oguz stand in
order next to one another. In the past, the villages and towns of
the Turkmen people were arranged in order by the Jeyhun.
Gardens, springs, trees, and flowers and all the facilities needed
all stood in unity. This was called the Turkmen garden. And
now? Nothing but ruins. Deserted villages and towns. See the
plain that lies below; all the graves are dug into the ground and
lost. The graveyard is the memory of history! Why did Oguz
leave Uzboy? Because the Oguz river dried up. If there is no
water, then there is no life. The Oguz had to migrate because of
drought.
Although it is centuries since the Jeyhun river changed
its bed and left Uzboy, we still see little ponds here and
there. There are wild grasses around them! Part of the water
in those ponds came from the ground and part is still not
salty. One still sees Turkmen villagers in Uzboy who are
engaged in animal husbandry. The grass and dried shoots
are in fact invaluable for livestock and wild animals as food
during winter. It is also a haven for wild game and hunting
animals!
Water is scarce in Turkmenistan. Were it possible, we
would re-vitalize the Uzboy for the sake of the memory of
our ancestors who were not pleased with the situation of
Uzboy in the past.
Wait, my Uzboy! One day I hope you will recover your
former beauty. We have started building the Turkmen lake
here. One day we will transfer its endless waters to you
through refineries and provide you with an abundant amount
of water. The Turkmen nation will follow the path left by
their ancestors and hoist the green flag of life in Uzboy again!

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If Allah helps us, the Turkmen’s gardens will be watered
and the waters will reflect their full dazzling colours,
fragrance and splendour once again.
The whole of Turkmenistan will have many productive
gardens!
This matter should be adopted as a state policy. My
dear Turkmen! Make every effort to make a paradise out of
Turkmenistan. I am calling out to every wealthy Turkmen
family. Those wishing to pay their indebtedness to Allah
and the public should plant a tree in the streets, gardens,
neighbourhoods and graveyards that are nearby!
My Dear Country!
Every people aspires to wealth. Such aspirations cannot
be realized unless they are guided and led by the state. In
order to render Rukhnama the Turkmen’s essence, present,
and future, we need administrators who are wise, foreseeing
and who have not engaged in any improper and unlawful
deeds. If you want to be a proper headman, you will act as if
you are mother or father to the whole village. You need to
be a man that serves the village day and night. If you think
that you are the owner of the village and hold your interests
superior to those of the villagers then the way you lead people
will diverge from our way.
If you are a district governor or governor, then you will
have the whole district’s or city’s burden on your shoulders.
If you cannot warm the people under your administration
with justice in the way instructed in Makhtumkuli’s lines,
“If you are a judge, then warm your public equally in the
way the Sun does,” then you will not be a proper official.

377
In today’s world where we are leading a peaceful and
harmonious life, various Turkmen officials must be
supportive of the chief leader of the Turkmen in the event
of a catastrophe, or other disasters that might arise out of
the bad will of domestic and external forces (May Allah
protect us in such cases). Standing before threatening bullets
and agreeing to die or hiding at times of difficulty are defined
as cowardliness by the Turkmens. There is a Turkmen saying
in this context which runs, “Cowardliness is far worse than
death.”
My Dear Turkmen!
Unite in days of happiness and sorrow as proper
Turkmen!...If you stand united, there is no difficulty that you
cannot overcome.
Whenever the Turkmens got stronger, they yielded to
internal conflicts and caused their powerful states to collapse.
We should learn our lesson from history and reinforce our unity.
These words are valid for state officials, department
administrators, factory managers, governors, and in sum for
all Turkmen administrators. I will give you some information
on three official decrees out of a total of 36 issued in the year
1150 by Soltan Sanjar’s imperial office. These are found in
the official archives called, “Steps to improve clerks.”
Appointment to the governor’s office
in Gurgen and vicinities
Allah (Praise be to Him) granted us the Sultanate with
all His All-encompassing Compassion and infinite Mercy.

378
He gave us keys to conduct official responsibilities and the
means to reinforce the basis of the living conditions of the
citizens. We witnessed Holy Allah’s grants and gifts as soon
as he provided us with additional powers. No praise would
be enough to thank Him. In this transitory world happiness
and sorrow, and brilliant and ordinary days come one after
another. Sometimes some of the tasks we undertake may end
in failure. Even if the people of ill-will have time to think
that these failures will do harm to us or will put unexpected
obstacles before our wishes and will, there are many
unimaginable sacred grants under the celestial secrets. The
residents of this world know that whenever such grants are
bestowed, being on our side results in safety and comfort;
and being suspicious of us, and engaging in conspiracies
against us ends in discomfort and regret. We have come to
fulfil our responsibilities before Allah for all that He gave us
either secretly or openly. We have adopted the Quranic verse
which runs, “Say, Allah is Compassionate and Merciful,” as
our principle. We witnessed the results of the verse, “If you
praise me, I shall increase that which I bestow upon you.”
We always focused on the people’s problems that we were
ordered by Allah to protect when we were fulfilling
responsibilities. We did all that we could to disseminate justice.
We appointed experienced and ethical representatives to every
corner of the country. We ordered them to follow and organize
the affairs of the Muslim community.
Whenever we witnessed someone engaging in a crime
or in a deed not approved by us, we deemed it proper to change
that which was being conducted; in this regard we caused no
delays. With Allah’s help and grace, state affairs are
improving in a way to satisfy us. The affairs being conducted

379
under our Sultanate have been arranged properly. Those
whom we trained range from Governors presiding over the
farthest points of Turkistan to Indian princes and Soltans,
and to other states’ Soltans and governors that rule in the
terrain that stretches till the Greek and Western lands, and
they are appointed by us and we impose taxes upon them.
They are all subject to us.
The Emir Muhammed Yolabi was commissioned, trained
and appointed by us. When we appointed him to the governor’s
office in Gurgen, he showed that he was loyal to us and that
he was after his subjects’ interests. He exhibited examples of
wisdom, foresight, ethical standards, and discretion. He
started with this office successfully and completed his duties
in the same way. Our valuable traditions required us to do
what the heritage of the dead instructed us to do and as such,
and in consideration of his successful time in office, we
commissioned his son to the same office. We thought he would
follow the path led by his father in terms of loyalty, goodness
and taking care of his subjects’ interests, and that he would
imitate what he had heard and listened to from his father.
Therefore we provided him with many privileges. For a while
he acted in the way we expected. He displayed progress and
established good relations. This continued until he saw himself
as wealthier and more powerful than he actually was. He
then started behaving arrogantly and enabled the Devil to
create tensions, in the way decreed by the Quran: “No, the
man became greedy for he saw his predictions came to be
true.” If an administrator enables the Devil to create tensions
and his affairs do not proceed well, then his subjects will
have to lead a life under cruelty and in misfortune since he
digressed from the true path and led an unfavourable life.

380
In that case punishing that administrator, taking back from
him the lands and subjects under his office, overcoming the
public unrest, and getting him to taste the sorrowful pain of
his unfavourable deeds, and relieving people of their
misfortune and his cruelty became a responsibility that had
to be fulfilled. When we hoisted our flag in that region
everyone saw what he was worth for what he had done. His
armies and warriors he had been breeding for long could
not even resist a single fist of our soldiers. Those who were
present there saw for sure that he made a grave mistake by
trusting his army as ever and that type of mistake would
even cause the Devil to find a place to flee to.
Now that we had confidence in Allah’s might and
power, and in celestial patronage, this very numerous army
of the traitor was ruined as decreed in the Holy Quran:
“We made him like the reaped corn. It was as if he weren’t
rich the day before.” When it was evident that the war
followed a course to our benefit, those warriors who started
fleeing and wandering to and fro, begged mercy everywhere
and sought our commanders’ and soldiers’ compassion.
After that, in line with the dignity granted to us by Allah
and thanks to His Mercy (Highest of the Praises be to Him)
we forgave them all in accordance with our virtues which
tell us to assist those who yielded to mishaps and to forgive
the criminals, and as per the decree which ran, “You won’t
be condemned today.” We declared to the residents of
Gurgen and its vicinities that we welcomed the peoples of
Amul and Tabarystan, and those urban residents and others
living near the sea. We told them we shared their feelings.
Thus, we paid them special respect, gave them privileges
over other people under different governors. And we

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provided them with the comfort, safety and justice for which
they have been longing for years.
We expressed thanks to Allah (He is the Almighty and
the Great Allah) and held discussions where different
viewpoints were expressed. We made a decision to subject
the residents of certain towns, soldiers and civilians, all
regional residents, castles and residences in those districts,
treasures, plains, mountains, sites on the ground and the sea
to the patronage and order of the new governor. I appointed
my son Malik Gyyasetdin we’d-duyya Malik’u-l ‹slam Mesud
(May he have a long life) as the new governor. He is of a
pure Seljuk Turkmen generation. He agrees to be bound by
our traditions and developed administrative skills; he intends
to hoist the flag of the religion and establish the sacred law
of Islam; he shows respect to Allah (May his name become
famous); he is concerned over the elderly, and he is skilled
at establishing proper relations with his subjects. So skilled
is he that though he is young, even experienced old men
who suffered from the pains of life have much to learn from
him. We trained him (May Allah give him long life, peace
and may He protect him) so that he could preside over the
whole world. We declared publicly that he would be the
Soltan. This declaration is still valid.
Without regard to this declaration, and now that he has
become extremely interested in the affairs of that country,
we ordered this decree. We confirm in practice that this decree
and instruction will be valid in consideration of Allah’s
words in the sacred Quran: “We will release another verse
in place of any other one that we lifted or made you forget,
it will be similar to or better than the former one.” This

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change in office has evidently nothing to do with former
issues. When taken into careful consideration, this change
gives us the opportunity to say, “We dethroned the giant
and placed there Suleyman instead.” Those who have
common sense know that this sets a wise example and it will
not cause any repentance. Praise be to Allah for He rewards
those who reject, confirm, prove, resolve and judge. We are
always indebted to Him. From now on my dear son’s (may
he always be glorious) orders and instructions will be valid
whenever he wishes them to be valid. His decisions equal
ours in that they will apply to detentions or releases,
approvals and refusals, dismissal, forgiving or punishing
criminals, sending or not sending to exile. We order that
everyone should recognize this as such. We state that his
orders and prohibitions will be deemed to be of ours in every
respect and everywhere. We order him to obey Allah in all
that he does either openly or secretly, and to follow the way
of loyalty and fear toward Allah (He is High and Almighty)
so that he may find peace in both worlds. For “He who
fears from Allah will attain to superiority.” With respect to
the establishment of the sacred law of Islam, May Allah make
him very respectful to the judges, religious leaders and men
of letters (Allah be pleased with them all) who are responsible
for the protection of the Prophet’s heritage. He will help
them in carrying out legal transactions and making decisions.
He will display signs of persistence and faith to the infidel
in battles against the infidel who live on the borders of
Dehistan and Muygyshlak.
He will, when necessary, crush or destroy them as
decreed by Allah: “Obey him in the way you are to, it is Allah
that chose you.”

383
He will give utmost importance to the safety of travellers
and passages on the ground and the sea. He will be sensitive
toward farther regions that require awareness all the time.
He will punish those engaged in improper deeds, infidelity
and theft in line with what Allah (He is the High and the
Almighty) says: “Those who act contrary to Allah and His
representatives will be punished in the following way: they
will either be killed or crucified, or their hand and legs are
cut, or they are sent to exile.” He will appoint wise and
experienced commanders who are loyal to castles and
important locations. He will be sensitive on this issue and
never forget that he should always keep it so. He will exhibit
unlimited respect for administrators and men of reputation
that live in Horasan, Iraq and Mesopotamia, according to
the level of the posts they hold. He will listen to their advice.
He will receive everybody’s opinion carefully, analyse different
viewpoints and do whatever is most beneficial according to
him. He will comply with justice in all that he does. He will
do every job to the full, without its remaining arbitrary or
incomplete. He will consult experienced older people who
are loyal before he does anything. He will adopt it as his
main goal to win peoples’ hearts in administrative affairs
and provide them with comfort. By the same token, he will
never let the servants, slaves or the freed individuals become
open or secret enemies to one another. For wishes and disputes
among the public might result in violations, fights and
bloodshed. He will fix various types of gifts and grants
according to the type of service rendered by everyone, and
he will give these gifts.
He will not immediately punish those people under
his patronage if they commit a crime. He will not act in

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haste and punish others. He will not punish soldiers and
his officers in haste. Unless evident or proven, he will not
decree a punishment for any crime. For sure, if he knows
of the treachery and the evils of another person he will not
forgive them since the greatness of a ruler depends on to
what extent his orders are being confirmed and executed.
He will tell his officers not to make citizens face
unnecessary difficulties. He will order his officers to collect
various types of taxes fixed by law (the Quran, 16: 92) in a
polite manner, not to charge the public extra amounts, and
to protect those who are subject to them under justice and
law. “For sure, Allah orders that you be generous, just and
lawful to those nearby. He prohibits badness, excessiveness
and murders. He gives you the advice. He orders these so
that maybe you could take examples from these.” When he
listens to the cases brought before the head of the court of
Mazali, he will order him to pay all due attention, to listen
to all the parties’ statements carefully, to take back the
right of the oppressed from the oppressor, and give the
oppressed their rights. He will warn him often so that he
will not divert from truth, will avoid intolerance, hypocrisy,
bigotry, and fraud.
Dear son, the greatest ruler is the one who will believe
that our words in this instruction are compliant with Allah’s
order: “O David, Verily We rendered you our representative
on earth. Judge then between people in justice.” (The Quran,
38:25)
The decree follows: Gurgen, Tabarystan, Dehistan,
Bistam and Damgan’s officers, tradesmen and residents,
either slave or free, (May Allah grant them prosperity!)
should recognize the great ruler as their Soltan and ruler.

385
They should be honest when they submit to him. They should
submit to whatever is ruled by him, and serve him frankly.
They should try to fulfil his orders as soon as possible.
They should not avoid the instructions of their officers
and find excuses. They should know that his decrees are
the same as ours, and his approval of or anger toward a
particular issue is the same as our approval of or anger
toward that particular issue. They should consult his
representatives for their wages and means of subsistence.
All wealthy people, citizens and military leaders should
consult the supreme court composed of trustworthy
members. Taxes fixed upon his orders and decrees should
be paid. We hope they will remember our administration
as one that gave benefits to them.
Another decree:
Appointment to governor’s office in Sarahs
The sustenance of the state and the regularity of its
affairs depend on the fruits of justice and on how these
fruits taste. The Soltan of the world will only have Allah’s
grace if he rules justly. Since we have started ruling this
world by Allah’s will, we have been spending every effort
to provide an equal amount of protection for everyone and
to approach everyone with mercy. This task upon us is an
order from Allah. We take care of the residents of Sarahs,
may Allah protect them, with due attention and mercy. Thus,
the administrator who will lead these people must be
experienced, persevering, persistent and to the fore in the
virtues. He should know about the pleasures and sorrows
of life. Nejmeddin şark bears all these qualities.
25. Rukhnama

386
He spent the most beautiful times of his life at the
disposal of his nation. He engaged in significant affairs, he
assumed high posts and he proved to be successful. By Allah’s
will, we deemed it proper to appoint him as the governor of
Sarahs and vicinities. This was a post that was always the
share of selected people. We ordered Nejmeddin to stick to
his duties with a pure heart and relaxed soul and solve
disputes in a confident manner. We ask him to act kindly and
respectfully toward religious leaders and scientists, and care
for all people with feelings of mercy. He will be responsible
for their safety and peace. Poor men should not be subject
to cruel acts as stated in a proverb, “The day belongs to he
who has a strong hand.” Foreign soldiers and commanders
of armies should not be permitted to collect taxes from the
public except upon displaying a document obtained from
the supreme authorities.
He will prevent the citizens from paying arbitrarily fixed
taxes, he will leave no room for privileges, he will protect
peace and justice.
According to this decree, the tradesmen, religious leaders,
sheikhs and the descendants of the Prophet and residents of
Sarahs will show respect to Nejmeddin as long as he continues
fulfilling his responsibilities, and will consult him in every
matter. They will treat well his representative. Bahauddin,
Horasan’s Governor, should support Nejmeddin in every respect.
The two will join in maintaining the safety of citizens depending
on law, and help the citizens carry out their transactions. The
administrative office’s representative will inform Nejmeddin’s
representative as to the affairs being conducted, and the two
will protect the rights of the citizens. All Turks people and

387
Tajiks will be bound by this order and they should be respectful
toward the administration of the governor. For this type of
administration is totally different from the state’s
administrations in other places. Nejmeddin’s representative will
be responsible for the fulfilment of this order, and the wage and
taxes that relate to him should be fixed upon the decision to be
made. May Allah help and be with you!
My dear Turkmen!
Find below another decree, read and learn from it! It
belongs to your forefathers. But it is a guideline for us to
select administrators even today.
Appointment to the vice-Chair’s
office in the Council of Merw
Merw is the place where the Sultanate is, where the official
flag waves, and where Allah’s grace and support embraces the
Seljuk generation. Therefore, attention should be paid so that
it is different from and more organized than other parts of the
country. Our citizens who are far away from the centre and its
periphery, and those under our administration will always
benefit from our mercy and compassion. We appoint our
councils’ trustworthy, skilled, successful and experienced
members who know much about the details of the taxation
matters of the region and who were examined by us for the
offices that need to be filled. The chair of that city’s council
was the famous scientist Zeyneddin Seyit for a long time. By
Allah’s will and after his re-election to this office, we encumbered
him with this duty again. We had confidence in his courage, his

388
foresight, his skills and kind manners, his high level of
scholarship and piety. He is an exceptional talent with all these
qualities. So many and great are the services he rendered to his
nation that no reward could be proper for him, for he deserves
more than anything that could be granted to him. His excellent
poems and prose praising the state and used as adornment in
many books will live forever. They are such valuable pieces
that they are beyond comparison. A man with such qualities
will never lose his dignity. The office of the chair of the financial
institutions was always assumed by his deputies. Zeyneddin
(May Allah grant him more) was always at our disposal and he
was responsible for the fulfilment of a very important task in
the palace. But we were informed of the fact at a time of
Zeyneddin’s absence (May Allah grant him more power) that
the supreme governor and his family were being made certain
payments regarding some of their private property and securities
and estates in a way that would not please the council and that
would not provide comfort for the subjects. And following
Zeyneddin’s report, and in consideration of what was told to
us, we ordered Zeyneddin (May Allah give him power) to deal
with the case and to organize matters. Although our palace and
council was devoid of the honour they would have had in the
presence of Zeyneddin, we gave priority to the fulfilment of
this task, and gave him (May Allah protect him) the
responsibilities relating to the taxation matters regarding the
city of Merw and its vicinities, our property and other affairs
of the year 43 together with the collection of production tax.
We authorized him to pursue this task confidently and in a safe
way, and to assess duly the former and recent payment relating
to the previous governor’s private property, securities and
estates. He will send just, considerate, pious, and religiously

389
observant collectors everywhere, and every collector will keep
books in a proper way through following the true path, will
determine payments to be made and submit the books to the
council in a timely and tidy form, and inform the council of the
course of events. We ordered Zeyneddin (May Allah help him
always) to calculate the expenses that would be required for
the allocations to seyyids (May Allah increase their number)
and to find the rest of the taxes, and to fix the resources to be
transferred to other famous people, and to find the administrative
fees (relating to the permanent retirement pay of public officials
and religious leaders). He will appoint a man in whom he has
confidence to take care of the spending of these resources. If
part of the fees or taxes are spent elsewhere, they should be
returned and restored to their former status, they should be
included within the amounts allocated for famous men and
restored to their previous condition. He should know everything
about tax-related issues. He should provide information as to
who recently started collecting taxes and the amount of tax
and the debts to be paid by particular individuals. He should
keep a record of those taxes and fees, review former accounts;
should he notice that certain matters were not recorded and
there were betrayals, then he will know that he has to correct
these mistakes.
All representatives should pay due respect to Zeyneddin
(May Allah elevate him in rank). He should be provided with
the principles regarding the resolution of tax-related matters
and guiding the collectors in how to approach the taxpayers:
All collectors of the higher inspection board should report to
him with respect to income taxes and fees that were deducted
from calculations; he will then review these diligently, and

390
later use them in the course of his duties. The representatives
of the governor (May Allah help them) should continue
respecting Zeyneddin and give him the necessary means with
a view to helping him succeed in his office. The acting chairs
(May Allah protect them) will give him all the due support
they can, they will reach agreement with him in every respect,
and convey to him and his staff their demands in line with the
needs of his representatives. All deputies, savings personnel
and public relations officers, aliens, subjects and others (May
Allah protect them all) recognize him as the highest of the
representatives. He will be given a monthly wage, and he will
not be objected to in any respect, as indicated in the order
and documents. The reputable and famous scientist
Nasyheddin (May Allah help him) will use all available means
with respect to the realization of this decree. Show respect to
Zeyneddin, have confidence in what he issues, and help him
gain personal comfort. By Allah’s will obey him absolutely.”
My dear Turkmen!
I think you will be able to understand after reading these
decrees how our ancestors chose administrators for offices and
how they fulfilled their responsibilities nine hundred years ago.
My dear Turkmen Nation!
The way I’m leading is that of freedom.
Freedom is the essential condition for one’s self-esteem.
In this context, as a social value, freedom was one of the
main characteristics of all the ages that the Turkmens passed
through. Freedom is inherent in the Turkmen.

391
However, freedom, an aspect of the everlasting Turkmen
way, should have a more concrete and peculiar meaning in
our age.
I am attempting to have a logical kind of freedom
accepted and approved by this nation. Otherwise, freedom
will turn into irregularity and destroy the essentials of the
state and harm the society.
There should be a clear borderline between freedom
and corruption. Freedom is by definition dependent on law
and it should comply with law.
If there is no freedom, then there will be no good in
this society. And the absence of law means the lack of
society itself. The essential meaning of law is the
individual’s compliance with the will accepted by the
major part of society.
The majority is the sum of thousands and millions of
individuals. In other words, it is the individual himself that
determines the destiny of the individual. This is the basic
meaning that underlies freedom. The Turkmen has maintained
his national values and traditions for centuries. These values
and traditions mean the adoption of the majority’s will as the
social principle. The Turkmen nation is a people which has
provided the best examples of living together. The ancestors
of the Turkmens said, “Turn your face to the direction where
the majority turn their faces.” This is freedom.
The way of freedom is the way of the national
perceptions and national spirit. The national principles
relating to the establishment of the Turkmen nation’s life
depend on the experience of freedom and the essentiality

392
of making use of it. Without taking into consideration the
national culture, not every socio-cultural development can
be agreed by every individual. So such developments will
only remain on paper. Therefore, it is most important for
the Turkmen to lead the spiritual way. Walking along this
way in consideration of contemporary needs, we will make
progress more easily. The way of freedom of the Turkmens
is only co-existent with proper, lawful, deeds and spiritual
power. Honesty is society’s demand from the individual;
freedom is the value of the individual that finds repetition
in society.
In order that the nation could have self-confidence, trust
in its power and future and be proud, the nation should be
informed of the eminence of its past.
This is the first condition of not going to extremes.
For going to extremes means losing one’s way, which
means diverting from the way.
For the first time in Turkmen history, the Turkmen’s past
is praised as a whole.
For the first time in the nation’s history, a Turkmen state
has been established on the basis of its own moral and national
values, and a flag that displays these values has been formed.
This is the sign of the independence of the sovereign state.
Our flag is sacred.
After centuries, our people have adopted the official flag
in harmony with their national character and the traditions of
their forefathers and have become the owner of their green
flag.
The flag of the Turkmen state has become a source of

393
national pride. This is the standard that makes our nation
proceed and our spirits elevate.
The souls of our ancestors have been absorbed into our
flag.
The placement of the Turkmen carpet motifs on our flag
symbolizes the importance of national values and national unity.
On the Turkmen flag are those characteristics we share
with our ancestors and their mistakes from which we take
lessons. Many Turkmen states unfortunately did not pay due
attention to the national language of the Turkmen.
The national language is an essential quality of our state
and society. We have been using the Turkmen language as our
official language. Otherwise, our essential quality, nationality,
would not be able to penetrate into the meaning of our state
and its properties.
The Turkmens have shown in the five ages they have
survived that they are capable of living after overcoming many
difficulties. The Turkmen who overcame these difficulties
proved that he was the Turkmen. The way of the Turkmens led
from one summit to another. The way of the contemporary age
unified the Turkmen nation and the individual. Therefore our
way is one of unity and integration.
The Turkmens need a centre of attraction that will hold
them united in material and spiritual terms in the new age.
It is only the state and its national principles that will meet
this need.
Only one thing remains of the man, the tasks he
accomplished. It is not the office we assume or the task we
undertake, but the way we follow that matters.

394
It should be our main goal to leave a valuable memoir
to future generations who will follow the Golden path we
chose. We should work, live and produce in consideration
of this aim.
The essence of the nation lies in its perception of the
world.
All the material and spiritual wealth, language, religion,
culture, state and society of the nation are founded on this
essence. If this essence lacks, none of these can be properly
established. For these do not depend on law, but rely upon
their own course. An unguided course would bring about
regression and dispersal.
The Rukhnama brings the national perception into a
system and organization. From now on, the national future
of the Türkmens will be completely guaranteed in practice.
My way is the way of our essential qualities; it is the
way where spiritual qualities become guiding principles.
Setting principles means holding things united without
releasing them or just saying, “Go find your own way.”
My way is that of spiritual strength.
My way is the one which gives the will of history to the
hand of the nation.
My way is one where national perceptions and spiritual
power unite and become one with the future.
The tone of the future is to depend on the characteristics
of the national perception and spiritual strength.
The Turkmen has a great future, a famous future, for he
has his past and today.
The difference of my way lies in that it not only covers

395
the past and this day but also understands the future and
displays it in full to the nation.
***
My dear fellow countrymen!
There are different ideas and sources of wisdom in the
world: Some are happy saying that the world is proceeding
toward the Judgment Day and many catastrophes will take
place soon (as if these will facilitate their own lives). And
some say the old world is retreating to its previous course.
Just as it is not us who set the world on its axis and caused
the world to move round its orbit so too it is not us who will
be able to change it altogether! The world is at the disposal
of Allah Almighty, the Highest of the High and the One.
Peoples, nations, states, countries of the world are
proceeding toward unification, becoming brothers, friends,
prosperous and peaceful. The world is proceeding toward
truth, justice, peace and free labour. The meaning of humanity
is constitution, production, seeking, searching and
establishing.
Dispersal has caused many problems for the world. The
solution is solidarity and unity. The good and the bad, the
light and darkness, benevolence and malevolence are almost
intermingled, but the good will supersede the bad, and
benevolence will preside over malevolence.
The world is proceeding toward a bright future. The
people who have good will and who are honest believe so.
Benevolence, good will and brightness come from Allah.
My beloved people!
We have set out on a noble way. The Turkmen said,

396
“Listen to others but do what you will.” Let us work, for
when we do so, we do it for our nation and land! Let us
build beautiful structures, for we do it for our sons, children
and grandchildren!
Setting up, bringing into existence, creating and
constructing is the way of Allah the Almighty and His
Prophets. Up to now there is no fault with those who follow
this way.
Let us establish ways of friendship, brotherhood, unity,
justice and proper knowledge. Let us be friends and find
benefits, for none will be harmed by brotherhood!
For the sake of our ancestors who founded great states
and led prosperous lives, for the sake of brave men and heroes
who died for this country, let us make independent and
impartial Turkmenistan a great and powerful state.
For the sake of those who have miraculous powers,
sacred people, men of wisdom, let us establish, produce, have
access to information, for proper knowledge should be the
foundation of our country!
Let us have the ability to foresee the future, for the sake
of brave men like Gorkut ata, for this ability should be our
country’s foundation!
Let us love one another for the sake of our forefathers
who are like saints and our grandmothers who are like angels.
Let us be brothers and confidantes to one another. May the
nation be built of love and peace!
Let us make this land for which our ancestors spilled
their blood and for which our mothers shed their tears a place
where prosperity abounds together with happiness, smiles and
joy; for this is a sacred land; for this is a holy land!

397
May our father Oguz Khan, who is like a prophet, be a
witness to what I say: the way I choose is one of justice!
May our father Gun Khan, who spreads sacred lights
from the skies, be a witness to what I say: the way I’m
leading is the enlightened way of truth!
May our father Ay Khan, who spreads silver lights all
through the night, be a witness to what I say: the way led by
the Turkmens is the Golden way!
May our father Yyldyz Khan, who keeps a close eye on
Turkmenistan as ever, be a witness to what I say: our way is
the prophets’ way!
May our father Gok Khan, who inspires our families and
hearts today and tomorrow, be a witness to the Turkmen’s
efforts to warm the heart of the world and spread its merciful
light to the future!
May our father Deniz Khan, who sends rains to the
Turkmen land from the North, be a witness to the Turkmen’s
enthusiasm, Turkmen’s progress; the power of the people is
like the power of the flood, no power can stand before us!
May our father Dag Khan, who maintains a close eye on
us as ever, be a witness to the Turkmen’s wish to attain to the
highest spiritual levels! The world may reside in our heart, and
we are a nation that deserves to reside in the heart of the world!
See for yourselves my brothers, my elders, my
grandfathers, my grandmothers, my sisters, my sons, my
grandsons, Rukhnama is complete now: This is your book,
although I am the one who wrote it. This book is your book;
it is the Turkmen’s book; it is a statement of the Turkmen’s
goals and desires.

398
Rukhnama is our way! Every Turkmen will know
himself after reading Rukhnama. Peoples of our other nations
who read the Rukhnama will understand and know the
Turkmen!
My Turkmen nation, may you never be belittled before
a great nation, and may you never grow greedy before a
small nation. The Turkmens will maintain the balance in
international relations. Let this balance be an unshakable
pillar of the Turkmen policy!
May your ways be enlightened, your future be filled
with the sacred light, your age be of gold, my eternal and
immortal Turkmen!
May the Turkmen stand as long as the world stands.
May Turkmenistan stand as long as the world stands. May
the independent and impartial Turkmenistan last forever!

399
CONTENTS
The First Section
TURKMEN....................................................................9
The Second Section
THE TURKMEN’S PATH..........................................77
The Third Section
TURKMEN NATION................................................143
The Fourth Section
THE STATE OF TURKMEN.....................................205
The Fifth Section
THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
OF THE TURKMEN................................................277

400
SAPARMYRAT TURKMENBASHY
RUKHNAMA
Printing Center of Turkmenistan
20, 1995 str., Ashgabat city, 744004
The State Publishing Service Turkmenistan
20, 1995 str., Ashgabat city, 744004

SAPARMYRAT
TURKMENBASHY
Ruhnama
SECOND BOOK
CONTENTS
THE CULTURAL LIFE OF TURKMEN ............................ 9
SPIRIT OF PATRIOTISM ................................................... 21
HAPPINESS AT HOME....................................................... 64
PARENTAL AFFECTION.................................................... 83
MANNERS FOR CHILDREN ............................................. 111
SACREDNESS OF FRATERNITY ..................................... 141
MANNERS FORNEIGBHORS ........................................... 155
MANNERS FOR RELATIVES ............................................ 176
KNOWING A PERSON BY HIS FRIEND .......................... 188
MEANING OF LIFE ............................................................ 199
THE DIGNITY OF BEING GREAT .................................... 220
DO NOT BE LOW, BE A MAN!........................................... 232
MOTHER; AFFECTION REFLECTED ON HUMAN-
BEINGS ................................................................................ 255
HOW A YOUNG TURKMEN SHOULD BE?! ................... 269
READ, LEARN, KNOW!..................................................... 293
EVERYONE HIS OWN GARDENER ................................ 320
OWNER OF HEART ............................................................ 355
THE TURKMEN DOES NOT SPARE HIS LIFE IN
BATTLES, AND HIS PROPERTY AT WEDDINGS!.......... 384
FUNERALS AND COMMEMORATIONS ......................... 401
GOOD MANNERS OF INDIVIDUALS ............................. 413
MAY YOUR SOUL BE HIGH! (BE HOPEFUL! HAVE HIGH
MORALE!) ............................................................................ 424
Special Notice About This Edition of Ruhnama II
This PDF version differs from the hardcover English translation as follows:
(1) The Table of Contents has been placed at the front.
(2) Graphics and footnotes have been omitted.
(3) Spelling errors in the original English translation have been corrected.
(4) Some grammatical changes have been made, when necessary, so that the text flows
smoothly for native English speakers.
The English translation published by the STATE PUBLISHING SERVICE of TURKMENISTAN
is the official version of Ruhnama and takes precedence over this edition. Persons using this free
PDF publication are encouraged to obtain a copy of the Ruhnama book.
* THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION. *

OATH
TURKMENISTAN, MY BELOVED MOTHERLAND,
MY BELOVED HOMELAND!
YOU ARE ALWAYS WITH ME
IN MY THOUGHTS AND IN MY HEART!
FOR THE SLIGHTEST EVIL AGAINST YOU
LET MY HAND BE LOST!
FOR THE SLIGHTEST SLANDER ABOUT YOU
LET MY TONGUE BE LOST!
AT THE MOMENT OF MY BETRAYAL
TO MY MOTHERLAND,
TO HER SACRED BANNER,
TO GREAT SAPARMYRAT TURKMENBASHY
LET MY BREATH STOP!

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF THE
INDEPENDENT NEUTRAL TURKMENISTAN
The great creation of Turkmenbashy,
Native land, sovereign state,
Turkmenistan, light and song of soul,
Long live and prosper for ever and ever!
I am ready to give life for native hearth,
The spirit of ancestors descendants are famous for,
My land is sacred. My flag flies in the world
A symbol of the great neutral country flies.
The great creation of Turkmenbashy,
Native land, sovereign state,
Turkmenistan, light and song of soul,
Long live and prosper for ever and ever!
My nation is united and is veins of tribes
Ancestors' blood, undying flows,
Storms and misfortunes of times are not dreadful for us,
Let us increase fame and honour!
The great creation of Turkmenbashy,
Native land, sovereign state,
Turkmenistan, light and song of soul,
Long live and prosper for ever and ever!
Mountains, rivers and beauty of steppes,
Love and destiny, revelation of mine,
Let my eyes go blind for any cruel look at you,
Motherland of ancestors and heirs of mine!

THE CULTURAL LIFE OF TURKMEN
My Beloved Citizens!
We declared the twenty-first century to be the golden century of the Turkmen.
We established a peaceful, neutral and stable state.
Following Ruhnama, I have read the letters that reached me everyday, reflected on
them and finally decided to write a second volume of Ruhnama, entitled "Spiritual
Wealth of the Turkmen," which is in your hands now.
Our discussion this time shall basically cover our spiritual wealth which makes a
Turkmen a real Turkmen and values which constitute our manners. If these manners and
rules are duly implemented, abundance and affluence will be ours.
Our ancestors have produced invaluable spiritual wealth. When you read this
book, you will treasure the unprecedented Turkmen manners and clearly see what a great
resource they are as well as the importance they carry.
Humanity and science are moving along incredibly fast; day by day, conditions in
the world and survival are becoming increasingly complicated. If you do not benefit from
science in the twenty-first century, you shall find yourself in a difficult situation. Experts
in this field state that within the next twenty or thirty years computers created by
mankind will become more intelligent than the human himself. Understanding the level
science has reached requires more and more serious preparation and education.
9
A man who learned how to swim in his childhood will directly jump into the river
and swim across. Yet, a man who has not learned how to swim, has to stand up and wait
like a rooted tree on the river bank wondering whether there is a boat around. Analogies
are driven not only between life, the sea or the river; but life is also compared to the
metaphors of a woman, a snake or a liar. It is compared to many things. Life is more
complex than what it is compared to. For this reason, adults should make it their duty to
raise exemplary generations to take their place. The duty of educators is to ensure that the
youth graduating from schools comes out ahead of their peers from other countries of the
world in terms of science.
The value of each and every generation is commensurate with its efforts to raise
new generations to replace them. For the progress of the State, homeland and people, it is
absolutely necessary to have well-educated generations who have good knowledge of
science.
*****
The bliss of the world lies in knowing, learning, thinking and understanding.
The richness of the world cannot be measured; it cannot be depreciated nor can
anybody plunder it. This richness transforms into wings in the sky if you fly; it turns into
ships, if you go out to sea and it becomes a light illuminating the darkness. This is the
richness of knowing and learning.
We are a happy and fortunate people. After eight centuries, we established the
Independent and Permanent Neutral Turkmenistan State on a sound basis and helped our

country become one of the most developed states of the world.
We left the group of developing countries and became a developed state at the
twelfth year of our independence.
10
The United Nations Committee of Development Policy declared this reality to the
entire world.
We were able to achieve this thanks to the Major Development breakthrough. Not
only in the field of economy but also within three fundamental domains of the State such
as politics, economy and morality, have we totally transformed our homeland during
thirteen years. Consequently, Turkmenistan took a step onto a fresh, sound and strong
path. In thirteen years, great changes have taken place in our country. Moreover, these
changes occurred without sacrificing anybody or without any bloodshed.
New opportunities, abundance and affluence are lying ahead. These
unprecedented and unique achievements do not allow us to be prejudiced, arrogant or too
relaxed. We know our duty very well.
Atabegs were tutoring Sultan Alp Arslan's son, Prince Melik, in various sciences
for ten hours every day. Melik Shah, the prospective Sultan, was spending a couple of
hours a day with physical education and war tactics. All in all he would have only five or
six hours rest. His mother, who deplored his situation, used to say:
- M y prince, why don't you take a rest? You are a prince.
Melik Shah would respond:
- If I were not to be the leader of this nation the education I have received and the
sciences I have studied would suffice; yet, I have to lead this nation, in any case.
Although the bright eyes of mankind see the outer world, his eyes are actually the
doors to his inner world and his heart.
The spiritual wealth of a man can be obtained solely through his bright eyes. It is
not possible to satisfy those eyes by reading a thousand or a hundred thousand books,
seeing a
11
hundred countries or traveling a thousand deeper parts of the world!
Let our eyes be the means of spiritual wealth!
Eyes see today, but a wise man's eyes also see the future.
It suits a human-being to know many things. The more he knows, the sharper his
looks shall be and the larger his horizon will be. Literacy has its own niceties.
A human-being is endowed with two ears to listen to the world. The spiritual
wealth goes through both of his ears. Meaningless, awkward and bad words tire people;
yet, a human-being cannot be content with meaningful and nice words.
Man is endowed with the ability of expression. No power as sweet, wise and
precious like the ability of expression has been endowed to mankind.
Wise words used by a human-being give him wings. Nice words expressed by
mankind protect us against thousands of troubles just as prayers and ointments do.

Man can reach the level of wisdom by learning through seeing, reading and
studying. The wiser he becomes, the closer he is to God.
*****
In the Holy Turkmen Sahara lives a bird who shares the same destiny and color.
This bird welcomes its guests like the host of a hospitable house where the city ends and
the dry roads to the Sahara starts. It flutters fast and rises to the sky. The movement of the
invisible wings and the chirping sounds from this tiny body seem like a sign which
indicates that it joins nature. While you listen to the interesting songs of this tiny bird, its
cries, which rise from the heart of the Turkmen Sahara, come to your mind. This effect
revives childhood
12
memories. A little tale you heard while you were a child welcomes you by coming out of
the heart of the Sahara.
This tale must be about that little bird. The name of this bird, which has the marks
of our past, is torgay (turgay, toygar, skylark, lark), to be more exact, it is mollatorgay.
Therefore, do not mind that it is so little. Mollatorgay, while it was collecting soil from
the Turkmen Sahara upon the order of God for the flesh of Adam, our Father, it saw the
shadowless stature of Azrael (Peace be upon him).
Mollatorgay was the creature which was the confidant and company of Adam the
Father when he was expelled from heaven and sent to this Sahara. Since it earned the
love of our ancestor Adam, he, one by one, taught him the thousand and one names for
God. Thus, Torgay Molla became a wise bird. The cries it made flying into the sky must
be the beautiful names of God. If it can count the thousand and one names of God, it will
fly to heaven. However, mollatorgay always comes back. What could be the reason?
It can be explained like this: when the turn comes to the one thousand first name,
it understands that there remains only one word to go to heaven and before that
mollatorgay wants to see the Sahara one last time and looks down. Then, the eyes of this
little angel, which must not see the shady sides of life, sees its own shadow. Later,
mollatorgay which cannot remember God's last name because of this, has to go back
down. Maybe, when mollatorgay reaches the limits of realms, it sees that Earth and Sky
are a projection of each other and returns for this reason.
The reality of the World is the shadow of the tales of the Other World. The steppe
is the projection of the sky.
If you want to reach the reality of the Sky, it is necessary to put adulthood aside.
If you could not do this once, managing
13
to get out of the shell of adulthood and returning to the heavenly air of childhood will
become necessary. The reality of childhood is both richer and more real than the reality of
adulthood. While man is growing up, he is forgetting the language of the Sahara and the

sky and getting used to the language of banality and the struggle to make a living.
Nonetheless, those are the great people who have managed to protect the splendid world
of childhood in the greater part of their hearts, all along in their lives. In my childhood,
mollatorgay taught me many beautiful names of God as well as hundreds of words. Later,
I forgot many of them. Forgetting does not mean purging or putting something out of
your mind, but instead, it means pushing things into the subconscious. Now, I am trying
to reach the fresh reality of the subconscious Sahara of my childhood.
When I first started to write poems onto white paper at the age of seven or eight,
which I had read only to torgay until that time, mollatorgay gave me a secret. With its
angel-like cry he spoke into the ear of my human heart that: "One of the names that God
likes is Inspiration." This cry thrilled my heart like a revelation sent from the deepness of
the sky to the immensity of the Sahara. One of the ways of inspiration's revelation is the
spring season. When winter is over and the earth starts to warm up, nature begins to
resurrect. Nature regains strength and power to maintain its everlasting survival. While
creating new works like that, God is descending into our heart with His inspiration.
Inspiration is calling to us to rediscover life. What was the perpetual meaning of the
hearty discovery which this inspiration endowed me with?
Ever since the years of my youth have passed, my major field of interest and
personal intellectual development contributed most to my reflections on the nation. The
fundamental meaning of the term and phenomenon called nation, has been exhilarating
for me. In every book I wrote, I
14
elaborated this issue as being the core, essential and basic one. According to the
philosophical, emotional, political and historical realities, in short, from all aspects, I
tried to explain what the Turkmen nation is.
Everybody says that big things consist of small things, but, in fact, this is not the
case: small things are born from big things. I wrote this idea into my notebook which has
been haunting my mind for a while.
In fact, was it not the end of the bundle I have been looking for, for who knows
how long? Is not every nation an establishment of unity constituted by togetherness,
ethno-historical, political, intellectual and moral entities?
Holy and grand moral-cultural unification, which serves as the basis of a nation's
growth, becomes a common ingredient of a historic development; by this means the
phenomena with unusual features, become a clear-cut banality of people. For this reason,
a nation's extraordinary features, its peculiarity and differences should be sought in its
daily life. Spiritual approaches of a nation should be searched for in life habits, which are
the natural survival circle of philosophy, everyday culture and relationships between
human-beings, rather than looking for them in complex sentences written by intellectuals
of that nation.
Does not a nation's philosophy actually live within the system of habits carried
out from morning until evening? Maturity of a nation or whatever it has should not be
proportionate to the philosophy or thoughts produced by intellectual workers but instead

it should be proportionate to the knowledge of every day manners of persona, family,
relatives and so on.
To this end, the most important duty should be the clarification of this manner,
determination of their measures of
15
ethics-reason, systemization of those measures and giving them back to the people in a
more perfect form.
*****
In every nation, two types of philosophy and mentality are dominant: 'nature of
thought and spirit' and 'philosophy of life'. National character and level of development of
a nation can be determined according to what kind of relationship there is between these
two philosophies. If the nature of thought and the spirit of the nation created by
intellectual workers has not improved, likewise, that nation's philosophy of life will be
narrow-framed. Such cases pave the way to underdeveloped nations. If the primary
component is a high and developed one and the second component is narrow and
undeveloped, and if the governors of the nation are lacking reason and are nepotic, and if
they like bragging and care about themselves only, not about the sufferance of their
people, it will not be possible to talk about the flourishing of a national thought and
development. Hence, the mentality of intellectual workers is a temporary commodity
which is a product emerging as a result of imitation of another developed nation. If the
level of a nation's life philosophy, the existing reflections, and the social principles
implemented into life within the national structure have improved significantly, then you
can believe that this is a great and deep-rooted nation. This is because life philosophy can
have wisdom within a nation only when its spiritual and philosophical structure is rich.
Nonetheless, small things emerge from large ones and banality is born out of miracles. In
terms of evaluating a nation's worth, instead of wise words belonging to any one of its
representatives specifically, the level of cultural life of that nation's majority may be more
important.
16
In the former, individualism matters in terms of a difference in the way of life,
while in the latter, the majority is in question. Getting results from your life is like
picking up fruits from a bountiful tree. I am musing over the course of my fruitful life. I
am putting all my life, which I have told my people, on a balance. Like a tree having to
live on soil for three seasons and generously bearing fruits in the fourth, I read, learnt and
thought all through my life and in my sixties, I decided to write "Ruhnama" and also the
books "May Turkmen Land Be Happy" and "Spirit of Turkmen's Five Eras". I hope the
reason why I have written my books is clear to people. Yet, when a person opens his inner
world through words, he realizes that more and more feelings and thoughts are not still
spilling out and even remaining the same in the depth of his soul. Like the way spring

waters, as lucid as the eyes of a crane, pouring through the rugged mountains and hard
rocks, are pushing the inner walls of rocks, feelings and thoughts piling up in your heart
all your life, are more than ever becoming enthusiastic to get out. Later, you want to write
a new book from the melted pearls, which have come to the tip of a tap in order to
overcome the thirstiness of the readers' heart. In the near future and now, I feel that it is
absolutely necessary to talk about the life values of Turkmen. For a brief moment, to look
back on our national past, history of wisdom and thoughts, we can see that our
knowledge is based on writing about spiritual wealth and customs. Great Turkmen
geniuses kept reading and learning and reached a level at which they could give classes
about the science of good manners. By respecting the wonderful traditions of my people
and especially wisdom and custom of thought, I regarded it appropriate to follow the path
of these geniuses.
In the first volume of Ruhnama, I wrote down some of my reflections concerning
our people. However, the matters regarding a people cannot be written down, elaborated
on or
17
sealed in a single book. I have concluded the following about our nation: a nation is a
unity which has two essences. The former is the material essence and the latter is the
spiritual essence. A nation's material essence primarily consists of that nation's national
and spiritual values. The words I used in Ruhnama to seek out good manners are only
about one dimension or side of the spiritual values which forge a nation.
On the one hand, we should follow the path of our ancestors. On the other hand,
we should systematize new thoughts, observations and new values, according to the
necessities which our era is highlighting. Concerning this, we shall make further
explanations later on; for now, I would like to share my reflections about progress.
Progress in the field of reason and thought becomes more apparent when (practical)
reason obtained from real life weighs over a (theoretical) one which is gathered from
books. The impetus of progress is the freshness of emotions and newness of thoughts;
freshness and newness are more dominant in life than when compared to the ones in
books. Wisdom weighs in books, rather than newness. For this reason, a sagacious person
should nurture himself directly from life, and the mind should directly nurture from life.
A mind which sufficiently nurtures from this type of food, leads to abundant deepness of
reflections and reality, like a tree planted into fertile soil and bearing fruits. Later,
enlightenment of the nation can be achieved by the things obtained from life, new
horizons are opened in the intellectual life of the nations, and the intellectual and spiritual
world of the nation broadens. This means that a word broadens in real sense. According
to this reality, I thought it necessary to broaden former limits of our adventure of good
manners in the first volume of Ruhnama; to turn its direction to life; to accelerate the
movement thanks to new ideas, definitions, situations and opinions. It is necessary to
elevate absolute and correct thoughts way above the level of simple mentality, to
18

broaden them, to make them more definite and to turn them into broader philosophical
thoughts. Based on this thought, I want not only to re-determine the rooted reflections
and values of Turkmen but also to broaden the domain of thought of the nation,
specifically. It is mandatory to water the mature tree of wisdom and science with the
water of newness and freshness of life. Then, human-beings who are customers of mind
fruits can enjoy the abundance of wisdom and the science tree.
*****
Our era is a transitional one. During a transition period, many hearts do not know
what to do and suffer from not knowing the proper paths or from multiplicity of
necessary or unnecessary ways. At that time, they need values, reason and means of life,
which are heavy, well-founded and the limits of which are well drawn. Multiplicity and
the flood of recommendations and thoughts asserted are making peoples' heads ache.
Transition periods, especially the early years, constitute an ambiguous era because old
things are becoming exhausted and new things are ripening or just finding their form but
cannot reach stability. During such periods, it is compulsory to give people's hands and
minds a torch, which will make them gain wisdom and knowledge, determine
fundamentals and show them the way. Imagine how many millions of books, how many
thousands of geniuses and wise people and how many minds exist in the world? It is
mandatory to take care of this situation lest the mind and heart of man get lost in the sea
of books, reflections, principles and unscrupulousness.
It is necessary to steer them to a stable and sound path. Knowing the truth is not
the same as knowing everything or the ability to tell the truth is not the same as managing
to say everything or many things. Telling the truth means managing
19
to say the most fundamental things which will elevate you higher tomorrow than you
were today. The ability to tell the truth is the ability to speak in a clear, understandable
and simplistic way. With this end, it is necessary to succeed to speak with clear
expressions, with essence. The value of thoughts should bear features such as clarity,
meaningfulness and appropriateness. When ambiguity peculiar to transition periods, dual
meanings, hesitation and concerns leave their place to clarity and stability, then, it means
that the nation's values are being restructured. It is vital for us to restructure the values we
have. With this restructuring, our values shall be defined in a clear and definite way,
again. Thanks to this, people will feed their hearts and minds, secure their lives, refresh
their beliefs and earn new principles of wisdom and science. Like the pleasure of the
flesh while eating, drinking and wearing, the soul will earn values which seem real to
itself; will feel secure with them, and find strength to accelerate meaning and movement.
Spiritual values of good manners are intellectual values which bring rationale to an
individual's life, make life meaningful, give width to hearts and feed minds. Our nation
managed to put forth such values in every historic era. Especially for this reason,
Turkmen did not get lost but survived for 5000 years. By asserting new spiritual values,

the Turkmen nation preserves its survival henceforth.
20
SPIRIT OF PATRIOTISM
My dear Turkmen nation!
The best of good manners is to love your fatherland.
The value of fatherland can be measured with its holiness because it is one of the
limited holy values endowed to mankind. Holy means the superior, unique and single
one. Among the solely holy ones, other than the fatherland, we can remember the
uniqueness of God and sacredness of human life. When it is questioned that which one is
superior or more sacred among these three types of holiness, say this: whichever of these
holy ones is sacrificing itself for the other, the other is the superior. Life is sacrificed to
the fatherland and the fatherland is sacrificed to God. Then, it is only the fatherland
which is more sacred than life and God is superior to the fatherland because, God is
needed after the fatherland, fatherland is necessary after life. Understand, on judgment
day, the fatherland will be lost and life will be lost after death. Until that time, and only
God knows when doomsday will come, you will sleep within the arms of the fatherland.
O Son of Turkmen, you remain grateful for a long time to a person who has invited you
to an enjoyable conversation of one night, in which you have interest, or maybe you are
grateful for months to someone who puts you up for a couple of nights while you are far
away from your home; you wish good things on the city where you are to do your
business, get your education, go to in order to survive or travel for a few years. Imagine,
while this is the case, how you would say your prayers of love for the territory of your
21
fatherland, which shall keep you in its arms till the day of judgment?!
Is not it the fatherland which makes its territory a soft mattress for you after you
leave your body or your soul leaves you? Both the surface and underneath the
fatherland's soil are sacred because there is life above and faith under it. Both life and
faith can exist thanks to the fatherland. While you are spending five days in the
fatherland, why would you not want to have your eternal rest in peace in the arms of your
fatherland?! May it be a thousand greetings to a life for five days in the fatherland, and
may there be constant gratitude for eternal rest there! You are not under the will of life;
life is under your will. God is not under your will, you are the one whose will is up to
God.
However, imagine, the fatherland belongs to you and you to the fatherland. Both
your life and death shall take place in the fatherland. Both your time and life pass in your
fatherland. You can get out of time, but cannot leave your fatherland. There are two types
of maturity of man: maturity of reason and maturity of emotions. Maturity of reason is
wisdom; maturity of emotions is spirituality. Wisdom can be reached via science and
intuition while spirituality can be reached by good manners and morale.
Wisdom is a gift, everybody cannot obtain it, spirituality is compulsory, if you do

not have reason, consult the reasoning of wise people and find your own good manners.
Maturity of emotions is to love your fatherland while maturity of reason is to understand
what your fatherland is. The most tasteful and mature feeling is to walk around feeling
that you are a part of your fatherland because such a feeling saves you from loneliness.
You are a part of the fatherland's soul while you are alive, and after death you are
part of the flesh of the fatherland. You cannot do without a fatherland since the fatherland
surrounds
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you not only from the outside but from the inside, too. For this reason, you cannot leave
your country and cannot go anywhere else. If your fate is an unfortunate one, after death,
you can rest in a foreign territory, away from your fatherland. Yet, this is the biggest of all
misfortunes, which is hard to erase or get rid of. Your poor grave shall remain a knot,
which cannot be assimilated by the nature of a foreign land. Without losing yourself, you
cannot lose your fatherland. You cannot do without your fatherland and it is the real
wisdom: reach such a level of wisdom that your fatherland cannot do without you!
If you feel like belonging to the holy and immense fatherland, you can see
imminence of your fate. Understand the tenderness of the fatherland, feel the clemency of
the fatherland, take refuge in the love of the fatherland! If you take refuge in the
fatherland, she shall cover all of your heart: all these high mountains, wild rivers,
immense deserts, these villages and cities full of love, all shall cover your breast. Then,
your heart shall be as grand as the size of the fatherland.
Then, you shall not be shallow, you will be a great man; you shall not be a piece
but a whole; not a missing man but uniform. May all good wishes live; may all of them
be upon the fatherland which raises us while we are little, completes us when we are
missing, and unites us when we are divided!
Grandeur is equal to the fatherland. The fatherland is your border of grandeur.
Never can you be greater than your fatherland. The fatherland is your measure. You get
your grandeur from your fatherland, you get your gentleness from your fatherland, and
you also get your color from your fatherland. If the sky is your fatherland, what you can
do is fly; if the steppe is your fatherland, what you can do is walk; if your fatherland is
the mountain, what you can do is climb; if your fatherland is the sea, what you can do is
swim. God is the one who creates you; the fatherland is the one which constructs
23
you. If you honor your fatherland, you shall be honored, too. If you disdain your
fatherland, you shall be disdained, too.
Warm your heart and body while alive with love for the fatherland; after death,
this love will spread into the cold soil and allow you to sleep in a warm bed.
The place where your belly blood drops is the center of the earth for you.
The places where your childhood has passed seem lovely to you because there lies
your care-freeness, purity and simplicity.
The places where your adolescence has passed seem lovely to you because there

lies your joy, heydays and happiness.
The places where your youth has passed seem lovely to you because there lies
your hope which surrounds your love and life.
The places where your mid-ages have passed seem lovely to you because there
lies your maturity.
The places where your old ages have passed seem lovely to you because your
regrets lie there.
The fatherland is your life.
The fatherland remains in your eyes, you remain in the arms of the fatherland.
On your death bed, the reason why the light of your eyes go out is the lessening of
the light of the fatherland's love and the sparkling of your ember in your heart.
The fatherland is your root and veins.
The bones of your ancestors are beneath the territory of this fatherland.
You are a tree which grew from the same root.
24
Your veins spread through this earth which holds your ancestors' bones and blood
and which gained sanctity due to this. Those roots are deep. If your tree of life is not
leaning or shaken because of the harsh winds of life and fate, you should be grateful to
these deep roots.
Is it possible to see your fatherland which has the angel-looks of your ancestors
and motherly affection, the same as a foreign territory?! Thanks to your own root, you
carry humidity of life to your tree of life. Your fate, life, morale, mind, spiritual existence
are of the color of this fatherland and bear the color of this fatherland.
Whatever the color of your fatherland is, it is your color. Your morale, status and
existence are thanks to your fatherland.
The time emotions are revealed is like the time when poppies in the steppes and
mountains of the fatherland bloom. The density and taste of thoughts when they are
released are like the scent of poppies in the steppes and mountains of the fatherland.
O Turkmen, is there any door you can knock on if you leave your fatherland?!
You can be a guest in foreign lands, but you cannot own a house; because foreign lands
are already owned.
You can find a corner to survive in foreign lands, yet, you cannot embrace it as
your fatherland because a fatherland cannot be purchased, it can only be given. The
fatherland cannot be determined; it is the fatherland which determines.
The fatherland cannot be created; it is the one which creates.
You are the one that the fatherland has created!
You can live abroad, but you can be a Turkmen only in this fatherland.
25
The fate of a tree abandoning its territory is either to dry out or to change.
Changing means modification of type.
After your Turkmen feature has changed, how can you remain a Turkmen?!

Falling apart from your fatherland means exhaustion of life or living like a stuffed
scare-crow.
Falling apart from life means losing yourself. After you lose yourself, who or
what will you be?!
The fatherland is your past, the fatherland is your today. If you want to have a
future, do not abandon your fatherland!
Never abandon white days of the fatherland, which illuminates your eyes with its
sun at every breath you take!
Never abandon blue nights of the fatherland, which grants your heart and mind
the bliss of today and confidence of tomorrow with its stars like pearls, at every breath
you take!
If you wish your fate to be nice, do not abandon the fate of the fatherland!
If you do not want to be stateless, do not hold your subsistence away from the
fatherland!
If you want to be beautiful, keep your hope for the beauty of the fatherland!
If you want to be wise, plead with the fatherland!
If you want to be sublime, try to reason highness of the fatherland!
Someone quitting his place cries for seven years, someone abandoning his
fatherland cries until death! What should a tree, leaving its roots behind do but to cry?!
26
*****
What shall happen to a tree which releases and exhausts its fresh humidity like
tears, except to become dried out?!
Losing tomorrow, losing your "dear"; losing your fatherland!
Losing whatever you have.
Never get distanced to what you have (your existence)! Never abandon your
property (all of it)!
Do not abandon the days of the fatherland, as white as the hair of the fatherland's
mothers, Turkmen!
Do not abandon the precious nights opening the doors of realms like the maturity
of fathers of the fatherland, Turkmen!
Do not abandon the cities as white as the future of sisters of the fatherland,
Turkmen!
Do not abandon the dawns of the fatherland, as immaculate as chastity of beauties
of the fatherland, Turkmen!
Do not abandon the fatherland's villages, cities, roads, paths, sweethearts, steppes,
islands, mountains, seas and white complexion, Turkmen!
Do not abandon your fatherland; do not keep your heart away from it, Turkmen!
Do not abandon your village; it shall dry if you leave!
Do not cut off your ties, you shall lose your way and get lost!
Do not abandon yourself, you shall be hurt, you shall be turned into bones and

crushed if you abandon your sweet soul.
Do not abandon your life, your life is the same as your nation, you are a human-
being with your nation, you are a whole with your nation.
27
*****
Thoughts of the fatherland are broad. Emotions for the fatherland are profound.
The ethics of love for your country begins with understanding what the fatherland is and
keeping tabs on it.
The sense of patriotism in every Turkmen's heart should be solidified with
reasoning with the thought of the fatherland. In fact, in our traditional rhetoric, principles
such as "good manners are based upon science", "its basis is science; its fruits are good
manners" are still valid. This means our thoughts and attitudes have more consistency.
Good science leads to good manners, good manners lead to concrete behavior.
Acts are determined according to science and training.
It is appropriate to call it a value as far as harmony of action and science, thoughts
and behavior, words and acts, and thoughts and good manners are concerned.
It will be correct and lawful to put science in the first place and ethics in the last
place because Good manners, contrary to judicial laws, are up to the discretion of human-
beings rather than coercion.
Good manners, as a sort of science, help to open man's eyes to see moral and
ethical values, to live according to them and to have auto-control. Opening eyes to the
values, for sure, means to educate the individual's emotions and thoughts.
The goal of good manners is to make every individual a man of reality in the
fullest sense and make them wise.
Personality cannot be wise without learning thoughts, rationale and science.
While a judicial system is meant to force citizens, from outside, to obey the laws of the
society, good manners mean to influence them from the inside in terms of logic and
emotions. The strength of good manners aims to
28
raise beneficial individuals for society, with the evidences of logic and emotions, without
resorting to coercion.
To illustrate, the evidence of law is punishment; the evidence of good manners is
the value of thoughts and emotions.
The term 'good manners' is one of archaic Turkmen words. Even in old times, this
term had various meanings. From these, we can conclude the following basic meanings:
• Good manners,
• Neatness,
• Shame-bashfulness,
• Courtesy,
• Customs and traditions.

For centuries, these meanings have gained various contexts and matured a
constant set of moral values. In this book, good manners describe the system of moral
principles of national Turkmen. The objective of these is to build the personality of
Turkmen in the 21st century, which is the Golden Age.
The value of the fatherland as a thought covers at least three values:
Fatherland requires paying attention first to the State, second to the Country, and
third to the Nation as a unity.
The State is the first aspect of the fatherland.
Reasoning five values within the confines of the State sanctity complements the
logical side of the ethics of patriotism. First of these values is Ruhnama.
Ruhnama is the major book of the Turkmen nation.
Ruhnama is the veil of the Turkmen face.
Ruhnama is the Turkmen world, aggregated in a single book.
29
This major book is the one embodying or rectifying a great nation of millions of
individuals.
Bodies cannot get united by leaving their persona aside because the body is a
substance. Nonetheless, hearts and minds can get united and become a whole because
they are the forms of power, strength and existence superior to substance.
Hearts and minds live in the form of spiritual powers according to the rules of
soul.
Whenever you take Ruhnama in your hand, remember you are turning it into a
drop pouring into the Ocean of the Turkmen Soul! Then, the comfort, pleasure and bliss
of a drop reaching the Ocean shall fill your heart. If you remember the meaning of
Ruhnama as a gateway to the Ocean of the Turkmen Soul, the circumstances of trying to
understand this book shall emerge in your heart.
The fundamental meaning of this circumstance is to learn the meaning of words
used in Ruhnama. Read Ruhnama by understanding its message!
Reading a book without understanding its message is like keeping an ointment
that a doctor prescribed but not using it. Reading a book without understanding its
message is like soaking your hands in the elixir of life but not drinking it.
Try to identify yourself with Ruhnama's message, use its message, and digest its
message!
The word "Veil" means purification, justification, occurrence and acceptance of
existence.
When you read Ruhnama, you shall be purified, justified; your life and existence
shall have a justification; your objectives and intentions shall be fulfilled.
Your existence among the Turkmen shall be accepted!
Do not read Ruhnama hastily; let every bit of thought penetrate your heart!
30
When your heart is satisfied with the thoughts you are reading at that time, move

on to the next one! Like the excitement of a man who finds a treasure and does not know
what to do with it, do not be perplexed without finding a specific pearl of knowledge!
Collect thoughts like pieces of gold and throw them into the cinder of knowledge!
Have you ever seen a person performing prayers without a prayer rug?!
The prayer rug is the infinity where a person and God meet.
Have you ever seen food in an empty place or not put on a table?!
The table is the sanctity which holds sustenance on its shoulders.
Read Ruhnama on a table or on something like a prayer rug!
Take Ruhnama into your hand after you purify your heart and body!
Read Ruhnama as if you are saying your prayers; saying prayers means speaking
of God and listening to His creatures rather than speaking of His creatures.
Read Ruhnama by excluding your "ego"; read it by dedicating yourself to it!
Give your heart and love to it while reading!
Ruhnama is the voice of the Turkmen, listen to that voice while reading it!
Reading a book means to chat. To make this chat sincere, read it after you reach
spiritual solitude!
Attach great importance to Ruhnama! Do not ever let it lay in an improper place.
31
Do not let it lay under other things. Keep Ruhnama in a special case or cover it
not to let it get ripped off, dirty or wrinkled!
Read Ruhnama all your life! Read it again and again in childhood, adolescence,
boyhood, youth, adulthood and old ages since Ruhnama's pearls of meaning spill out new
aspects at every phase of life.
In every season of life, new sides and hardships of the world open.
Our Patriotic Oath is the second component of patriotic ethics.
As far as two sanctities of the State, which is the occurrence of the Holy
Fatherland, are concerned, three forms of good manners, indicated in the Oath and the
National Anthem, should be implemented. These are: manners of words, manners of heart
and manners of behavior. Words constitute language. Everything begins with words and
everything is ended with words. Word is the beginning; word is the end. All roads reach
word and word reaches everything.
Read the Oath and the National Anthem like confessing the faith and bear in mind
that they are the symbols of the sanctity of the State! Do not change the words or lyrics or
confuse the harmony because words are the honor of the speaker. Practice manners of
words with those of the heart. Manners of the heart mean from the heart, with sincerity
and with your all presence. Let your words come out of your inside like the way spring
water flows! Say it not only with your tongue but especially and specifically, with your
heart! While speaking, do not let your tongue lose its allegiance to your heart, a word said
unwillingly is dead like a leaf drifted away. If your tongue is not in harmony with your
heart, then words and meaning lose their way.
The difference of a word said willingly and unwillingly is parallel to the
difference between a copper and golden coin

32
minted in a similar way. The copper coin is doomed to get rusty while the golden coin is
destined to always be precious. If a word comes from the heart, the eyes shall always be
precious. If a word comes out of emptiness, there will be rusty shadows in the eyes and
ambiguity in language.
Word is skin, heart is life.
When the conditions of the manners of word and heart are fulfilled, the Oath and
the Anthem should be said in a humble, serious and willing way. If emptiness replaces the
heart, sound shall be strong but meaningless since this is the sound that emptiness creates.
Implement manners of behavior, words and heart duly! The difference between
human-beings becomes more clear thanks to their behavior rather than their speeches!
Approve your words and faith with your behavior! Behavior brings benefits; what is what
becomes clear in the end, so do the benefits. The winner shall be determined at the final
line, not in the lane. Your behavior is your final line. Behavior is gratitude. Do not talk
about your love, show your gratitude!
Our Patriotic Oath has emerged on its own in accordance with old customs and
traditions of believing and making people believe. Our fathers generally gave oath on
four things: Milk of the mother, bread, graves of ancestors and the Qur'an. The essence of
these is reiteration of gratitude to union. Breaking an oath has been regarded as betrayal
to union.
In terms of oaths between siblings, milk of the mother is the criterion because
siblings suck milk of one mother. The warriors going to war have given oath on bread
since bread is the mark of their union and unity. The ones convening around one cause or
belief have given oath on graves and tombs since the cemetery signifies unity of creeds.
The oath of gratitude to the unity of the Islam community (ummah) has been carried out
through swearing an oath on the Qur'an.
33
The Patriotic Oath is the dedication to Turkmen and Turkmenistan. It is the
reiteration of preparedness to sacrifice oneself for the honor and integrity of the
fatherland.
The Flag of our State, the Emblem of the State and the Flag of the Turkmen State
symbolically unify our nation. In Ruhnama, I divided the five thousand year journey of
the Turkmen into five major eras and depicted every era with different signs because
signs, symbols or marks are very appropriate to generalizing a meaning. An emblem of
the State is also a sign that allows for expressing the grandeur of the Turkmen and
Turkmenistan with tiny symbols. It has the ability to express the perfection of the
Turkmen soul and existence. Five carpet patterns in our Emblem and Flag represents the
entrenchment of five provinces. The nomadic horse in our Emblem (race horse, Turkmen
breed horse) signifies how old the history of our fatherland is, as well as the difficulties
experienced in its development, purification and honesty. The nomadic horse is neither an
animal nor a means of transportation for the Turkmen. The nomadic horse is a symbol

that is very much alive in the Turkmen heart and his existence. The nomadic horse is a
means of survival in the mortal world. It is the measure of freedom and independence
since no power can hold back or dominate a Turkmen riding it.
The Crescent, five stars, the green color and all other signs in our Emblem and the
Flag represent the acknowledgement and eternity of the existence of the Turkmen. Our
complexion features are different but our hearts are united in various shapes; those shapes
are our Emblem as well as the Flag. Did you pay attention to one thing? Whenever our
National Anthem echoes and whenever we stand before our Emblem or the Flag
miraculous feelings, which are hard to describe, cover our hearts because the power and
strength of a nation have been vested in them. Due to this affect, your heart beats with
34
excitement. You feel such an excitement when you stand before the limitless immensity
of the Turkmen Desert, when you confront the Turkmen mountains, and understand how
small you are or when you watch the stars of the Universe at night time.
While standing before the Emblem and the Flag, fulfill your manners of eyes and
thoughts! Manners of eyes mean to look carefully. The exact meaning of this is to take a
reality into consideration. To clarify this reality, I will give you a comparative example.
The scientists estimate that the distance of the universe from one end to the other is, in
other words the width of the universe, 13 billion light years. It is not possible for us to
perceive it as any distance because it is too big for our imagination. We can approach this
reality only through arithmetic calculations. Likewise, it is not possible to stand in front
of six million and five hundred thousand Turkmen, in the physical sense of the word.
However, it is possible in the spiritual sense that the Emblem and the Flag symbolize this
for six and a half million people. For this specific reason, the existence of six and half
million is present in our Emblem and Flag and for this reason, when this existence begins
to flow into your heart, your heart beats with excitement!
Carefully protect these holy signs of the State! Satisfy your eyes and heart with
these unprecedented beauties! Then, your heart shall be increasingly purified; your ideas
shall become much clearer and you shall realize that you feel more and more like a
Turkmen.
While the Oath and National Anthem are read, keep your head up and proud!
Open your palm, straighten your fingers and put your hand on your heart and say them!
Let the beat of your heart resonate in your hand and be transmitted to your entire being!
Then, the beat of your heart shall join the heart
35
beats of all the Turkmen and the unified voices of the Turkmen presence shall rise into
the air.
Walk by holding the Seal and the Flag above your head! Make sure they are hung
somewhere above the height of a man! While looking at them, keep your head honorable
and make it your habit! The Emblem and the Flag are our crown. May the Flag rise in the
sky and convey the highness of the Turkmen! May the Flag of our State be as high as the

Turkmen soul! Having an Emblem and Flag and bowing your head before the sanctities
of the State is great happiness to the one who can appreciate. Our ancestors passed away
without tasting this happiness. Being grateful to the sanctities means honoring the soul of
our ancestors, who did not find comfort in life.
*****
The second component of the idea of the fatherland is the country. We possess a
huge country named Turkmenistan. The meaning of patriotism and having a country
developed in me when I was little. Because of dreadful natural disasters, I was torn away
not only from my beloved mother but also from my dear siblings and my father's home.
However, this is human nature. Human-beings cannot survive without a sense of house or
residence in the deepness of their soul. When I was a little child, in my heart the sense of
a lost home was replaced by the sense of belonging to a country. Particularly, when I was
at university, I started to deeply feel the sense of home while I was far away from my
country. Then, all my dreams centered on the fatherland. When I came upon a word rarely
used like Turkmenistan in the national newspapers, a strange and sweet sense of longing
flowed into me. Sometimes when I had a summer break, I would take the train only
because it was possible to travel to many places in Turkmenistan.
36
Nonetheless, these travels would not end; in my imagination, I would travel to the places
where that train did not pass by. My aim was to travel and see every corner of my
country, all its villages and cities.
The sense of country is a sweet, warm and interesting one, coming from the
profound parts of heart. The ones who do not love their country are called unfortunate.
Right. However, the ones who cannot love their country are really unfortunate in terms of
spirit. This sense, this love cannot be bought with any amount of wealth; this feeling
cannot be replaced by anything or any richness, at all. The sweetness and taste of this
feeling cannot be compared to anything in the world. If you want to be fortunate, try to
raise love to the land of your forefathers!
*****
We live in a huge country called Turkmenistan. Every Turkmen child should
know the manners of love, science and work and should know how to implement them.
The rule of manners of love is to love your country. My advice: be sincere in your
love! May the love you foster for your fatherland be as elegant as the love for a girl! A
Turkmen girl loves with grace and with serious affection but does not love by losing her
mind. My advice: have manners in your love! Do not demonstrate your love for your
country improperly; be quiet and humble with your love for your country. The life of a
slow flowing river is long - that does not pass away like a spring flood; the quiet flowing
river of love is the ruling one - no obstacle can stand before it. May your veins be filled

with love at every moment!
The great artery of every Turkmen child should be to love the fatherland. Love
your country's green rainy springs, hot yellow summers, falls like a mother giving birth to
a child and snowy winters as white as a Turkmen's heart! Do not get tired
37
of loving because there will be many people telling you to take it easy! Love for your
country has nothing to do with seasons or phases of life; it is endless because it is the
only entity which has its own source.
The condition to the manners of science is to know and learn your fatherland.
Turkmenistan is the most beautiful and richest country in the world. We inherited such a
huge country as a result of heroism and courage of our ancestors and we need no further
results or signs or evidences. In this immense place, the large Karakum Desert and
gorgeous mountains such as Kopetdag, Koyten and Balkan exist. A Turkmen citizen and
children should know these as well as the immense waters of the Caspian Sea and the
rivers of Amuderya, Murgap, Tejen and Sumbar. Knowledge is possible through the
mind. The basis of sound love for your country is to know something. All creatures,
plants, flowers, the trees of dense forests are all holy for you. Brother should know
brother, brother should love brother, and brother should respect brother.
If love for your country settles in your heart and body during your childhood, you
shall grow up to be a real and courageous Turkmen in every sense of the word. The thorn
of this country is more lovely and sweet than a flower of foreign lands because it has the
love of our ancestors. They survive not only thanks to the heat of sunlight but also thanks
to the love of our ancestors.
Read, learn and know! Knowledge of something increases love.
*****
Independent and Permanent Neutral Turkmenistan lies in the western part of
Middle Asia, between the 42°48' -35°08' northern latitudes and the 52°27' - 66 ° 41'
eastern longitudes. The length of its border from the west to east is
38
1100 km and 650 km from the south to north. Turkmenistan lies in the Northern
hemisphere, in the desert area of the warm zone.
The surface of Turkmenistan measures 488,100 km2. The Karakum Desert, the
largest desert of Asia, covers approximately 80% of its surface and the rest includes
mountains, rivers, lakes, hills, water reservoirs, arable lands and settlement areas enabling
agriculture through irrigation. In terms of surface, Turkmenistan is the fourth largest
country within the CIS after Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Turkmenistan's territory is
244,000 km2 larger than that of Britain, 187,000 km2 larger than that of Italy and
166 000 km2 larger than that of Japan.
Turkmenistan's neighbors are Kazakhstan in the North, Uzbekistan in the North-

East, Afghanistan and Iran in the South, Azarbeijan and Russia all along the Caspian Sea
in the West.
The upper North point of Turkmenistan is the high hill of Ustyurt near Yengkala
artifacts, where the "Parahat" union of farmers exists in the sub-province of Saparmurat
Turkmenbashi, in the Dagoguz Province. The far east point of our country is Hazretaksar
Hill, which is at the eastern side of Koytendag while the western point is Cape Suve on
the shore of the Caspian Sea. The southern point of the country is Childuhtar village in
Serhetabat sub-province. The total length of the borders of the independent and
permanently neutral Turkmenistan is nearly 4600 km.
Neutral Turkmenistan is very rich in terms of underground mines and natural
sources. The country has abundant oil, natural gas, iodine, bromine, cement, table salt,
nitrate, sulphate, chips, various construction materials and many other rich resources.
39
The basic underground wealth of Turkmenistan is oil and natural gas.
The future of three quarters of the country's borders is significant in terms of oil
and natural gas.
Currently, oil in Turkmenistan is produced in the western Turkmen plain. Here,
besides oil, natural gas is also extracted.
Turkmenistan's border can be divided into seven major natural gas regions:
Western Turkmenistan, Central Karakum, Bowrideshik-Hiva, Turkmenabat, Karakum
beyond Unguz, Murgap, Garabil-Bathiz.
In the Western Turkmenistan region, along with oil, natural gas is extracted from
the layers of neogen subsidence in the Western Turkmen Plain. Within the borders of
Turkmenistan, in Tuvergyr, Uly Balkan, Koytendag, coal is also extracted. The Tuvergyr
coal mine is situated in the West of Turkmenistan, 60 kilometers east of Garabogazgol.
Here there are tens of coal mines such as Gapakly, Chayirli, Amanbulak, Salakbent,
Uchtagan and Chagil. Tuwergyr coal mine is brown and can be found among the debris
of the Jurassic age. Reserve thickness consists of various layers oscillating between 0,3
meters to two meters. According to the research and inspections carried out so far,
between Gyzylgaya and Chagil villages, coal layers reaching down ten meters have been
found. In general, around Tuwergyr, it is estimated that there are approximately two
billion tons of coal.
Manganese is found among paleogenic debris in Tuwergyr, Koytendag and in
some other locations. In Koytendag, among the limestone fields from the Jurassic period,
lead and zinc resources are found in adhered and fluid form. In Koytendag, a copper mine
has been found among the Mesozoic debris. It is known that in West Koytendag, there are
many places which
40
have barite mines. In some of these resources, lead and zinc can be found along with
barite. According to the latest research reports, kinovar, the raw material necessary to
extract mercury, can be found in nearly two hundred areas. Minerals with mercury can be

found in Koytendag and Uly Balkan Mountains. In Koytendag viteridine and fliuoridine
are also extracted.
*****
One of the most common chemical elements in the earth is aluminum which is
essentially removed from boxide mines. Bauxite was first discovered in Tubergir in
Turkmenistan. It can be found in sand and clay sediments of its period. Turkmenistan is
rich in sulfur, table and potassium salts, nitro-sulfur, magnesium salt, iodine and brome.
Within the borders of Turkmenistan, nearly all types of salts exist. In Garabogazgol, there
is plenty of nitro-sulfur, biocide and essonite. In addition, magnesium, stronsy, rubidium,
borax, brome and rare elements can also be found here. At the moment, the
"Garabogassulfure" state enterprise is processing nearly one million tons of nitro-sulfur a
year.
Turkmenistan is rich in table salt. The largest salt mines are at Guvlugol, on the
shore of the Caspian Sea, Bal Hodja near the Gebel station, Sultan Sanjar and Magdanli
Mines in Southeastern Turkmenistan. Furthermore, Yeroylanduz in Bathiz, Zengibaba in
North-West Turkmenistan, Duzgyr Heights and some other places, there is plenty of table
salt. Currently, at the industrial level, the salt sources in BabaHodja and Guvlugol are
used.
In Turkmenistan, gemstones such as yasma, halsedon, onyx etc can be found.
Yasma can be found in Tuvergyr. It comes in various colors and is used for in-door
decoration. In
41
Tuvergyr, various types of halsedon exist. This gemstone can be found in the Uly Balkan
Mountains.
The most beautiful gemstone in Turkmenistan is the onyx which is similar to
marble. It is used in jewelry. The majority of the onyx similar to marble has been
collected from the carsite caves in Koytendag.
Turkmen people have been cultivating cotton for two thousand and five hundred
years. We should make it our primary goal to cultivate plenty of cotton and wheat in the
field of agriculture.
In terms of natural resources, we have inherited the richest country in world.
Though our ancestors engaged in campaigns to conquer far-away lands, they came back
to their homeland again. It is our sacred duty to protect our homeland, which is the
heritage of our ancestors. This land has a power to enslave you. If you leave your land for
a trip to another country, your heart shall sizzle; your land shall call you back and want
you to return to your homeland. This is the fatherland which contains our umbilical blood
after our birth, takes care of us with love when we are a little child, raises and matures us,
feeds us with its sweet blessings, consoles us in our bad times and caresses us with its
breeze to disseminate our happiness. During our happy days, although we reach seventh
heaven, we do not live there; we all come back down to earth. When we stumble, there is

nothing to lean on but our fatherland!
Even when our time is up and death knocks at our door, we are destined for this
land and nowhere else. Both our laughter and tears pass into the heart of this land.
Nonetheless, the love for this fatherland and this homeland is the holiest one
because only this love has an infinity and eternity equal to all the life of man.
42
*****
The largest part of our fatherland consists of the Karakum Desert. The Karakum
means large sandbanks and a vast desert. Both Oguz Khan and Kara Khan, which are the
names of the fathers of Turkmen, mean great Khan. We inherited this great desert from
our forefathers. This heritage is really a great property and enormous treasure. Yet, for us,
it is not only a treasure but also a fatherland. The most meaningful and the greatest
pleasure in the world is the love of your fatherland. Patriotic love is the biggest art since
solely this love and feeling endow in us the happiness to feel like a human-being. The
homeland does not only mean wealth or treasure but also something in our hand while
our wealth is something of secondary importance other than ourselves. We are the
homeland; we are at the heart of the homeland. We are just branches; and our parents are
a tree. We all are the branches of a tree called homeland. For that reason, we would not be
able to survive without a fatherland.
A nation is a people who adopt a specific place as their homeland and grow roots
into this precise land. There would be no family without home like there would be no
nation without a homeland. The Great Turkmenistan is our property and beloved home
which we inherited from our ancestors. Though none of us would survive, the homeland
shall remain, but there would not be anyone like "we", were it not for the fatherland.
Taking into consideration both the present and future situation of the country and
even the means of subsistence of this country, I am having a Turkmen lake constructed in
the middle of the Karakum Desert. The water accumulating in the middle of the Karakum
Desert shall be purified and shall become soft potable water within the coming decades.
This land is real, Mother! That confines the grief of its offspring
43
into her chest and in return, she gives back sweet things to her offspring!
I have traveled the Karakum Desert and the banks of Uzboy, many times.
Deserted homes, failed water dreams, unclaimed graveyards... always, tears came to my
eyes. Then I saw that the voice complaining the loudest came from the wind blowing
over the deserted home. I made it my major goal and attribute to my life to make it a
homeland, to survive as long as the world turns around.
Cities, villages, kiosks, palaces, buildings, streets, boulevards, courtyards,
markets, stores, mosques; Here it is! This fatherland releases a different cry and taste into
the heart. I love to travel our holy land. Arriving in cities, villages and wheat fields makes
me happy like a child who sees a relative he has never met before for the first time. The

sincere excitement of the child who wants to see his relatives that he has never met
before, seduces me to the corners of our homeland.
O my dear Turkmen!
The place you are born to and die in is this land. This is because we are born out
of this earth and buried under this earth!
Both your essence and generation lie in this nation!
It is the reality which has an air like this sky but which is as simple as this earth. It
is a reality which is as poetic as this heart and as realistic as this mind. Look at your
passed away ancestors, how many of the names of your grandfathers can you count?!
Seven, eight, ten, fifteen? Beyond?! The beyond is the Turkmen nation! Alright, to what
extent can you imagine your future generations?! Son, grandchild, Chovluk (child of your
grandchild), yuvluk (grandchildren of your grandchildren), govluk (child of your
grandchildren's grandchildren), atlik (grandchildren of your grandchildren's
44
grandchildren)... Beyond that? The beyond is solely the Turkmen nation!
Ask for refuge from the Mighty Lord; fulfill the requirements of manners of love,
speech and behavior suiting the reputation of your Country that is your State, Homeland
and Nation! Then your spirit shall have peace, your mind shall have precision and your
life shall have blessing.
*****
The doors of our ancestors have always been open. They never knew what locks
were meant to be. There were no cases of theft or no hand reaching other people's
belongings, among our nation. If there was a thief in a village, everybody would turn his
back to that person. Nobody would greet him. Nobody would invite him anywhere. There
has been no punishment for a Turkmen more severe than this: thatat gatherings, people
would shame him. They also used the method of amputating the hand of thieves. The
entire village would curse and dismiss him from their community. Later, no village would
admit him. When a human-being feels lonesome, he begins to correct himself. He tries to
change the ideas people have about himself. This is the gift of our nation; this is our
effective way of promoting spiritual manners. This is our history and a Turkmen tradition.
In Turkmen tradition, becoming a sibling forever and hereafter is not regarded any
differently than being real siblings. Gorogly and Agayunus adopted Ovez, a sibling
forever.
Turkmens show great respect to guests. Even when an enemy comes to the home
of a Turkmen as a guest, he would save his life; or, when a guilty person would come to
his home, as the host, he would not turn in his guest to the ones chasing him for revenge.
Our ancestors made the practice of hosting guests a part of their character. Every day,
they would
45

prepare meals taking into consideration the "additional share of the guests".
Since ancient times, our people have been conforming to the wise expression of
"Guests deserve more respect than your father." Our ancestors have deployed great efforts
for the cohabitation of people within a union. If relations get bitter by mistake, respectful
elderly people are asked to mediate. According to Turkmen tradition, if the request of a
mediator is not accepted, the case is regarded as an improper one. Before someone wants
to leave for somewhere or to start a job or when a craft is learned, it shall be necessary to
get permission and prayers of a master or a wise man. When Gorogly wanted to go to see
Harmandeli, Agayunus said:
"There is Ashik Aydyn Pir in Shehribossan! If you find his house, serve him for
one month and forty days, get his prayers and permission, then, you will earn more
respect."
Our ancestors engaged in many works through councils. At those councils,
decisions about the fate of a man or the whole nation were made. In general, the leading
figures of people such as the elderly, or Khans, presided over them. They discussed the
issues and asked for public opinion. In case of bifurcation, the opinion of the qualified
majority was accepted.
Councils and assemblies have great significance in self-governance of our people.
It is a tradition of recent centuries. Convening a council or an assembly and negotiating
over issues with public opinion has been a long-lasting tradition since the time of Oguz
Khan.
According to the Turkmen traditions of the time, before the Russian invasion of
Turkmenistan, the tribes convened very often due to political chaos in the region. Then,
important issues which interested every individual, such as declaring war, making peace,
signing treaties, migrating into a new land, digging irrigation channels, their cleaning,
46
constructing reservoirs and their control, protecting people, crops and animals against
enemies, constructing castles, distributing water and land between the tribes were put
under discussion and decisions were taken. In the nineteenth century, settlement of
Turkmen tribes become more systematic, to a certain extent. Disputes among tribes
decreased and tendencies to establish a central government emerged. Particularly, the
supremacy and the strengthening of the union of the Teke Turkmens in the sub-provinces
such as Baherden, Bamy, Göktepe and Serahs worried the padishahs of the neighboring
countries. In the mid-nineteenth century, the rivalry between Iran and the Khanate of
Hiva become more violent. In 1855, during the Serahs Wars and Garrygala War between
1857 and 1858, Merv War in 1861, the enemies were defeated thanks to the unification
and cooperation of the Turkmen tribes and clans. During these wars, the clans such as
Teke, Yomut, Gokleng Salur, Ersary as well as the others united to repel the enemy.
All right, how did the Turkmen establish more than seventy states in the course of
their five thousand years of history? How did they hold people together? How did they
protect their home while they had no state for eight centuries?
For sure, the reason here lies behind the features of the Turkmen such as a brave

soul, honesty and bravery. The Turkmen are a nation which has been credited in history
for its outstanding warrior qualities and examples. The Turkmen tradition adopted the
tradition of state and people governed themselves within a unity.
Our ancestors have always wished that the Turkmen people may lead a free,
independent and peaceful life. Until their wishes came true, our people had to suffer
many bloody wars in long periods. Hundreds of thousands of people sacrificed their lives
for the fatherland and its independence. None of the evil enemies could bow the heads of
the Turkmen
47
because the Turkmen managed to give their lives for their fatherland in a heroic way. The
expressions that can still set an example to our young generation are the following:
fidelity to the wise words of an elderly person, being proud of his fatherland and fostering
love without boundaries. No power can deter the great pride and love for the fatherland.
We learn from history that our nation in the past used swords, arrows and fought
the enemies courageously. Along with those warriors, there were also notable and
reputable commanders in Turkmen history such as Oguz Khan, Frat, Suren Serdar, Arsak
Shah, Bumyn Khan, Attylla, Mahmud of Gaznaly, Chagry Beg, Tugrul Beg, Alp Arslan,
Jelaleddin, Artogrul Gazy, Aba Serdar, Govshut Khan and Sultannyyaz Beg and we can
be proud of them.
We have many national heroes to be proud of because the art of war is not
unfamiliar to our nation. A nation which regarded every adolescent boy as a soldier and
whose horses were always saddled and readied with guns passed its art of war over from
generation to generation.
Our art of war of thousands of years started in the era of Oguz Khan, who was the
ancestor of the Turkmen people. Oguz Khan, our ancestor whose name became
legendary, expressed that the power of the State and welfare of people were above all
related with the execution of laws in the State and that everybody, a prince or a layman,
should exercise their rights and duties. Oguz Khan also bequeathed that protecting and
holding the homeland together was commensurate with the power of the army and
exercise of military discipline for the art of war. He personally proved this.
The army of Oguz Khan had seven divisions. Each one of those had its own duties
during every campaign or war and all were working together to establish military
strength. In the Turkmen states established after Oguz Khan and during the era
48
of eight centuries in which the Turkmen were stateless and survived alone, the war tactics
of the Turkmen were based on maintaining the unity of the nation.
Turkmen have never campaigned against or dispatched troops to other people
without a reason or had intentions about somebody else's homeland, at all. They have
never provoked other people to fight a war. On the contrary, they tried to sustain peace
among the warriors and mediate between them. However, they were never scared of
going to war against the ones attacking them. Adolescent braves sacrificed their heads for

their fatherland and the honor of their people.
"They never disguised themselves while riding a camel." Every one of them
fought the enemies like wild wolves. As Makhtumkuli said:
"They engaged in battles like pigs, and would hang in there like bears."
*****
Now listen to the will of Oguz Khan:
- If someone is sinful, even if he is close or far to the place where the padishah is
residing, or even if he is from another clan, and if one of the officers of the Khan
punishes him, tell the siblings and sons of the Khan or Begs not to raise a hand to the
culprit. Whoever backs up the culprit or the guilty, needs to be forced to appear before the
padishah and to be hit with the sword from behind and have his body cut into half until
the ones who can see and the ones who can hear draw a lesson from it. May one of the
members with Oguz ancestry and Bozok sons become a padishah. They should not
recognize two people as padishah at the same time because if there is one Khan then the
country shall be governed well, but if there are two hands then things shall deteriorate. In
old times, wise men used to say this: "Two swords cannot be kept in a single
49
case"; "Two men cannot take one woman as wife." They also said: "One country cannot
accommodate two wise men with white beards."
This is the will that Turkmen people have been implementing. Its realization made
Turkmen a long-lived nation. As Oguz Khan stated five thousand years ago, this will has
never lost its importance. Gokturkmen Tablets say that the emperor was sent by God and
bestowed on him fine habits and the emperor was fair, pitiful, tender and generous. The
Karahanly State was the first largest Muslim Turkmen state established in Central Asia.
They also respected the will of Oguz. The respect of today's generation for Oguz Khan
shall ensure the integrity, prosperity and indivisibility of the homeland.
*****
When dark clouds hang over the people, the Turkmen women fought bravely
beside the men in the same line of duty. For instance, Burla Hanym (Lady Burla) is
mentioned in the book of "Gorkut ata". She is crowned by many Oguz girls, fights
bravely and kills one of the enemy Khans. When an enemy asks "Who is Burla Hanym?",
all servants reply in unison: "It is me, Burla Hanym!" and step forward. Putting a step
forward to claim to be Burla Hanym means death. However, the servants of Burla Hanym
regard it as an honor to die for their lady. We see a similar event in Bayram Khan's life.
Bayram Khan falls captive. Later, the enemy poses this question to the captives: "Which
one of you is Bayram Khan?" All captives respond: "It is me, Bayram Khan!" These
examples clearly indicate the bravery of the Turkmen. In case of the protection of
Göktepe Castle, the courage that Turkmen women and girls demonstrated is beyond

words!
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The Turkmen did not name wars as war but named it "toy". Victorious Heroes
regarded the battlefields as "toy" (wedding, festivity, feast). Bearing the idea in mind that
you feel relaxed, secure and fearless at weddings, it is necessary to behave like that, to be
alien to fear, and not to get excited at the time of war.
War, battle; field of life and death.
Wedding, festivities; place of enthusiasm and cheer.
If you defeat the enemy in war, this shall be the wedding and festivity day for
you. Gorogly Beg also called war a piece of "toy".
While I was in India I was shown a figurine of a man, a member of a nation in the
East, who was standing tall and smiling behind his hand. When you turned the figurine
around, you could see a sword held behind his back. Just like that, he was smiling while
carrying a sword in his hand. Of course, this reflects the philosophy of a certain era.
Looked at from another perspective this figurine reminded me of the fact that our
ancestors were a people standing tall.
The Turkmen have never been a nation whose heart was full of hatred while its
eyes remained smiling. This type of dignity is called cowardice. Cowardice is the thing
that our people hate most. Particularly, as far as war is concerned, there is no room for
cowardice. Put being a coward aside, the Turkmen people did not regard it as manly to
deal with cowards.
Advice of our forefathers like: "Do not chase the one running-away!" is a
reflection of the Turkmen peoples' bravery and description of their source of pride for the
art of war. Neither did brave Turkmen chase the ones running away nor did they start a
war before reporting on it in advance.
On the night of December 11, 1880, two thousand people came from Merv to
back up those defending Göktepe Castle. That
51
night, solely relying on the back-up forces, the defenders of Göktepe did not start a single
raid without informing others in advance. The next day, they appeared before the army of
Skobelev to inform them: "Support came from Merv, we are ready, come join us at war!"
We frequently come across similar cases in the legend of "Gorogly." For example:
when Gorogly decides to take revenge on Reyhan the Arab, he sees that Reyhan is asleep.
Then, Gorogly says: "I shall not kill a man asleep and commit cowardice." Later, to let
Reyhan know that he has been there, he rides his horse around Reyhan three times and
leaves an arrow in a tall tree.
In the field of the art of war, the sons of Turkmen have drawn lessons from the
teachings of people. One of the teachings says that: "Even a snake would not disturb
anyone asleep." While Turkmens were electing a khan, commander or leader in
accordance with the rules of war democracy, they did not abide by the rule of passage
from generation to generation.

The Turkmen, when electing their commanders, evaluated their skills, power,
mind and reasoning, followed by a discussion of these aspects from every perspective and
serious consultations. They took into consideration not only all moral titles of the person
to be elected but also those of his family. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the
Serahs Turkmen wanted to elect a Khan; the elder brother of Govshut said that his wife
was not very good at putting people up.
"When you are elected, you will sometimes be home and sometimes not, there
will always be guests coming and going. It is necessary to host guests. My wife is not that
good at hosting guests. Yet, Govshut can be a Khan, the Commander. Govshut posesses
the seven conditions emphasized by our ancestors." By doing so, he abstained from being
a Khan. It never crossed his mind to send troops to promote himself to
52
commander by force. However, whenever the people trusted him and had expectations of
him and he himself was self-confident, sure of his mastery of war, only then would he
consent to be the commander.
If a Khan, commander or leader is a master of war tactics, he can achieve his goal
anyway. The chief chamberlain of the Karakhanly Turkmens, the famous Turkmen
wiseman, Yousuf of Balasagun, in his prominent work "Book of Science" (Sacred
Knowledge) (Kutadgu Bilig) written a thousand years ago, describes the achievements of
the commander of armies as a great art. In the "Book of Science", he depicts the qualities
that a commander of an army should bear to defeat the enemy:
First: truth opens up your path,
If his words are inconsistent, there will be no trust in him.
Second: a commander should be generous,
If he is stingy, how can he hold an army.
Third: he should be courageous enough,
A coward dies soon, this life is mortal.
Fourth: a commander should know tricks,
Tricks leash even a lion...
Even Makhtumkuli said that:
When used at the right place, a trick is a sort of bravery, too,
It is necessary to have someone who can achieve this.
Nonetheless, using tricks is not cowardice. Tricks of war are a way of cunning. A
trick is a type of art of war used by our warrior ancestors. Since the Turkmen people did
not have a separate state for the last eight centuries, it did not have a regular army. Yet,
this situation does not necessarily mean that there were no brave Turkmen warriors.

Although
53
people kept migrating from here to there, they have managed to keep their own turf and
to keep away from danger.
The fame of Turkmen heroes went beyond the mountains and became well-known
everywhere since they were known for their bravery, fearlessness, fidelity to their oath,
generosity and good manners.
In the Medieval Ages, many states recruited Turkmen warriors to serve as soldiers
and they were granted with military ranks.
The kings giving the office of commander-in-chief to men with Turkmen origin,
were comfortable on their thrones. The great sagacious statesman and warrior Bayram
Khan became a landmark in the history of India. In every part of India he stationed the
military troops trained in Afghanistan as the commander-in-chief of the Empire of
Moguls. He took all measures to ensure war skills of the army and determined the ranks
of the commanders, as well as the level of each soldier's knowledge and what languages
they should speak.
Abdyrahym Khan, son of Bayram Khan, continued the characteristics of his father
later on. Since he had hold of superior levels of bravery and commandership, he was
given the rank of "Khan of the Khans". In the history of India, their war art has a different
place. In that era, in Persia, Turkey, the Caucasus, Russia and in many other countries, the
palaces were guarded by Turkmen. The Turkmen soldiers were known as dependable,
loyal and decent men.
The fame of our nation such as bravery, courage and dignity became common
knowledge among the neighboring countries as well as the peoples of the world.
In Afghanistan, when I met with the former head of state, Burhaniiddin Rabbany
in Ashkhabad, he praised our nation with all his heart and said: "In the history of your
people so far there has been no Turkmen defeated while protecting
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his fatherland or fighting wars. They either won the wars or sacrificed their heads..."
The skills of war become very clear in famous war tactics such as the "game of
wolf" and "dog hit." "Dog hit" is a tactic peculiar to the army of Oguz Khan, which
envisages running away as a trick and tearing the enemy apart in a narrow place, which
has been secretly determined beforehand.
Gorogly Beg said once: "I learned this type of fight from the dogs; sometimes you
have to run away and sometimes you have to chase" and his statement describes the "dog
hit" which emerged during the reign of Oguz Khan.
*****
In the life of the Turkmen the Turkmen dog has a special place and significance.
Our people domesticated the dog; trained it to guard its surroundings and be a loyal

companion. It has been discovered that the Turkmen dog prototype, found in Yenikent,
was thousands of years old. In other words, the Turkmen survived through the chaotic
ages of history with this brave, skillful and smart dog.
The Turkmen dog with its chubby body, huge head, bearlike paws, small mouth
and flat eyes, ears, between which is a broad, wide breast, legs not that tall but strong,
ears and tail cut-off has been known for its high alertness and strong senses. The
Turkmen have used its fighting techniques and made them part of their own only to name
them "dog hit". The "Book of Oguz" states that the army of Oguz Khan was exposed to
strong resistance in Isfahan and could not conquer the castle in seven days. In this case,
the army of Oguz Khan was discussing how to conquer the castle. Finally, thanks to the
"dog hit" tactic, Oguz Khan's armies took over Isfahan.
The Turkmen have defined their warrior character as courageous, brave, and able
to carry out tricks and identified it
55
with the wilderness of animals. The "game of wolf' war tactic is one of those. Here, like
the way a pack of wolves attack a flock of sheep after midnight, near dawn, the army
presents itself wild, pulls back and later, after midnight, it attacks the enemy. In history, it
is known that the Seljuk armies used the "game of wolf" tactic and became triumphant.
During the last ten days of the month of June, in 1039, in the war between Seljuk
and Gazna in Desi-Bezirgenan, the cavalries of Togrul Beg, Chagri Beg and Moses
(Musa) set up the "game of wolf" after midnight to tear apart the stronger enemy army. It
is not a coincidence to see a relationship between the war games and various games to
cheer people up at festivities and weddings. Besides, there have been times that the
enemy attacked during wedding ceremonies. Even at weddings, enemies seeing the
Turkmen heroes with their swords, arrows and bows ready, hesitated to attack. When
people sat around the table to have a meal, they were given one spoon less. The reason
for this was not a lack of spoons but the cautiousness of the Turkmen even while having a
meal. The next person who would not be given a spoon would wait for his turn so he
could be alert and cautious and be able to sense any enemy approaching them. The
enjoyment of weddings was commensurate with the art of war. According to our saga
with the themes of bravery, throwing golden plates, wrestling, horse races were common
amusements at weddings and these practices illustrate that people put the art of war into
the center of their daily life.
It is not surprising that the themes of early public literary works are wars and
bravery because the Turkmen Fatherland made it a priority to protect it. The people of
Turkmenistan made the survival of their fatherland their goal.
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There is no poet who has not written an epic poem on war and bravery. They have
been inspired by the heroism and patriotism of their courageous braves.
Turkmen have attached importance to the quality of their weapons at war. While
getting a weapon, he always chooses the one best suited to him and he does not regard

anything he finds as a weapon.
Gorogly Beg also travels through countries; he leaves Isfahan while searching for
bow and arrows that would suit him best. Bows and arrows have been the first national
weapon of the Turkmens. Bows and arrows were part of them and settled deeply in the
beliefs, traditions and customs.
To express how important unity in life is, the symbols of bow and arrow have
been used.
Oguz Khan calls upon his sons, gives one of them an arrow and says:
- Take it and break it!
His son easily breaks it in half and throws it away. Oguz Khan gathers all his
arrows and gives them all to his son:
- Take and break them all at the same time!
No matter how hard his son tries, he fails to break them all.
Oguz Khan explains the situation like this:
- If enmity grows among you, among your sons I mean, if every one of you
separately attempts to govern the country, then, you shall be as brittle as in the case of a
single arrow and be doomed to be defeated. If you remain united and stay together,
nobody can dismantle you as in the case of a bunch of arrows.
Turkmen people have ascribed symbolic meanings to bows and arrows. To wish a
son to be born to a family, bow and arrow would be mounted on the wall of the house.
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Even in ancient times, when a man passed away, it was a tradition to carve bow
and arrow symbols into his grave stone. These kind of pictures can be found on the grave
stones dating back to the middle ages, on the North-Eastern shores of the Caspian Sea.
The sword is also an ancient weapon of the Turkmens. Bow and arrow were used
for long distance war purposes while the sword was used in face to face combat. There
were various types of swords: bowed swords, durme sword, uz sword and others...
The bowed swords had a special meaning for the Turkmens. Bowed swords could
be used only for offensive purposes and were not the type of sword used when someone
was running away from battles. It is the type of sword which can be used to stab your
enemy while fighting on horseback. It cannot be used while retreating or running away
because it is difficult to perform a stabbing motion with a bowed sword.
This means that the Turkmens made their swords in order to attack their enemies,
not for retreating or running away. This also illustrates that there is no notion of escaping
or running away as far as the persona of Turkmen is in question. The following story used
to be told:
A young man asks a smith to forge a sword for himself. The master forges
whatever he has at hand. The youngster takes the sword into his hand, looks around and
says:
- If it were one span longer, it would be like the one I would wish to have.
Master:
- When you need to use it, you can get one span closer to the enemy; in that case,

your sword shall be one span longer.
Other than these, in ancient times, the Turkmen also used daggers, slings, moon
axes (battle axes), spears
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(strisp), cleats, white holders (a type of knife), cudgel, mace and hatchets. Furthermore,
the Turkmens used "gyrkylyk".
In "Gorogly," all war weapons and tools used during the war as well as duties
carried out in its course and horses are elaborate. It is strongly underlined that war
weapons would be as strong and effective as the ability and mastery of a warrior. When I
met the former President of Iran, Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani, he showed me a sword. The
following was inscribed on its surface: "A Turkmen never sways a sword on his
neighbor." That was the sword of a Turkmen hero which is still on exposition at the
Tehran Museum. Turkmen people in fact have never fostered animosity towards any
nation.
Our people struggled only for their own freedom and independence. Of course,
this sort of struggle does not take place without bloodshed. However, a nation cannot be
an enemy to another nation. In those times, the policies of occupation pursued by the
leaders of the neighboring countries, forced nations to fight against one another. When we
write the history of our country, which has received its independence recently, we have to
put these matters on the table to discuss them thoroughly. It would be better if no nation,
state or human-being is hostile to each other. The science of history should illustrate
history as it was, based on this idea.
With all my heart, I do believe in the sanctity of the fatherland because our
ancestors, filled with this love for the fatherland have served our country for thousands of
years. At the times in which the skies were peaceful and the country wealthy, they lived
in this country freely and during difficult times they sacrificed their lives to protect the
fatherland. This way they became a part of the country. Our dedication to the sanctity of
our fatherland should be indivisible!
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Whatever historical sources you read in the world, you shall see that there was a
Turkmen nation on the back of their horses, with flags in their hands! Turkmen people,
with the permission of God, were able to establish great states and survived; however,
even in the case of a twist of fate, when the states were dismantled and hardships
emerged, they managed to live in an honorable way. I am strongly convinced that God
blessed the Turkmen people! Dear Turkmen, trust in your fatherland and ancestors and be
proud of them! You have a sacred and great fatherland and brave forefathers.
I believe that the Independent and Permanent Neutral Turkmenistan is indivisible
and long-lasting because our nation, that has five thousand years of written history,
managed to establish states and protect them. I full-heartedly believe that Turkmenistan,
the pride of Turkmen people shall someday be a great state of the world and be as steady
as the world!

Where does the greatness of Turkmen people come from? It comes from the
conviction of seeing their ancestors as strong as mountain ranges and trust in the fact that
their ancestors were blessed by God.
Belief is the miracle which leads a man to fortune. Belief is the door of fortune.
Our forefathers regarded their territory as the source of abundance, affluence and
livelihood and cherished it above all. They always believed that if Turkmen people had
always lived in this territory, they would always have lived in wealth and abundance
because according to them there would be no other wealth than that of leading a life on
this land. This belief is the one which led our ancestors to reach the goal and highness
they wanted.
Our Turkmen nation has a golden history of five thousand years. Over the course
of its five thousand years, the contribution that it made to the world civilizations has been
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splendid, as one of the leading nations in the world. Today Turkmenistan enjoys
worldwide attention! The world is amazed by the leaps and level of development that the
Turkmen people have reached. In other words, it is obvious that the future of people with
a golden history and an invaluable present shall be great.
*****
The fatherland is the place where souls can reach peace and continuity. For this
reason, our value of the fatherland is the direct outcome of our independence. The salt
and bread of the fatherland is like breast milk. For that reason, loving your fatherland and
making it your crown means loving your mother; your crown shall mean loving your
mother and fatherland.
There are sacred feelings which unite every nation. The most important of those is
the feeling for the fatherland. To this end, the value of the fatherland is the major one on
my path.
We, the Turkmen, must believe in our fatherland as we do in God. The same way
creatures of the Creator cannot offend Him, we cannot offend our fatherland!
We should prostrate our fatherland the same way we do God!
Like other values which constitute my spiritual path, the value of the fatherland
has a historical meaning, too: like others, it is one of the pillars which ensure union in the
new era of Turkmen. But these values are different in one way: The fatherland is a value,
which is elegant, sweet, close to the heart, easy to understand and a sacred one for many
people. In the statements of statesmen such as Oguz Khan, Gorkut ata, Gorogly Beg and
Makhtumkuli, the fatherland represents a value which encompasses the state and
political, spiritual,
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philosophical and ethical aspects. In addition, the fatherland is the thought of emotional
elegance and beauty of real emotions on our path because the fatherland is the union,

uniqueness and steadiness!
We have one world, one life and one God.
The fatherland is unique, too.
We should crown our fatherland!
The fatherland is the crown that God put on our head.
Yet, since the value of something is better understood when we lose it, you can also feel
the importance of that crown when you fall apart from your fatherland. When I address
my people about the fatherland, I feel my heart pounding with enthusiasm and I continue
to be amazed by that.
The words told about the fatherland keep our heart as innocent and immaculate as
that of a child. The feeling for the fatherland is the one which purges the heart. I do not
talk about my fatherland along the same lines as I do about God without a reason because
God is the source and essence of good ethics; love for the fatherland, on the other hand, is
the symbol of good ethics. Our Independent Fatherland should be in everybody's heart.
For the sake of the fatherland we should bear hunger and disdain if necessary; if
necessary, we should sacrifice ourselves because even after death, we do not quit our
country and our grave remains in the fatherland. The reflection and wills regarding where
Turkmen shall lie after death are sacred. Nobody says bury the deceased wherever you
want. Everybody wants to rest in peace close to their relatives and beloved ones.
Everybody wants to stay in his fatherland. Thus, the sense of the fatherland ornaments
even death with its spiritual blessings and beauty. Feelings for the fatherland are the last
ones a Turkmen feels for the following reason: our fatherland watered with our ancestors'
blood is the most sacred value and the biggest source of pride! Whatever we do in our
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country our founding fathers edified, our sacred fatherland is our support. This sacredness
is the biggest source of determination, morale and strength. The magnificence of the
fatherland is always in our heart! Being a Turkmen of the new era is possible through
implementation of this inner magnificence since the interest of the homeland is also yours
and that of your children.
*****
If we all work hard and honestly and prioritize its interests, we can get wealthy.
Without making the country rich first, we cannot get rich. Otherwise, this richness would
be meaningless. Without honoring the fatherland, it is hard to be honorable. Honor only
belongs to the fatherland and honor is attainable only through the fatherland. The sense of
patriotism is the most humanist sense of the Turkmen. From this perspective, it is the
same as the love for our mothers. Not only our hearts but also all of our existence is
binding him to his mother. For this reason, no matter how hard conditions become for the
Turkmen or how much they suffer, words of mothers are always respected. We should
love the fatherland as the way we do our mothers! Every human-being should love his
fatherland as much as he loves his mother! Then, it will be honest to do so. When

someone poses this question: "Is there anything as soft and warm as a mother's lullaby or
her arms?" my answer would be only: "The fatherland!"
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HAPPINESS AT HOME
The place where richness of Turkmen spirituality reveals itself, with various
aspects and a system of complex relations, is at home. This is not a coincidence. A house
is a place where a family lives. The majority of our life passes at home with our family.
For this reason, the conditions to lead a life full of hope and trust can be ensured by a
family environment and good manners.
Home is like a saint! In other words, visiting the tombs and instances of people
with a powerful sainthood is virtuous and holy! This description which became an
absolute code in Turkmen tradition means that the home is holy. A nation consists of a
society and a fundamental unit of society and its major ground is the family; ethical,
spiritual and the behavioral maturity of society is related with that of family. Society
begins with family. If you want your society to be decent and neat, you should assure that
the family is decent and neat. If you do not want your society to be spoilt, work to ensure
opportunities which shall enable you to protect your family. If you want to maintain
stability, peace and confidence, ensure that your family lives in stability, peace and
confidence.
A healthy and unified way of life in society can be possible through families. As
there can be no stateless nation, there can be no family without home. Home in the
Turkmen language, which is rich in content and connotations, in fact has two meanings.
The first one means house of nation while the
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second means house of a generation. For Turkmen, the most sacred place is the home of
its forefathers. Feeling full of love towards the homeland of our ancestors requires
respecting the national values of Turkmen and protecting the holy goods belonging to the
ancestors and past values. Manners of home go into effect just at this point with this
feeling. The primary condition of this manner is not to quit the homeland of fathers and
not to close down your father's home. Unless there is a national interest or an
extraordinary situation at hand, never leave the homeland of your fathers or your father's
home to settle in another country!
Turkmen families have lots of children. No matter how large the family is, it is an
ancient tradition to gather around the same table and go through the same door. I have
personally witnessed many times that strangers were awed by seeing a grandfather who
had six married sons and was now living with his ten or twenty grandchildren together
under the same roof. Yet, in recent years, this is not a common way of life. The father
opens a new house for his newly married son and enables him to survive alone with his
father's blessings and prayers. According to the Turkmen traditions, the house of the
father is left to the youngest son. Have you ever thought about this? It is because youth

symbolizes the future and continuation of the generation. First of all, the youngest son
has to carry the teachings of his father to the future. The main purpose of this union is to
maintain infinite continuity of life. There can be no dishonesty or cursing like deserting
the father's home or forgetting your ancestors' graves.
Turkmen regard this as great misery. Archeological excavations in Turkmenistan
reveal interesting traditions: four or five thousand years ago the way of burying little
children was slightly different from today. Our ancestors believed that existence of small
children would protect them against all sorts of trouble. They believed that the soul of an
innocent little
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child would not leave his fatherland. For that reason, the primary ethical and humanist
condition to open a house was to live in his fathers' house; if the house is really old, the
requirement would encompass constructing another again, in the same place. In either his
father's land or in another land, the foundation of a house is laid after prayers from the
Qur'an are said and the house is dedicated to his ancestors. This tradition should be
maintained the same hereafter. Acting like this, means to get the permission and blessings
of our ancestors. In fact, even new lands or places in which nobody has lived yet are the
ones where our fathers built houses maybe hundreds of times over the course of five
thousand years.
In the majority of cities in our country, town houses are built in villages, with
spacious courtyards. The town houses should also be built in accordance with our
ancestors' traditions for constructing a house. The foundation should be laid on one of the
holy days, like they have done. If a respectable elderly person says the prayers during this
ceremony, it is regarded as the revelation of good ethics. After the house has been
completely constructed, it should not be kept empty; the family must move in as soon as
possible. If a little more time is needed to move in, salt and some bread should be kept at
the home.
A Turkmen house consists of these parts: a salon, a living room, a guest room, a
kitchen and a study room. Do not neglect guest rooms since our ancestors regard guest
rooms as the jewel of a house. Let your salon be spacious, well-lit with wide windows.
According to Turkmen tradition, there are differences between parent's room, son's and
daughter's room. They are not intertwined but instead, they all are built separately and
their doors open directly to the salon. Like the partition of rooms at home, the authority
of each individual should be determined. Another meaning of good manners is neatness
and tidiness. The family represents a system of union
66
in which a certain order is restored, the confines of relations among each member are
clearly determined, and duties are carried out and shared in harmony. Grandfather,
grandmother, daughter and son should have their own roles respectively. This way,
everybody's place, rights and duties can be defined and a family that respects these is
deemed to be one with good manners. If such a blessing is missing in a house, then

happiness, livelihood and esteem shall distance themselves from this place. Disorder in
society primarily results from that in the family. Deterioration in society results from that
in the family and deterioration in the country results from homes. If we shall bear the
problems in the country, we cannot disregard our homes.
This is not the duty of the State; to the contrary, it is the duty to be fulfilled by
every one of us.
O Turkmen, understand this simple and unique truth! Try to sustain mutual
understanding, order and respect! If the house is meant to be a house and the family is
meant to be a family, it is in the interest of the State.
However, this blessing can come true if each and every one of us deploys effort in
this regard. This is to the interest of the State and in the meantime, to the individual's
benefit.
If there is no order at home, then do not expect order in your country!
If someone is a hypocrite to his household, he cannot be loyal to his country!
An indecent man carries the property of the State and people to his house. A bad
man embezzles the property of people and the State in order to alienate himself to his
State and people. If you want to reach happiness, ornament your house with divinely
permissible (halal) things!
Halal walls cannot be constructed upon a divinely wrong (haram) foundation. If
fortune becomes fortune, if it is
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permanent, and if happiness is steady, then it is real happiness. If wealth is divinely
permissible then there will be abundance. If you do not want what you have to be wasted
and fall apart like a building of mud bricks or if you do not want your son and daughter to
pursue the wrong path, then build your house on a divinely permissible foundation!
Manage to distinguish the joy of the impermissible from the taste of the
permissible!
Joy is temporary and leaves back regrets, fright and disgrace. The taste of
permissible things remains all your life, and stays with you until you are buried and
softens where you shall rest under the earth and enlightens the darkness for you.
After you leave this world, the taste of permissible things secures your home since
it shall bring bliss, honor and livelihood and your children shall keep their heads up with
honor!
When you want to bring something to your house or take something out of your
house, think twice!
Divinely impermissible things shall disdain you while permissible ones make you
the one!
Do not build a castle, but a house! Castles are for protection; houses are for your
household. If someone is protected from his people, then, he must have committed a
crime or a fault while someone going into public has a decent heart and is honorable. The
people are not in need of your property and would not be greedy for your help; if you are
honest, love your people and share their honor.

Bringing something to your house tastes like sugar; if you eat much, you can
become a diabetic. Giving something from your house may taste as bitter as a drug but,
protects you against diseases. The path to your house is to return and leave home. This
path functions both ways. Home is home when you bring something in or take something
out of it. If you think that
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home is home after you purchase it, you are mistaken. The road of life has two lanes: it
has to be traveled to arrive somewhere, and traveled to go somewhere. When there is only
one lane, life shall be tumbling down; if life has tumbled down, your life will be
shortened and your house shall be devastated. If you do not want the wind of people's
wrath born out of hatred to demolish your home, open the doors of your house and heart
to let the wind of people's love blow in!
Thinking that religiously impermissible things committed by others are not less
than your own, illustrates that the impermissible deeds that you are bogged down with are
already at least twice the ones others committed. Home is saintly; the doors of the tomb
of a saint should be open to the needy and poor people to ask for help. Home is sacred.
Do not devastate this sacred place that God bestowed upon you with your own hands!
The windows of your house are the bright eyes of your heart; the doors of your
house are the hands of your heart full of love, open your eyes to meet people with good
intentions and open your arms to hug them!
*****
The house of a Turkmen, residing in a town house, starts at its garden gate while
that of a Turkmen, residing in an apartment, begins at his apartment door. Garden gate
and apartment door is the path leading to the heart of the home. For this reason, our
ancestors ascribed great significance to their decoration and metaphorical meanings. The
fact that wooden and metal doors are embedded nicely is not to show-off wealth, but
instead, it expresses the heart of Turkmen. Maybe, many of you did not pay attention, but,
I have read the embroideries carved into metal doors many times. On those doors,
thoughts of Turkmen about state, family, abundance and wealth were expressed. They
were not simple ornamentations
69
but beauties. Here, beauty means richness in meaning and thought. Of course, our nation
has been forgetting these lately. I hope that our people shall revive the meaningful
beauties of life. Above the garden gates opening to courtyards or doors, various talismans
are changed. Historical sources illustrate that this tradition dates back to ancient times. If
you remember, in the tale of "Akpamyk", seven siblings tell their parents before going
hunting: "Put a stone doll above the door if a girl is born or hang a bow and arrow if it is
a boy." All these tales express the spirit of houses and characteristics of families all our
provinces, horns of chamois or wild goats or in some cases, a horse shoe is changed

above the garden gate. Horns can be hand-made, too. These are the symbols of Turkmen
from various eras. The head of the ram is our spiritual symbol of the fourth era, that of
Makhtumkuli, before our liberation. It represents on the one hand the mood of the house
and on the other hand, peace and abundance.
In some places, I came across a talisman in the shape of a heart, in which a horse
pattern was pictured, instead of a horn or horse shoe.
Rare dog patterns are a slightly modified type of wolf in the era of Gorkut ata.
These patterns reflect the Turkmens national cultural heritage.
Rules of good manners reflect national ethics and culture based on philosophical
roots. Manners relating to domestic life, are based upon Turkmen national culture and
begin with philosophical signs on doors of apartments and houses. Signs can be seen in
the courtyards and various parts of a house. Though their volume and shape are different
in different places, it is traditional to draw signs of a ram horn on the clay underground
ovens (tandir) because tandir is sacred. Turkmen expressed sacred things in a certain way.
This is a feature of our spiritual world. I have previously emphasized in Ruhnama
Volume I that the alphabet Oguz Khan developed was
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reflected in our carpets and reached our present day lives. At present, I say again that the
signs on tandirs are the ones which exist in the alphabet of Oguz Khan. Unfortunately, we
cannot clearly read that alphabet today. We are making our values sacred through various
signs and symbols. Something can be made sacred by words, signs, movements and
teachings, even through silence. Ethics are based on sacredness. It is not possible to talk
about ethics where there is no sacredness. For this reason, claiming that ethics consists of
dry recommendations such as "do this" or "do not do that" means lack of awareness out
of the depth of the Turkmen soul. I am saying this as an advice to the ones who will teach
these ethics and especially to teachers.
*****
Within the last seventy years, since our souls have become shallow and the
meaning of sacred things has begun to fade away, the importance of ethics has faded
away! Simple and dry suggestions cannot find refuge in the hearts of children who need
spiritual food. Forgetting sacred things was one of the invisible troubles we were cursed
with during the Soviet era. For this reason, there is no strength of good manners and
ethics. If there is nothing sacred, good manners shall not exist anymore and shall be dry
suggestions and recommendations. Teacher! You teach the meaning of words and their
sacredness! Sacredness is the sweet essence of the spiritual nucleus and the rose of the
advice vineyard. When you learn sacred good manners with its essence and meaning,
only then will children, young people and even adults listen to your words like honey-
bees gathering around sherbet and nightingales proceeding to roses.
It is necessary to open up sacred things the same way you open a treasure. To do
that, it is necessary to know the

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centuries long past of the Turkmen. Sacred things are not like coins out of circulation and
to render them effective and necessary, they should be incorporated into life. To this end,
we should revive the manners or ethical values of our ancestors that accumulated in our
blood and sub-conscience. That means inner rules are the inner impetus and outer rules
are implemented by me as the head of the state, through attaching more and more
importance to the values.
I would like to further elaborate on the inner rule. I will give you an example so
you can imagine it. Imagine that we are walking on a sandy road. You have many things
on your mind; just at that moment, you see your dusty shoe and a piece of coin embedded
in the sand draws your attention.
How would this situation affect you?! You would pick up the golden coin with
surprise. Now, if there were somebody else in your place, what would he do? He would
look at that bright thing and would walk away. So, to understand the value of a coin, an
inner condition is necessary and an inner feeling. Try to arouse your national feelings
which will make you feel that Turkmen's sacred values are as precious as gold! Then,
your heart shall gain a permanent glow and possess values like gold!
The same way a Turkmen's door and gate is always open, so as to display the
beauty of your courtyard, do not surround it with a wall but with nice fences and grids!
There is no need to be ashamed of religiously permissible things (halal); an honest
Turkmen would have no haram things to be scared to display! You are not covering your
face while you are getting out, right?
What is the purpose of showing off with your haram wealth?!
What is the meaning of hiding your religiously permissible (halal) wealth?! A
guest room in your courtyard
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and sharing with your guest at the dining table guarantees your honesty.
Fulfill the necessities of being a host. These necessities begin at the gate and
continue till you go inside!
Paint your gate and grids in soft tones and hues which raise nice feelings rather
than flamboyant and irritating colors. Let those colors be the first ones welcoming your
guest! May the green flag, symbol of sacredness in our era, stand at the roof of your
house! Do not forget to replace it with a new one and do not let it get old much!
Then you will feel as though your heart was renewed and your belief in tomorrow
was refreshed. Have a tandir in the shape of a ram in your courtyard! Even though you
generally buy your bread from stores, bake it sometimes in your own tandir! A tandir
increases the belief in the fact that if your income is less, it will increase and if it is
already high, finally, it will be abundant!
While building a house, arbor, barn, hammam and so on, use the land according to
a plan in an orderly fashion. Use it economically because thrift, plan and order are needs
of the heart, mind and will, respectively. In a world which God created in a nice orderly

way, living without order and haphazardly means that you humiliate yourself. Keep your
courtyard and house clean and neat! Cleanliness and neatness is the desire of heart
because the name of God is written in the heart. Have your children take up the habit of
cleaning and sweeping the house and being clean and neat! If necessary, you can help
them and do not think that this is something to be ashamed of! Keep your house and
courtyard clean as you do when your guests come! Before guests come, you clean and
sweep a couple of days before, and make an effort to be more clean and neat compared to
other times. Why would you not treat yourself the way you do your guests, or do not you
see
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yourself as valuable as your guests? Befriend your house and courtyard! Make it a habit
to talk to them quietly. Their past is your past, your youth and childhood; their life is the
life of your grandfather, grandmother and your beloved ones. While their corpses were
buried in the earth, their emotions and memories stay in your house. Do not forget your
grandpa's name and do not lose grandma's house!
This courtyard and this house depicts the world of days that you cried or laughed.
Should there be a world peculiar to you in this bright world it would be your house.
Remember your cheerful days and the days you cried, they passed in this house; then you
will gain a sense of humbleness and get rid of arrogance!
Remember the days you were sad and happy in this house, then, your heart will
broaden and your hope for the future shall increase. Assure the orderly harmony of your
house with that of your family. Unnecessary noise and upheavals, dissidences and
distance between people break the heart of the house. For the maintenance of order and
neatness, the father should be the head and the mother should be the one in charge of
maintaining order.
Fulfill the requirements for living in a house!
Fulfill the manners for eating and drinking at home!
Fulfill the manners for putting on clothes at home!
Fulfill the manners for resting at home!
Fulfill the manners for working at home!
Only when you fulfill these good manners that are required, will you find your
true self because when people get out of their house, they switch from their natural form
into an artificial one for specific purposes. The attires of a young man or girl walking on
the street are different than their attires at home. Of course, it is necessary to respect
people and pay
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attention while going into public areas. However, what are you missing?!
What is missing in your house compared to somebody else's house?!
They grade your mind through your words, your emotions through your outfit;
your performance through your work; your life through your house. Grow plenty of trees,
roses and flowers in your courtyard! Furthermore, their pleasure would be a different

experience in the heat of the Turkmen Desert. If you imprison yourself in your house with
an air conditioner, while it is hot outside and your courtyard is dusty, it is a shame for
you. Water shortage would not be the reason but instead laziness and rudeness would be.
Laziness is an ill-manner of body; laziness shames your life.
Your home indicates the success of the host!
The home is the mirror of the host's soul!
I do not believe that someone who cannot keep his house or courtyard tidy and
neat can be a good manager. While evaluating someone, first of all, his attire, speech,
peace at home, unity and union, respect at his home should be taken into consideration. I
am definitely sure that a person whose house is disorganized and whose courtyard is full
of tools spread all over cannot make a good manager. The quickest way to get to know
someone is to be his guest. When you are a guest, you can learn a lot from your host or it
is also possible to simply eat and drink. If your guests admire your tidiness and neatness,
then, you get a good grade.
*****
I respect people who think out every matter in detail and elaborate on work
meticulously. I recommend that the
75
governors leading people should look at the future and assess it according to the criteria
of the future and I want to especially underline this matter. During the early days of our
independence, when I decided to distribute gas and electricity as free of charge to all
Turkmenistan, Sapar Atayevich said "We do not have cold winters, find wood to have
tea." And there were many people who wanted me to make works of secondary
importance a priority.
There were people saying that "Nothing like this can be seen in the rest of the
world?! If you distribute gas and electricity free of charge, our state shall go bankrupt."
Those were the thoughts of people living into the day and who could not think in detail
about fundamental issues. It was mandatory and vital to provide free gas and electricity in
Turkmenistan. Moreover, we are the witnesses of this policy becoming a reality. If you
remember, in the Soviet era, Russia and Europe enjoyed Turkmen gas. On the other hand,
Turkmen people were burning yilgin (desert trees) and animal manure, even finding coal
was a serious problem...
Transportation of gas to everywhere in Turkmenistan is a means to save nature! It
is meant to prevent deforestation of the mountains of Turkmenistan and depletion of its
pine trees, ocar and reeds of the Karakum Desert, yilgins and torans along the river
banks. Right, pine trees in the mountains, ocars in the Desert and forests along the rivers
were under protection and furthermore, many people stealing wood were arrested. They
were devastating forests and yilgins of ten truck loads, in order to steal a truck of wood
quickly. Thus, the forests, mountains and green desert areas were deserted or deforested
and lost their livelihood. We prevented Turkmenistan's immense nature from desertion by

distributing gas to every corner of the country.
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Now, ocars and reeds which do not hear the sound of axe, toran and yilgin, pine
and juniper forests are flourishing and spreading.
By protecting the nature from being devastated, we allowed it to heal in the
meantime and treat itself. Nature is the enemy of emptiness. Nature can rapidly fill
emptiness with various plants and heals itself. However, this was not enough. With this
end, I signed an Edict to turn Turkmenistan into a vast garden. So, we started to help
Turkmen nature to flourish and grow plants everywhere.
Mobilization for forestation of Turkmen territory emerged. The trees planted in
Turkmen earth in the fall and spring are innumerable. By 2020, if we can implement the
State plan thoroughly, Turkmenistan shall turn into a forested and beautiful country. At
the moment, millions of fruit trees and millions of trees providing shade are being
planted. The abundance of fruits growing in Turkmen territory is the key for
strengthening and solidifying people's health.
I regard planting fruit trees and trees providing shade as the most important state
policy because when a tree is planted, Turkmen soil and the heart of Turkmen people will
become more beautiful. Turkmenistan shall turn into an evergreen land! There is no doubt
about it. In the near future, Turkmenistan will become known in the world as one of the
countries with a beautiful nature. The Desert in Turkmenistan, one of the largest in
existence, shall turn into an evergreen land before the eyes of the world!
When gas became available in every corner of Turkmenistan, every family built a
bath (hammam) in their courtyard. Bath furthers health. When gas was distributed
everywhere in Turkmenistan, families began to build lemon greenhouses and greenhouses
to grow various vegetables, tomatoes and cucumbers in the winter.
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These have already begun to render positive results. Currently, a knowledgeable
farmer is growing vegetables such as tomato, cucumber and eggplant and various green
leaves ornamenting our tables, in the winter. Here you can see that the food we need in
winter is ready! All right, is it a difficult thing to realize? No. The most important thing is
that gas is available and if you deploy a little effort and spend some money, you can grow
fresh vegetables in winter. Then does this not mean health?! We have a hardworking
nation. Our nation is working hard to make the soil abundant and fertile. Every Turkmen
regards planting a tree as a requirement. So, every tree planted also represents the
spiritual beauty, health and beauty of heart of our people. Making it a tradition to plant
and grow trees is another nice way of good manners.
Building a golden society with a golden soul is one of the major goals of our
Independent State.
To live with high morale and hope is also one of the major goals of our
Independent State.
Thus, how can we attain this level? To have a high morale, everything should be

in its place, your work and life should be the way you want them to be. At first I was very
meticulous about the amelioration of survival conditions of the people so that they can
have a high morale, a golden soul and a golden life. I provided electricity, gas, water and
salt for free, which were essential to lead a life without anxiety and to help families work.
So, the fundamental needs provided for free helped to raise people's morale and
made them more optimistic. People were working freely without any preoccupation.
Abolishing taxes in the field of animal husbandry and agriculture opened a broad way to
increase prosperity of Turkmen families.
Thus, these measures enabled our country's economic development and ranked it
first in the world. Turkmen people,
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without any taxation, are constructing nice buildings for themselves. Their courtyard
gardens are an example of heaven.
*****
The garden is the blanket of your courtyard!
Taking care of your attire but not caring about the bareness of your courtyard is
disrespectful to your own house. Turkmen soil is fertile, if one type of tree does not grow,
another can be grown. Even in the deeper areas of the Karakum Desert, we can see
elderly people who have created gardens. There are so many plants on Turkmen soil that
they need no more water than a human-being may need.
Together with your family in unity, eat and drink without wasting anything!
Wear simple, clean and matching clothes!
Economize with your wealth, property and spend your money carefully! Saving
and abstaining from wasting is indicative of honesty.
Manage to protect your wealth. I am not speaking in vain. Holding money in your
hand is harder than earning it. When you have a lot of money, ideas such as "I will do
this, I will do that" increase as well. Take a rest at home while still working, deal with
something while resting. House chores are endless because chores mean continuation of a
house's life. Continuation brings along order. The house is like a body, if your body is
done, it means that it is dead. The house should work day and night like your body.
Saying everything is fine or I do not need anything for my house is a sign of laziness.
Ornament your house first and yourself later!
Be the man of your house at home, be the man of your work at work, and be a
man of people among people! Fulfill the requirements of being the host of your home!
The host is
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the person receiving guests to his house. A person who does not live in a house is his
guest. Invited or uninvited, acquaintance or stranger, it does not matter; receive your
guests. Serve them until they say enough. If they enter your house, have them seated. As

soon as they sit, set the table. This is an ancient tradition of Turkmen. Here is the
meaning of tradition: the heart of a guest coming with good intentions will feel better, his
good faith becomes solidified and more serious unlike the past. Whoever comes in bad
faith and tastes your bread and salt, this shall be the biggest obstacle of his evil side
because salt and bread mean might; this shall fail him.
*****
Our ancestors would serve their guests for three days and nights and would ask
them the purpose of their visit only then. Do not rush to find out a guest's purpose for the
visit! After you have a meal, listen to the problems of your guest while drinking tea! If he
or she has time, do not rush him or her; do not sulk your face since he or she has come to
your house and do not get bored. That person is not a guest for a cup of tea but a guest in
need for your conversation. According to the mood, morale and age of the guest start
light conversations. Do not say "Feel yourself at home!" To make that person feel at
home, chat with modesty, in a nice mood and with honesty! Intuitions of guests are very
strong, a false atmosphere breaks their heart. As one of our proverbs underlines, though a
guest keeps his stay short, he examines a lot. Our ancestors respected their guests more
than they do their fathers and grandfathers. They treated guests like a gift sent by God
and a symbol of abundance. When a guest comes to your home, sitting without talking,
acting cold, talking about your own problems without listening to them first, leaving her
or him alone in a room, neglecting their request though you see that they are in
80
need of something, whispering or talking in a rude way to the people next to you will not
be appreciated.
Preparing the meal; before the meal, have your guests wash their hands. If they
make a mistake while talking or in their appearance or attire, ignore them. Let them sit in
the best part of the house (tor). Tor, is the instance of things respected and deemed sacred,
tore. "Tor", "tore" (tradition) have the same linguistic root. In old times, our forefathers
kept their sacred belongings and statues in "tor". Before monotheism, they worshipped
them. Later on, "tor" became a place for "tore" (traditions), Sultans and leading figures.
Tor means turk, that is, the real one. Give a mattress to your guest. Eat with him; do not
brag about your house, income or food.
Let the guest be proud of your good manners, let them wish to have sons and
daughters like yours, then let your guest say his prayers aloud for your service, company
and hospitality. He will take you as an example. When you go to someone's house, fulfill
the manners that a guest should carry out! Do not walk in without knocking on the door
or coughing to let them know you have come. Our ancestors have a special custom
regarding this issue. They would stand outside the house and shout "Communicate!"
Greet people everywhere while entering - a house or a working place. A greeting is the
first respect to be shown to a house or a place. While entering a house, put your right step
first. Shake hands with men, but if a woman is not your close relative, do not hold out

your hand.
According to the Turkmen traditions, rule of greetings with men, elderly and
young people and women and with a foreigner are different from each other. These
differences illustrate ancient Turkmen's greeting traditions and how refined they are
classified and carried out. When your guest
81
leaves, eat home bread! In our country, a table-cloth is woven from camel wool because
the camel's fur is regarded as clean and it represents the symbol of neatness and
immaculateness. It is necessary to have a prayer rug, a table-cloth with camel fur, an ewer
and so on at home.
The Turkmen are a people who are always ready to accommodate guests at any
time. Guests are believed to bring blessings and subsistence. Behave while you are a
guest! The identity and education your parents gave you and your emotions teach you the
rules of good manners and of being a good guest. If you are not invited in advance or it is
a last minute visit, do not stay long. Generally, people see each other for a short period of
time to talk about business, themselves and to greet each other. If you are invited for a
meal, take something with you! Bring a gift in accordance with your purpose of visit and
importance!
Do not ask for more than what a host serves you. It is improper to borrow from
your neighbor or to get indebted in order to keep your guests happy. Receiving guests and
being a guest of someone are nice parts of life. Since this issue occupies a large area in
Turkmen ethics, our nation has clearly identified the rules of this ethic. Manners at home
determine the high level that our nation has reached in its spiritual and moral life. Act
properly and help to enrich and mature good manners at home!
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PARENTAL AFFECTION
Praise be to God who does not have any missing beautiful titles ordained thus: "It
is a reality that we created man out of mud". Later, we put him in a sound place in the
form of sperm. Later, the sperm attaches to an egg, the inseminated cell turns into bones,
flesh and a creature. Look at this and understand how perfect the Creator is!" (Al
Mu'minun, Surah 23:12-14). Mohammed the Prophet said once: "Creation of you takes
place in forty days in the mother's womb. Later, in this period, egg and sperm become
inseminated. At a certain time, it turns into bones. Afterwards, God sent an angel with
four words: (This angel) wrote down his or her death, acts, subsistence and whether he or
she will be happy or sad and later, the angel gives breath to the baby's soul."
Doctors also admit that a baby in a mother's womb changes shape every forty
days. Since it is very hot in our era, it takes a longer time for sons to grow when
compared to girls. In the phrase "You turn into 'alaka'", here alaka means a piece of
frozen meat. "Later into mudga" meaning a small piece of meat. That is the third forty
days of a baby. The Mighty Lord "blows soul into it", and later the baby begins to move.

Scientists also agree that after four months, a "soul is given." First of all, the seed
of men is to be known like apple froth. Later, it forms into blood and flesh and takes on a
shape. Afterwards, it begins to move. The minimum period in which a baby can live is a
hundred eighty two days. The maximum period is two hundred eighty days.
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Hippocrates said: "Human liquid passes through all his organs. For this reason, if
a man is healthy, his child will be healthy, too. If he is sick, his children will be ill, too."
Parental affection should be thoroughly instilled before a baby is born, after it is born,
when he walks, is breast fed or while it is sitting, running and eating.
There are lots of spiritual titles regarding parental affection which comprise a
Turkmen. Those titles illustrate our national character. I can tell you the truth by
explaining one of these titles:
The Turkmen nation is not a racist nation but a secular (mundane state) one! The
description of "mundane state" can be approached from two perspectives. On the one
hand being mundane implies that mundane values outnumber religious values of a nation.
This is really wonderful since in the twenty-first century, while humanity is turning into a
single body, it is a must to keep pace with it. Being mundane means to accept the
contemporariness of humanity in one body. The second perspective demonstrates that
being mundane is beneficial in terms of the Turkmen's world wide achievements and
national spiritual differences in international relations.
All humanitarian values and approaches are naturally close to the Turkmen soul.
The Turkmen like to prioritize not only their distinctive values but also the measure or
values making them closer to other nations, maybe more than they do in the former. For
this reason, the values we abide by are very profound and humanitarian. The concepts
such as class, nation and religion which distance people or groups have always come in
the last place; only one value, the value attached to Man and Humanity has been ascribed
importance. Furthermore, when you look from the outside, thoughts expressing
differences within a group actually state their sense of unity.
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*****
Let's elaborate simple words such as "nobility", "aristocracy", "unfortunate" or
"ill-manners"! If you look at the roots of these words in the Turkmen language, all come
from "noble" and put emphasis on the roots of a human-being. Nonetheless, in practice,
within the context of national values, words are used as the measures of people's spiritual
and ethical values. For this reason, we measure people in accordance with their personal
ethical values rather than their genealogy, nationality or religion. Particularly with this
end, our national poet, our father Makhtumkuli says: "If you are a wise man, do not ask
about the roots of a brave man; they shall be obvious in his behavior and service!" or: "If
you want to understand the roots of a brave man, look at his behavior!"
Nobility does not illustrate roots or wealth but the ethical position of a man.

Furthermore, to know the background of a person, do not pay attention to his
genealogical line but his manners and compliance with ethical rules of the society. Then,
you can understand his roots.
Roots define personality; personality is the assurance of the roots. A person's root
is his family; family means generation. If a family means generation, it is an institution
where national values are being implemented directly. The essence is the system of
ethical and spiritual values. The edifice of human personality, his spiritual essence, is
ethics.
The edifice and the essence of children are their parents. A plant shall be tall and
have flowers, fruits and branches as much as its seed allows. A human-being has
character, mood and habits in accordance with his parents and their other characteristics
mature similar to their seeds.
O mother and father!
Start teaching good manners to your children by first educating yourself!
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If you want your children to be knowledgeable, correct your own deficiencies!
If you want your children to have good manners, get rid of your own ill-manners!
Keep in mind that it would be meaningless, improper and funny to expect graceful
and humanitarian behavior if you do not have them first!
First you have to become mature, later work so that your children can become
mature!
Do not educate them through advice but by setting an example for them!
*****
If you advise your son to be hospitable before you set a table for your guests, then
you will be a man talking in vain! If you yourself are not ashamed and teach your
daughter to behave and be ashamed, you will be like a person trying to sew a dress with
an invisible thread. Immature parents trying to educate their children are like people
trying to row a boat without oars or write without ink or harvest without reaping, fly
without wings and creatures trying to walk without feet.
If spring water is contaminated, it will be because of the spring itself. If a brook
gets contaminated, the source will be the reason behind that!
Excellent education and good manners, nice behavior and mood, beautiful ethics
are blessings; if these are to pass over to children, this shall be possible through parents.
If you have your kids eat a stolen thing, and later say: "Do not steal!" What would
be the outcome of it?! Have you ever seen a wolf hunting a rabbit and teaching its
puppies to eat herbs?!
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The source of honesty in a child is the honesty of his or her parents. Misbehavior
can occur to children from somewhere else, too, but the parents' honesty shall be a solid

barrier in front of haram (prohibitions of religion).
Example: Once a woman visited Mahatma Gandhi and complained about his son
eating too much candy and asked for his advice.
Mahatma Gandhi ponders over it and after a while says:
- S ister, come again three weeks later.
The woman was surprised at what Mahatma Gandhi said. Three weeks later, she
visited him with her son.
Gandhi looked at the boy and said:
- Quit eating candy!
Later the child's mother thanked Gandhi and headed back home; however, after a
while, she came back and posed a question to Gandhi:
- S ir, I could not get the point: you could have said whatever you said three weeks
ago, but why did you keep us waiting for three weeks?
- S ister, there is no different reason to that. Three weeks ago, I liked to have candy
very much like your son did. If a word is sincere and coming from the heart, only then,
can it be influential to reach somebody else's heart. If I had told your son not to eat candy,
it would not have been influential.
Children can learn honesty from another source but in such cases, the dishonesty
of parents would seem like a big burden and shame to the honest children. Knowing your
manners is essential in human life. The development of animals at the zoo is not because
of themselves but because of nature's rules of millions of years. Liberty endowed to
people in the form of logic to get out of the vicious circle has entirely changed the
manners of human-beings. In nature, everything is
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clear and all duties and behaviors are shared, all relations and works are obvious. In
society, everything is calling for a man's will-power and it exists in the form of problems
to be resolved. We should solve them according to what we think is right, clarify them
and do our best. This demonstrates that nature and society function in different times.
Time in nature, which is another domain of life, has quit its functioning in terms of
excellence for now. The past in nature has taken place without fragmentation of the
present and future time. For that reason, habits are enough for an offspring to grow up in
nature.
Mind given to human-beings has been changing over the course of time and
taking new forms. Clarity, explanation, definitions and forms are replaced by ambiguity,
chaos, non-defined things and infinity.
The meaning of human liberty consists of converting non-defined things into
defined ones, and ambiguity to clarity through mind. For this reason, established manners
would be necessary. Manners mean to systematize the will of mind. A man cannot be a
man without knowing his manners. This is not a simple reiteration of philosophy; it is the
reality of life. There are various examples illustrating that a human offspring surviving
among animals did not live like a human-being anymore. However, the offspring of
mankind should know their manners and be knowledgeable. This does not happen all by

itself. A society can instill habits in a child. Yet, maturity cannot be attained only through
habits. For maturity, you should have senses and education proper for your purposes in
life along with ethics.
The function of the will-power is to regulate instincts, tendencies and desires of
human nature, which exist freely and they are reconstructed in accordance with the mind.
Knowing ones manners is a requirement to obtain beauty in life. Anarchy, disorder,
improperness, immoderate beauty cannot be deemed as beauty. Beauty is the outcome of
obedience to
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laws. The beauty of nature is the result of obedience to its eternal rules, which are silent
and quiet and it is always in movement. Beauty of ethics is the result of obedience to
ethical rules. Beauty of a forest and a garden are different from each other. Human life is
not a forest but a garden. Its essence is similar to that of nature but its landscaping is up to
mankind.
*****
The holy child; as sweet and beautiful as the heavens!
A child has the innocence, sweetness and cuteness of creation. Man or animal,
offspring of all sorts of beings are sweet and beautiful. People call children, sweet little
thing, little boy, little girl; maybe to express their love or maybe since they are little...
People make children more childish by adjudicating adjectives next to their names. All
right, does a child see himself as a little one? No. They do not like "little" post-fixes or
pre-fixes. Little children like their grandparents more. I wonder why? First of all,
grandparents are old people. They are not as busy as their parents day and night.
Grandparents reach self-achievement and have plenty of free time. Most importantly,
they do not make children childish. While talking to them, they talk as if children were
grown-ups; and they do ask their opinion and do not ignore them since they are children.
However, parents of children do not have time. Although they look at their school report
card, they do that out of obligation. If they get spoilt, cold parents scorn them.
Sometimes, when they hit their children's neck, their heart does not sizzle. They no
longer give advice to their children. Instead, they try to explain what happened to them.
Let's say a child is attending first grade. He regards himself like a big man when
he compares himself to his siblings and children below school age. His parents at home
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advise that: "Son, you are a big man, you should read and write well and behave!"
When you tell an old man: "Mashallah, you look young!", he cheers up. Likewise,
tell a child: "Mashallah, you are a grown up man!" You will see how happy he will be!
Either old or young, it does not matter, everybody has a heart.
Every child has his own world, wishes and dreams. A child regards himself as a
grown-up according to himself. Keep them happy and both a child's heart and himself

should be optimistic!
Our people once said "The one who treats his son like a grown-up grows up." I
began to get used to village life while living in Kıpçak. Elderly people used to get
together at an old man's house two or three houses next to my grandfather's and to talk
about this and that. I would quietly sit behind and listen to them. Once an old man with a
sparse beard said:
- What the hell are you, little boy, doing among elderly men?
I resented it; when I filled up with resentment, an old man called Ishan Aga told
me:
- S it down, son, sit! It is a good deed to listen to a white bearded man's speech...
and he told the old man with the sparse beard:
- Meret, you are a heartless man! Tell me, do your grandchildren listen to you or
not?! Look, this little child came here to listen to us, with his own will...
The old man with the sparse beard tried to defend himself:
- Right, Ishan Aga, all types of conversations take place here... He could play with
his peers...
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- But you are a man with a white beard, Meret, you should not talk about
improper things as an old man who people listen to in the neighborhood...
If Annaniyaz Aga were alive now, this son would not come to listen to elderly
people like you and me...
The old man with the sparse white beard laughed:
- If Annaniyaz Aga were here, who else would be able to talk... He would really
make sense when he talked...
Since Ishan Aga supported me and praised my grandfather, I felt like I was in
seventh heaven. The last words of the old man with the sparse beard erased the effect of
his heartbreaking words...
What has a man got? He has got a tiny heart.
Do not call children as children, whoever he is or whatever type of a person he is
you must be tolerant and sincere! Sincerity is due to God's content!
*****
A child has a pure word and a beautiful heart!
To educate a child, to enter the world of a child, you should be as pure, clean and
enthusiastic as he or she or regard them as adults and elevate them to your level.
A child is not a soldier; you cannot train him by giving orders.
Since I grew up in a village, I personally witnessed the child being educated by
old people, and listen to the elderly people and read it in history. After a Turkmen has his
son circumcised, they eat from the same dish. Until that time, he eats with his mother and
siblings. Starting with the day a child eats from the same dish as his father's, he begins to
look like his father. While saying his prayers, he opens his hands the

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way his father does and he imitates his father while washing his hands.
You see how Turkmen managed to educate their children with their traditions...
It is necessary to love children, to see them sacred and keep them happy but it is
not appropriate to spoil them with your love! This love should be a demanding one!
It is important to teach chores to children in their childhood.
The same way wolves and tigers teach hunting to their puppies, children should
also learn to get by through work! A child learning how to work will never suffer from
hunger!
*****
I got used to working when I was little. A person used to working gets a different
kind of pleasure from his work. A work giving pleasure will not tire a man.
While my grandpa was reaping in the farmland, I was helping him to reap by
starting from one side of the land. Clovers are reaped with its root and when you look at
the soil, there should remain only dark soil. If clovers are reaped like this, they can be
reaped at least six or seven times. A clover, once planted, grows from the same root for
six or seven years. Peasants are an old group of people. Whatever job they work at, there
are lots of rumors about that job. I want to tell you a rumor about clover.
Story: Once upon a time, a nomad, dealing with animal husbandry, falls captive.
Plunderers sell him to a rich man. This rich man is a smart guy:
- Son, reap these clovers, when finished, you can go home.
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This nomad uproots clovers so strongly that what was left behind was dark soil.
Uprooted clover grows sprouts so rapidly that it amazes people.
Thanks to technological advances, clover reaper machines have been invented and
clover problems have been totally solved; if you do not plant clover every year or every
other year, clovers, which are reaped from the middle, begin to dry and lose their roots
and start to fly away. Half cut clovers can be reaped at least four times a year. In villages,
work does not end. A year, revolving with seasons requires peculiar works, in accordance
with every season. For this reason, it is said that: "A shepherd can get take a break from
work when it snows while the farmer takes his break in his grave."
Farmers know the value of soil. My grandpa was an experienced farmer. After
harvest, he used to water our farmland and when appropriate, he would plough once from
one end to another. If he ploughs land from the west, next year, he would plough from the
east.
Sand in ploughed land slides through south and north. Weather is cold and you are
sweating while working. When you sweat, you will be engrossed with your work and get
stronger. If you are not accustomed to working, your palms shall blister. Its ointment is
your bitter sweat...

There are many people ploughing with plows pulled by donkeys or horses but a
man who has self confidence can also plough with his hands. Furthermore, there is an
appropriate proverb depicting this case: "Plough in fall, if you cannot, plough the
surface." Ploughing once in fall would be equal to ploughing a hundred times in other
times because soil aired and ploughed in fall froze in winter, and is washed with rain. On
frosty days, soil is watered to condition it. A man who can freeze water would be happy.
When spring breezes arise, it is
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watered again and aired when ready. The beloved soil begins to tremble.
In winter, trees and vines are also pruned in the farm lands, yet around the end of
winter when spring makes itself felt.
Story: In the old days, a farmer is ploughing his land with oxen. His land lies
away from his village.
A beggar approaches this farmer who was ploughing his soil. The beggar says:
- 1 am hungry, I am a beggar, give me money!
- If you need money, come home with me in the evening. I am working now; I do
not have money with me. Do you not see, I am throwing wheat seeds?
This time the beggar says:
- Then, give me some wheat seeds!
- Are you out of your mind? Have you ever seen anyone eating wheat seeds? A
nation eating wheat seeds may suffer from hunger... You look strong, why do you not
work like other people and eat what you earn?
- God created me as a beggar, if I work and eat what I earn, who will be the
beggar? says the beggar and he keeps insisting.
Finally:
- I am exhausted and will take a rest, I will come home with you to get money
there, says the beggar.
He curls around the land. The farmer terribly exhausted while ploughing with
oxen, releases them to graze and after ritual ablution, he decides to practice prayers. One
of the oxen approaches the beggar while it is grazing and smells bread in his bag and eats
his bread. The farmer sees what is going on during prayers and he does not interrupt his
prayers!
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After he greets angels at the end of prayers, he runs after the oxen. He begins to
shout at the beggar who wakes up because of the noise. The beggar gets mad:
- Your oxen ate all my bread! You did not even pay for it and why do you yell at
me?
- You separated me from my oxen, so why would I not yell at you?
- How did I separate you from your oxen?
Farmer:
- S ince it was a calf, I have taught him to eat after he works. It ate your bread, so

from now on, he will always look at somebody else's bag. If I sell this ox and cannot get
another one, I will not be able to benefit from any oxen...
If you eat the bread you earn, that will be halal (religiously permissible) bread.
The significance of a loaf of halal bread is different, so is its taste!
If you wear the clothes you buy with the money you earn, those clothes will suit
you and not get old easily. However, I do not know when the Turkmen learned to eat
haram (religiously impermissible or improper) things?! Maybe, they learned over the
course of years. Maybe, they learnt during the years of captivity...
Man is created from water, fire and air. Soil, bitter, sour or salty is necessary.
If you sweat your black sweat and get rid of salt in your body, soon will your fore-
head be bright. Bitterness and sourness can be eliminated by sweat.
Lots of wild grasses grow on soil. If you identify yourself with soil and learn to
provide your subsistence from soil, you will be as tender, dignified and fertile as soil.
Look, what type of food grows on the property of a farmer?! The Sons of Adam
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learned how to get food from the soil and sweetened his life, survival and future...
Esteemed mother and father! Sweat of your fore-head, labor and noble behavior
are a school for your children. Let your school grow your children as a happy person who
can earn the love of people!
*****
A wise itinerant who knows Turkmen very well said: "Turkmen were born to
wage wars and die at wars..."
Another sagacious person said: "Turkmen were meant to organize festivities,
weddings and entertainments and to waste what he earns..."
A Turkmen organizes ceremonies on special occasions: He celebrates "I had a
son", "I had a daughter" or they are forty days old or celebrates their smiling, and has
uncles to cut their hair, organizes ceremonies, gives a goat as a gift, organizes ceremonies
again to honor his baby's first steps or they distribute candy to people once his baby
grows teeth; organizes ceremonies when his boy has been circumcized or he rides a
horse; in short, a Turkmen has very many celebrations, ceremonies, festivities and
entertainment.
The most famous prayer of Turkmen: "May your earnings bring you blessings"
meaning "May you use them on good days".
The words such as treasure (hazine) and chamber (hazne) have derived from ‘to
earn" (Kazanmak).
Look at the mountains, look at the white snowy mountains, their tips, surrounded
with white clouds, are up like the soul of our old world. Look at the trees swinging in the
valley! Those trees rooted in the center of the world are waving like a green flag of
nature! Look at flowers, grass and
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straw, they all are bent by a breeze and they all are waving like a flag of ground.
On this ground, if you do not show pure effort though you are born in this pure
and beautiful territory, you cannot put yourself in line with the harmony in the world!
This world is a world of movements. To survive, it needs to develop, fire has to
burn to survive, and water has to pour and to move so as not to stink.
No one who rests all the time can become a man. People who eat, drink and rest
lazily, are not one of us! May God allow us to be born in this pure territory and to be
buried into that with the same purity!
If you do not eat pure food from this pure soil, and do not remain pure, this is not
a shame on the world but on you, O Turkmen! If you do not become a sweet man who
eats and drinks food served from this soil, it will be a shame on you, O Turkmen!
The fate of the fatherland is in our hands. We have one liability ahead but it is a
major one: to offer a happy, cheerful and a dream-like childhood to children.
Children; cute, sweet, with soft hair needing caress and cheeks to be squeezed and
waddling around!
You work all day long and get exhausted; but when you come home and your
child smiling becomes your source of joy and runs to you with all his or her strength: you
see, he or she is coming into your world like an arrow of joy and happiness.
Though you may not be in the mood or exhausted, give a hug to your child
running to your arms, at that moment, you will feel that the burdens of life and the world
on your shoulder are relieved!
You are a mother, while you were a girl as beautiful as a fairy yesterday; you are a
mother with a child, today. Do not
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let go of your daughter like the moon, and your son, like a day, away from your arms.
Until a short time ago, you were giving birth to a child and there will be nothing as
comfortable, warm, worthy and sacred as your arms!
When your little child is in your arms, it will feel like fortune and the biggest
fortune of the world covering your arms while the child's world is filled with affection
and joy!
You feel affection and love for your child in your arms, safe from all troubles and
evil things!
Even Azrael, with an edict in his hand, cannot take away the life of the child
swaddled with your affection, love and joy in your arms!
You are a grandfather; you get to hold your grandchild in your arms and caress his
silk-like hair with your rigid but tender hands! Let your hands, which got rough and rigid
due to work to arouse the mind and comprehension which passed to your grandchild's
brain from his ancestors!
You turn your past full of hardships into a nice tale for your grandchild; then, your
grandchild will be an educated man and gives you your future back in the form of a
splendid

tale.
You take your grandchild into your arms to love, then, the strength of a thousand
cells from your body shall flow into his or her world and the grandchild fills your heart
with love, strength and power of your future generation.
You are a grandmother; a child getting out of swaddle, is cuddled with motherly
affection and gets to taste of the world. Your grandchild drinks up your affection and
drinks water through your eyes. You caress him or her with your tender hands, then, you
will realize that you are caressing your aging heart rather than your grandchild.
There is no holy beauty more important than a chubby mother with a child in her
arms and a white haired
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grandmother bearing her grandchild on her back and an old man walking with his
grandchild hand in hand!
It is possible to arouse love with love and wing love with love. Wherever love and
affection exist, there shall be no trouble or sorrow there!
O brave man, O sister, O tender grandma and wise grandma, the children you give
wings to are your grandchildren; they are the future of Independent Turkmenistan!
When you see "miraculous" men diagnosing and healing their patients by hand on
television or stages, do not admire them. Do not forget that you have a thousand times
more miraculous powers in your own hands!
Love and get loved; build the future of Turkmenistan with love, science, blessings
and miracles!
Here, I would like to tell the "Mulberry Story" from my book entitled "Lessons
from Life".
Life is like a higher education institution. Life teaches continuously and always
provides lessons. Life does not know what tolerance or forgiving means. Some of its
lessons are so hard and cruel that you can never forget them. Life, with its hard lessons,
totally changes a person's vision of the world, sometimes his habits and mood. Hard
lessons of life create or renovate nobility, attention and caution, consideration and a new
perspective.
Holy God showed His love to mankind by giving him the kingdom of this world;
furthermore, He put the angels at their disposal. Not only angels but also the nature and
the realm of animals are also at their disposal.
The Almighty Lord ascribed significance to everything He created and bestowed.
Man should manage to read such significances. Now, I would like to talk about the
significance
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of the mulberry story. Since the era of Oguz Khan, mulberries came in sixty kinds such
as: peyvendi, Shadut, belhy, gaychy, nar guyzeki, gyzylayak, bagabat mulberries...
There is a distinction between mulberry trees and others: it blooms later than all
trees and gives fruit before other trees. Bearing fruit early and growing in a short period

of time; this is the significance of the mulberry tree. I like this significance. However,
what I will talk about is not the significance of the mulberry tree but rather the lesson it
teaches me. In front of our door, there was a huge mulberry tree (shadut). Every one of its
berries, as big as thumb, was sweeter than honey. When mulberries are ripe, they bring
joy to your heart. The pleasure of tasting mulberries as sweet as honey cannot be
compared to anything in the world. Especially, when you climb up a mulberry tree and
eat there, the taste you get is great. Only the ones who have had mulberries on its tree can
figure out their taste.
Last year, our mulberry tree bore so many berries that it was incredible. We, three
siblings, would not come down from the mulberry tree after school. We would let the
berries dry that fell on the ground. Its sweetness is stronger than sugar. Bearing in mind
the sweet-ness last year, I am looking at mulberries this year, after school. They seem
unripe for now because when they get ripe, the tree looks like having worn a dress of
white coral, getting brighter to shed light.
On Sunday, though they were not ripe, I wanted to eat mulberries.
I climbed up the mulberry tree.
I caught a branch of mulberries.
But, they are still not ripe.
When they get ripe, they can easily be picked but if they are not ripe, then it is a
little hard to pick them.
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Climbing up mulberry trees and looking around from the top was a special
experience. I climbed up the tree and tasted a mulberry. A little sour!
But it still is edible.
Sourness comes in different varieties.
I had one, later another mulberry and one more...
I was stepping on a huge branch.
Mulberry trees are so wide that you can easily walk on its branches.
I first I checked whether a branch could hold me. If I believed that it could, then I
jumped on it. Most of the time, I tried not to keep both my feet on the same branch. Even
if a branch gets broken, I would be able jump on another.
However, it happened just like that.
I wanted to proceed on to another branch since there were no mulberries left on
the branch I was standing on.
I stepped on to the branch in front of me without checking it. Oops, sure I was
supposed to check branches before stepping on them, but there were so many mulberries
that nothing can describe this abundance. All my attention was focused on those
mulberries. For that reason, I did not check whether the branch I was stepping on would
carry me or not. Generally, I stood on two separate branches; yet, there was no second
branch close to the one I was on. There was only one branch. I stepped on to that one and
tried to reach the mulberries.
But I could not because it cracked and broke. I held on to a small branch

haphazardly.
Everything occurred within a blink of an eye: I fell off while spinning in the air.
I was lying on the ground.
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My mother and siblings ran to help me.
My left ankle was broken.
It was put in a cast for a month.
However, falling off the mulberry tree has been a great lesson for me:
Whatever I want to do first, I will check its ground and engage in it later. I am
assessing the "branch" to check whether the "branch" will carry me.
I am doing the works in which the "branch" can hold me.
This event in my childhood has been a great lesson in making me mature and
helped me become more cautious while dealing with work.
*****
The first teacher of anybody born into this world is his parents.
Mother, father and family constitute the basis for the manners for children. For
this reason, while the Turkmen is assessing someone, he looks at where the other person
is coming from.
After the school of parents, primary, secondary and higher education institutions
provide education and teach them good manners. After graduating from higher education
institutions, some people think that they have reached the highest level of science and
there is no limit beyond what they have learned. On the other hand, after graduation,
some keep learning science till the end of their lives. The more the real scientists delve
into science, the more they understand how their knowledge is limited and keep learning
day and night.
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Humanity has matured. Thousands of owners of mind and scientists such as
Socrates, Aristotle, El-Harezmi, Zemahsheri, Makhtumkuli and Einshtein established the
civilization, today.
There are hundreds of thousands of scientists, poets and wise men whose every
word is as valuable as a gem stone. Which one of them can you read? Nonetheless, they
are yesterday's owners of mind. You can get mature if you read their works. Who is the
teacher of the ones who reached perfection? Life, world and realm! The major teacher
and master of the world is nature: all animals, plants and natural phenomena. Until the
sixties of the past century, the most dangerous disease was tuberculosis. However, the
tuberculosis trouble was eradicated after its cure was found. Instead, cancer started to
haunt people and began to bring up disasters.
Why is it the case?
Man is a product of nature and a child of nature.

Man has to obey the harmony, rules and order of nature and has to be in line with
it. Nature is the major teacher of man.
We implemented the project of planting young trees and turning Turkmenistan
into a garden. Planting all parts of our country and turning it and the hearts of our citizens
into a garden will be very meaningful. We will have a nature in line with our golden soul
and life-style.
Our longing for planting trees is actually that of enrichment and adornment of our
spiritual world. Planting trees and taking care of them is the golden fruit of our moral and
spiritual development.
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*****
O Mother and father!
Life is an art. Do not forget that the level of maturity of this art is directly in your
hands, knowledge and will-power!
You should mould and shape your child with your own hands, knowledge and will
as if you were creating a work of art. God has created every means so that you can work;
nature endowed you with substances which can be modified into material; life has
endowed you with all sorts of raw material to be knowledgeable. While the chance for
your child to be knowledgeable without your contribution is one per cent, the chance for
him not to get mature without you is one hundred per cent.
Like the way an artist gives the beauties he could not achieve in life, to a
character emerging from his imagination, as parents, you have to raise children more
knowledgeable than you are. Our deficiencies and skills continue with our children. Have
mercy to your children, purify yourself!
Being a parent is both great happiness and a big responsibility. This only means to
join the continuation of a generation as a new chain. This means to contribute to man's
art of becoming mature. The art of making man mature is related with the education of
children. The Turkmen start educating and teaching good manners to their children as of
the day a woman is pregnant.
Begin fulfilling requirements for manners of being parents!
The Turkmen call a pregnant woman "toylu kadin". In our national perspective,
they look at the continuation of humanity with pride and happiness.
The most blissful time a woman has is her pregnancy period.
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The time when a woman is the most beautiful is during her pregnancy period.
A pregnant woman reminds you of a rose bud.
The way a rose blooms is impeccable and it has the divine secrecy.
The birth of man has a beauty which makes your heart pound and a miracle which
cannot be described. After a woman gets pregnant, the father has to realize the
responsibilities of fatherhood. These responsibilities should be achieved in accordance
with good manners. The father should care about the bodily health of his partner and

mental health of his child about to be born. In Turkmen tradition, particularly pregnant
women eat special meals and are exempt from heavy and unnecessary tasks. If you want
your child to be healthy and nice, serve good fruits that you pick for your pregnant
spouse. There is an interesting situation which draws my attention, with regard to the
expressions about pregnant women: the same issue is explained both in general terms and
in nice manners. I call this politeness of Turkmen heart and revelation of Turkmen heart,
which is full of love. Out of courtesy, instead of calling them "pregnant women", the term
"toylu kadin" (woman with load) is used. As a tradition, instead of craving for food (ash
saylayar), the term which means "she has not got taste" (agzy bimaza). Look, the
meaning is the same but courteous, refined and lovely titles are used for pregnant ladies!
Only a nation which treasures women can use such expressions. While a woman does not
have "taste", go and get the most beneficial food for her!
While a woman is pregnant, and until her baby turns forty days, one of the elderly
women takes care of her. She especially has to watch what she is eating or drinking.
Likewise, elderly women generally give company to her during this special period. The
Turkmen ladies are shy and they have a sense of
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shame; while she is pregnant, she is even ashamed of her husband not to mention her
parents or parents-in-law.
For that reason, it will be better for her to have the company of an old lady who
has had a great deal of experience in life.
O father!
The concern for a child's manners begins before he or she is born. I will tell you a
story about this. In fact, while this story was originally a part of Turkmen life, it later
turned out to be talking about the beauty of Turkmen morality.
The great Turkmen, the wise man Dovletmemmed Azadi, was a person who said
prayers for children and people in return for asking for his blessing prayers and wishes.
Parents, whose kids turn seven, would take them to Azadi:
- Hodja effendi, could you please say your prayers for our child and give him
advice. The wise man in question says:
-1 willgive him or her advicebecause he or sheis at an age toget a pieceof
advice; however, as for the issue of good manners, this is not the time. Giving good
manners should have started in the mother's womb. For this reason, what I should do is to
make him or her mature now that you have already given him or her good manners. Man
is a tree. It is necessary to take care of it while he is a small tree. It is difficult to bend it
after it grows tall; and even sometimes, it is impossible. A man will maintain the
character he is given and raised with. Azadi the Great once said "A woman should be bent
at the beginning and a child should be bent in the womb." So, Azadi would teach that
since the day a woman gets married and becomes your daughter-in-law and a child grows
in her womb, special attention should be paid to them both.
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Once, he talked about a story that he heard from his father.
In the village of Makhtumkulu Yonachilar, there was a very honest and decent
man, meticulous about haram and halal. This man, who always remembered God, had a
very unpleasant experience. He was totally shocked when he saw his son stealing
something from the neighbor's garden. When he came home, he discussed the issue with
his spouse. They began to find out the reason behind this and to question themselves.
Suddenly, a reason for this came to her mind and she said:
- It is my fault. When I was pregnant with him, one day I was craving an apple
and picked it from our neighbor's tree without his permission.
There is a message to be learned from this event. If the body does not develop
thanks to halal food, the soul will not be honest at all. If the soul is not honest, the body
cannot purify itself. Man is not a simple composition of soul and body; he has an
invisible togetherness and harmony. It is difficult to say which one starts or ends where.
The border between body and soul does not belong to the realm of the material
world but to the spiritual one.
Raise your children with halal deeds!
Feed them with halal and cloth them halal and put halal thoughts in their minds!
The outcome of haram is immorality; the outcome of halal is morality.
Morality is a child's door to fortune!
Neither fortune nor misfortune occurs haphazardly as if they lost their way.
If you are a man of honesty and morality, fortune shall follow you on its own,
because honesty is the door to fortune.
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If you eat haram, commit haram deeds and you are an immoral person, misfortune
shall chase you on its own because haram nurtures misfortune. If your child smells of
haram, misfortune shall remain to be carved on your forehead!
The first two phases of human life, which are childhood and adolescence, need a
sense of good manners. The period till thirteen is the one in which a child is raised more
attentively and sensitively. Until they turn seven, instill them with the following:
Celebrate when he or she is born and give him or her, a nice name after you talk
to your relatives!
Wrap the child's body with cloth and wrap his or her mind and soul with morality!
O mother!
Your honesty is the biggest thing which will protect your child from evil eyes!
There are lots of things that we can learn from animals as far as child education
and morality is concerned. That is to love a child with all your heart. A child grows up
with your love. Be serious and smart with your love!
Do not confine your child to your own habits; but, do not leave him alone!
Do not brag about the superiority of your child to the others! Your superiority
would be giving him lots of ideas and morality. The Turkmen regard it as being especially
improper to brag about a child's beauty or appearance. Nurture your love in your heart
but be modest in public. Love your child but love him or her in disguise!

The growth of a tree is up to its seed and later irrigation and likewise to the skills
of gardener. Let me tell you this about seed:
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Man inherits temper from his father and the mind from his mother.
Teach your child to greet people! Do not protect him against people but against
being unsociable!
Teach science to your child! An illiterate son does not take care of his parents.
First and foremost, the heritage and the best heritage, the heritage, which is
always fresh and infinite is: morality! The heritage given to a child before knowledge,
occupation and property is: morality! Nonetheless, a child who knows the values of the
first heritage can appreciate the others. It is no different than giving a gun to a child, if
you give money and property to him before you teach him morality and science. Teach an
occupation to your child!
A man without a job is like a fruitless tree. The phase of adolescence is a more
difficult period of childhood since at this stage; his or her personality begins to emerge.
This is always a problematic matter. You should help him to be a man in this phase.
Pretend to leave him alone but hold him tight; pretend for him to be attached to you and
do not let him go! As of fourteen, let the father take care of his son, in general! As of
twelve, let the mother take care of her daughter!
After your child gains a profession and knowledge, if he or she passes minor age
and if they are interested, find them a partner to marry! At that moment, it is important to
evaluate posture, mind, temper and habits of the girl who will marry your son or a boy
who will marry your daughter.
Give a house to your child!
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Enlightened parents educate their children for a lifetime; however, until children
turn twenty-five, parents make their children gain morality and later, children learn
morality on their own.
If a child has not learned his lesson early on and deploys effort to learn at a later
stage, this demonstrates that he is a man.
Whenever the great Turkmen master, Bayezid Bistami saw a child, with all his
seriousness, he would talk to children as if they were grown-ups. His followers surprised
by this, would say:
- O master, that is just a child. Why put forth this much effort?
The master said:
- Why should I not put forth the effort? Maybe he will be a great scientist or a
khan in the future. For this reason everything should be realized duly within the
framework of rules.
O mother and father!
The indispensable condition to be parents is this deed of our master.
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MANNERS FOR CHILDREN
The most perfectly elaborated value among national spiritual values of Turkmen
is the moral rules that a child should respect. These rules illustrate how strong and perfect
the relations within the Turkmen family structure are. This case also shows that they care
about the future and try to construct their future in a comprehensive way because a child
is the future of humanity.
For this reason, the Turkmen ensured that their children have had halal and
healthy milk of their mothers. One saying goes,: "Health is a crown on the heads of
healthy people but only the unhealthy ones can see it; one of the blessings that people do
not treasure is health." On the other hand, our ancestors prayed like this: "God has
bestowed a countless amount of food in every vein. O God, give us health and well-being
while practicing our religion, in this and the other world."
Here are the things that influence human health most.
The most important element affecting the human soul is air. If the air is clean and
free of pollution and odorous gases, it becomes the most effective way of protecting your
health. When air changes, it influences man in positive and negative ways.
It is a well-known truth that some diseases emerge or vanish through changes of
weather. Summer heat causes
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plaque and similar diseases break out because plaque grows in a hot and dry climate.
On the other hand, summer weather eliminates infections caused by cold and
influenza, which emerge in the winter. Other seasons can be compared like this. Cold
weather increases the resistance of the body and makes it strong. It enables the digestive
system to work easily but in the opposite of hot weather.
Due to weather and seasonal changes, contagious diseases increase.
Food and drinks consumed influence health. If consumed food is cold or hot, the
body will sense cold and hot. These affect the human body. Melik Shah would warn his
people about not to eat food in which there were little bugs or not to consume rice from
rice fields in which there were mice.
Movement and peace of body. Movement heats up the human body, that is, it
leads to emergence of heat. Peace of body is the opposite case. Mood and peace of soul.
Spiritual modes that a human-being experiences occur as an outcome of the following;
quietness, enthusiasm, anxiety and timidity. These modes take place as a result of
introvert and extrovert movements of body. Sleep and insomnia also influence health.
Sleep pulls the human soul inward and the body cools down. For this reason, a person
asleep usually feels cold because of this and feels an urge to cover himself with a blanket
or comforter.
Turkmenistan is a nation which has managed not only to draw lessons from their
past and to live in accordance with rationale but also to build their own future according
to the measures of mind, soul and morality.

The future is our trust in tomorrow!
A Turkmen's belief is based upon strong and realistic logic.
Logic matures national spiritual wealth.
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The mind is necessary to understand the past and plan for today, but the real value
of mind comes out in transforming the future into reality and making it a predictable one.
If there is no mind, there will then be no trust or reliance. If there is no trust or
reliance, there is no morality. If there is no morality, there is no future.
Mind and morality, which reach the future, sleeping in the eternal arms of time,
can be realized by the founders of a nation's path.
Morality is a debt. Being decent is a debt.
If the debtor does not pay off his debt, the meaning, pleasure and order of life do
not exist anymore. A child can be a creditor after he or she pays off his or her debt.
Moreover, a person who has paid off his moral debt to his parents can be a creditor, in the
eyes of his children. The equivalent of debt of a person to his parents is what he will get
from his children.
So, while the Turkmen teach good manners and morality to their children, they
also imitate their great family members and establish their mental order and sustain
continuity and non-interruption, in this regard. Think not only of the brightness of the
past and the peace of today but also of the beauty of the future.
If you want the future to be nice, make your past sacred. If you want the future to
be faithful, be loyal to your past!
A Turkmen child calls his mother "kabe" (Kabaa) and father "kible" (direction of
Mecca).
Kabe and kible are holy values.
O son! If you want to pay your debt to your father, return a hundred times more
than what you have received from your father; if you want to pay your debt to your
mother, return one percent of what you have received from your mother. Your debt to
your parents is your biggest debt because they cannot
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be compared to anything and they are one of the biggest values which are a means of the
life you lead.
Aren't the days, you had among your mother's arms and under your father's
protection, the best and sweetest days of your life?!
Those are only the parents who are closer to you than yourself, who know you
better than you do, who love you more than you love yourself; who are proud of your
positive sides more than you are; who deplore about your mistakes more than you do;
who forgive you in situations that you can never forgive yourself and who support you at
times in which you cannot support yourself.
Always behave well to your parents and bear in mind that you can never pay them
back no matter how good you are to them. The reason why you have come into this world

is your parents. There are lots of factors which might cause your death but the reason why
you are born into this world is unique.
Your mother and father are like a bridge which brought you out of nowhere into
existence.
Your generation is a bridge which carries you from existence to eternity.
What else would you expect from them though they brought you to this world,
life, and help you to lead a good life?
Here, I would like to cite a story from my memoirs entitled "Lessons from Life."
We were three siblings and all for one.
Our soul was sublime because we had our mom, who would challenge difficulties
and who loved us.
Our mom stood behind us like a mountain; she was always of help and an endless
treasure which talked about her memories about my father.
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Though we had difficulties in getting by, our heads were held high. We were
content with our situation.
Our mother, who would caress our heads and was proud of our noise, would go to
work early in the morning and would come back after darkness fell. Everybody had to
work both for his own account and on behalf of the ones who had gone to war.
This was the main idea. Working for two people would seem easy. Our mother
had to work for three of us since she had three kids to take care of... Three kids... Then,
taking care of three children was a difficult job even for hard-working parents. People
who witnessed the years of war would know it. The number of people coming from
villages and pretending to have lost their children and trying to give their children to
orphanages was not insignificant at all. Did not they love their children? Sure, they did,
and they did so very much. Nonetheless, what would they do if they did not have any
food or clothing?! People who lost their children during the years of war were not one,
two or three; they were innumerable!
Mother!
Whenever I remember or commemorate my mother; a light covers my heart and
my entire body and arrays of love emerge. If there is power in this gorgeous world, that is
mother! The Turkmens, as a token of appreciation, call their mothers as "Ana".
I would like to talk about an event which illustrates my mother's power. This
mysterious event took place during the years after I lost my father during an earthquake
and while I was living together with my grandparents in Kıpçak (my mother's parents).
On a winter day, I took five or six sheep to graze. I knew it would snow heavily and a
snowstorm would break out. Yet, though I was reluctant, I had to lead them only to get rid
of my nagging aunt. As I guessed, all of a sudden, it
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got dark and it started to snow. It snowed so heavily that I could not figure out where I
was. Everything was covered in pure white. Thank God, though it was hard at the

beginning, I found the path to the village and brought the sheep back to the pen. My aunt
was taking it out on me. After she counted them all, she said: "one of them is missing"
and scorned me like: "go find it! Otherwise, don't come back home." In fact, all the sheep
were there but since one of them was in the dark corner of the pen, she did not notice it. I
was thinking about how to find it and where to look for this sheep. Due to the snowstorm,
visibility was low. I was barefoot and had no heavy clothing to protect me from the cold.
I went out to look for the sheep in that attire. Yet, I could not find it wherever I looked. I
came back home. My aunt was very obstinate about not letting me in unless I found the
missing sheep.
I had no other choice but to pass the freezing night outside. I could not understand
what happened. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ata Kol sitting next to me and smiling.
Ata Kol was the village doctor and since he pronounced the word "ukol" as "kol", the
inhabitants gave him the nickname of Kol. Ata Kol asked:
- Brave man, did you come to your senses?
- Selaumaleykum, Ata Aga!
- Aleykimsalam. Mashallah, you don't forget to greet with the name of God
though you are seriously ill. You are a son of a beg.
- Ata Aga, where am I?
- You are not in a foreign place. Sleep well, this is your home. Do you feel fine
now? You had two shots. Now, drink a cup of tea, later, you will get one more shot and
feel better and stronger.
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I really noticed that I was getting better. Yet, I felt like my feet were not mine. Ata
Aga was rubbing my feet so fast that my feet were reddish.
- Hang in there; otherwise, you will suffer from your feet all your life. Your feet
are cold. While I was staying in a place which was unknown to me, I was looking
through the window and it was not even morning. I wondered and asked again:
- Ata Aga, how did you find me?
- 1 was sleeping. Yet, your mother GurbanSultan knocked at the door and pleaded
to me and said "My son is sick, help and save him!"
She did not let me sleep. I asked him what happened and totally surprised:
- How come my mother knocked at your door?
- Why are you awed at that? There is nothing to be surprised about?
GurbanSultan came here at midnight and said "Ata, my son is covered by snow,
help him!"
We went together to save you. You were not aware of anything and sleeping under
the snow just like that. Your mother, seeing that you were not aware of anything, cried so
much that I told her: "Sultan, please don't cry, now, I will give him a shot and he will
recover soon" but, it did not sooth her.
What Ata Kol told me about really shocked me. Maybe, Ata Kol was lying;
maybe he was trying to console me? No, no, Ata Kol was telling the truth. However, my
mother was not alive! She lost her life during the Ashgabat Earthquake. Ata Kol should

have known this. Then, why did he talk that way?
- Where is my mom, then?! I asked with doubt.
Ata Kol replied:
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- Your mother was here a little while ago. Poor woman, she kept saying "save my
son." She was relieved at seeing you a little better. She was both crying and pleading with
me. Really, where is she by the way? GurbanSultan, hey, GurbanSultan.
His calling out of my mother's name sizzled my heart. I kept gazing at the door
and I was wondering whether she would come through the door.
Ata Kol looked around the room and then went outside, but mom was no where to
be found.
Ata Kol's face changed all of a sudden. Maybe, he just remembered that my
mother died during the earthquake. His face went white. He was trembling. He could not
stand where he was. Later, I understood that my mother's soul came to me since she knew
that her son was in a difficult situation. My mother's soul woke up Ata Aga, the doctor of
our village, before day break and he saved me from dying.
Thus, my mother was lamenting and saying "my son", in the other world, and
could not rest in peace and comfort. Years passed, Ata Kol kept telling this event. So,
how can we explain this without the might of God?
My mother was a talented person. She cooked very delicious food.
She talked sweet. When she caressed and loved me, I felt like a bird flying into
the sky.
I was filled with warm love and affection for my mother.
My mother was a monument of love and affection.
When I looked at her face, I would forget hunger, malaise and days of hardship.
It occurs to me that my mother's love protected me and my siblings from hunger
and destitution during the years of war. I
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do not even remember feeling cold when I was little. In fact, the winters during the war
years were very cold. Hence, the love, affection and care of my mother sheltered us
against cold.
Bad years also have nice times.
Sorrowful years also have pleasant days.
Sad years also have sweet days.
If we had nice days during war, the reason was to remember our father and
imagining ourselves welcoming him on the day he would come back home from the war.
There were no days that we did not remember or wait for or see him in our
dreams.
So, we always lived happily.
We had a father as huge as a mountain! He was fighting the enemy with his gun
and grenades in his hand. He was courageously resisting the enemy. The day our father

would come back would be like the world in spring and then people would reach peace
and nice days of life would be lived again. Our father was supposed to come back the day
the war was over. War was to be ended. Would it be possible for the enemy to survive
before my father, with a brave heart?! No; of course not. The day the enemy was
defeated, without doubt, my father came home.
While I was going to school with Niyazmurat, Muhammetmurat was going to pre-
school. Niyazmurat and I would pick up Muhammetmurat, after our school.
This was a ritual every day.
Beloved Youth!
Make your mothers the crown of your head. It is your mother and father who
surround your life with the light of happiness.
The meaning of life lies in the respect to your parents!
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You are walking around this beautiful world thanks to feet God endowed you
with. You love this world with the heart that your parents created. In fact, are not they
your parents who brought you to this world and made you a man in life?
However, your parents not only give birth to you but also remain with you after
you come into the world. They are all yours. After you are born, they live not only for
themselves but also for you. When you are born, they live not for themselves but for you.
Everything you have belongs to your parents but you give what you have to your
children. You get a loan from someone and you pay it to someone else other than your
creditor. If you give half of your love to your parents, deploy half of your effort to your
parents and show half of the interest that is due to your children, to your parents, you
would be so blissful, o man!
The first words of a baby are "mother and father." However, in order to get their
full sense, the whole life of a person would be necessary. Your mother and father are
mortal; so, they travel from this world to the other to continue their trip to eternity. Youth;
it is like spring; senior ages are like winter. Parents can turn the winter of their lives into
spring by raising generations.
Someone disrespectful to his father cannot respect his fatherland.
Someone who does not love his mother cannot love his territory.
Parental love is the first step of patriotic love. Development of patriotic love is
parallel to that of parental love.
The first love felt by human-beings is parental love.
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Parental love is unconditional; moreover, it is not up to the loyalty of children. To
talk about love in this world, is parental love. If there were only two types of love in the
world, the first one would be parental love.
The biggest and most sorrowful pain a human can suffer is the death of a child.
A person without progeny dies in distress. The ones who have offspring can die
peacefully because after death, the eyes of your children will look at this world. Their

eyes closed under the earth will not be filled with soil.
Your friend appreciates your right deeds while your enemy is happy about them;
your parents can forgive you your mistakes.
Only your parents can love you as you are. Your friends care about your success
while your enemy cares about your evil side.
Your biggest protectors during childhood and your best friends and company after
you grow up are your parents again. Though man grows up, he still has a childish side.
A person who can see the other's childish side and have pity for other people are
really capable of love. This feeling is given only to two people: mother and father.
The days you share with your mother are the sweetest of all while the days you
have with your father are the most meaningful ones.
Your will, your reputation and problems and longing become respectively that of
your children, your people and your parents.
Your friends and your wife someday may become strangers to you. Furthermore,
your children get distanced from you. However, your parents always remain with you.
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*****
I saw parents holding their children in their arms; yet, I have not seen any son or
daughter carrying his or her parents in their arms.
So?! Do you think this is unusual, impossible and funny to even imagine?! Yet,
let's remember a truth. Extraordinary events and miraculous events always save us.
In such cases, we do accept the reality of funny things. I would like to tell you a
Turkmen legend:
An unfaithful and a little retarded son is cursed by his mother. A mother's curse is
really bad.
Terrible scars cover the whole body of this person. The poor son does not know
how to tolerate such trouble. No doctors could find a remedy for him. Later, he is referred
to a wise tutor by people who have pity to him. The poor man appears before the wise
man and kneels down at his feet; and the wise man says:
- Being cursed by your mother is serious trouble. If you want to get rid of your
trouble, do this. Let your mother mount on your back and take her out like that for forty
days. Serve her all sorts of food. No matter what she says, do not let her get off. Your
mother shall have pity on you and milk shall flow out of her breasts. Then, you will mix
that milk with the desert to make an ointment and apply it on to your wounds. Then, you
will get rid of your problems.
Sure, whatever the wise man says, it comes true.
Carrying your mother on your back is an impossible thing to do. Yet, would you
yield to a curse, instead? A story, similar to this legend, is told in Gorkut ata.
Dirse Khan, missled by the words of cowardly people, shoots his son Bogac and
he gets a lethal wound. Bogac Khan falls on the ground.
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Crows and ravens surround him since there is blood flowing. Yet, his dog runs
after the crows and ravens and does not let them attack him.
Suddenly, Hizir appears on the back of his grey horse. He rubs the wounds of
Bogac Khan three times:
- Don't fear you brave man, these wounds will not cause death. Wild flowers and
your mother's milk shall be the ointment to your wounds and later, Hizir vanishes.
When his mother arrives, screaming out where Bogac Khan is, he tells his mother
what Hizir has told him.
Forty young skinny girls pick flowers in the desert and mountains. "The son's
mother squeezes her breast once but there is no milk; she squeezes twice, no milk again;
third time she squeezes, blood comes out along with milk. They applied the mixture of
wild mountain flowers and milk. The wounds of Son of Khan heal forty days later; and
he becomes very healthy."
As you can see, whenever natural realities (material causes) fall short, spiritual
realities (spiritual causes) become a great help and save us from our problems.
Natural realities are the causes for which all necessary conditions are clearly
provided, while spiritual realities mean natural, inborn and intrinsic causes.
Accept carrying your parents on your back with all your heart and imagination!
Then you will be a good son or daughter; you will always think about how to
serve your parents and your hearts become united.
Then, everybody will say: "He is carrying his father on his hand and his mother
on his back" and what they say will be the truth.
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According to a Turkmen story, it is said that though at the outset, people perceive
a son or daughter carrying his or her parents on her back as strange, in time people will
think that they are right. According to the same story, since a man's father commits a big
sin against God, his appearance is changed into an evil one.
His son never leaves him alone and takes care of his father. The son grows nails
and a beard. However, people stay away from this man. A respectful man seeing his son
taking care of the wicked father scorns him. The son responds:
- O master, you are right. However, my father is cursed. But I cannot turn my
back on him. For this reason, I grew nails and a beard. Now I understand that if your
father is cursed, you have lots of troubles.
Because of these troubles, I have never had time to shave my beard and cut my
nails. In order not to touch my cursed father's skin and not to kiss him with my lips, I
grew nails and beard.
The master, though he is disgusted with the cursed man, finds this son is right
since he was paying off his duty to his father. I wrote a story similar to this one, in the
first volume of Ruhnama.
*****

O, Turkmen Children!
Whether a son or daughter is a good or loyal child can be determined by their
respect to their parents and their services.
Everybody is known for the respect they show to their parents. I do not trust
someone who does not respect his parents no matter how good he is.
The acceptable morality is to respect parents.
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The biggest morality rule is to respect parents and ascribe importance to them.
Caring about parents means to see them as a mother and father at your own level.
This is a token of big respect because there is no instance higher than being
parents.
Treat your parents with the dignity of reason!
Dignity of reason means understanding the uniqueness and value of parents.
The first condition of dignity of reason is to know who your parents are, who they
descend from and what their genealogy is. Among Turkmens, it is compulsory to know
your seven past generations because to know your past generations means that you are a
strong, noble and respectful person. What is meant by seven generations is:
l. Son
2. Agtik (grandchild)
3. Covluk (son's grandchild)
4. Yuvluk (grandchild's grandchild)
5. Govluk (son's great grandchild)
6. Yatlik (son's great grandchild's grandchild)
7. Atlyk (son's great great grandchild's grandchild)
Here are your seven ancestors:
1. Ata (your father)
2. Ezan ata
3. Ilim ata
4. Kayin ata
5. Oguz Khan ata
6. Nuh ata
7. Adam ata
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Here are your seven relatives deemed close to you according to Turkmenism.
1. Dogan (sibling)
2. Doganoglan (uncle's child)

3. Dolanan (children of uncles, whose grandfathers are siblings)
4. Akraba (Relative)
5. Babadas (child of an aunt, in general terms, relative from mother's side)
6. Obadas (fellow countrymen)
7. Sulale (fellow community members)
A condition to the dignity (morality) of mind is not only to learn the names of
seven generations but also to learn what they have done all their lives and to keep them
alive in your soul.
Keeping them alive in your soul and passing them over to your children is a
solution against the death of the nation and generations. Souls of ancestors are always
alive and they are in the invisible world. Being invisible does not mean being absent.
Their soul is always with you; they are happy with you on the day you are happy and they
are of help and support to you on the day you have hardships.
Know, learn and teach your children who your grandparents of seven generations
are!
They are the essence of your blood and soul. You should know on what essences
you build your life!
We can see the future by looking at the past.
In order to see the future, we look at the past.
I knew many Turkmen who know the names of not only their seventh or ninth
generations but also of the previous ones; and they collected information about them and
put it in writing.
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This is a noble emotion. Our main duty to our ancestors is not to forget them.
Keeping them in mind means to arouse the desire for leading a life like they did.
Always think about your ancestors! Try to understand them!
Do you look like the one they have desired and hoped to be or are you somebody
else? If they were to resurrect, would they be proud of you or ashamed of you?
Do you lag behind them with your good deeds, honor and reputation; are you as
good as them or are you nothing when compared to them?
So, these questions should always echo in your subconscience! You should
measure whether you are knowledgeable or not!
Here is the indicator of your maturity:
Your life consists of two parts; the part till adolescence and mature age. If you are
known by your father's name but not by yours, and people call you "son of that person"
this is the first part of your life.
A child should fulfill the requirement of reference manners towards his parents.
The conditions of reference manners are clear and very refined. These are up to the
dignity of a child's mind and illustrate that he or she is civilized, polite and humble.
It is an art to talk by choosing words. Words are the substance used by people
during the course of their relations. These relations have an outcome, then it can be said

that these relations are of a high level; or, if the relations do not have an outcome, it can
be said that the child could not gain manners of rhetoric.
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*****
O son!
Don't raise your voice to your parents; speak quietly and peacefully!
Speaking aloud is an indication of the desire to dominate but you should not
dominate your parents but instead, be subservient to them. Talk not only with smooth,
sweet and calm expressions but also with a low voice!
You should not be touchy about what your parents' say! Talking to them is not an
ordinary dialogue for you but in fact asking how they are. You should manage to listen to
the thoughts in your parents' ear and mind but not to the words they use!
Let me tell you a story about fate and fortune.
In a village there used to live three siblings. These three siblings always wanted to
live happily ever after. However, the thoughts and wishes of the three were different. An
elderly person took them to the desert since they were acquainted.
While the eldest sibling was talking to himself, walking in the desert, he saw a
cave. When he looked carefully, he saw Fortune in it. Fortune asked the eldest sibling;
- What is your wish?
- Will whatever I wish come true? the elder asked.
- How would you deem yourself grateful if I give you whatever you want? asked
Fortune of him.
- 1 want to have a garden like that of a palace!
The eldest sibling seeing a garden as big as a palace garden in the desert, ran to
his garden.
Later, the middle brother came. He sees Fortune in a big cave. Fortune asked the
middle brother:
- What do you want?
- A garden like a palace garden and a saddlebag of gold.
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The younger brother saw a garden appearing next to his elder brother's and, of
course, a saddlebag of gold in it.
He grabbed his saddlebag of gold and ran to his palace.
Later, the youngest sibling reached this cave. What he saw was Fortune sitting in
the cave. Fortune said to the youngest sibling:
- Tell me your wish? What do you want?
- What do you want for yourself? asked the youngest brother.
- 1 want to get out of this cave, said Fortune.
As soon as the youngest one released Fortune from the cave, he set out on his
own.

Do you know what Fortune did?
Yes, Fortune ran after the youngest brother.
*****
The names Oguz Khan gave his sons reflect his perception of the world.
Beauties of the sky: Gun Khan (Day Khan), Ay Khan (Moon Khan), Yildiz Khan
(Star Khan). Beauties of the earth: Dag Khan (Mountain Khan), Deniz Khan (Sea Khan),
Gok Khan (Sky Khan).
Oguz Khan, who said he had both realms, the sky and the earth, wanted to live in
harmony, accord and tune in with these realms. Six sons express the unity of the realms. I
wanted to emphasize with this example that human names of every period and era reflect
the spiritual world of people.
There is something meaningful with Gorkut ata's way of giving names.
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A name is not given to a man according to his appearance and social environment
but to his soul and personality. As for its content, it comes out by means of the titles
obtained.
To be worthy of Gorkut ata bestowing a name to somebody, that person had to
show his skills.
Showing his skills meant that he was mature and he was a member of the society,
who holds equal rights. Showing his skills means making himself accepted by the society.
"Bogac Khan, son of Dirse Khan" was named by Gorkut ata after Bogac killed a
bull. A name was given according to a person's skills and character.
If there was no personality, there would not be a name.
No skills no name, either.
Gorkut ata made the society gain an identity.
As a nation, he made them get one step closer to God.
Gorkut ata highlighted personalities. Of course, assessing personalities is another
issue, from today's perspective.
The issue is in general terms the integration of personality with the spiritual
values of the society.
In the names of every era, the spiritual moods of people can be seen. In the third
era, the symbol of which is an eagle, eagle names such as Tugrul, Chagri were used.
However, in the names given in the fourth era, the symbol of which is a ram,
desperateness of people can be seen clearly. Allahberdi, Evliyakulu, Hocageldi,
Yovbasar... In our era of Independence and Permanent Neutrality such names already
began to decrease. In the names granted children today, a sense of hope and trust for
tomorrow can be felt.
With these names, a rise of people's morale can be seen.
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*****
The reason why Gorkut was called "Dede or Ata" (Grandpa or Father) dates back
to some characteristics of old Oguz-Turkmen national ethics.
In history, Gorkut ata was the atabeg (mentor) to the children of many Oguz
Sultans.
His personality's place in his own legend illustrates that he was an atabeg. His
personal life or family life seems nearly non-existent. He used to live for others.
Gorkut ata was a person who understood all sciences, arts, poems and he
performed miracles.
From the content of the sections in the legend and events, the protagonist was the
atabeg.
Twelve sections are about him and courageous heroes. The Gorkut ata legend
depicts the bravery of heroes?! We understand that especially the issue of morality and
bravery mattered a lot in the era of Gorkut ata. Gorkut is both an educator and a respected
elderly man. For this reason, he does not elaborate an issue about an ordinary
person but elaborated upon a hero: "A son of this man." From the way the educator of
soul thought, we conclude that family has an important status in the Turkmen society. In
addition, father and son determine the values of a family.
The son is the head of the state.
If there is a son, there is a home.
If there is a son, there is a nation.
Son is an opportunity to obtain infinity and indication of the continuity of
progeny.
Rumor: Sultan Mahmut Gaznavi always used to care about the wants and
complaints of people; he used to carefully listen to people appearing before him and try
to provide for their needs.
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Once, a man trembling with fear appears before the Sultan's door. He throws
himself at the Sultan's feet and cries and says that he has a big problem.
The Sultan tells him to stand up and talk about his problem without rush.
The man complains about one of the kapikulus (soldiers). The poor man says that
the soldier in question comes to his home every day or every other day to drink and have
fun; he dirtied the sanctity of his daughter; on some days, he drinks with his friends till
morning and threatens him with words like "if you complain about this to the Sultan, I
will kill you", and adds that though he had nothing left to eat and drink, the soldier did
not want to understand him and that he is desperate and whatever he had was depleted; he
begins to wail loudly.
The Sultan tells the maltreated old man:
- I will help you. Whoever tortured you, even if it should be the son of the Sultan,
shall definitely be punished. Now, go home. My men will be in contact with you.
Whoever that brainless person is let us know when he comes. My men will tell you how

to communicate. You let us know, I will handle the rest.
The Sultan waits for three days. On the evening of the third day, when he hears
that the cruel man is there, he goes to the house where the scene took place.
The Sultan orders his men to besiege the house. The Sultan quickly enters the
house and turns off the light. Later, he cuts the head of that dishonorable traitor off his
body.
A huge silence spreads through the home and nobody makes a noise.
Everybody waits for the Sultan to say something.
Afterwards the Sultan orders his men to turn on the light. They turn on the light.
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The Sultan hesitates but looks at the head on the floor. Later, he sighs deeply,
looks around and says:
- Take it out, now! Arrange the inside.
The Sultan retreats to a corner and tells the host:
- 1 am very hungry; bring me a piece of bread!
The host sets the table.
The Sultan dips his bread into broth and begins to eat with appetite.
Without even raising his eye brow, he eats his bread. When he feels full, the
Sultan, seeing the host perplexed and looking at him, smiles and speaks:
- I understand why you are looking at me like that. Yet, forgive my fault. Since the
day you came to me, I have not even had one piece of food. I did not eat anything for
three days. What you told me about would not be the effrontery of my men. A suspicion
grew in me that this effrontery could have been committed by my son. The situation
craved my mind. I could not sleep at night. Only God and I know what I suffered.
However, I was supposed to resolve the issue, fairly. God seated me on the throne of this
Sultanate. While this is the case, how would I defy him? The reason why I had you turn
off the lights as soon as I went into the house was that I was scared that fatherly affection
would weigh and hinder me.
When the lights were lit and I saw that the traitor was not my son, the heavy
burden on my back was immediately relieved. When I saw the head of the kapikulu on
the floor, I was suddenly relieved. Just at that moment, the hunger of three days made
itself felt.
The Sultan has his meal in comfort.
Gorkut ata's father-son relations, morality to be given to a child and his reflections
about raising a child were quite solemn and unprecedented.
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Education of sons, daughters and human-beings; these all illustrate that the system
of education was very sophisticated at that time. This system shows the existence of an
original and developed spiritual culture. What is essential with education must be the
moral criteria and values needed and implemented in person, in real life?
Morality is both the means and the purpose of education.

Man tames his ears first and later his eyes.
Oguz Khan is one of the personalities who granted education and science to his
generations by creating one of the first alphabets in the world and established the system
of atabeg.
In the atabeg system that he established, generally the children of high ranking
soldiers and commanders were educated in the domain of war tactics, military
mobilization and management and many languages were taught. All sciences of the time
were taught.
Oguz Khan said "Someone whose science is strong can beat someone who has a
strong wrist. If power of your wrist is amalgamated with your knowledge, then, every one
of you shall be worth a thousand people. "There is lots of information about the fact that
in history, Turkmen heroes even beat armies of foes a hundred twenty times larger than
theirs. The case that a shepherd, Sirak, who lived in the era of Oguz Khan, led ten
thousand enemy soldiers into the Karakum Desert, thanks to a trick, and let them die of
thirst, has become a legend even today.
Here is one of the Turkmen war tactics! The esential Turkmen war tactics
included not only coercion, courage and heroism, but also the use of wit, putting the
enemy in difficulty by misleading it with various tricks or by conspiring with them from
inside. In history, the mystery behind victories of Turkmen even if they were smaller in
number was disguised in war
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tactics and military mobilization and management. Alp Arslan, with his fifteen thousand
soldiers, subdued the Byzantine army of fifty thousand.
The Menzikert (Malazgirt) War is known today as an unprecedented one in the
history of the world. In 1279, 400-raiders in company with Ertogul Ghazi were not only
400 cavalries but also every one of them, according to the statement of Oguz Khan, was
trained in accordance with the atabeg system and worthy of a thousand soldiers. Twenty
years later, the establishment of the Ottoman State in Asia Minor and its acquisition of
the region under the commandership of Osman Ghazi, third son of Artugroul Ghazi, in
1299 witnessed this. This is not a coincidence.
The ones trained within Atabeg system are the ones definitely tried out.
Let me talk about the first exam that young Sanjar received after training within
the atabeg system.
One day, Emperor Kadir Khan of Garahanli, attacks the Seljuks. The army of the
enemy was very strong and it is obvious that they will triumph over them. Atabegs make
princes practice the tactics of beating a large army with a smaller one. A good idea comes
to Sultan Sanjar's mind.
He sends a man to follow the Garahanlis. He captures the emperor at an
unexpected time, when he hears that he went hunting. The Garahanlis hearing that their
emperor is captured, decide to run away. So the young Sanjar state is protected from a big
threats.
We regard the works of "Gorkut ata" and "Gorogly" as our literary legacy and a

reading book; in fact, these were the books of the atabeg era.
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I wanted to underline that our ancestors showed a special interest to entirely
resolve the issue of raising generations to serve society.
Today, raising our children in line with the requirements of our time is the primary
duty of the State along with that of their parents.
On the one hand, parents and on the other hand, the state should be the wings of
children and grant necessary support.
*****
Fortunate child of the Independence era!
You, learn your ancestor's mood well; then, everything will appear on your
horizon like a rainbow and you will learn a lot.
In the nature of man, there is a tendency towards goodness, beauty and the ability
and consideration to imitate them.
Your mother, father and state are your owner. What a shame for a child who is
looked after by parents and the State but who does not deem himself fortunate!
Do not use improper and bad words in the presence of your mother and father!
Speak in a pleasant and sweet way. If you have divergence of thought in any
matter and even though you are right, try to say this in a nice way without hurting people!
Do not be hurtful to your parents; do not say dishonoring words! Being rude and
heart-breaking is antagonistic to reality.
Speak mildly in the presence of your mother and father! While talking, may your
expressions be decent, quiet, elegant and sweet.
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While talking to parents, don't look into their eyes, don't look down on them or
don't talk to them by turning your face away! Don't leave their questions unanswered;
don't respond reluctantly, or in an angry and selfish manner!
Address your parents with formal "you"!
Don't call out to them using their names or nicknames!
Don't laugh aloud and cynically in the presence of your mother and father!
Learn to keep quiet beside your mother and father! Don't interrupt them!
A child should execute his manners in the presence of his or her parents.
Serve your mother and father, flawlessly! It is great bliss to meet demands of your
mother and father. However, no matter how much you serve them, keep in mind that you
cannot pay off your debt to them. According to a rumor, a young person served his
mother for years. One day, the mother told her son: "Take me to the places where I have
been before; I want to see them again before I die." Young man carries his mother on his
back and took her to the places she had been when she was a young girl.
That day, he came across a young angel and talked about the favor he did to his

mom.
Later, he asked the angel: "I wonder if I could pay off my debt to my mother,
now?" Angel said: "You paid off only your mother's convenience of one night."
It is not possible to pay your debt to homeland and parents; it is compulsory to
serve them till death!
Fulfill the orders, wishes and commands of your mother and father! A child who
can cherish these is a favorable child.
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Don't make up excuses not to do them. A mother or father does not ask for
something which a child cannot do or which will cause him harm!
Avoid cursing and angering your mother and father or bringing disconsent on
them!
If your mother and father do not consent, don't set out on a trip!
When you come from a long distance, first greet your parents and ask how they
are!
If your mother and father come to your house, welcome them, in person.
It is great disrespect to ignore them till they go inside, lying down somewhere, or
having an ignoring attitude.
When your mother and father want to leave, accompany them till they say "fine,
stay here."! If they are exhausted or sick, don't be lazy and without referring them to
someone else, take them yourself to wherever they want to go!
When your mother and father call on you, appear in their presence without
waiting!
First see your mother and later your father!
Try to meet the needs of your mother and father on time, by leaving your work
aside!
Be their servants! If you are working for your mother and father, then, your life
will be fruitful. Be their hands and feet not only during your childhood but also after you
grow up! Because you have your hands and feet thanks to them!
*****
A child should fulfill its manners of heart to his mother and father.
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Love your mother and father, respect them and be polite to them!
Your mother and father are your best friends and your most loyal beloved ones.
When they love you, be cheerful! When they are sad, comfort them!
Be sincere to them! You are a part of their heart!
Do your best for them because they did their best for you!
The child is the tie to his mother's and father's heart and a part of their life.
Don't condemn that "they are talking much, they are talking too much"!

You learn to talk from them.
If they have a problem, share it! They equally shared the burden and pain of your
transition from babyhood to childhood, from childhood to adolescence, from
adolescence to maturity; and the nuisance of raising you as a human-being.
If they are a pain and torture to you because of their disease, don't commit a sin
by being reluctant in heart! While you were a baby, they bore all your problems and
nuisances; you should bear their problems and difficulties when they get old!
At every step you make, at your work and in your actions, try not to hurt your
mother and father. Stay away from deeds which may hurt them.
Don't do things they won't like; turn your face to the things they will like!
Making your mother and father happy and cheering them up even once is the
biggest favor to them.
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When they get older and weak or when they cannot walk, see or talk to them, help
them!
Your mother and father will not tell you anything but they know what you think
about them by your face, behavior and acts.
A child should fulfill his duty to help his mother and father.
Let their dress be smarter than yours!
Let what they eat be better than your food!
Provide what they wish for!
Meet all their needs!
Whatever you have exists thanks to them!
Don't spare anything for them!
Do good things and give alms on behalf of them!
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SACREDNESS OF FRATERNITY
My Beloved Turkmen!
One of the things which renders people happy in the world, which the Creator
created, is the sacredness of siblings. Siblings are like branches stemming from the same
trunk.
Now that it is not possible for two branches separately, fraternity is the strongest
bond which ties people to each other because this bond has existed since early human-
beings and it is inherent. This is reason why fraternity is superior to other bonds.
Like the way other branches get separated from each other on their own when one
of them is pulled away, only death can separate brothers from each other.
Since they get separated, we, Turkmens, say "this person separated" when
someone dies. Because death separates one branch from another.
On your joyful and happy days, everybody is around you.
On your sad days, the first person next to you is your sibling because when one

part of your body aches, that pain radiates the same in other siblings, too.
It cannot be that when a part of the body is sick, other organs are in comfort.
Coming from the same root and having the same blood makes it an extraordinary
situation in terms of life. Generally,
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this interesting case in human relations always caught my attention:
I witnessed that when two people get closer, they want to gain distance from each
other and while they are far away, the desire to get closer becomes stronger.
Of course, this is related to the two sides of human nature, "ego."
Individuals sometimes want to stay alone and gain distance from others and
sometimes, wants to join others to relax. This reality becomes clearer in fraternity.
Our first and perhaps the happiest phase of our life is childhood and adolescence,
which we share with our siblings and family.
As expressed in this proverb: "A person learns by example", unity of kinship and
generation as well as habits and moods of siblings look alike. This unilateral similarity
can cause monotony in siblings' relations. For this reason, we, the Turkmens, have a
phrase, "başdaş dogan" (jealous brother).
Siblings, born consecutively and of the same gender are called like this.
In other words, they grow as "başdaş", that is, besdeş (rivals). In the mood of
"Basdaşlik", the desire not to lag behind others is dominant. Siblings with the same
kinship, try not to differentiate and gain distance from each other in a spiritual sense.
This is a natural and psychological phenomenon taking course during a certain
period.
However, don't become distant to your sibling!
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*****
May your sibling be your friend and may your friend be your sibling!
A sibling is a part of you; a friend is a part of your soul.
Real fraternity is a phenomenon which emerges when these two sides get together.
If your heart beats with your sibling, then, there will be a unity not only in terms
of body and blood but also in terms of soul.
The Turkmen regards his sibling as the guardian of sanctity and integrity, strength
and supporter like a male camel and an invincible defender against rivals.
Make your brother a friend, your friends a sibling and make the ones distant
closer to you!
If you have ten siblings, regard all ten of them like twins, which one of them
already died.
It is said that only the one who gives birth and the one who is born (kardaş)
knows!
The statement "When you hit the horns of an ox, the horn of the wild ox aches" is

about fraternity because a blood tie binds one sibling to another.
Turkmen did not put the manners of fraternity into writing but they are in force of
rules written in hearts.
Here are the rules of manners between an elder brother and a sibling:
In every work, may the elder brother be the head!
A sibling learns from his or her elder brother to show respect to mother and father
and to care for them. If the father dies, the elder brother replaces the father. The elder
brother becomes the head of the family and the siblings subdue him. This rule of
Turkmen is a rule of life, passed on by our father Oguz Khan. Oguz Khan gave bows to
his three elder sons and
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three arrows to his three younger sons so that the younger ones subdue to the elder ones.
Wherever a bow targets, an arrow also should go in the same direction.
The duty of the subjected is to live in peace with the elder ones. The subjected one
listens to the words of the elderly brothers; carries out whatever the elder ones order and
obeys them.
The subdued one abides by the direction of the elder brother and carries out his
advice and orders. In family and society, the elder brother sets an example to his sibling.
The elder brother endorses his sibling while siblings accompany the elder brother.
The elder brother is a castle which protects his sibling and the sibling is the aide
of the elder brother's charity. In a group, if there is an elder brother, siblings should not
speak first and the elder brother should not find the sibling at fault.
A child extends his hand to receive food during a meal and the elder brother does
not tell his fault to his face, and covers up his mistake. A child for the first time says the
words he learns from his parents and, after he grows up a little, he uses the words he
learns from his elder brother.
The sibling imitates the behavior, mood and habits of the elder brother and
resembles him.
The sibling grows up by desiring to reach the height of his elder brother.
When he reaches the same height, he leaves childhood behind and feels like he is
a grown-up.
The reason why all over the world, children go to school when they turn seven is
disguised in endowment of reason to children by the Almighty Lord. If a child is not
brainwashed till he or she is seven, he grows up healthily and learns the things
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taught quickly and accepts them easily. Since children's characters to steer their lives
develop at the age of seven or eight, it is for this reason I recommend that the father help
their children to have good moral values and to adopt good habits and moods; and to be
meticulous about education.
I would like to remind you that when children turn fourteen or fifteen, the door of
their hearts is opened to love; at this age, their character is in the phase of settling down

and their shortcomings are filled; they should have close confidant friends. Children at
this age begin to lay the fundamentals of their lives; generally, children at this age are
more fond of all sorts of evil habits and amusements, without thinking about the end-
result. Parents should always keep them away from these evil things and they should take
necessary measures and guide them to the right path.
During youth, it will not be possible to avoid arguments between siblings.
In such a case, parents should first question the elder son, the elder brother
because the elder brother probably knows best and exactly what is going on between the
siblings.
Asking for account concerning many issues of children's discipline increases the
responsibilities of an elder brother. Thus, he tries to fulfill the duty granted him; he calls
his siblings to be more tidy and graceful.
The real purpose of parent's education of children is not to prevent their naughty
behavior for a short period of time but to hinder reiteration of such cases. The real
purpose of discipline is to make children learn the habit of using their own will. A child
should be taught not to be undisciplined and ensuring that the child thinks about it on his
own helps to resolve problems. A child who is advised consciously and has gained the
habit of admitting his culpability tries not to commit bad deeds in the future.
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Children always expect guidance and fairness from adults in cases of disputes
among themselves and want their adults not to find themselves always right. Though
adults try to find a solution to fights between children, sometimes, they forget to correct
misbehavior of children and demonstrate proper behavior themselves. In the discipline of
parents and child, it should be born in mind that an unnecessary thing or things of
secondary importance should not exist; the more children are approached with affection,
the healthier and the stronger a child's body and memory shall be.
The affection and interest you show a child returns as happiness to you.
*****
Among Turkmens, siblings wear each other's hand-me-downs.
Not because of poverty, but to make siblings love each other.
Siblings tied with the bond of love really grow up as good siblings.
Then, a sibling says:
"I don't worry about anything as long as I have an elder brother!" The elder
brother says: "I have a sibling, I have a home (my people, my clan, my tribe)!"
The sibling reaches the world of adults by walking on the path his parents show
him and by following his elder brother. A sibling learns from the elder brother how to
hold a spoon, how to open a book, how to hold a pencil, how to make a friend and how to
establish good terms with people. A child grows with the advice of his parents and takes
his elder brother as an example.
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A sibling goes to school on the same path that his elder brother follows.
A sibling wears the clothes of his elder brother to travel the distance his elder
brother did.
The heart of a friend gets united with that of a friend; the fortune of a sibling gets
united with that of a sibling; this is because the heart is the destination of the will and the
liver is the destination of the blood.
*****
The discipline of fraternity is unity.
Unity comes through talking through the same mouth as the elder brother.
If there are ten siblings, ten heads will think; but, they talk through the mouth of
the eldest brother.
If you are an elder brother, fulfill the duties of being an elder brother!
Be the one helping adults and mediating to young people!
Teach younger ones how to have a meal, greet, speak, study, read and rest and set
an example for them! Consult the elder one; get the opinion of the younger one!
Be a sibling to the elder one; be an elder brother to the younger one!
Be serious in the presence of children; be a company in the presence of serious
wise men!
Don't sit down while the elder one is up; don't lie down while your elder brother is
sitting!
Manners of greeting:
You greet the elder one, first; greet the younger one by extending your hand!
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Greet him after you hold up, not from where you are sitting!
After greeting, the elder one asks how you are.
It is rude to leave without saying goodbye after a conversation.
The elder one begins a meal; first, he divides the bread and takes his share; later,
he gives the rest to the younger ones. You should say your grace before you quit the table
otherwise abundance and subsistence shall diminish. Try not to talk much while sitting
around the table; especially, don't talk much more than the elder ones.
First, the elder ones start a work and conversation.
A sibling learns to study lessons from his or her elder brother.
If the elderly brother does not read, younger siblings make it a habit not to read,
either.
The elder brother does the hardest part of the work; assumes the heaviest burden;
first, he resists danger.
He protects his sibling because siblings are the continuation of the family.
Don't address your siblings with their names; call the elder one "ağabey" (elder
brother) and "abla" (elder sister), and younger ones "gardaşım" (my sibling) is one of the

Turkmen traditions because, if we act so, we shall be more and more Turkmenified, and
our hearts will be soothed and turn into an enthusiastic sea of love.
If you are a sibling, carry out the duties of a sibling!
As far as conversation, meal, inheritance, shopping or sharing something is
concerned, wait for your turn! Consent with your share of fraternity.
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Protect your elder sisters and younger sisters against evil words and eyes!
The sister is under the safeguard of her elder brother until she dies!
If a young man dies, his spouse laments and his sister mourns!
*****
Your spouse is your heart; your sisters are a piece of you.
The heart of the one who forgets his sister who is going far always after her
wedding, is of stone.
The one who cannot be a sibling to his sibling cannot befriend anybody.
Lieu of elder brother in his sister is different.
The complexion of the elder brother is happy and looks like that of an innocent
child.
He opens the door of memories to go back to beautiful days in the past.
You go back to your old years of childhood.
You remember the things you have forgotten and retrieve the ones far away.
Hence, your exhausted heart is relieved from exhaustion and the burden of life
thanks to your years and memories of childhood.
Don't spare your sweet words and material assistance from your sister!
The person most beloved after your mother, is your sister.
Do you know that your own daughter looks like your sister?!
First your mother and later your sister are your sanctity.
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The unfaithful son-in-law is like a trouble which cannot be eliminated.
You feel guilty in the presence of your sister.
He is the one she loves and has chosen but if the son-in-law is unfaithful, you
would not leave your sister to deal with all the troubles and problems, I guess.
Don't leave your sister alone on her bad days.
If she is happy, she shares her happiness with her sibling; but, if she is going
through hardships, she expects help only from her sibling.
Though a sibling is unfaithful, you cannot do without him or her.
He or she is a branch of yours.
Guide your sibling well; covering up his or her bad side is a courtesy.
Until a member dies, the Turkmen family head remains the same.
As long as the elder brother replaces the father, and the elder sister replaces the

mother, everything remains the same as it used to be; nothing changes. This means that
the home of love and affection never fades away, and it will survive in the Turkmen
family.
Elder brother is the mountain behind you while your elder sister is the column of
the house.
Thus, the mountain is not destroyed and the house does not collapse.
A sibling is the mirror of his sibling. A sibling aids his sibling.
When you look into his or her eyes, you will see your own eyes.
When you hear his or her voice, you feel comfort.
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When you look at him or her just like that from a distance, your conduct comes to
your mind.
Then, you understand that you are not alone.
Your sibling is your first fellow because you share the same womb.
Your sibling is your second fellow since you share the same mother's arms.
Your third fellow is also your sibling because the hands caressing your and his or
her head and raising you are those of your mother's.
Man has five kinds of siblings:
Whole sibling
Children of uncle
Grandchildren of your grandfather's sibling
Step sibling
Sibling of other world (Blood sibling)
Whole siblings meaning siblings born to the same mother and father.
Children of uncle are your first generation siblings.
Grandchildren of your grandfather's sibling are your second generation siblings.
Your sibling from the same father is your step sibling. Your sincere fellow is your
sibling of the other world. As far as fraternity of the other world is concerned, the bloods
of each other are mixed to become siblings. This is called blood brotherhood. This type of
brotherhood among the Turkmens is very rare. Under the condition that there is sincerity
and fellowship, despite the lack of blood tie, those people are deemed as whole siblings
in the other world.
Generally, the ones who do not have a sister or brother become siblings of another
world with the persons they are sincere with. The Turkmens try to fill the lack of siblings
in this way.
*****
A human-being has one life and a couple of ages.
Age of self.
Age of fatherhood and motherhood.
Age of grandfatherhood and grandmotherhood (different ages from the mother's

and father's side).
Age of unclehood.
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Age of elder brotherhood and elder sisterhood.
A person born to this world begins to live his age. When his sibling is born, he or
she goes through his or her second age known as the age of elder brotherhood and elder
sisterhood; when he or she has a child, he or she goes through his or her third age, known
as the age of fatherhood and motherhood; when he or she has a grandchild, he or she
experiences his or her fourth age of grandfatherhood and grandmotherhood; when his or
her nephew or niece is born, he or she begins to live his age of unclehood and aunthood.
For this reason, mothers and fathers are always at the same age as their children because
they were not mother or father in their previous lives.
Foster love for your sibling who grants you the bliss of elder brotherhood and
your nephew or niece who gives you the happiness of unclehood.
Manners for Turkmen fraternity are beautiful because there lies seriousness,
dignity, shyness and sincerity in those. The elder sister is treated full-heartedly, sincerely
but maturely.
Women and girls act with dignity and they smile in the presence of their elder
brothers.
They can only sit alone with their elder brothers.
Among the Turkmans, women and girls are allowed only to greet by shaking
hands with their close male relatives.
The Turkmens tolerate men with dignity and girls with humbleness.
Man's behavior getting fresh with people and girl's light conduct are not
appreciated.
Shyness of girls is the unification of dignity and humbleness.
The Turkmens regard it as spiritual destitution to have
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one child in a family, in terms of life and death because absence of a sister is felt more
with her death.
A sister is needed to cry, mourn and share sorrow after a brave man dies.
Nobody can cry like your sister.
A sister is needed to cry for a man's pains, which have not been cried about.
"If you don't have a friend, it is not the fault of God; if you don't have a sibling; it
is not your fault." However, if you don't befriend your sibling, it will be your fault.
The ability to befriend your sibling is double the fortune and happiness.
A sibling becomes a friend where manners of fraternity flourish.
A brother like a male camel and a well-disciplined and dignified sister increase
the sweetness of life. Like the way you sang lullabies for your sibling, love him or her
after he or she grows up!
After your sister gets married, she is not a stranger to the house of her parents, at

all.
If you want her to visit you often give her a place in your heart as it used to be!
A sibling is a sibling; the place in your heart is not given arbitrarily. If you can be
an elder brother as she wanted you to be, she will imagine you as the one she loves.
Beloved boy, beloved girl! Turkmen is the friend of Turkmen!
Approach each other always with love and affection, be siblings!
Then, all your concerns shall be relieved; your work shall be successful and you
shall have good fortune!
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MANNERS FOR NEIGBHORS
No historian can determine the number of wars fought in the Turkmen territory;
however, this is the truth; every span of our sacred territory is kneaded with the red blood
of our fathers and tear drops of our mothers. In every span of this territory, warmness of
our ancestors' hands exists. In every step of this territory lies eagerness and love of our
ancestors.
Thousands of poets praised this territory, in their poems.
Wouldn't such territory be valuable?
"Neutrality is the fruit of humanist thought and the innocent heart of the Turkmen,
who have never lost their eagerness and patience. Though they were forced to fight and
ride their horses against the invaders aiming to occupy this territory, the Turkmens have
always deployed a special effort to live in peace with neighboring countries and all
humanity."
Currently, Turkmenistan frontiers cover an area in which early states were
founded and developed in the world, along with India and the Near East. Historical
sources say that within the confines of Turkmenistan, two big states were established
around B.C III and II.
Those two strong allies unified communities which lived separately in the steppes
and the highlands along the river bands.
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Our ancestors were known in Asia and Europe by the names such as the Skifs, the
Masagets, the Saks, the Dahs, the Sarmats and the Alans.
Since then, the Turkmen ancestors have established states by unifying various
communities in every era. All right, how did the Turkmens solidify their sovereignty in
this territory?
To imagine those times and analyze carefully the events taking place a couple of
thousand years ago, the source of Neutrality, which constituted the foreign policy of the
state, was a national tradition belonging to Turkmen people and it can be seen that their
ancestors were always different from others with their humanist, hospitable, peaceful
sides and their good terms with neighboring countries.
The Turkmens have always attached and do attach great importance to bilateral

interests between neighboring countries. Our ancestors never humiliated ambassadors of
other countries and never damaged their reputation. They strictly abided by treaties
signed between two countries. This tradition dates back to very old times.
A traveler, who is estimated to have lived approximately three thousand years ago
wrote with statements of surprise and appreciation, that no Turkmen would ever break
"...his word if he promises, even though his life and liberty is castigated."
The Turkmens have always maintained their purity and hospitality during all ages.
They accepted a guest as the person sent by the Creator.
For this reason, the saying "The guest is more dignified than your father (father
and grandfather)" became common among everybody from a child who has just started
talking to elderly people close to death.
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*****
Our ancestors never looked down on other nations or believers of other religions,
who lived within the borders of the states they established.
To the contrary, peaceful policy, which Turkmens believe in its righteousness,
justice and tolerance, helped them to establish big Sultanates along with small and big
states reaching a total of seventy in Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa.
What is the mystery of these extraordinary achievements?
Of course, within this context, the character, nature and heartfelt courtesy of the
Turkmen take the first place.
The Turkmen have never hurt other nations and members of other religions and
never touched the sanctity of others.
For example; Armenians and Armenian historians write with heartfelt gratitude
and thanks that the Black Sheep Turkmen State emperors allowed the Armenians to
practice their religion and continue their tradition of attending religious places and that
minorities such as the Armenians and Georgians were guarded.
It is also written that the Nikailogullari Beglik, established in the twelfth century
allowed Jews, Christians and Mecusis in Asia Minor to protect their religions and practice
their creeds freely. The letter sent by Sultan Kilic Arslan II (died 1188), from Anatolian
Seljuk State to the religious leader of the Yakubis is still available. Here are the first lines
of the letter in question: "From Sultan Kilic Arslan of Capadocia, Syria and Armenia to
the great man who prays for us to gain big victories and lives in the temple of Bar Saum
and takes pride in our reputation." It is necessary to remember that Kilic Arslan exempted
all churches and sacred places of the Christians, under his reign, from taxation.
Since the early times that our ancestors came to be known,
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all people of the era expressed with admiration that laws in Turkmen society were fair.
Greek and Roman historians wrote that the Turkmens were merciful and hated lies
and theft. They also elaborated the respect shown to parents as well as superior morality

and discipline of women and girls.
At the beginning of the Christian era, Roman historian Pompey Trog wrote this
about our ancestors: "A sense of justice was not taught to them; to the contrary, it was a
fruit of their essence of thought. Violating somebody else's property was deemed as the
biggest crime... No wonder there would have been no blood shed or wars for centuries
long, if other administrations had such an idea and thought of meritocracy concerning
violation of people's property."
The State should make it a principle to make different nations respect each other,
to share happiness and sorrow of their neighbors and to foster mutual respect.
Moreover, it should ensure development of cultural relations between the
members of various nations and security in society. This increases stability in a state.
Today, the Turkmens, as it used to be in the past, managed to develop by improving its
international relations.
They respect the religious beliefs and worshipping, customs and traditions as well
as language and traditions of other nations; they are always ready to condemn all racist,
extreme nationalist, narrow-minded, selfish and partial acts. We will always promote our
good terms with our neighbors as it always used to be. As Turkmenistan, our door is
always open to our neighbors.
*****
The Turkmen's manners of neighborhood consist of values, the national level of
which is high in terms of human relations. Relationship of neighbors is one of our
wonderful
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traditions, demonstrating beauty of morality and the Turkmen soul.
"Komşu" (neighbor) in fact derives from "Konmak, Konuşmak" (to land, to talk).
Moving from this, we can say that they are a group of people, who pass all their
life together by sharing a specific place. If the most valuable thing for human-beings is
life, then, a neighbor gains more and more significance for every one of us.
For this reason, the culture of being neighbors is a value intrinsic to life and has a
special place among national traditions because how a life will pass is influenced by
where and with whom a person is.
A neighbor is the one who influences your life!
A neighbor is the one who affects your future!
When assessed at the individual level, a person's wife, husband, son or daughter
can be regarded as a neighbor in terms of their influence to your life.
They are your inseparable neighbors all your life as your closest relatives.
Your neighbors are the ones related with your subsistence.
Then, your neighbor is not a foreigner or not from outside; he or she is regarded
to be a part of your family.
A neighbor is related to your subsistence and a part of your life.

The reason why our ancestors ascribe special importance to neighborly relations
is that they understood its insight of meaning. For the Turkmens, neighborly bonds are
not ordinary and daily events taking place are not unimportant or a coincidence.
Neighborhood is not a daily event of running into each other, by chance, for a short
period of time. Neighborhood is a culture of life, which is a part of life.
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Of course, that is not the case for all nations. It is a reality that some
neighborhoods are regarded as a need of tenth importance. Especially, in metropolitan
cities, there is a type of neighborhood, in which nobody knows who is who. This situation
illustrates how superficial are interpersonal relations. People live at home and do not get
out of their home like hedgehogs, which curl up inward. People have been preferred to
befriend their cat and dog rather than communicating with people. Now, neighborly
relations are only limited to greetings.
Furthermore, there are people who don't even want to greet each other. Worse than
that, even, there are people who pass away, without getting to know their neighbors.
In the twenty-first century, which is the Golden Age of the Turkmen, we should
emphasize our neighborly relations along with our other values. Our rich national and
spiritual values should live in the building, which we constructed of white marble and on
which we carved national patterns.
*****
My Beloved Nation!
We are constructing buildings of pure white marble to honor the worth of the
Turkmen.
I want you to live in those buildings as Turkmens, that is, I want you to lead a life
within the framework of Turkmen's national moral and spiritual values.
For this reason, I was not content with having buildings constructed but also I
wrote the Ruhnama book and other literary works, in order to build the realm of mind and
spirit of you, the Turkmen of the Golden Age.
Now, you are reading the second book of Ruhnama, which has been newly
constructed as part of that building. The Turkmen is not a nation which stays at home all
around
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the year; during winter, spring, summer and fall. Not getting out of the house indicates
that thick walls are built between society and individuals who live in the chaos of
isolation and selfishness. I imagine these houses as dark and as caves, which are exempt
from the light of God's sun.
Furthermore, I doubt that there is a real family in such houses.
Wherever there is no neighborhood, there is no family!
At home, individually, there may be a mother, a father and children but the

concept of family means the coexistence of mutual relations based on love and respect,
rather than separate individuals.
These relations unify people and constitute a family.
A nucleus family is formed by two people who start their neighborly relations
with other families. Neighborly relations get larger and larger and spread to all people
and nation.
The Turkmens have such a proverb: "Doomsday is from the neighbor."
In many places, I witnessed that this proverb is explained wrongly and sometimes,
it is explained superficially. The meaning of this proverb is resulting from the perspective
of our nation towards the doomsday. The source of the Turkmens' thoughts about ancient
time, passed, in the geography where they have lived since old times and the judgment
day bases upon "Avesta". Opinions of major religions in the world about the doomsday
are overlapping with those of Zerdusht. On the doomsday, time stops.
Later, with the order of God, everything resurrects and they are judged.
During the judgment of your life on Earth, one of the
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important witnesses, in terms of your confession of bad deeds and ratification of your
good deeds, is your neighbor.
Zerdusht, who is believed to be the prophet who reflected on the judgment day by
going beyond the time, pointed out that neighborhood is not only a mundane relation but
it is also related with faith. On the judgment day, the amount of your sins is up to the
statement of your neighbor. Your neighbor is your supervisor in this world and your
witness in the other world.
So, carry out your manners of neighborhood! Then, you will make both this world
and other world prosperous!
Why did God Almighty give an important place to neighbors among significant
witnesses?! This is because your neighbor is the person who observes all your deeds and
current deeds up close and knows you very well, as supervisor of your life. At brief
gatherings, at weddings, mass programs and even at your work, you can hide your normal
essence and your real face.
You can disguise yourself into another persona by wearing a mask and seem like
another person. However, it is not possible to act like that all your life.
As for your neighbor, he or she is with you all your life.
Can there be any other witness, who can be more credible than your neighbor??
Neighbor is the hand closest to you!
Neighbor's eye is the eye of other people!
Neighbor's ear is the ear of other people!
Neighbor's tongue is the tongue of other people!
He or she knows everything going on in your family and in your house. He or she
evaluates the situation, conduct and manner of a family, from a close distance.
He or she observes, like taking a photo, your living, honor
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and reputation, education and manners, your bad and good sides. Neighbor sees and hears
lovely and sincere words, which indicate peace at your home; arguments, which indicate
unrest at home as well as fake and insincere words coming out of your heart.
Whatever your neighbor sees and hears is talked by people.
Later, everybody begins to talk about you through the mouth of your neighbor and
evaluates you according to his or her reflections. Everybody looks at you through the eye
of your neighbor and listens to your heartbeats through your neighbor.
Neighbor is not only the witness of God but also that of society.
Neighbor is not only a measure of value of the other world but also that of this
world.
Neighbor is a cornerstone; are you pure gold or mixture of copper? Neighbor can
determine this immediately.
The Turkmen, whose heart is as wide as the Sahara and open as wide as his door,
always attached importance to neighborhood. In fact, the Turkmen is a nation which likes
to experience openness and transparency by mutually visiting each other.
The Turkmen does not love and like resentful, anti-humanist and hypocrital
people.
There is a conviction among the Turkmens that the hidden, disguised and covered
things are not a sign of goodness. In fact, only faults are disguised and filth is covered.
Why should a beautiful will and a diamond heart be disguised!?
Let the diamond illuminate everybody and radiate its heavenly light!
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*****
A person who does not respect his neighbor does not respect his society, either.
Bad terms with neighbor demonstrate that individual is an outcast and a bad
person.
Pride, arrogance, seeing himself and his family superior to his neighbor shows the
worthlessness of that person. Such a personality does not suit a Turkmen.
If some people, trusting their richness and status, humiliate their neighbors and
remains destitute from the respect of people close to him; neither people nor God like
such people. Bad terms between neighbors arise due to tiny problems. For example: upon
a span of land, water rights and fights between kids while playing games, mutual disputes
and arguments arise and finally, small things are exaggerated. Such cases always occur.
This is called to making a mountain out of a molehill. In such situations, it is necessary to
be patient and react duly.
If your neighbor speaks harshly, you should be tolerant.
If he is conceited and bragging, remain very calm and relaxed.
My Beloved Turkmen! Do not see these as tiny and unimportant things!
Grandeur of a man reveals itself upon such events.
To whose benefit is the futile, frivolous and tactless words, not related with life?!

Suspicious attitudes of a nation, which are irrational and antagonizing moral and
spiritual values, result from inner worlds of individuals. Neighbor seems ordinary and
unimportant and society seems like a big problem; however, these are interrelated and
inseparable realities of life. Don't believe that someone who does not know his neighbor
knows his people! Don't think that thoughts and statements of a
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person, about the society, who does not protect the honor of his neighbor and is not
interested with his daily life, are correct!
The indicator of word and thought is conduct. Anything not implemented in life is
a mere delusion because it does not go beyond simply words.
Our problems are generally caused by such fake conducts.
People, who are used to talking about frivolous and imaginary things, damage the
sense of trust of people in words and thoughts. If we want to resettle the belief and
thought that our word is honorable, sanctimonious and sacred, we should get rid of the
above-mentioned fake conducts and worries. The solution to this lies in realization of our
words and thoughts.
Carry out your manners of neighborhood as far as your daily relations with your
neighbor are concerned! This means that the rights of your neighbor should be conceded.
The first of these rights is that neighbors should know each other well.
A neighbor should be in an unforgettable position, which enables him or her to be
a part of your family. It is a good manner to know and respect who he is, his roots, his
good deeds, his beneficial sides for people, his position, reputation, means for a living,
pride, family structure, in short all of them.
Your subsistence will not be the same as your neighbor's but your reputation and
dignity are the same. Disagreements in your neighborhood or street harm your dignity
and peace. Peace emerges out of union. There is a blessing in a union.
The grace of God is upon those who live in union and unity.
*****
The event which happened to Mane Baba (Ebu Said Mehnevi), who is one of the
great persons of the world of
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meaning, proves that faith in God has an absolute effect on neighbor relations. Mane
Baba had a poor neighbor, who barely maintained his living. A believer of God, was
giving a part of his income to his neighbor.
One day, the neighbor visited the believer of God and he was shocked to see him
dispersing wheat to ants. The believer of God responded like this, seeing the surprised
look of his neighbor: "These ants are my neighbors like you. I should concede the right of
neighborhood to them."
The tradition of the Turkmens such as "komşu okara" is one of the nicest

traditions.
When a different dish is cooked, it is deemed an ill-manner not to serve one to
your neighbor.
Neighbors always have a right in every cooked dish.
First of all, it is of tradition to give the right of neighbor.
It is of tradition to serve your neighbor milk when a camel or cow gives birth,
vegetables and fruits that grow in your garden and the first bread that you cook in your
tandir. Doing so increases the abundance and subsistence of man.
In the basis of affluence, there lies love, respect, consent and happiness of your
neighbors. If wealth is supported with spiritual values, then, it turns into real wealth.
Your sulkiness and stinginess shows that the source of your income is suspicious.
Be a relative to your foreign neighbor, be a sibling to your neighbor-relatives!
If you are good, everybody loves you. Society learns that you are a good person,
through your neighbor. Be careful with your manners of conversation and chat with your
neighbors and improve your relations!
Be lovely and sincere to them! At the times when there
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was no television or radio, it was one of the nice traditions to chat for hours on long
winter nights and chilly winter nights.
The nights at which legends were listened to and interesting rumors and stories
were told, remained the greatest days of the Turkmen life.
These encounters were a school of discipline and morality for us.
When women, who once sat on mothers' lap and saw Hizir, grew up, they would
listen to the advice of elderly people like Hizir while they were sitting next to their
fathers; and this tradition was among the neighborly relations. These all were calm and
sweet moments like the simplicity that the Turkmens, who are very natural and sincere,
showed.
I understood what a greeting meant at such evenings. This is the meaning of God's
greetings: God Almighty creates Adam (Peace be upon him) and after giving him a soul,
he calls upon him. Adam was in shock; God Almighty for the first time greets him like
"Esselamü aleyküm, oAdam!" The Turkmens use the term "God's greeting" on account of
this. The phrase "Esselamü aleyküm" echoed as a wish and a blessing prayer of God for
Adam (Peace be upon him) and his generations. For this reason, smile to your neighbor
and greet him!
Express your love to minors, respect to adults and gratitude and good intentions to
women and girls! Don't stay alone at home in your free time.
If you chat, flavor of your life increases. Television is a beneficial means, which
always broadcasts important news and nice thoughts. However, chat with your neighbors
is nice, though sometimes infrequent.
Don't gossip about your neighbor! Talking about deficiencies and faults of your
neighbor, in the presence of
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others or taking delighted in speaking about his or her problems and concerns does not
suit a Turkmen.
If you can understand this principle, acting contrary to it is to disrespect yourself.
Behave in accordance with your age and dignity as much as you can do! Help your
neighbor to surmount his problems in family and in his life! Gossip you utter may reach
him or her.
He or she may feel touchy and relations get sour. Maybe, at the end, situation can
turn into enmity. Being an enemy with your neighbor is the biggest punishments that God
gives in this world. You will always experience a life in hell.
Especially, on important days, do not spare your service to your neighbor.
It is the most hated conduct to ignore a neighbor, who is settling in his house, is
having a wedding or ignoring mourning at his home. Furthermore, showing up briefly
does not mean the execution of your duty to your neighbor. This is an attitude
which an acquaintance should take up. It is necessary to serve in person at the wedding or
mourning of your neighbor. It is your major duty to serve and provide financial assistance
as much as you can do.
If neighbors are in good terms, a new daughter-in-law's civil marriage ceremony
can take place at your neighbor's house; when a daughter gets married, the wedding takes
place at the house of relative-neighbor. Neighbors accommodate guests at their house and
share in the happiness of their neighbor on occasion of the wedding and they took over
some chores.
Until the third day after someone dies, no food is cooked at that house. During
this time, neighbors prepare dishes and serve them and prayers are said for the deceased.
Daughters and daughter-in-laws of your neighbor are like your own siblings; their
sanctity and honor is also yours.
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*****
The human heart wants to travel around the world like a bird; no matter how
many countries a human-being sees, he wants to see that many, again. A human-being
first flies his bird of heart and he follows it. A human-being first desires something and
later follows them.
Since ancient times, caravan routes passing through our country; have reached
every corner of the world. Merchandise was purchased from far lands and goods were
taken there.
Tale-like stories have been told about unknown and undiscovered countries.
God Almighty ordered that: "I am Compassionate; I created kinship; and I gave
two shares from my own right. Whoever sustains his relations with his relatives, so do I;
whoever ends his relations with relatives, so do I."
Human-being is in close relations with his relatives, neighbors, friends,
colleagues, and friends from the workplace. Humane relations are veins of life.

Good people, all their life, go into relations with good people and try to establish
friendships with people better than themselves. Thus, as the years pass by, the dignity of
that person increases and his status arises and his humanity is elevated. On the other
hand, as it is said that "Evil finds evil", spoilt people find people too spoilt like
themselves. Relations of good and bad people may damage all society.
Pay attention to this point: With the will of God, a hundred twenty four thousand
prophets were sent to this world. All of them deliberated on friendship, peace, order, love
and goodness, in the universe. However, it is not possible for life to be good at a time
expected.
To give a simple example: One day a farmer plants bell peppers in the corner of
his land. By chance, a red pepper grows
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among the bell peppers. According to the biologists, pollens and insemination of red
pepper is more dominant. Ultimately, all bell peppers that farmer plants taste hot like red
peppers. Cows grazing at pasture fill their stomach by selecting all day long the most
delicious of herbs. If by mistake, they eat a bunch of hot herbs, their milk is also going to
be hot.
Humane relations begin with neighborhood. Nobody can be a guarantor to a
person who is not in terms with his neighbors. Sultan Sanjar Abiverdli recruited the great
scientists and poet, Enveri, to his palace, and gave him a house in the most beautiful part
of the city.
Enveri moved into his place. He carried all his stuff within two to three days,
settled in and put his life in order. Later, he found a conduct of his neighbor weird and
invited him over for tea; and asked him:
- Neighbor, every day, you come from work when dark falls and begin screaming
as soon as you enter into the courtyard; screaming again when you enter your house and
again when you are on the second floor; what is the meaning of this?
- When I come back from work as an exhausted man and enter into the courtyard,
my horse welcomes me by neighing and touring around the stick. I yell of happiness
since God has endowed me a beautiful horse like this. When I go into my house, my wife
welcomes me with her smiley face; opens her arms and welcomes me with a well-
prepared, rich and affluent table. I scream of happiness since God gave me such aloyal
and beautiful wife as well as this food and richness. When I go up to the top floor, my
sons say:
"Daddy, Daddy!" and jump into my arms. This time, existence of my children
bestowed to me makes me happy and I scream again.
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Enveri smiled and said:
- Then, it will beneficial for you to scream a fourth time, because you have a very
good neighbor.
The more relations increase, the more friendship and fraternity improves. As the

relations increase, your horizon broadens and your subsistence and richness increase.
Formerly, while on the one hand, caravans were exploring news countries and
land, on the other hand, they helped to broaden the society's horizon of thought, to
increase the abundance of subsistence and richness. In old times, travelers, bohemians,
dervishes, and explorers who travelled around the world, opened the way to friendship
and fraternity, by broadening societies' horizon of thought.
Let's remember the structure of thought in the USSR: This ideology was
suspicious about other countries. As for the capitalist countries, they regarded them as
enemy and underdeveloped countries, which did not establish relations with other
countries. You also saw its consequence. Markets and shopping places were empty. You
could not find anything to buy. Though sometimes they had merchandise, it was
impossible to find money. Our State, Independent and Permanent Neutral Turkmenistan
has launched a program called "Open Doors" since its inception, and has been sustaining
friendly relations with all countries in the world. This is our basic policy; our relations are
based upon friendship, fraternity and mutual interest!
Like the way you establish friendly relations with your siblings, relatives and
neighbors establishing relations with people who want to have good relations, brings you
goodness - not anything evil. We teach and learn a lot from each other thus our life
improves this way.
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It is not in vain that our ancestors made "Komşu Okara" a tradition between
neighbors.
Human life continues thanks to relations like the existence of the universe, realms,
stars and the rules of gravity. If you take food or gift with when you pay a visit to
someone, you will be welcomed and treated well and come back with a gift. If you
welcome them with a smiley face, you will also be welcomed with pleasure.
*****
In the past, I once went to the market. I still remember the following event that
happened to me. In the market, an old man wanted to sell his well bred cow.
There were a lot people around him. Everybody wanted to buy this cow for
breeding purposes.
- Grandpa, six hundred fifty manats . . . Sell the animal, the price is good, said the
buyer.
The old man did not sell the cow. Later, someone else came. He knew the old
man, who was selling it in the market. They greeted each other and later:
- What the hell are you doing? You put the breeding animal in the market ... I have
six hundred manats as pure as mother milk; if you sell the cow for that price, I will get it.
The old man sold the cow. Everybody, including myself, wondered why he sold it
for six hundred manats instead of six hundred fifty.
Finally, someone asked:

- Uncle, is it reasonable to sell the cow for six hundred manats instead of six
hundred fifty? Why is the reason for it?
Old man:
- Fellow, this animal was a blessed one. We had its milk
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and yogurt for three or four years. It gave birth every year. When we needed money, I had
to sell it. In fact, it is not an animal to be sold in the market... Though I sold for fifty
manats less, I sold it to an acquaintance, and I know that he makes halal money...
The Turkmens say: "Even if you sell a goat, sell it to your neighbor; when you are
invited somewhere, you will be the one treated again."
If a Turkmen needs to have an animal, he does not want a cheap one; although an
animal is expensive, he buys it from a dealer, who makes a halal living.
Even if a Turkmen needs a horse or a dog, he does not buy without knowing
seven generations of a dealer!
When a Turkmen marries his son, he searches seven generations of siblings and
relatives of the daughter-in-law!
Once a man wanted to sell his house. A client said:
- S ir, houses like this are sold for this and that price; your deal is very expensive.
Better houses can be purchased for this price.
The person, trying to sell his house, said:
- M y neighbors are good people; for this reason, my house is expensive.
*****
Be a brother with your neighbor on the journey of life!
When guests come from far lands or countries, it is a humanist tradition for the
neighbors to put them up at their house. By acting so, you illustrate the value and respect
you attach to your neighbor and also demonstrate that you live in peace and harmony
with your neighbor. As in the expression of "every flower's smell is different.", when you
have a guest at home, he or she opens new and nice things for himself or herself.
Particularly, when the father or mother or any elderly relative of your neighbor
comes, it is a custom to invite them. If you
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do so, they will be proud of the dignity of their own sons and daughters. They also say
grace for you.
Inter-neighbor relations are nice, wonderful and refined.
These are the relations which definitely determine and measure your maturity.
Can you see yourself as a real Turkmen if your neighbor asks someone else
without asking you when he or she needs something?! It is one of the Turkmen traditions
to ask your neighbor for salt and other tiny stuffs. In this case, your subsistence becomes
abundant.

Goodness comes from a good person.
Don't hurt your neighbor with your crossed eyebrows and sulky face!
Don't frighten your neighbor with your cold words!
Don't convulse your neighbor with rumors!
Don't harm your neighbor with disputes and fighting!
Then, there will be no affluence at your house because you make your own living
and it becomes viable with abundance.
Human life is directly related with these five groups of people. These are: your
wife, relative, friend, colleague and neighbor. Among these, the most influential ones in
your life are your wife, friend and neighbor. For this reason, you should give a special
place to your neighbor.
If you marry a bad woman, it will be a pity for your life; if your friend backstabs
you, he or she reveals all your secrets and faults and you will exposed. If you are cross
with your neighbor, you will find peace neither inside nor outside. Thus, my advice to
you is:
Live in unity and union with your neighbors and be friendly!
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MANNERS FOR RELATIVES
My Beloved Turkmen!
The Turkmens are a nation which loves relatives. The feeling of being related is
one of the most developed senses. While this is linked with the historical process that the
Turkmens passed through, the disasters of the last three centuries have strengthened the
kinship bonds, more and more.
During these centuries, among the Turkmens, whose birth rate slowed down and
diminished, bonds of blood and kinship gained more and more significance, without any
regression.
The following expressions date back to that period: "Give birth to two but only
one remains", "Finding someone after losing" and "Don't die but get lost".
It is appreciated and recommended to support relatives and acquaintances as long
as you are not in breach of the interests of the State, nation and country.
The limits of kinship are broader than other nations due to division of families,
tribes and clans. From this aspect, it seems impossible to determine the limits of
"kinship" thought.
In fact, the malleability of meanings of the words is the fundamental feature of
our language. In the twenty first century, which is the Golden Age, great changes have
been observed. Our thoughts, which can be implemented in all material and spiritual
fields are becoming clearer and getting into a form.
This illustrates a change in the language of heart and in the basis; there lies the
divergence of the structure of soul of and thought.
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During this period of great change, the confines of the "relative" term becomes
more clear in time. Today, people who are close to each other during three generation, in
terms of parenthood, are called relative. From the side of father, they are dogan (sibiling),
doganoglan (child of uncle) and dolanan (child of father's uncle); from mother's side,
çikan (child of aunt) and two former generations before çikan.
From the lineage of mother and sister, nephews, nieces and the ones descending
from their generation are also included into the term "relative".
Real kinship is determined by linkage of blood. I elaborated the rumor about the
determination of blood linkage, in the first volume of the Ruhnama.
Here, I would like to emphasize this reality; the values which a human-being has
are not only related with life but also with death.
Washing the dead body and wrapping it before burial is a right which only close
relatives have a right to do so. Such traditions are not related with the means of
subsistence and they have a holy and dignified meaning.
Among the Turkmens, it is said that the back of the ones who don't have relatives
is not strong. This means that what is saving people from solitude is kinship.
Power and strength do not necessarily mean a good life standard and multiplicity
of material sources. The honor of a person with a crowded family and lots of relatives is
of course high. Their belonging to a sound and noble family is a source of pride.
This sense of pride enables people to take care of them and to live according to
the honor of their generations. A saying among the Turkmens such as "A place where a
man comes from" is the highest title attached to a generation and relatives.
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*****
The Turkmens evaluate a person not only on his personality but also by his
relatives and the family he is raised in. First of all, family line is analyzed and later the
person.
Since it is important, the conditions for the manners for relatives have been
elaborated in details and certain lines are drawn. To be a human-being or a Turkmen, you
have to carry out the manners for relatives!
Be a sweet, nice and smiley company to your relatives because you have a kinship
with them. Don't offend them, because of you. This is what is suitable for every one of
the Turkmens. Every one of the Turkmens should first consider the reputation of their
relatives and kins.
Don't be cold and ignorant to your relatives!
What is the reason to be distanced from them while you are close?!
The flavor of closeness is of course better than coolness and distance!
Don't distance your self while you are close in terms of kinship!
One of the loves which warms up your heart is kinship.
Help your relatives, if you can. The Turkmens are a helpful people; if something
occurs to someone, they certainly help him or her out. Life, like a caravan, keeps going

on if there is a male camel in it and everything will be loaded to the caravan.
Be a child of the fatherland if you can succeed; but if you can't, be a servant of the
region you live in; if you cannot manage this at all, at least be a good son or daughter to
your parents!
Gain reputation through accomplishment; at least, don't be notorious!
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Don't spare your assistance to your relatives whose financial situation is not good;
If you spend once for your relations, you shall earn ten times back.
It is a big ill-manner not to attend the wedding or mourning of a relative.
When you are invited to somebody else's wedding, you do attend; but, you should
also attend that of your relative even though you are not invited. Waiting for an invitation
from your relative and getting upset about it is misbehavior; thus, such a manner does not
suit a Turkmen. Generally, an invitation card is given to a foreigner.
If a relative waits for an invitation card, it is deemed that that relative sees himself
superior. At a relative's wedding, don't expect to be served but you do serve people.
At the mourning of a relative, it is not proper to cross your legs.
If you are older, your duty is to read Qur'an and pray; if you are younger, you
should be ready for all sorts of service and assistance.
At the feast of a relative, water is carried.
Relative is a relative and it is not something arbitrary.
Getting on well with relatives is not optional but it is a duty.
If you don't care about relatives, all relatives get hurt.
For this reason, no matter what you do, you should consider the reputation of not
only yourself but also that of your relatives.
If the reputation of a relative is dishonorable, may it be temporary!
If you want to be a man, don't grow up abroad; grow up in the society!
Have a profession, honor and subsistence!
*****
If you are known as an altruistic person in the society, society disregards your
minor faults and forgives you since society comes before everything in life.
The strength of a male camel is needed to run the mill of life.
This strength emerges through your relations with your relatives.
If you brag and humiliate your relatives, everybody will see you as an alien.
If you are affectionate to your relatives, you can increase your kinship according
to the account of people around you.
Lead your life as part of society!
A good person does not talk about faults of his relative.
He compensates faults of his relative with his own effort and honorable
personality.
Every human-being resembles his essence. While you are a noble and dignified

person, don't be disgraceful and disrespectful!
Be understanding and compassionate to your relatives! Call them like this if they
are older than you:
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"Uncle", "aunt", "uncle's wife" ; if they are younger, call them:
"Sibling", "nephew" or "niece"! Words have power and increases dialogue
between relatives.
Don't argue about property or heritage with your relatives!
*****
The best heritage is the reputation you inherit and the education you get.
Try to be more knowledgeable than your ancestors; try to raise your children more
knowledgeable than yourself!
When you go to far lands for the purposes of future work and education come
back to your country; make it a habit to visit your relatives!
Ask how they are and greet them one by one! You will make the elderly happy.
They will be glad since they have such a relative like you; young people will be
happy for you and proud of it and take you as an example.
If one of your relatives older than you marries, be a sibling to him or her!
If a younger relative of you marries, be an elder brother to him or her!
If you are elder, it is your duty to meet the wedding expenses and if you are
younger, you are supposed to be at their disposal.
*****
When a girl is getting married, her cap is given to the youngest sister of her
husband.
Till seven days pass, the husband's sisters accompany the bride.
Uncle cuts the hair of a new born child, for the first time.
When a child grows teeth, a ceremony is carried out and the child's uncles and
aunts serve dessert and candy to people.
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When a daughter-in-law comes back from her parent's house, she brings gifts to
her in-laws and sisters-in-law.
It is a tradition to loan and borrow between relatives. Don't spare anything from
your relatives because he or she respects your reputation!
It is common to see people who always brag about their relatives' names and they
are proud of their reputation; but, when needed, they don't help and don't carry out their
duties and change all of a sudden.
This is a very disrespectful behavior. Respect and reputation are distributed

equally to all relatives and assistance is a loan granted to everybody equally.
All relatives should abstain from being like those who knock at every door when
they need something but turn their face when they are asked for assistance.
Help your relatives during their hard times!
Whether you are a real relative when you are not in need of something and when
you are needed, becomes very clear, in time.
If you help, you will be helped, too; if you back up people, there will always be
someone to back you up, too.
A sense of kinship is a nice one because it is a pure and clean emotion which
arises from your body and your heart. Sense of kinship is another form of national
emotions.
Someone who doesn't love his mother cannot love his country; someone who does
not love his kins, does not his nation. Sense of kinship is the basis of the national feeling
which includes conscience and spirituality. Only through various revelations of this sense
can an elevation take place; and you can reach the peak of the emotion of trusting and
honoring your nations.
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A good man is someone who can love other children as well as his own children.
If a person can also help them, he goes to the seventh sky of happiness and if he
does not help, he feels upset. Even if he can't do anything, he lives with the desire to help
and dreams of helping.
Hatred fostered against relatives is the ugliness of heart.
This is cowardness and treachery to the ancestor.
All children are equal in the eyes of ancestors.
In time, children become different people; but, in fact, all are the same.
Kinship is an unshakeable and strong link because being a relative or a kin binds a
person in two ways: body and spirituality. Try not to break these beautiful ties!
Kinship is the appreciation of God.
You cannot do without relatives. Don't gossip about your unfaithful relatives.
Teach them how to be good kin!
Don't get mad at your relative; sooth your anger. Don't break your kin's heart;
please them!
*****
Beloved Youth! Think well! Do you love your village as much as your fellow
people do and all your people and every corner of the country? Of course, you do because
the Turkmens have been living in this world for five thousands years as a community and
nation.
In the heart of every one of the Turkmens, there is love for their mighty nation.
However, vices can be seen in a society.
The Turkmens are a community which attaches great importance to relatives.

The village where everybody's mother is born is deemed as the village of uncle
and all villagers are regarded as the uncles of that person.
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The village where everybody's father is born is deemed as the village of uncles.
Here you are; two villages and many relatives. Our people have been continuing
this tradition and giving big importance to kinship.
Even though there is a wedding of a relative that he does not like, he helps the
wedding as much as he can and gives a present out of respect. He also brings something
at the time of mourning. All relatives attend the wedding, ceremonies, amusements and
mourning of a Turkmen. Yet, a relative is always a relative.
Some people, with bad faith and thought, may have come to high instances
through various corrupt deeds. Such people regard it a great job to recruit directly or
under the counter their relatives to positions where a lot of money circulates.
While I was the primary secretary (governor) of the Communist Party in
Ashgabat, a sub-province secretary general (governor of a sub-province) was privileging
an expert and whenever I asked for his assistance, he began to recommend that man.
Later, I found out that he was his close relative. However, that person settled in Merv in
the thirties, for a couple of reasons. Again, that person was recommended for that
important duty. I called upon the secretary general and asked:
- You recommend this man, all the time. Isn't he a relative of yours? He gave an
oath and said:
- No, no, Sapar Atayevich, even the town where we were born is not the same.
However, I believe that he can carry out this duty.
- Don't run around the bush and tell me the truth.
He lied to me by looking into my eyes and gave an oath
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upon the identity of the party. Worse than this, the person that he recommended to me
was the type of person who would steal everything wherever he went.
I said:
- Now that you admit that he is a person who can handle this, let's appoint him to
the secretariat general because well-trained personnel will be needed to replace you. I am
considering you for the position of Deputy Minister of Education.
- Sapar Atayevich, give me a little more time; let me try this person again.
I let him go when I realized that he understood what I meant.
Do you know what happened to the secretary general of the Sub-province?
He got distanced from his position by this relative, in charge of the organization
of the Party, at a factory place.
Because, he had to maintain his position.
- Sapar Atayevich, you had warned me in time. I see that I could not understand
what he was up to. He wasn't a type of administrator who could handle this work. Thank
you for opening my eyes. By doing so, he was trying to change the topic.

Do you see the kinship of that person and how he cheated his relative?
There are lots of similar cases...
The Turkmen people have lived disorganized for eight centuries. The number of
the ones forgetting how to establish, protect and emphasize interest of the State is not low
at all. To some people, they will partition all the duties between their relatives and they
will use the state and all wealth as their property! Where do such evil thoughts come
from?!
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When you look around, you will see that the Turkmen is a great and wise nation.
Every human-being befriends people close to themselves, from the same
profession and mentality. When every Turkmen marries his daughter and son, he gets
distanced from his relatives and tries to get someone as a daughter-in-law or son-in-law,
who is among his relatives.
He or she does not carelessly find a match for their children among their relatives.
Or, there is no Turkmen saying: "I love this girl because she is my relative".
Independent and Permanent Neutral Turkmenistan is a rich, powerful and world-
wide state! Turkmenistan is our holy state and sacred fatherland! We cannot sacrifice this
state, which our ancestors yearned for eight centuries, for the sake of nepotism and
bribery!
It is necessary to serve the holy fatherland in a sacred way!
It is necessary to love Beautiful Turkmenistan with a sublime affection, away
from nepotism and personal interests!
*****
My Beloved Turkmen!
All Turkmens descend from Oguz Khan. The relationship of all Turkmens begins
with Oguz Khan. We all are siblings because we are the generation of Oguz Khan. We all
are relatives because we descend from the womb of Oguz Khan's mother. For this reason,
it is a big material linkage of organs; you should also win the hearts and minds of people
and reproach them and carry out whatever is needed for that!
Kinship of minds means to manage to be siblings in terms of soul. Though you
have few siblings by blood, may your relatives of heart and mind be many!
If you feel it in your heart to call every Turkmen, brother, then, you are a wise
person!
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KNOWING A PERSON BY HIS FRIEND
Friendship is related with the liberty of man.
All-Compassionate God bestowed friendship to ensure spiritual liberty, which his
creature, man, is in need of because friendship is a way to fill the gap of solitude.

Friendship is a phenomenon through which a human-being satisfies his soul in a
complex social structure. A man chooses people who are close to him, befriends them and
gets rid of solitude this way. I say "gets rid of" since solitude is a deficiency in human
nature.
The only path for man to surmount solitude that he may come across in every
phase of life, from his birth to death, is friendship. A child remains alone till he
understands the existence of his or her mother. Realizing the existence of its mother is the
first step to get rid of innumerable solitudes. Realizing mother, father and siblings is
respectively the first, second and third phase. Hence, we will be able to surmount the
obstacles of solitude.
The entire elimination of solitude is related with friendship, which is the spiritual
rose of human life. A friend means the one who shares the burden of life equally with us.
Wherever there is friendship, there will be no burden.
Friendship is like one heart in two separate bodies.
Friendship is a source of happiness and the reason for this is the existence of
someone that you fully trust. The fortune which never cheated on me is friendship.
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The most important feature of friendship is realizing the needs of your friend.
This is the token of unification with your friend.
I don't know anything like friendship, which inspires and helps people.
Friendship is the basic phenomenon of social life.
When a social and cultural phenomenon is in question, it is important to define
the content of the topic. If we do so, we can understand and distinguish real meanings and
differences of thoughts and words as well as their various aspects.
In the Golden Age, I would like to underline with the help of Ruhnama two
thoughts which have more and more insight: first, love and second, friendship. The
intention attached to love and meaning of love have changed today. Love and friendship
are inner tendencies and emotions born in the heart. Emotions are moral value ties.
In the period of Makhtumkuli, when the term personality was used, we simply
understood that what he meant was human-being. In the Golden Age, personalities other
than man also emerged.
These personalities are Fatherland and Nation.
Since these two are regarded as personality, the meaning of love and friendship
has broadened. Although in the past, love was only between a man and a woman and
friendship was a relationship among people, in the Golden Age, the relations between
Fatherland and Nation are more dominant. Turkmen of today fosters love to his
Fatherland and Nation and befriends them. The matter in question here is the
changeability of our moral nature. This change consists of personification of Fatherland
and Nation. Behind this personification, lies the moral mundanization (secularism) of the
twentieth and twenty-first century lies.
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The meaning of mundanization is growing roots in this land and believing that
creeds and moral values also belong to the fatherland.
Change of Turkmen soul is a big phenomenon and we painted this period of
change in different colors in all stable and unstable domains. One of these stable domains
is friendship.
Change in our national spiritual understanding promotes change in our spiritual
structure. To talk about a friend, according to our perception coming from our ancestors,
our peers come to our mind. The meaning of friendship has broadened now.
Real friendship has its own beauty; it is necessary to understand this beauty!
Friendship relations should be eternal. Existence of dependable friends is the
guarantee of his being a good person. Friends of sincere and serious people are also
sincere, eternal and loyal. The most sound friendships and friends are gained in the
gravest and hardest cases. Grave conditions, bad days and troubles are like a balance
weighing friendship and friends. Anybody can obtain love by any means; but, that is not
the case for friendship which entrenches hearts with each other.
I doubt that a person is good if he is not a friend of the heart because such people
are really alone and unhappy.
All love and respect in the world does not supplant a friend.
Friendship doubles your happiness and lessens your sorrow and sadness.
God Almighty endowed us friendship to support us by showing the way in
helpless situations. Real friendship is kinship chosen sincerely and seriously.
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*****
You have two great friends who never turn their back or face on you or antagonize
or leave you and who are never disloyal to you. These are Fatherland and Nation.
Don't forget the friendship of your Fatherland and Nation!
And, don't forget your greatest friends, your mother and father!
If you are not friend to them, I can easily say that you cannot find real friendship
among your peers. Your ancestors explained to look at friendship in the following
proverb;
"Know yourself as milk and your friend as cream." World philosophy and politics
serve this idea. However, Socrates tells man to "Know yourself." Buddha says "Love
yourself!" In a real sense, a man should love himself first. How can someone who does
not love himself appreciate the value of somebody else? I want the youth to see
themselves and others as cream.
Love, which gives you wisdom and understanding, is the real love.
Everybody should first of all try to know and understand himself. Hence, a person
can understand his friends, parents and other people. Everything begins in you. A friend
is fortune and destiny; but, existence is not fortune. A friend contributes fortune to your
fortune and elevation and light to your life. A friend supports your work and backs you up
so that you can lead a successful life.

Here are good friends: a honest friend is a friend who loves full-heartedly, a friend
with knowledge and wisdom.
Here are bad friends: hypocritical friend, a friend who does not love full-heartedly
and a gossipy friend. Friends are your mirror. If you want to know yourself, remember
your friends. Who ever is your friend, then you are like him or her.
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If you invite your good friend to your event, he or she will come. If something
happens to you, even if you don't invite your friends, they should come to you.
I can never forget my mother's saying since my childhood: "A hero in war, a wise
man when he is outraged, and a friend in difficult times prove who they are."
*****
Befriending someone is a necessity which exists in human nature. This results
from the fact that man cannot live alone. Man befriends people suitable to his nature in
order to get rid of his solitude. This is the real meaning of being friends. What does it
mean to see your Fatherland and People as your friend? It means that all nice values
belong to Fatherland and people.
Fatherland and Nation are eternal, lovely and sincere. They are smart because
they can distinguish who is who and what is what. They tolerate and forgive because they
know your immaturity, your bad deeds and that you are not a grown-up. Being loyal to
these two can be possible through getting rid of your own deficiencies. Whenever you
grow up and prove that you are a loyal friend, you get united with your Fatherland and
become eternal like Fatherland and Nation. You should honor your country with
everything you have, and dedicate yourself to your Fatherland and Nation.
Thus, you become a part of the thought of Fatherland because what we call a
Fatherland is not limited to a piece of land. It consists of beautiful works, that previous
generations carried out and unique lives they led.
*****
You are born alone, o man, now you need a friend!
You choose someone whose thoughts and words are the same as yours, out of
hundreds of faces, that you know. The chosen ones are your friends.
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Friendship is a big blessing, created by All-Compassionate God. For this reason,
there is spiritual existence in friendship and it illustrated all beauties in depth and
uniformity. So, friendship goes both ways and has a dual existence. On the one hand, a
friend is your companion and second, a friend is your "self". On the other hand, a friend
has such qualities that you lack that you feel free and relaxed thanks to them. This two
sided togetherness turns friendship into a moral phenomenon.

In works, which require precision, this moral essence has two consequences:
First; within the framework of friendship, love and moral dimension, you find a
companion who is morally close to yourself and who fulfills the need of talking; do not
trust anyone but your friend and you share your secrets and problems with your friend.
Second, ties of love in friendship are sturdy. Maybe, it is the biggest fortune to find
someone who can understand you as the way you want. Second, you see the virtues you
desire to see in your friend.
Furthermore, a friend is an itinerary communicating you to maturity. Getting
mature thanks to a friend, is the most beautiful and quick way of maturing because there
will be few problems which will disturb you.
The rule of friendship is love and friendship flourishes in an environment of love.
The taste and flavor of love is composed of this:
Friendship helps us to get rid of deficiencies in our nature and distances us from
formal and cold attitudes that we are exposed to every day.
Childhood is a period in which we live our real essence.
Friendship is a period in which we find our selves in spiritual sense.
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Someone who is a friend of everybody is not a real friend to anybody. It is said
that real love is rare but what is rare is real friendship. Real friendship flourishes in love.
After people prove that they are friends, real friendship reveals itself; it turns into an
invincible power after it is tried out. There is no place for jealousy in real friendship.
When something happens to you, real friends show themselves; who your enemy
is, can be understood when something happens to you. When you need a friend, he or she
finds you. If man did not befriend new people and new companies, he would stay alone.
However, never forget this proverb: "Of clothes, new ones, and of friends old ones, are
good."!
Your sibling may not be your friend but an old friend is like a sibling.
*****
A story I heard came to my mind: An Oguz beg had two sons.
While they were little, they fell captive to an enemy. Enemies imprisoned them
into the dungeon. Months and years passed away; and the children became brave heroes.
One day, the enemies talked to them:
- I too revenge from your father. Your father fought in three fronts and I defeated
his army. Now, you are more courageous than your father. I will have mercy on you. 1
will give a dagger to each of you and whoever kills the other, then, he can go home. Here
is my condition: tomorrow, I will send you to the battlefield.
During the night, the two brothers tried to find a solution.
Elder brother:
- I was born before you and have lived longer than you and seen a lot of things.
Tomorrow, I will give you an opportunity;

191
stab the dagger in my heart and cheer our parents. Be a light to their eyes blinded with
tears!
- Life in the world is sweet during the time that God Almighty gives us but living
like that is not as sweet as a brother. If I kill you, how can I cherish the life?
- Brother; think again! If one of us can arrive safe and sound, at least, hearts of
our parents will be relieved. Maybe one of their blinded eyes can see again!
- Then, kill me!
- No, no, you are young, what did you see in this world? 1 am two years older
than you.
- Elder brother, both of us are in the dungeon since the day we opened our eyes
and our mind began to perceive! There is nothing you saw more than me. You, kill me;
you are the first baby of my mother and father. But I...
- Brother, you are the little boy of our parents. You had their love and affection.
Kill me brother; there is a wish that our ancestors made to God; first comers go first and
late comers go late... Kill me brother!
- No, no elder brother; I cannot commit fratricide like Kabil did!
- We can work it out this way. Rather than losing all, losing half is better. If either
of us survives, our parents will have only one disaster! There will only be one grave
instead of two...
However, though they talked till the morning they could not come to a decision on
who should be killed. There was no third way, either. Finally, elder brother says:
- Brother, this is our destiny! Where are the men of Oguz? We are in a dungeon.
Where is our ancestor Oguz Bey? Goktengri gave an opportunity to an
unbeliever!
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Let's both of us draw lessons from the world. The strong kill in the world and the
weak die. The strong is the God of the weak! Whoever is dying, that is his divine destiny!
Let's fight; let the enemy be happy. One of us should survive.
They sleep before day break. At dawn, the crier woke them up:
- Folks. Today, our Sultan will present a show to his people, hey! Gather at the
city square, hey! Two Oguz brave men will fight, hey!
The two brothers were taken to the square. Everybody convened in a big square as
spacious as a horse square.
The huge Square was filled with people. The unbelieving Sultan addressed his
people:
- O, brave men! Now, two Oguz boys will fight an Oguz battle. See and learn how
the Oguz fight!
However, the Sultan did not explain his evil intention. His brother also wanted to
kill him when a tiny opportunity emerges.
The brothers were given weapons such as sword, dagger, and mace. They were

forced to wear armor. The fight started, later.
Everybody was wondering: "Who will be the winner?!" and they bet.
They took out their spears like two foes; showed their shells and went into a battle
of life and death. God does not like an unbeliever setting up mankind, who are created as
brothers. With the blessing of God, the elder brother turned into a horse and the younger
one could not understand what was going on.
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Elder brother approached his brother and said:
- Hurry, jump on me! and talked like a human-being for the last time.
His brother jumped on the horse and made a tour in the middle of the square,
asked where Oguz Province was; and galloped to the Province, by passing through the
crowd.
Finally, the young brother reached Oguz Province but he did not know his parents
or town since they were kidnapped.
He traveled from one village to another and settled in a place and called an old
Oguz couple mom and dad.
This the reason why a Turkmen does not eat for himself but feeds his horse.
This is the reason why a Turkmen does not dress himself but his horse.
This is the reason why Turkmen talked quietly with his horse; this is his silent
contract.
This is the reason why a Turkmen horse fights, kicks and bites like a brave man...
We call friendship as brotherhood. In fact, friendship and brotherhood are very
close to each other.
*****
My beloved son, my beloved daughter!
First, keep your duty to remain loyal to your friend!
Knowing this do not rush to befriend someone that you do not know very well
about; after you become friends, don't betray your friend and don't be disloyal to him!
Betrayal cannot be cleaned with anything!
Friendship is built upon loyalty.
You will make your enemy happy if you are disloyal to your friend!
Carry out your duty to keep your promise given to your friend!
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Bear in mind that though your friend is ill-spoken, there is nobody else but you
who knows him better than you.
If you lose your confidence in your friend, don't forget that your self-confidence
shall exhaust someday! Fulfill your manner of trust to your friend! Secrets and life are
conceded to your friend.
Be virtuous to your friend! Remind his wrong-doings, mistakes and deficiencies

without offending him; but be tolerant!
Look for a friend; living without a friend is a spiritual deficiency.
Have friends; friendship carries out conditions of good manners!
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MEANING OF LIFE
My beloved son, affectionate daughter!
One of the most beautiful spiritual qualities of human-beings is love.
Man is kneaded with love and man needs to be loved.
About love, which is a nice feeling, the Turkmen people stated a dozen of
reflections and meanings. These beauties have come to today since very old times. The
concept of love and expectation of the Turkmen from love constitute major values of our
cultural heritage.
During national reasoning about an issue in depth, the nation not only understands
the issue but also implements principles through an original web of thoughts peculiar to
itself.
The Turkmens' love for the nation is very deep. To move from this thought, love,
a serious moral phenomenon, can be separated into two types. The former is Divine love
and the latter is human love. These differentiate from each other in terms of content and
inclusion of various aspects of life. These are two separate forms of dimensions of love.
Human love indicates the level of love between a man and a woman. The Divine
love, contrary to the human love, is a holy tie between man and God, the Creator and the
creatures. If human love includes our mundane life, divine love represents our national
philosophical reflection. It is wrong to
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think that these two phenomena are separate or antagonistic to each other. The matter is
to make a linkage between them.
I presented the philosophy of unity in Ruhnama, as a way of new thought.
Within this context, all issues and especially the issue of love can be expressed in
a correct way. We can imagine this unity like this: when man realizes his spiritual needs
as well as bodily needs and wants, through love, then, love for humanity emerges. When
he overcomes such borders, it turns into a love of eternity and when he realizes the needs
of his soul, then it turns into divine love. Both of them include infinity; but the former
takes place in the world and the latter takes place in the universe.
First, one is directed to human-beings, which needs unity while the other is
reflected to the divine existence which incorporates everything. Inter-human relations are
relatively narrower than the relationship between man and God. However, this reality
does not mean that the value of man is low. What is essential here is the continuity. Man
is both mortal and eternal; but, this eternity derives from the eternity of God Almighty.
In the twenty-first century, in the Turkmen philosophical structure, a third
dimension of love arose. This is the love for the world and mundane love. This is an

outcome of the relationship between man and the world. This type of love emerged after
the fact that the Turkmen regarded the spiritual world, eternity, the world and the realm of
beauties as reflections.
The basic feature of these three types of love is bilateral.
When there is no mutuality, there is no place for love.
Love, generally means the reduction of spiritual relations from multiplicity to a
single one.
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In three types of love, there is "I" and "you":
In love for humans, there is a man and a woman;
In divine love, there is man and God;
In mundane love, there is man and the world.
Love is such a relationship that it requires maturity and personification of both
parties so that the ties get stronger. For this reason, it is necessary for the spiritual-moral
"I" to gain personality for the content of love.
Thus, love is a spiritual and moral phenomenon.
*****
My beloved son, my beloved daughter!
Three types of love are distinguished from each other in the Turkmen philosophy
according to their nature and level. These are; affection, love and conversation.
Affection (mihr) is a type of unconditional love where there is no fleshly and
emotional relations. It means love of parents to their children; love of children to their
parents; love of brothers to each other; love of man to Fatherland and Nation. For this
reason, we use phrases such as beloved parents and
Fatherland. Mihr (affection) is in fact the name of the God of the Sun, which our
ancestors used to worship. There is nothing secret about affection. Fatherland is
personified with people and there is a spiritual relationship between Fatherland and
Nation; it is a natural outcome to channel this mutual relationship to the society and
communities.
Love (aşk) is the highest level of love. Aşk means flood of love.
After this flood reaches a lunatic level, it releases roots and increases again to
form into a friendly conversation.
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Affection ensures continuity of love. Because emotions are filtered through mind,
they are built on mind. If love does not turn into affection, it only remains as emotion.
Emotion is temporary and not lasting.
Human-beings seem to experience various types of love in stages. The first love
that a human-being feels is individual love. Until the age of puberty, he learns clemency.
During this age, the person is a complete individual and displays simple characteristics.

After the age of fourteen, he begins to be interested in the opposite sex and such sexual
feelings direct the mental development of the person. Why at the age of fourteen?
Nowadays, scientists have found that in every seven years, the human mind and body
rejuvenate and change. What has been left from our ancestors can be explained today
scientifically. In every seven years, a stage of human development is completed. In every
seven years, some changes occur in the human mind and body. At the age of seven, a
person completes the childhood period. The second period I would like to call it curiosity
and learning period. At the age of fourteen, this period is completed and love opens the
door. After that, the person is not interested in mundane roles but the opposite sex. This
period continues until the period of perfection. At this stage, a human-being feels love
towards the world. Love for the world does not get lost even if the person loses strength
as he advances into his senior years. Starting from the stage of mental perfection, sacred
love gains importance for human-beings. India is the inseparable part of Turkmen people.
On Indian land, many Turkmen braves are sleeping. On Indian land exists the heroism
and bravery signs of Turkmen people.
An imperial edict of Nedir Shah in India is important in terms of understanding
his world. In the imperial edict of Shah it is emphasized that the Sultans of India are
Turkmen. Mohammed, who began ruling after the previous Sultan Mohammed in New
Delhi, was also Turkmen and that Sultan
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Mohammed should pay him taxes regularly. At the time of Mahmud of Gazna, it is
honorable that the Urdu language was being spoken in India. It is also source of pride for
us that Turkmen established the provinces of Haydarabat Dovletabat, Svargadvara,
Adilabat, Cihanpena.
This is not the real topic I would like to talk about in fact. I would like to tell you
an event that has happened in the province of Dehli (Delhi). It is about building the real
state-of-the-art, Taj Mahal. Cihan Shah learns that a skilled architect was living in the
Province of Shiraz and he calls on him. This architect is a Sufi and is known as Sirazi.
Cihan Shah invites him and says:
- 1 have heard a lot about you. I am told that you are able to make statue of a
person just by holding his/her hand without seeing his/her face, body, whether without
knowing if this is a male or female. Is that right?
- You have heard the truth your Majesty.
- How will you prove this truth?
- Put some 25 girls of your palace behind a curtain. I will not even see their faces.
Just let me see their hands. I will choose one of these girls behind the curtain and I will
make her statue, but I will make only one statue. However, I have a condition your
Excellency. Let me marry the one that I will choose among the 25 girls. If there is one
fault in my statue, don't fulfill my condition.
Cihan Shah gives his hand and says:
- 1 accept your condition.
They put 25 beautiful girls of the palace behind the curtain. Sirazi holds their

hands one by one. The daughter of the Shah also gives her hand deliberately. Sirazi, who
holds her hand, never releases it.
- That is the hand that I need!
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Sirazi puts his ring around the finger of that girl. The Shah, who hears this event
comes in surprise and says:
- M y daughter, what have you done? What is the point in that? What if that Sufi
makes your statue?
"Father, he has never seen me!" and the Shah was relieved a little bit.
The sculptor works night and day during three months.
When the sculpture is ready, the Shah goes to see it with his men.
What do you think that they have seen? Those who see the statue think that it is
the daughter of the Shah. The Shah is about to ask her what she has been doing there. He
examines the statue carefully and finds no fault even if he tries to find one in order not to
marry her daughter with him. However the statue has no fault.
The Shah's wife is also very astonished to see the statue of her daughter. She is
disturbed of the idea that they will marry their daughter with a poor man. The wife is also
pregnant then and they are expecting a premature delivery. So, at labor, the wife dies. The
wife of the Shah is called Mumtaz Mahal. The Shah, very upset, calls on Sirazi and tells
him all the things that happened.
- M y merciful Sultan, don't be bothered by the promise you have given to me.
Let's forget it. I am very sad to cause the death of your wife. I promise not to marry your
daughter. Just forget about your promise.
- This is never possible! Shouts the Shah and says that he cannot retract his words.
"You wait a little bit. I will think about it and find a solution".
The Shah consults his men. His chief advisor makes the following suggestion:
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- One statue is not enough for the esteem of your precious daughter. Let him do
another miraculous work of art for your daughter.
- What?
- Your wife is dead. Let the architect draw the design of a monument that has no
other example all over the world in memorium of your wife. We will not like his work of
art and won't give your daughter to him. Then Sirazi returns back to Shiraz.
They tell Sirazi that they want to build the most beautiful monument in the world
for the Shah's late wife and they ask him to do the drawings. They say that if the Shah
likes it, he will get his daughter.
Sirazi says:
- Ok,I agree.
Cihan Shah, by himself, says: "I will never accept that."
Sirazi starts working very willingly. His drawings are more beautiful than the
most beautiful ones. Even though the drawings are very well, Cihan Shah answers him: "I

didn't like them".
The chief advisor begins to feel uneasy due to this situation. The drawings of
Sirazi are so nice that it is not humane not to like them. Eventually the chief advisor
thinks about a solution. He whispers a rumor to the architect: "The lady whom the
architect wants to marry is lying ill."
The second week, the chief advisor spreads the rumor that the lady has gone
worse. The third week, he lets the people hear that the lady has died of illness. When
Sirazi learns this news, he is just occupied with the last sample of the monument. The
Shah, seeing the last sample couldn't say that he didn't like it. I have told you this story in
order to express the power of art.
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*****
Beloved son, dear daughter!
As our green earth is surrounded by endless oceans and seas, each person is
surrounded with love. The human-being is born in the bosom of love; he grows up in the
hands of love. Since the human-being started to create works of oral and written art, he
has made up works of art related with love.
Love is a unique power that cannot be understood and explained in the world!
Two people approaching towards each other but not knowing each other actually
look in each others eyes. In this unexpected case, lightning takes place in the eyes of both
and they fall in love just at the first sight. There is no barrier in front of such love. Tahir,
who is in love with Zuhre, encounters mountains when he sets off to reach his lover.
Because the powerful poems of Tahir are full of love, those mountains are scattered, thus
he finds his way. Goroglu, burning with his love for Agayunus, fought the monsters
coming from the mountains and killed them. Just like the Sun which provides us with
light and illuminates the entire universe, love also surrounds the people with its sacred
light. Love, which is expressed anywhere, anytime and anyway, makes people closer like
brothers and this is evaluated in the same way by all people.
Indeed, a person who is in love can understand the language of other creatures,
animals, plants and mountains. A person in love has higher esteem than the others in the
eyes of God. He gets closer to God. Therefore, he can understand all languages in the
world as well as the languages of animals and plants.
A poet is known by others due to his source of love. A young sculptor or artist
drags the rocks of mountains in
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order to express his love, he gives some of his spirit to the rock and makes it a living
thing. Art is created in that way. Thanks to God's power, if a deaf person falls into love,
he absolutely begins to hear and speak and starts chanting love songs.
If a blind person falls in love thanks to the power of God, he absolutely starts
seeing. Mighty God distinguishes the people He loves from others; that's why He feels

more affection for people who are full of love. He wants people to be affectionate and to
have good fortune. Human-beings, from its creation, have always sung love songs and
composed love songs, written down love stories. These works of art related to love have
turned into the spiritual treasury of mankind.
Rivers and small rivers are the love of huge mountains.
Shower rains are the love of enthusiastic oceans.
Colorful flowers and plants are the love of earth.
According to a very old creed, a bolt of lightning that scattered huge mountains
wounded the heart of those huge mountains and gave way to the spring hidden in the
heart of the mountains. Thus, sources of water and springs were born to be the life for all
living creatures.
Love, burning the heart of thousands of people have made some of them poets,
some of them artists and the others singers. Famous poets, intellectuals, Sultans and bards
have been inspired of love and have become eternal.
The true love is superior to man-made rules and law because the true love is an
element that improves mankind.
The lovers only see each other just like Adam and Eve, nothing else. There is no
one else in the world for lovers, but only the person with whom they are in love.
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*****
The world, life and human-beings have been created so ideally that, a lifetime is
not enough to understand the whole secret lying behind this creation. After birth, a child
needs at least 20 years in order to be an adult. He needs 30 years to be a perfect person.
20 years, 30 years are very long time spans. Strong horses, bulls and animals mature in
four or five years. Animals at the disposition of mankind live at almost 20 years. Why
does a person need more time to become mature? Perhaps God has fixed a longer time for
mankind to be full of love and affection. With the birth of an infant, the mother and
father's good fortune increases. Parents believe that their child is more precious than
themselves. Each cute behavior of a child crawling on all fours and walking is a source of
happiness for parents. Each word, each phrase of a child who has just started talking is a
different feeling of pleasure for the parents. If it is not for the mother of the child, his
father holds him in his bosom; both the mother and father caress their child all the time.
Mother and father give their love, affection and clemency to their child.
The child has a very precious place in the hearts of parents.
Each child puts on love and is fed with affection. Therefore, the most important
issue is to teach a child love and affection for the sake of God, and for the sake of
mankind.
After a child matures, parents marry him to a person whom he is in love with.
Then this new couple has children. The newly married couple is hungry for love
for their children; however, for elder parents, the love of their grandsons is superior to the
love of their own children. Parents love their children, however these children are more
important to their grandmothers and grandfathers. Grandparents agree with me on my

comments about this. A grandson is more cute than the son. So, God carries us from
one stage of love to another.
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*****
Dear youth!
Here I would like to tell you one of my stories related to the first years of my
youth. The name of the story is "The First Award". When I was at fifth class, a young boy
who had completed his military service and ten years elder than me came to visit. His
name was Asir. Very tall and huge, that boy started blushing in front of me. He was so
excited and asked me:
- Can you keep secret?
-1 can!
- Saparmurat! Asir said and smiled with pleasure. I came by you, as you know
how to keep secrets. Now, the things I will tell you shouldn't be known by anyone else;
they should be kept between you and me.
- Relax and tell me.
- How can I tell Saparmurat, I fell in love with a girl. Her name is Nurcemal.
- Nurcemal? She was one of the most beautiful girls in our village.
- So you know her. I am in love with her and I need your help in order to marry
her.
- How can I help you?
- It would suffice to write her a poem on my behalf. You can write poems. I have
seen your poems in the wall newspaper. You write a poem and Nurcemal would accept to
marry me after reading your poem. Can you write an enthusiastic poem? You also know
that I cannot write poems. You are the only person who writes poems in the school. I have
heard that you had already helped others in similar cases.
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I understood that if I were not to do his request, he would not let me rest. So I
wrote a love poem for Nurcemal on behalf of Asir.
Asir liked my poem. He worked two days to write my poem down on another
paper with his own handwriting.
After a few days, Asir ran up to me. He embraced me enthusiastically:
- Saparmurat! Thank you. You helped me like a real brother. You did me a favor
that no one else would do.
- What has happened? Tell me!
- Listen, I have bumped into Nurcemal. She smiled at me and gave me the glad
eye. Then guess what she said to me! 'You are a real poet. I didn't suppose that you would
write such good poems.' She meant it. Then she looked at me in a very different way, I
just started to tremble from head to toes. That should be love! If you write a poem for me
again, she would completely fall in love with me. Then I will send for my parents to ask
for permission to marry.

We did it again. Nurcemal liked the second poem as well.
She believed that Asir was a real poet. Asir acquired what he wanted. Families
agreed on their marriage.
Asir and Nurcemal had a wedding ceremony in the village. I was the most
precious guest of the wedding.
After six months following the marriage, I encountered Asir and Nurcemal on the
road. Asir said:
- Nurcemal, you had read my poems and told me that I was a real poet. In fact I
was not the real poet; this was the real one. And he smiled.
- Asir, but this was a secret between us. No one would know the truth?!
- Saparmurat, the time of our promise has expired. I cannot quit Nurcemal and she
would not quit me either.
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- Really, you were the one who wrote all these poems? Said Nurcemal without
disguising her appreciation for me. You are very young, how could you write them?!
- Pardon me.
- No, you did a good job. You wrote nice poems about me. I will keep them until
the end of my life. You made Asir and me very happy. May you be happy as well! And
Nurcemal caressed my back.
This caress was my first award in the field of literature.
*****
My dear son!
The harmonious Turkmen character must incorporate every kind of love.
However, when one is young, one lives more for love and affection. Our great epics and
beautiful poems are mostly about love and affection.
You are to follow the rules of dignity on love, resolved by our ancestors. In love,
the rules of dignity that must be observed by the man and the girl are different.
My dear son!
You should love your beloved one in accordance with the standards of the mind!
Love is emotional but emotion is not enough for true love. Emotion can only signal the
beginning of love and can inflame it.
If emotions are under the control of the mind, true love surfaces. Love that
withers away without a trace is not love at all.
The loving heart is led by the mind. Animals also have carnal feelings. However,
man's love differs from others with the contribution of the mind and with what the soul
sees and
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feels. As such, time is necessary in order to understand whether the feeling in the heart is
true love or not.

Even though love starts with lustful feelings, it becomes complete with the
inclination of the heart. True love does not depend on the satisfaction of carnal desires,
but on those of the soul. Emotion is a carnal inclination and is satisfied by bodily activity.
Love, on the other hand, is the evolution of lustful desires into spiritual desires
and needs.
That is why you should measure and put your love to the test of time! In our
ancient epics, it was stated that the duration of love was seven years.
That is the reason why a conclusion is reached after seven years. Either the lover
unites with his beloved one, or he perishes.
Love starts with the eye of the heart and continues with the eye of the mind and
maturity. Love that starts with the meeting of the eyes, is the sweetest form of love. It is
very hard for you to relive a world that was as pleasant as in the period of love. The
desires born from love are the most splendid food for the heart. The world is completely
molded with beauty and love, while living is marvelous. Many hardships of the world are
dwarfed by love. By sweetening all of life, love puts it at your discretion.
That is when you should be pure, honest, and dignified with your love. Let your
love remain secret. Emotions are not a treasure that can be shared with friends and
family.
The taste and joy of love rests by it remaining secret. You should only share your
troubles with a very dear friend, and your secrets with your lover. Love must help you to
become wise, mature, and to advance. When your emotions gain an inner depth, your
love strengthens. Until wedlock, love affairs should not go any further than sweet talks
and exchanging
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looks in line with dignity and virtue, during secret meetings. Maturity and forethought are
not an obstacle to real love, they are necessities.
The rudeness of emotions, their expression and their selfishness, mars the beauty
of love and makes it baseless. Love the one who loves, keep away from the one who does
not! To know that one is not loved is a great destruction for a youngster, but even then, do
not spoil yourself, protect your honor! To try to converge with the one who does not love
is a very base thing. Love is a part of the law of creation, for the universe is created in the
most beautiful way. Even though love is a bodily emotion, it covers the soul by
deepening in the heart. Once the one in love is beloved, he should adjust his behavior
accordingly. It is dependent upon the distance between the lovers that makes love sweet
and meaningful. This distance withers once the lovers are finally united.
You must not utter your love, but show it. Words are not the true essence of love,
they are usually in excess and even unnecessary. A person with a mind and heart talks
least. Talking too much in love is a sign of insincerity. Don't let your tongue do the
talking, let your attitudes and stance do that!
Love must continue after the family is founded.
The love that does not decay and preserves its initial freshness and vividness even
after the matrimony and the establishment of the family is true love. Love is really

demonstrated when the loved ones become husband and wife. Subsequently, if
relationships are built on emotions, then this condition is doomed to pass away. If these
relations are built on the love of the mind and heart, love gains strength and the emotions
of the heart stay alive, while the spouses transfer their spiritual energy to each other, they
present each other with the gift of a long life.
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*****
My dear daughter!
A Turkmen girl's love is characterized by virtue, the sense of shame, and caution.
A Turkmen beauty loves her lover not only with her heart, but with all her existence. In
love, a Turkmen girl is much more mindful and prudent than the man. She is also more
understanding and far-sighted than the man. A Turkmen girl never falls in love to the
point of insanity. She is a gazelle that is hard to hunt. She is faithful. Faithfulness means
to be able to see the end and to be forgiving. The aim and faithfulness of the Turkmen girl
is matrimony and to have a family. The girl loves to have a home. Therefore, Turkmens
call girls family. Mindfulness and cautiousness, loyalty and the sense of shame are the
good natural qualities of the Turkmen beauty. As such, to be faithful, mindful, and
cautious in love is a natural thing for the Turkmen.
Turkmen people have a different way of educating girls. When the small girl
weaves her own hair and starts doing the chores, her mother says "my daughter, help me
with this, do this, do that" and shows her appreciation of the girl's efforts.
She also sends her out to play with her friends. Girls are taught knitting,
embroidery, and needlepoint from early on. When they grow older, they are taught how to
weave a carpet.
The families do not exhaust them. Neither do they let them wander recklessly.
They also teach them how to cook.
In Turkmen families, girls have a special value. Even when they are not wealthy,
they do not buy clothes for themselves, but for their girls. The girl's heart is not to be
broken. The girl is looked after as if she were a racing horse, while the boy is looked after
as if he were a cart horse. The girl
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knows from very early on that she receives special respect, that people are proud of her,
and that her parents give her careful attention. The girl is raised with special care and
love. She therefore knows that she is the honor of the house, the virtue of her father and
her brothers, the flag of the whole family. She knows well that any bad word uttered
against her, and that any stain on her name would bring shame to all of her family. Every
Turkmen girl, starting from the age of thirteen, fourteen, knows that she is not only under
the protection of her parents or relatives, but also under the endorsement of neighbors and
distant relatives. If the girl is smart and dignified, she feels the love and compassion that
protects her. When there is an undignified incident, she will immediately notice a
reprimand, a cold look in those eyes. A girl with a little intuition and mind will not even

come near something that will bring shame to her siblings, her relatives, and her mother
and father. For she is the dignity of the family. She is the flag-bearer of the whole family.
It is for these reasons that Turkmen girls are the proud flag-bearers that they are!
The girl finally grows up, candidate families for a wedlock come and go, and
whoever is fortunate, become the in-laws. The girl's family asks for a dowry! Let us
recall the story of Deli Garçar who asked for an unusual condition for her sister, from the
book of "Gorkut ata." Bamsı Beyrek falls in love with the girl called Banu Çiçek and
talks to his father on the subject. His father says: "Son, Banu Çiçek has a brother called
Deli Garçar, who chops off the head of whoever becomes his in-laws."
In fact, Deli Garçar did have such a statement. Why? Because much hope is
vested in the household where there is a girl. Everyone will try to become in-laws. Who
would come to Deli Garçar's home after such a statement? Only the real lover!
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Indeed, the real lover does not fear death, but separation. Garçar knew this
perfectly well. He enforced this crazy condition knowing that it was apt for finding the
true lover! The house with a daughter asks for a dowry, the house with a son accumulates
it, and a house is built for the child who will be getting married. The word marriage in
Turkmen (evlenmek) comes from the word home (ev).
A new home needs everything. The two sides reach an agreement regarding the
needs of the house. Everything is included in the dowry; the home, the furniture, the bed,
and the bed sheets. The mother and father who have a dowry buy everything, while those
families who have more, buy more things. For the married couples must live a happy life
and should not have any problems.
The new couple should not feel the lack of anything when they start having
children. That is where the true meaning of the dowry lies! When two in-laws come
together, they form a third family on a sound basis. Tell me, what is there to feel ashamed
about? A reality must not be forgotten here that after long historical consideration, by
filtering them with the mind and fleecing them, Turkmen people have brought their
traditions and customs to their present condition. Moreover, all of these are the result out
of necessity. We will be committing a great mistake if we, as people with diplomas, think
of ourselves as smarter and look down on other people and the beautiful traditions that
they have carried and seek alternate ways. Truly, we gave way to great mistakes by
allowing our customs and traditions to be sabotaged during our years of captivity.
Even though Turkmen people made brides out of girls, and mothers out of brides,
during the Soviet era, they made our girls work in brick shops and drive tractors in the
fields, rather than letting them weave carpets, and do knitting and embroidery, the
delicate arts that have left the world amazed.
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We cannot let the mistakes that have been going on for seventy years continue. We have
to fix them. Let our girls not work in demanding jobs!
Let our girls be an embroidery adorning our life, our lawful wives, our bridal veil!

Let our girls be the joyful and colorful spring of our life!
*****
In the middle ages, an Arab scholar who was living among Turkmens could not
conceal his amazement and wrote: "Their women do not cover their faces neither for their
husbands, nor for other men... Despite this, they do not know what prostitution is."
Marriage is sacred for the Turkmens. It cannot be broken easily. The first reason for this
is that once they become in-laws, the girl's and boy's side learn each others past. If a
married woman falls to an ill course, her husband or her husband's brothers kill her. The
girl's own relatives also act ruthlessly for marring their name. The man cannot throw his
wife out of the house if the woman has not taken a dishonorable course or if there is no
legitimate reason. If the man throws his wife out of the house, the woman's relatives and
the qadı, the unshakable pillars of justice, will ask:
- Has she done something wrong? Doesn't she cook your food and wash your
clothes?
If you do not have a legitimate reason for throwing your wife out of the house, the
qadı, the notables, and the woman's relatives will not let you throw her out.
As I stated in the first book of Rukhname, having children is very important for
the Turkmen. Our ancestors have made special preparations when they decided to have
children. Suitable conditions were set for the wife and husband so that for a month, they
would not get angry, eat too much, and live
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in a peaceful medium. If the family wants a boy, the woman should eat the meat of
castrated male sheep during that period. Fruits, melon, and water melon must also be
eaten. Both the husband's and the wife's family shows them how to behave at the time. In
a time like this, when great responsibility must be exercised, the husband is forbidden to
drink alcohol and consume other narcotics.
Once the baby is in the mother's womb, sexual intercourse ends. Quite naturally, a
distinguished people would like to have distinguished children!
*****
How beautiful has God created the world that we live in. If our inner world is not
as beautiful, pure, clean, and worth loving as our outer world, our soul does not develop
and remains immature. The food of the soul is love! The wing of the soul is love! Our
ancestors have believed that "when a man loves his sacred country more than himself,
knows the value of his people; when his country is in danger, he saddles his horse and
dies on the field of battle, and he will directly go to heaven." The souls of lovers that fly
like pigeons, from a period of youth onwards, are the most mature souls.
For their bodies are under the spell of their souls and their bodies will be flying in
the sky with their souls.

Our soul is our essence!
The farmer cultivates, sows, fertilizes, and waters. The white wheat fields run like
the sea. When the harvest comes, he stacks his blend like a mountain, reaps the produce
and seeks Haydar Baba's blessing. From the stack that is like a mountain, only a hill of
winnowed grain is left behind!
That is the meaning of life! Someday, we have to reap our produce. The greater
your produce, the greater your credibility
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and your trustworthiness becomes. God has created the universe, the whole world, the
sons of Adam, the crown of all the creatures, from His love, His mercy, His light and His
soul. The sons of Adam love, swim in the sea of compassion, purify, and mature in this
world and go back to God.
My dear son!
My dear daughter!
Love, be loved, and lead a great life!
Life is love. You live in a world where there is love. In this beautiful world, in this
beautiful life, may your love be beautiful like you!
A person who is loved is pretty and fortunate. Be pretty! Be fortunate!
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THE DIGNITY OF BEING GREAT
Turkmen dignity is based on two pillars. The first of these are morals in general
and the identity of the individual and what he does for a living in particular. Morals are
not rules that incidentally blossom in one's heart. In fact, they are a set of values that have
specific rules that must be followed. These values form as a result of peoples' experiences
through ages. It has been demonstrated that abandoning them or failure to
observe them has caused great disasters. Morals are not produced by mankind, though
they are administered and applied by humans.
The second aspect of dignity comprises the laws of nature. Laws of nature do not
work at our discretion. We must certainly research and learn them. If we live accordingly,
we are to make our personality and life more pleasant and efficient.
We cannot change morals though they renew themselves after long historical and
cultural changes. The laws of nature last longer and are perhaps even more omnipresent
than the span of mankind.
I would especially like to state the two aspects of the laws of nature, which are
one of the basic principles of our national dignity. Both of these relate to the biological
characteristics of man. On the one hand, Turkmen customs are different depending on
one's sex. Customs determine two separate conditions for man and woman. Even though
they are both human-beings, for the perpetuation of a social life in line with
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the national dignity, it must be said that men and women must be subject to different
principles. To disregard these differences is to disregard the laws of nature. On the other
hand, Turkmen dignity takes age into consideration. This is a law of creation. It for this
reason that our ancestors had different moral rules for the young and the elderly.
A Turkmen's dignity incorporates the time when he reaches a state of physical,
emotional, and mental maturity. The period of maturity starts at the age of thirty-seven. In
other words, it is middle age. This period is when the first term in one's life is over, when
children are produced, and when a safe and sound rank is attained in the profession and
society. In short, it is the time when a person fully matures. After this, youthfulness is
completely left behind and the signs of old age appear on the forehead. These signs
describe one's future periods. These are the period of prophethood, the period of
grandeur, the period of white beard, the period of old age, and the period of Oguz Khan.
In order for life to pass well and joyfully, it is a must to lead one's life according to the
rules of dignity, starting from the period of maturity. It is preceded by youth and
concluded by maturity. Youthfulness is to live by the desires of the heart. Maturity is to
live by the standards of reason and wisdom. In youth, it is suitable to act without thinking
about the consequences and to leave everything as it is while in maturity, it is proper to
calculate results and to be cautious.
Depending on one's age, life offers different tastes and meanings.
In youth, curiosity and meaning lies with the feet.
In maturity, curiosity and meaning is with the waist.
In old age, curiosity and meaning comes with the tongue.
The feet symbolizes the period where the body leads the life, the waist symbolizes
the period where the body and the
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heart leads the life, whereas the tongue symbolizes the period where finally reason and
wisdom lead the life. During youth, man likes to eat, drink, and run. The world seems to
you as if it is solely made up of these. Then comes maturity and you come to see another
sweet and beautiful aspect of the world. As you establish a family and have children, your
focus shifts to your children and work. You slowly rear your head and look around, and
live with your surroundings and not on your own. Ignoring yourself and living for others
becomes your goal in life.
In old age, your life experience accumulates and you become more understanding.
Strength first leaves your feet, then your waist and finally reaches your tongue. You give
advice. Based on your experiences, your mistakes, the pain of your faults, you do not
wish to see others repeat them. You finally gather all your strength at your tongue, which
is under the command of the mind.
The unalterable rule of old age is to live according to your age. First of all, you
should eat and drink in line with your age. In accordance with Turkmen traditions, very
sweet and bitter food is consumed less. The body's tastes change with life's order. You
reach maturity at the age of forty. Maturity is to see the sweetness and bitterness of life in
abundance. Once your heart craves the sweet and bitter, protect your body from them

with a healthy diet. For an orderly life is the harmony of the body and the soul. Moreover,
during old age, you should refrain from food that gives you a lot of energy. Fatty food is
for the youth, strength is youth's challenger. With old age, your strength shifts from your
body to your reasoning, your energy from your emotions to your ideas. Staying away
from fatty food during old age is a must for good looks. For you are not as active as you
were when you were young. If you are not running, powerful food causes trouble. Do not
forget that speed and agility passed from your feet to your mind! Do not
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eat too much if you are not going to run around! Turkmens believe that "meat is good for
the meat; soup is good for the face." This idea relates to the following story. A shepherd
was herding his flock in the Turkmen steppes with his helper. The helper's job was to aid
the shepherd and to prepare his tea and food. For a long time, the shepherd and the helper
did not have anything but soup. One day, the shepherd warned his helper not to eat too
much of the meat that is in the soup. Afterwards, the shepherd began having the meaty
part of the soup with the helper having the juicy part of the soup. As days went by, the
shepherd got uglier while his helper's face became more illuminant. As meat is a bulky
food, its useful parts were passing on to the juice. As the helper drank more soup, his
appearance improved.
Along with the type of food that you eat as you grow old, also change their
quantity! Watch your throat during old age, didn't you pay dearly because of your tongue
during old age? Being healthy is the greatest blessing during old age.
In old age, health is true beauty and good looks. Health is determined by the
throat. If you did not have a heavy job during your youth, you will look handsome and
beautiful. Being handsome and beautiful for the youth is a part of the law of creation. It is
up to you to look handsome and beautiful in old age. The first condition of looking
beautiful and handsome is to eat and drink in line with your age. In old age, the prime
enemy of physical beauty is the mouth; the prime enemy of spiritual beauty is
mindlessness. "He has white hair on his head with no mind in it" and "he has grown up
but has not become a mart" are the worst values set for a life spent in vain.
It is said that "younger ones drink the water first." Think through the meaning of
this proverb carefully. The young should have a sip from the water and hand you the rest.
Give the more meaty part of the food to the young, have the juicy part yourself. At the
dinner table, the older ones commence the
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eating and should finish first. The older ones must always eat less than the younger ones.
The difference between being young and old is determined by eating and sleeping
less. Sleep less, eat less, for now it is time to think more on behalf of those who eat more
and to worry on behalf of those who sleep more.
You don't have the ecstatic ideas of the youth anymore. The taste of life and the
world is felt without drinking. The sun's worth is better understood in winter.
Another condition to achieve dignity in old age is to dress in line with your age.

Clothes not only for covering your body, but also for showing your heart. An old man's
attire must reflect his maturity, the softness of his heart, and his simplicity. In addition to
his natural beauty, man wears even more fancy and lively clothes during his youth. The
period of youth is a time when emotions are high and when the mind lags behind the
feelings. That is the reason why the youth runs after the disease that is fashion and looks
more like those around them rather than like themselves. Fashion aims not at beauty but
for the clothes to look good and attractive. Maybe that is necessary, too. However, the
period of maturity is almost diametrically opposite to the period of youth. The youth seek
to make others accept their ideas. That is why they wear fancy clothes. It is not that
appropriate to dress like that in old age. During this period, the elderly should wear such
dresses that will conceal their emotions, demonstrate their prudence and express their true
nature. Turkmen men who are even older prefer to wear clothes that are white or light
brown. That is what is appropriate. Colors such as light brown as the soil, and white as
the day are becoming of the elderly. White signifies maturity, while brown signals
prudence. Fruitful trees lay down their fruit. Colors such as blue, red, and black tell the
overflow of emotions and these colors are appropriate for the youth.
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An old man, standing at a large square, with his white shirt, sash tied around his
waist, pants with his trotters pulled up, white beard down to his bosom, holding a long
rope on one of his hands and a whip on the other was taming a young colt. The old man
was shouting at the colt with an unfamiliar sound and whipping his shining body. Having
never heard the stableman shout loudly before, and adjusted to a comfortable life, the
young horse was biting his bridle hard, to no avail. He did not let go the animal despite
all his efforts. This beautiful horse was creating a lot of dust around the old man, trying to
run away, but was helpless. Hateful of the fact that a strong, swarthy, young man was
riding him, the colt ran around and sometimes reared himself.
The old stableman succeeded in taming the horse.
Life rolls in its own way, just like that horse; sometimes it kicks, sometimes it
rears, sometimes it walks slowly, sometimes it runs, and sometimes tries to hold on
despite its heavy load. But where is the old stableman? Which one of us can see him? As
man turns in the wheel of fortune, while sometimes making ends meet proves hard, the
load is unbearable, but sometimes it is light. This is how life goes on.
In the times of Herodotus, slaves, who could not stand their conditions anymore,
revolted and rid themselves of their chains. The uprising quickly spread to the rest of the
land like a rapid fire. The slaves defeated the army sent to crush them, with their chains.
And now with the weapons of the army, they became a substantial force. The state was
clueless as what to do. Someone, who knew what to do suggested:
- If you do as I say, I will re-chain those slaves.
So the state struck a deal with him and gave him what he wanted.
The cunning man dressed up ten young men like lords and handed each of them a
whip that whistled and roared when
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used, and sent them to confront the slaves. Expecting an army instead, the slaves were
shocked to see eleven riders.
The man headed the ten bold riders and exclaimed:
- Drop your weapons where you are and get back to work!
All ten repeated what he said and slang their whips. The slaves, their bodies and
souls cowed after years of whipping, laid down their arms and returned back to work.
We should get rid of the idea of living a life of dependency, so deeply embedded
in us during the Soviet era. We should digest the spirit of sovereignty and freedom that
independence has brought.
Once our independent state consolidated, some politicians, economists, and
journalists who viewed themselves as the guardians of democracy, knowing that I made
natural gas, electricity, water, and salt free for my people, advised me:
- Nothing is free in a free market economy. Economics prefers transaction. That is
the rule of economics.
Indeed, economics does have rules. For we are humans after all. However, I
absolutely believe that man should not be a slave to the rules of economics. On the
contrary, the rules of economics must serve mankind.
A very moving event took place when I first went to Kıpçak
My maternal grandfather sent me to a distant relative to borrow a diamond-cutter
for cutting glass. As I was passing through streets of the unfamiliar village, I reached our
relative the master. Even though he was in his seventies and quite sick, he attracted you to
himself with his compassionate looks. He used to visit my grandfather and chat. His eyes
had lost their energy, but they were gentle. His son lived in the city. When
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an earthquake struck, his four-year-old boy had survived. Our relative looked after his
surviving grandson. Without knowing what was happening in his house, I witnessed
the following sad episode: A chubby man with a Stalin hat, in uniform, with a leather bag,
was strangling the master with his right hand. The old man, who was already weak and
sick, almost died on the spot. Instantly, our eyes crossed and he closed his eyes in order
not to see me. When the tax collector released the old man, the master almost fell to the
ground. I held him against the wall just in time.
The tax inspector with the Stalin hat was still sneering:
- Who are you to fool the great Soviet government? If every dog like you tried to
fool the state, would there be a state? Even if nobody knows, I know that you are raising
an orphan in your home. That is fine but why are you evading the tax of five manats?
Shame on you old man, shame on your beard!...
The money that the tax collector wanted was found and handed over. He filled out
the forms and had the old man put his fingerprint on the document. But the tax collector's
ugly statements would not leave me...
The master's weak arms and body were shaking. His Adam's apple, as big as a
boy's fist, was going up and down his long and thin neck. It almost popped out. One of

his neighbors complemented the old man's debt. Meanwhile, the miserable man with the
Stalin hat was still castigating him:
"A scum like yourself should be sent to Siberia, even shot!" He finally left.
I helped the master out while his wife held his hand. Without looking at anyone,
the master slowly walked to his garden. Nobody spoke a word.
I could not ask for the diamond-cutter and returned. I was scared of what might
happen to my grandfather for hiding me,
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if the tax collector came over to our house as well. I told my grandfather the story at
once. He remained silent for quite a while and then shook his head:
- Poor master, that was not well at all!... The tax collector came over to us too...
I could not sleep that night. Four days later the master died. His pride could not
swallow what had happened. The tax collector had killed the master. But no one could
say outright that this was so.
The tax collector did not attend the master's funeral. Nobody sent him to jail
either.
Back in Ashgabat, my mother used tell me stories about Annaniyaz Bay, Artık
Khan, Tangrıkulu, the fall of Fort Göktepe, and the invasion of our land by the enemies.
My great grandfather Tangrıkulu-batyr had died a glorious death in the battle of Göktepe,
fought under dire circumstances. My grandfather Artık Khan was severely wounded and
died shortly thereafter. My mother used to warn us: "The enemy conquered our country,
now we are without one. We do not have a home, a state of our own." Recalling what my
mother had said, I now understand more clearly the meaning of captivity. I believe we
were captives. We had to pay taxes for the houses we lived in. However, they can hardly
be called houses as they were makeshift structures built after the earthquake. Those living
in these dwellings had to pay taxes for them. Every household had to pay per occupant.
For we were under captivity. There were so many taxes back in those days. The dirt in
front of the door was subject to taxation, you paid taxes for irrigating the soil, you paid
taxes depending on the number of cattle, camels, and donkeys in your stable. A tax had to
be paid for every grape you had in the vineyard, every pomegranate, every plum and
apple tree. Back in those days nobody asked whether you had money or not. Just pay!
Who were you going to appeal to? No
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one. The Soviet government's face was colder than ice on such matters. Of course, the
master had died out of desperation. He died because of his grief! He did not have the
money to pay, nor was there a government to listen to his troubles! He had no solution
but to keep it to himself and perish. Just as economics has its own rules, so does man!
Taxation is a reality in all states, and it is not that light. Why should a nation that
has protected this land, given its life for it, pay taxes for its own land? Why should it pay
taxes for the grape, the pomegranate, the apple, the peach, the cherry, the roses? Is it not
more appropriate to congratulate those who maintain a garden, an orchard, a vineyard?

Everyone erects a house on their own property, depending on their means. Why should
our people pay for the house that they live in? Every family breeds animals on their front
doors and their pasture. Let them. Why should they pay taxes for animals which belong
to them?
Every family who truly owns the land and cultivates it and then gives the produce
to the state -- why should they pay taxes for something they worked so hard for?
To whom should the tax be paid to? To one's own state? Every countryman should
pay to their own state. If other states in the world were providing their people with free
natural gas, electricity, water, and salt, abolished taxes, and only our state was to work on
the rules of economics, those journalists would still be criticizing me.
That tax collector with the Stalin hat has never faded from my memory. So many
years have passed and I found interest in our own history. I learned so many historical
events. Sultan Mahmut Gaznevi brought his brethren, the Turkmens of Seljuk, to present-
day Kaka and Ashgabat. Tax collectors caused a row between two brothers. The Sultan's
functionaries committed injustices as they claimed the taxes. Turkmens of
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Seljuk, disgusted by the unfairness, revolted against the Sultan. A few years later, they
took over his throne and delivered destruction to his lands. Turkmens of Seljuk founded a
new state and extended their realm to unprecedented proportions. They were also tested
by their tax collectors. Sultan Sanjar sent his functionaries to collect taxes from the
Turkmens of Oguz, living in Belh. The Oguz of Belh dethroned the Sultan and took him
captive.
Another one of the Seljuk Sultans, Sultan Mesut, also committed the same
mistake. I am deeply sorry by the fact that such important Turkmen Sultanates in history
have collapsed. At any rate, I think that they are to blame. And the reason for that is the
image in my mind of the tax collector with the Stalin hat. I believe that every state must
be a people's state. A people's state must give whatever it gathers and whatever it earns to
its people. The state must be like a wise old man. The state must act like its people's elder.
Seeking peace in what one eats and wears is characteristic of the elderly. Verify
through your clothing that in a later period in life, there is a medium of peace and that
there is no trouble to make ends meet. Let us clarify the issue with an example: A khan's
crier announces: "Whoever feeds a sheep with everything he's got, without fattening the
animal, will be awarded with a great prize." Everybody demonstrated unequal skills to
earn the prize, but to no avail. They fed sheep, but the animals gained weight. Then, came
a shepherd who tried to achieve what the khan desired. He grabbed a wolf from the desert
and tied it near the sheep. While the sheep was eating on the one hand, it was also
growing thinner due to fear.
As one grows older, one's talk should be in line with one's age. The cart of life in
youth is pulled by the horse of emotion, while in old age the horse of reason and
intelligence pulls the cart. In maturity, the bowl of the mind is filled and the wine of mind
grows darker and becomes strength. If you
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do not tame the horse of emotion with the bridle of the mind, you might trip and fall in
different times in life. These words are not just meant to be fancy. Mature and reasonable
people think of the meaning of these words more carefully. The mind more carefully
analyzes events in old age. Intelligence is the zenith of the mind. Intelligence is the
combination of the mind with the experience gained throughout one's life.
Intelligence is evinced in three things; the word, the deed, and the heart. The
amalgamation of these three occurs when one reaches maturity. The intelligent,
meaningful word for the elderly is the one which advises the youth. To say good to good
youth and bad to bad ones, inviting the youth to goodness and beauty is the elder ones'
responsibility. If they do not do this, it is a sign of their injustice and recklessness. The
intelligence of the heart is to win hearts and utter good words. It is to forgive the mistakes
and faults of the youth. It is also to do that effectively so as to avoid their repetition. The
intelligence of the deed is to lead an exemplary life. Don't say "do," do it yourself! Don't
say "don't," don't do it yourself! Show that you can do it and prove that you can live
without doing it. If you do not demonstrate the mountain of maturity against the abyss of
youth's ignorance and do not educate the youth, you cannot set a good example to them!
One of old age's conditions is to talk as such! The love of the elderly is to be
compassionate towards the youth. You are not young past the age of forty! After gaining
what you can from life, and then saying "I want more," is greed and mercilessness! Love
is beautiful during youth. In old age, the soul and the body must set an example to
posterity. Compassion is the love of the mind. Therefore, enrich your old age with your
compassion!
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DONOTBELOW,BEAMAN!
Beloved son, dear daughter!
Good manners are learnt at a young age. Good manners have been created by our
ancestors so as to discipline our youth. Because our children need to be disciplined, it is
not possible for a person to be a real man without being taught good manners and
discipline. The foundation of good manners is ration. Ration is the treasury of our
ancestors for thousands of years. Good manners require us to have this treasury and to
benefit from it and to make it more. Prosperity can be increased only by prosperity. Little
spiritual prosperity cannot bear heavy burdens. If a person is to carry the treasury of
ration, then he should be rationale. The meaning of the idiom, stating that "ration is in
mind, not in age" is to have a suitable spiritual world for learning good manners, to be
able to motivate the environment and to have a heart spreading out love and affection. A
real person can be understood from the childhood. Good manners are the centrifugal
force of your maturity, but this can only be achieved if you are willing to do it. Therefore
first of all you should be willing to get mature. The human-being is gifted with the
feeling of "possessing". Every one has a tendency to have, to possess. Issues regarding
the fate of a human-being are fixed according to this principle. If you sincerely gave to

other people, then you would certainly find somebody who would give to you too. A
person, who knows what he can get, learns from life and decides about his own life. That
means that you are lucky, you have a good fortune only if you know how to share with
people. If you give, you
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would take. If you can take, then you consider yourself lucky. The condition of being
fortunate is to live for other people, to provide their contentment first.
May this feeling of possession that a human-being has, not change when it comes
to learning good manners. Try to be good mannered as much as you can. Then you would
be happy because good manners are the rules of conduct of the community. So long as
you don't know these rules and you don't apply them in life, it is out of question that you
would be happy.
The best good manners are to respect the elderly.
A person learns good manners at young age, when he learns how to respect those
who are older than him. The first step of good manners is to understand that our elders
are the people that should be respected. To accept this fact means to understand our
responsibilities for elders, and to admit that we also believe in other spiritual and moral
principles. Our ancestors used to know that everything should be in harmony and balance
in order to lead a good life. Respecting the elders is a means of setting balance in inter-
personal relations especially among the youth.
To adopt good manners is to empower the physical growth by spiritual growth.
Good manners require spiritual growth as a condition of physical growth. If it were not
for good manners, people would be a creature made up of some organs, members of the
body. Such people are the biggest barrier against prosperity of a community because, for
a good living, physical existence should be attached importance. However some bad
habits that may be harmful for the society should also be eliminated. In order to be a man,
good manners are needed.
Beloved son, dear daughter!
Be respectful towards the elderly!
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Turkmen Muçenama [written by Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy in verses, explaining
the phases of age are divided into 12 year periods] includes three stages of youth. The
first one is the childhood period, the second one is awkward age and the third one is the
adolescence period. Of course, childhood is not a meaningful concept without existence
of other periods, as it is a relative notion, which is compared to other stages of
life. If you are with a person at a higher age than yours, then you are younger than him.
But if we consider life from an outer perspective, we see that life is made up of these
three stages. Each of these three stages has its own good manners and rules of conduct.
Living up to these rules requires spiritual principles that are needed to be good mannered.
Childhood has its own conditions and good manners. A human-being attends
physical maturity up to the age of seven. This means that the child reflects characteristics

of the blood and genes of his parents until this age. After that, he learns the rules of
conduct from life. Here, life means the events surrounding him, attitudes and behaviors of
people.
Good manners that have been entrusted to us by our ancestors should be taught
starting from the childhood. Manners should be taught to each Turkmen child between
the ages seven and thirteen.
*****
The following are the rules for manners of childhood:
- Learn to ensure your physical cleanliness! Get accustomed to waking up early,
to washing your hands and face, to washing your hands before and after meals, to
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brushing your teeth before going to bed, and to washing your body at least once in a
week. If these rules are obeyed, then the child may develop the shame of being unclean.
- Learn to dress up by yourself. Learn to maintain your clothes clean and to dress
up elegantly.
- Learn to write and read.
- Learn to use home appliances.
- Learn to feed and take care of the animals at home.
- Learn various plays suitable for your age; learn to establish relations with the
people around you at home, at school, and on the street.
- Learn to establish relations with the people older than you; your parents, your
siblings, educators, teachers and relatives. Learn to address them as "mother", "father"
"comrade", "friend", "teacher", "uncle" and "grandmother".
- Learn to greet your elders and peers. Whether they are stranger or friend, you
should know that each contact should start with greeting.
- Learn to thank and feel gratitude for gifts given and favors done.
- Learn to have other people meet your demands and wishes with kind requests.
- Learn to listen to the elderly and to derive lessons from what they tell.
- Understand what your elders want from you and try to fulfill their requests.
At the age of thirteen, starts the period of awkward age. Behaviors and attitudes of
boys and girls develop slowly at this age. Therefore this is a very important time span
both for physical development and for spiritual and mental development. Up to this age,
the person is a child outside the
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real life of adults, but after this age, he begins to get to their world step by step. In order
to live through this period harmoniously and positively, good manners are essential.
- Respect the elders!
- Grant their life to the elderly; hail them, don't forget that they should ask you
how you are doing, and then you should ask them how they are, don't interrupt them,

don't talk while they are talking, do your assignments, help the elderly, respect them;
don't do anything if they tell you not to do it and do whatever they say.
- Have comrades and friends, know the importance of friendship, be in good
relations with your peers, don't change your good manners at home, at school and in other
places, abstain from immoral things, don't bully the ones younger than you, remain far
from bad habits.
- Avoid theft, lies, fighting, denying what you have done; purge yourself if you are
faulty, don't hurt the ones younger than you.
- Learn to strengthen your will, know that everything that comes to your mind
cannot be good, be aware that even if you don't want to do a favor, you should force
yourself to do it.
- Take notice of people with good manners, stay far from those who do not live up
to good manners, don't take such people as examples.
- Get used to reading books of art and living with them. Children want to grow up.
Decide what kind of a person you would like to be when you grow and follow that road
painstakingly.
- Participate in weddings and in funerals. First of all, learn to be satisfied with
your happiness and then learn to share the happiness of other people.
- Avoid bad habits like smoking, alcohol and gambling.
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- Get accustomed to working, herding the ruminant, sowing and reaping the
fields, and doing small-scaled work. If you are a girl, then learn to sew, to do embroidery,
to cook, to wash the clothes and to clean the house.
- Think about selecting a job or career. Work hard in order to have a profession
that pleases you and prepare yourself for it.
- Remember that whatever your parents give to you, they are not lasting and
remember that you have to earn your living. If your father were richer than your mother,
he would leave his property to you. However, if you were unable to achieve a task, it
would not last longer either. They can give you a job but if you were not capable and
willing enough to continue your job, then it would not be lasting anyway.
- Wait for the help of your parents, but remember that this help is just a capital for
you and thus, just a starting point. After that, you should know that you have to maintain
your life by yourself and you should be in peace in you inner realm. In order for you to
have self-respect, you have to achieve your life by yourself.
- Try to fly from your house early, try to stand up alone, try to leave home early.
- Be productive, successful and ambitious! If you couldn't prove yourself, you
wouldn't have a place on earth. Be aware of it!
- Happiness is conditional upon having a profession and getting specialized in
one's profession. Even if you are a farmer, or a teacher, you have another job, be an
expert in your profession, then you will be an invaluable professional. But, if you fail,
you will lose your respect and your honor.
- Avoid being helpless, timid, touchy, pessimistic and miserable. Life should not

be miserable. Don't forget that every trouble you encounter is temporary. Be aware of
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yourself. You will overcome every kind of difficulty by yourself.
- Why are you concerned while you still have self-esteem and a long life in front
of you? Don't forget this saying: "Everything is up to me." Blaming other people for your
own faults and claiming that nothing is up to you is to be a living death.
- Do not envy! Envy is the source of all evils; you become unhappy if you cannot
understand life. Happiness means to settle for the things you have, to have modest
prosperity sufficient for living, to have a prosperous spiritual life and to have wisdom. All
these prospects are enough even if they are found modestly in a person.
- Be yourself, let your life be yours! Don't waste your life; don't believe in the
idea that others become wealthy by stealing, without working.
God Almighty did not create anything without a reason. There can be no good
consequence for something that was not earned through hard work. No person would give
away anything without a reason. Would God do any work without a reason?
*****
Over thousands of years, the Turkmen people cultivated maturity in nobility,
politeness, moral beauty, and seriousness.
Our people, having historical wisdom, used thoughts like "stock animal" or
"thoroughbred animal" from every animal from a horse to a dog, and the same also for
people based on their ancestry or skill used thoughts such as "a place where workers are
raised" or "places where rulers are raised."
A nobleman's child will be a nobleman.
A nobleman will give their own child noble manners.
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Turkmen manners are in a school by themselves. A person's eyes are a mirror to
their heart and inner soul. Some rulers could look into people's eyes and determine what
type of person they were.
Some doctors can diagnose a patient just by looking into their eyes. People lie,
even when they are under an oath, but they cannot lie with their eyes.
The eyes clearly give away a person. This is true for good people. But there are
people who can even fool angels with their eyes.
A human-being's eyes are a miracle.
Good-hearted people, people who have a rich spiritual life, their eyes will gush
out with light, enthusiasm, and affection will scatter from them.
There are eyes such that enthusiasm and affection are so centrally precious.
There are eyes just like an angel's eyes.
When you look at those eyes, you fill up with affection, you will be exalted as if
you have seen God's face.

A woman's eyes are one of the most used elements in world literature.
With just one look at the eyes, lightning will flash, and the awe will spin your
head.
One look will captivate you, make you lose your mind.
Eyes that are gracious and coy will make love grow.
Be responsible for your eyes! For people who look at nice things and appreciate
works of art will make a real person.
Those eyes will not even accidentally see anything shameful, because angels will
protect honorable people.
God Almighty gave people the world's most beautiful, sweet blessing.
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People should give payment in blessings by their gratitude.
I try to see the heart of anyone whose eyes I carefully look into.
Sometimes when I look into the eyes of someone, my heart opens up, because
behind those enthusiastic eyes, a beautiful soul can be seen.
You must believe that both heaven and hell exists in a person's heart. If there is
hell in a person's heart, a life like heaven will not affect them.
You will spend your entire life angry, upset and cursing.
Don't think that you can enter heaven after you die with hell in your heart!
The heaven-like heart example, is for people who always live in spring and make
this world heaven. These people will certainly enter heaven in the afterlife.
*****
My dear Turkmen;
Even if the days are the same for everyone, the road leading to our goals are not.
Sometimes you may face problems that seem like climbing mountains.
Sometimes your business will be as easy as going downhill.
One day you may be victorious or a failure at a small task.
In reality, life consists of large and small victories and defeats.
Sometimes things will go smooth and sometimes what needs to happen does not.
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For people who are locked on their target, their eagerness will never be broken.
For example: All sprinters have one goal, to run 100 meters in 8 seconds.
Hundreds of thousands of men will sweat to reach this goal, but only one will
succeed and become the world champion.
He becomes wealthy and famous and the rest are just concerned about not being
injured.
A story: A rich man wants to build a house in the mountains from sturdy rocks.
The craftsman who was doing the work was very able.
He recommended putting small stones between the larger ones to make it sturdier.

The person who was building the house asked:
- Craftsman, if you just put the large stones in won't it get done quicker, why are
you bothering with the small stones?
- Are you more concerned with your house being finished quickly or it being
sturdy?
I am investing my time to build your house and the house will need to last for
decades.
People need to say that so and so did this house.
Everyone has plans for their life. Everyone says to themselves:
I'll finish this work later, and next month I'll finish these tasks.
They will say "Next month I'll do so and so and make this much and I will acquire
this position", and will measure what work they will do in their mind. But tell me please,
do you hold yourself accountable for not implementing tasks at the appropriate time?
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Each person is his own lawyer.
When their work is not concluded, and they are unable to reach their goals, they
say "My work doesn't happen, but so and so's work always happens", the person will find
excuses to justify them. Think for a minute why the hard working person's work always
gets done.
They become richer, a source of honor and pride.
Lazy people never get their work done and their excuses never end.
To move on the ocean of life, one has to open his sails at the appropriate time and
take advantage of the wind.
A skillful captain will know how to take advantage of crosswinds.
Learn how to set up a net on the side of the sea, instead of trying to catch fish with
your bare hands.
You should be satisfied with the work you do, but for the work you do, what you
learn from this should satisfy you and give you direction.
Some say: "Fruit trees only provide fruit once every two years."
This is indeed true for those gardeners who do not know their skills.
If the gardener is skillful, he will fertilize the tree once the fruits begin to ripen,
followed by other necessary material, and then finally water it. This way, when the fruits
begin to ripen, he will be able to think of next year's produce.
If the gardener is over-confident about his fruits and does not make preparations
for next year, the trees will not blossom. The real gardener should think a year ahead of
his produce.
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*****
To not know the value of your country is to not know the value of your life.
Time tic-tocks away on our watches.

Life just tic-tocks by, regardless if it is day or night. Just as doctors control our
heartbeats, our watch controls our life every second, but you don't realize that your life is
up.
We are unaware of this and comment on how slowly time passes.
Time is equal for all of humanity.
Nowadays everything has a value, but we can't buy time, we spend time unaware
of what God has given us.
Some go fishing to spend their time, others play chess. Some play cards, others
watch movies.
Especially the period of youth is a period when time is spent in vain! Your
perspective also differs when you are young and a whole life is before you. Sixty years,
eighty years, a hundred years! It seems as if our time is limitless. Youth! Who thinks of
time or its worth when young? However, when you are forty or fifty and look behind you,
you barely understand how all those years have past, as if they never occurred. You look
at what you have accomplished in forty or fifty years and realize that you have not
accomplished much. After the age of forty, life passes so quickly that you find yourself
surprised.
Our ancestors, when they were starting a new day, used to grieve "another day has
passed from our life." Why do we spend our time in vain? Life was given to us without a
price. God Almighty gave this life for free in this tasteful, sublime, and beautiful world!
People are given life for one thing. Whoever spends every minute, every hour, and
every day of his life doing useful deeds will become a credible, respected, and successful
person in
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society. Time takes us to the top. The nineteenth century gave birth to the idea of
revolution. That idea created insoluble troubles for humanity. The twentieth century was
the space age. Humanity left the earth to go to space. There is something very important
here. Factories work all day long; day and night. The world works day and night. As a
result, there is an abundance in the world. The world is coming to understand the value of
time. Going faster than the speed of sound does not satisfy people any more. Now
humanity needs the conditions that will make them go faster than the speed of light.
Those who spend their time beautifully never have enough time. Those engaging in
trivial tasks never know how to make use of time. Man must not be a slave to time but
must know how to utilize it on his own behalf.
I never have enough time. Twenty-four hours are not enough for me. In order to
catch up with my work, I cut down from the time that I eat, sleep, and rest, yet, I still do
not have enough time. I also want to travel like a wanderer, see new places, and rest but I
cannot sacrifice my precious time. I want to see the beautiful plays in the most famous
theaters around the world but cannot find the time for it. Archimedes once said "Show me
a proper fulcrum and I will lift the world." If God Almighty should give me enough time,
I will at least create a heaven out of Turkmenistan.
Dear youth!

Let us know the value of every day and every hour that God Almighty has given
us and adorn it with worthy deeds. Time flies by and you grow old. Do not feel ashamed
by the passing of the days in that case. Let every day that passes worthwhile help you and
set an example to the people! Live a deserving life in our free Turkmen land!
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*****
Towards the end of the twentieth century, mankind rocketed into space and
viewed our world from there. Mankind even stepped on the moon that man once
worshipped. The world is the fruit of humanity's progress and the maturity of its mind.
Our thoughts also fly from one person to the other, just like the earth. Every person is an
unexplored planet, an unexplored star. What we say demonstrates our secret heart and
maturity. Our ideas are our most important fruit. We have ideas and both the world and
the people have an idea about us. Everybody knows their own shortcomings perfectly
well their superiorities, their goods, and their evils. A mature person knows well who he
is without denying his deficiencies. An immature person, on the other hand, ignores his
evil side and tries to fool everyone by only showing his good side. Everybody proves
their worth through their behavior, their family, their character, and through what they
say.
Every person's thoughts, attitude and actions, habits, and words reflect them.
Deceitful, cunning, evil, and cheap persons' outside and inside are not the same. These
are persons who have not attained humane characteristics. These people think that they
can fool God and others but they only fool themselves.
The thoughts of a mature person are lived by that person. We all know Gorkut ata
even though a thousand five hundred years have passed. That is because he is imbedded
in our spirit with undying words; he lives with us.
Mankind differs from animals through the idea of progress, that is why they call
man the treasure of the world.
The ideas of mankind, in light of the experiences and ideas gained from living on
the world for millions of years, are the results of his wisdom. There are some who are a
slave to new ideas. They act on the demands of ideas. There are also those who place
their ideas under the command of their wills.
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They build their life the way they want to by adapting ideas to their own life.
Buddha says: "Thinking is everything. The way you think is the way you are."
Some days, the world may seem empty and meaningless to you and you will get
frustrated. Other times, the world seems so compassionate, so beautiful that you wish you
had wings to fly. In fact, the world remains the way it is. Change occurs in your thoughts.
That is why we say "He who controls his ideas (will), can control the world." If your
endeavors do not come to a successful conclusion, you should not blame the world or

God for that.
The problem lies with our thinking! If we think of our life, our world, our
surroundings, our personality, and our thoughts as bricks, we build our life with those
bricks. If our thoughts and ideas are strong, so our life will be strong. If our ideas are not
baked with our heart, our structure built with wet mud will not stand for too long.
The center of the world, and that of the universe, is our thoughts. Being
permanent, dying, the road to God, the road to damnation are all in our thoughts. A man
who is in charge of his thoughts can realize any of his desires. The person who can
control his thoughts can, with the help of the sail, the wind, and the rudder, go to
whichever island he pleases on the endless sea that is life. In contrast, a person who is a
slave to his own thoughts is doomed to go where the sea drifts him.
You are the owner of your own thoughts! If your thoughts are strong and if you
have a mature heart, you can fully taste the blessings of life. But, if your thoughts are
faulty, your chain of mistakes will continue throughout your life.
If mankind takes the stars as a guide at night, he seeks counsel from great thinkers
and his own thoughts during day time.
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Ptolomy, one of the great thinkers of ancient Egypt said: "The center of the
universe is the world we live in. The whole moon, the sun, all the stars rotate around the
world that we live in." And he spread this idea all around the world. Religions also took
this idea for granted. Many scholars have given their lives for a thousand five hundred
years in order to get rid of this wrong idea. Jordona Bruno was burnt, Galileo was jailed.
Humanity is a ship, swimming in the sea of right and wrong, truth and dream, past
and future, and the known and the unknown.
Our fruit is our thoughts.
We sail to the future with our thoughts.
*****
God Almighty granted mankind the status of humanity. Furthermore, God
Almighty placed His angels at the service of Adam's children. When Satan, under the
spell of his ego and sense of supremacy, refuted God's command, he was thrown out of
heaven and became the Devil.
Gaining credibility is a hard matter; living up to that credit is even harder. No
matter if you are a khan, a lord, or a scholar, if you cannot live up to your rank, you fall
from grace in the eyes of the people. When you fall from their grace, neither lordship, nor
wealth will help.
A story: A youngster was sentenced to a hundred whips. Every time that the
whipper whipped the young man, he implored:
- O h God, give me strength.
The qadı said:
- What good will strength do to you? We should whip you till you die.

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- O h qadı, there is one kind of death, and there are others. You can die like a man,
or you can die crying out loud!
We live in such a world that nobody but God knows what will happen. He who is
rich today can turn out wealthy tomorrow. Someone who does not have a job today can
be given an important job tomorrow. But rank is not wealth, neither is status; nobody
grants those. You should earn those with your good deeds, your good attitudes and
actions, and your intuition, starting from your childhood!
As our ancestors have put it, we must earn it with our teeth and nail.
A story: Once Sultan Sanjar was leaving the mosque after a Friday prayer with his
viziers. At the spot, a poor man ran to his feet and said:
- M y Sultan, give me a dinar as alms.
Sultan Sanjar was joyful:
- O h God's subject, you are demoting the Sultan.
The poor said:
- Then give me a thousand, my Sultan.
The Sultan smiled:
- Now you ask me for something that I cannot deliver, and he signaled his aide.
The aide took the man aside and said:
- Here is five dinars that should be more than enough for a month to feed you.
The poor man was still restless:
- AmItodieafteramonth?
Perhaps in a month God will turn your fortune. If not, come back in a month and
try to see the Sultan again!
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Life goes on. Cities that are demolished for whatever reason can be rebuilt even
more beautifully than before. A people impoverished for whatever reason can be fed but
time is required to regain the lost reputation and the ruined honor.
In order to earn the love of our citizens and countrymen, we should love them
twice as much. We must be able to respect others in order to earn the greatest status in the
eyes of the people. We cannot buy love, respect, and honor or earn them forcibly. Status
is not given to anyone who asks for it. The price of love is love, the price of honor is
honor.
A story: In the old times, a khan buys a few slaves from the slave market. He
needs time to get to know the slaves. Since looting and plundering took place in
abundance back in those days, it was quite common for honorable persons to be enslaved
and sold on the slave market. The prudent khan called on the slaves one by one and asked
them to eat from the dog's trough. Whoever ate from the trough, he released. Some of
those who refused to eat from the trough were made servants, others guardians to the
khan's property. Some asked the khan:
- M y khan, you manumit the most base and dishonorable of your slaves but retain

the honorable ones. What is the wisdom of that?
The khan:
- I release those slaves that are worthless and keep the ones that are worthwhile,
for I respect my slaves.
A story: Sebük, the father of Sultan Mahmut of the Bayat clan and a noble by
descent, fell to the slave market by a twist of fate. Alp, the ruler of Khorasan, loved
Sebük the most out of his slaves. Even though he was only in his service for two years,
Alp promoted him to the rank of captain.
One day Alp sends two corporals to a village to collect taxes. The villagers refuse
to pay. One of the corporals suggest
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that they forcibly collect the tax. However, Sebük refuses to use force. They return
without collecting the tax. The corporal complains to Alp about Sebük. Alp calls on
Sebük and shouts:
- Why did you oppose collecting the tax forcibly? And then telling my corporal: "I
will not use force, and will not tolerate its use"?
Sebük, with an understanding uncommon to slaves, replied:
- Because you sent us to collect taxes, you did not order us to use force if they do
not pay. If we got into a war without an order, we would not be slaves but chiefs. If we
had gone into war and lost, that would have hurt you. Then you would have said: "Who
told you to collect taxes by warring?" and we would be dishonored, said Sebük.
Between the ninth and eleventh centuries, the great states of Sultan Mahmut, of
the Sultans of Seljuk, and those of Khorzem were ruling. Once Sultan Mahmut's reign
ended, the Khorzem sultans protected each others respectability and paid, without any
dues, those who were paid by the sultans before them. Muhammet Nesevi, our citizen and
Sultan Jelaleddin's chronicler, wrote that one reason for the demise of the Khorzem state
was the retention of the salaries set by previous sultans. But no one had the courage to tell
Sultan Jelaleddin to cut the salaries set by both the Gazne and Seljuk sultans.
I know exactly what honor and credibility is. Especially when I was left on my
own after the earthquake. I understood the value of my father and my ancestors.
Credibility is a sacredness bequested by our ancestors. All of us must further elevate this
bequest left by our ancestors.
We are a nation that has a written history of five thousand years, has established
over seventy states, and has gifted the world with the Turkmen alphabet. One of the most
intelligent persons who ever lived, our chief Oguz Khan, was among the wisest in the
world; Gorkut ata, Gorogly, the commander of the commanders,
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are all our ancestors. All of us stand on the sublime Turkmen carpet, all of us bear names
that gallop on fine horses. We are all members of a civilization that has greatly
contributed to world civilization. We have our most fertile Turkmen land and most
benevolent God. We are all members of a sublime people! As such, our state is

developing at an unbelievable speed. As such, our spirits edge the skies! If everybody in
life knows his level and status, life gains maturity. If man successfully sees his mistakes,
he can also correct them.
*****
The orphan does not need anything from the world. He also has a stomach the size
of a hand just like others, two loaves of bread is enough for him. Even if not, he will still
not have any use for all the riches in the world since he could not eat them!
His pain is great!
No one who has not been there knows such sorrow!
Makhtumkuli was neither an orphan nor lonely. However, he knew how to utter
the words that would almost cure the pain and suffering of the orphans. If you smile at an
orphan, it would mean the world for him. It is not a hard thing to do, anyway. It bears no
cost, we must just smile at an orphan when we see one. On the other hand, an orphan
understands the difference between a real and a fake smile. Even if nobody understands,
the orphan does! If you are an orphan, even if you are all on your own, few people will
show you sympathy and a smiling face. Some people's hearts are filled with peace when
someone sincerely shows a smiling face to an orphan. At the time when I was an orphan,
nobody was humiliated for not showing interest towards orphans, since no one did that
anyway. At any rate, nobody had any reason to smile back then. The deaths caused by the
Second World War, years of
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poverty, many braves who died in the war that took five years, and the sorrow of those
who lost their beloved ones. And then the earthquake on top of all! A hundred seventy-six
thousand lives! One hundred seventy-six thousand lives! And that's the least of it.
Nobody knows how many people really died. The state, so good at keeping records of a
single dead animal, a mere chicken, did not keep track of one hundred seventy-six
thousand dead human-beings. And they even hid the event from the world, pretending
that it was quite small.
Smiling face! Wheat word!
I knew what a smiling face was when I was very small. I knew how to feel the
most tasteful of a wheat word when I was very small. Man is very sensitive. You can
elevate one to the skies with just one word. A nice word can put wings on a person and
make him fly. I have come to understand that the most beautiful, most valuable thing in
the world is a beautiful word. I have come to understand that the greatest word in the
world is a smiling face. Mankind is looking for riches in the earth's crust; excavates
mountains, ores, diamond, gold; searches beneath the sea for corals, pearls.
Mankind has been gathering wealth, keeping treasures, and building iron safes to
preserve them, since it began living. It thinks that true richness is gold and ore. However,
a good word is the most important richness of mankind; People hide beautiful words in
the most special corners of their hearts. It is not possible to buy or sell good words. I did

not write the poem "Say beautiful words to each other" for nothing. The ideas there are
my yearnings. I have been living with those hopes since my youth. I have gathered
pleasant words from around the world. Those words are all my treasures. The
compassionate and blessful things that my mother said half a century ago are still in the
most special part of my heart. The compassionate and blessful things that my mother said
half a century ago still energize me.
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I underline it once again: Do not keep beautiful words from each other. Always be
kind, joyful, say pleasant things, pleasant words have wings. Pleasant words give wings
to humans. Pleasant words cover life with rainbows.
*****
My dear son!
My noble daughter!
Do not judge people too quickly, do not reach conclusions in life too hastily, don't
believe that life and people are evil, believe that they are beautiful. This belief helps you
see the truth. People greet you for your looks, but bode farewell for your thoughts. Let
those who talk to you leave with good feelings and ideas. Always look for ways to be
remembered well, then your work and life will be blessed. It is exactly during the time of
boldness that a person becomes great. He is not at the periphery of life anymore, but at its
center. He first heard the rules of dignity from the elderly and now is hearing it from life
itself. He understands the great ones for he is now great himself and understands his
power. Childhood is a seed, adolescence is a bud, and youth is a crimson rose.
He who becomes skillful earlier on, becomes distinguished earlier on. Being at the
service of the country is the most pleasant time in a person's life. That person is thankful
for his position and is hopeful for the future. The greatest pleasure is the pleasure to live a
humane life. Now he is a fully grown man. However, there are those before him who are
older than him. Thus, the youth must also have a small old-age dignity of its own. This
means to be on par with the elderly in greatness and to set an example. He counts
himself as a junior among the senior, but the senior view him as one of their own. Youth
is the time when one can be both young and old.
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Brave men ought to share their sorrow, their ideas, their secrets, and their hearts
with the elderly. The mind and comprehension of the young must be like that of the
elderly. Youth must also know that someday they will become old. As such, he
understands his father like a father, her mother like a mother, his brother like a brother,
and his uncle like an uncle. Such a mature person will be both dignified and will also
teach the most admirable dignity lessons with his life. If your actions are not in conflict
with the rules of dignity, your actions are their symbol.
254

MOTHER; AFFECTION REFLECTED ON HUMAN-BEINGS
The woman is a touchstone!
Just as a touchstone tells the worth of God, we can understand a society by
looking at the way that it views women and the status of women in that society. The
Turkmen nation, who accept "the woman is a touchstone" statement as their creed, view
women with special respect and love. I would like to elaborate on the question of "who
and what is a woman for a man?" The Turkmen equates his flag with his mother. The
flag is the honor and virtue of a nation. The woman is the rose of our lives. She feeds our
lives with her beauty and her gentleness. It is therefore impossible to imagine a life
without women. All our literature is dedicated to the status of women and her beauty. The
woman is not described in any other language the way that she is described in the
Turkmen language. Turkmen understanding totally demonstrates the titles of dignity for
women.
The first rule of a woman's dignity is to be virtuous. This is a very deep and
meaningful idea. Virtue must penetrate the woman's clothes, her attitude, her actions, her
words, even her dreams.
Virtue is the spiritual nature of a woman. Where there are no people, there is no
woman. The virtue in a woman's cloth means carefulness. It is not to talk sweetly and
befriend those strangers who cannot appreciate true beauty.
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This is what the long dress, embroidered collar, and scarf of the Turkmen woman
tells us. A woman's beauty is not physical beauty at all. The Turkmen national dress does
not only help the woman appear beautiful to her husband but also hides her from the
looks of others. This shows the delicacy, morality, and justice of our idea of national
beauty. The education given to the girl is different than that given to the boy because the
girl's dignity must be maintained very firmly. The dignified girl's actions, speech must all
be different. She must have a peculiar softness and gentleness in her attitude. It is not
even possible to imagine a Turkmen girl who laughs loudly, and uses rude and
inappropriate words. Softness must pervade her way of walking, her way of sitting, and
way of doing things. In the Turkmen language, the woman's way of walking is called "to
walk without ruining the cream on the ground," her way of sitting is called a pigeon's
sitting, and her way of doing things is called the swan move. There is no imbalance and
disorder in these moves. The Turkmen woman's smile resembles the blossoming of a rose
and while she talks, it is as if a nightingale is singing. This sound reaches the ears of the
heart without spoiling the tranquility in the air and without darkening the mirror of the
heart. The Turkmen woman does not stretch her legs in the presence of a man, nor does
she opens her legs or cross them while sitting.
Virtue lies with the face and eye. The Turkmen women talk to the man while
looking into his eyes and staring at his face. They even talk to their relatives without
looking directly at their faces, with their own faces partially covered. To hit a woman,

especially her face, is a great sin, it is most indecent. Most of the time they talk to a man
from a distance and with gestures. Turkmen girls normally have their faces opened while
brides cover their mouth with a yashmak. Yashmak is the expression of the respect that
the Turkmen bride holds for the man. That is the reason why she goes around for a while
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with her yashmak veiled. After a while, the bride's male relatives and her mother-in-law,
seeing that they are well-respected, open the yashmak of the bride by giving her presents
as a sign of their gratitude. For respect is not only shown by words but also by deeds. The
beauty of a woman's relationship is not only in her words, but also in her silence.
*****
The newcomer bride is believed to bring luck by the old women and they revere
her. Just as the new moon is believed to bring luck. This is a very sacred feat from old
times. For before Islam, our ancestors were looking at the moon and woman with the eye
of God. The moon is the symbol of femininity. The moon illuminates the surrounding by
expelling the dark. Turkmen women, by expelling rudeness with their dignity, bring
charm to our world. We forget all our troubles when we look at her face. When we hear
her first words, our heart finds comfort. When we see the woman's beauty, our hearts
shake in exultance and find comfort because God Almighty created women from the rib
next to our heart. Adam, our father, was content with the fact that a piece of him was
taken for the creation of women which was a very wise move on the part of men for they
were blessed with a great thing in return for a very small compensation.
Cleanliness is the most important of the woman's virtues. The Turkmen beauty is
clean. She proves it with her wedlock and loyalty. The result of cleanliness is also
cleanliness. Cleanliness yields being honest and just in life. I have witnessed in their life
that women are more honest and just compared to men. Cleanliness is directly related
with the true nature of women. A lie is the filth of the heart. The woman's heart, however,
is clean.
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The third aspect of a Turkmen woman is mercifulness. Mercifulness is to be
merciful. The woman's eyes gaze at us with pure compassion, our mothers' hands touch
our head with compassion, while our wife, following a long time apart, embraces us with
grace, virtue, and compassion. If it wasn't for women, the world would be yearning for
compassion.
Beauty and kindness are the two characteristics of Turkmen women. A woman's
beauty is God's greatest creation. Beauty incorporates everything; height-weight, looks,
and what the Turkmens call the three thicks, the three thins, the three whites and the three
blacks.
The three thicks are: her hair, her neck, her wrist;
The three thins are: her finger, her waist, and the thread of her hair;

The three whites are: her cheek, her neck, and her breast;
The three, blacks are: her hair, her eyes, and her eyebrows.
A woman is a mother, wife, sister, and daughter to us. The conditions of a
Turkmen woman's virtue is surfaced by her loyalty to these four conditions.
*****
The child is a product of his father's waist and his mother's heart. The child is a
piece of his mother's heart. That is why a mother and a child are connected by
compassion and love. To be a mother is to be compassionate. When the child is in his
mother's womb, she should transmit compassion down to him. That is how the piece of
flesh in the womb turns into a child with conviction and good luck. The mother
must breastfeed her child tenderly, only then will the baby grow up happily. The mother
should first give compassion to the child and then give bread to him, send him to school
with compassion and receive him with compassion when he's back
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from school. The mother should take care of the child with compassion, carry him
compassionately, caress his head with compassion, advise him with compassion, and lead
him to the right path compassionately. No matter how far the child drifts, the salt of the
food and the compassion of the mother's heart will bring him back to where he was born.
The mother is compassion incarnate.
The chief virtue of a woman's virtue is loyalty. The Turkmen woman is a wife to
her husband and her home. The woman does not only live for herself but for her husband
and children and she dedicates her life to them. That is why the Turkmen fire that is the
home never extinguishes, and that is why the Turkmen home is protected by the woman.
She does all the house chores from morning till night. The bravest man cannot even do
one-tenth of what the women do. The Turkmen woman does not say "I am loyal," she
proves her loyalty throughout her life with the things she does. However, in addition to
all of these, the woman also contributes to the household. Does the man think, "How can
I pay her back for all of these?" What makes a man is a woman. The woman is the
manager of the house.
The Turkmen woman is more advanced than the man. She can forgive, her brain
forgives, but the man cannot forgive his wife. And that proves that they are closer than
men to our compassionate God, who forgives all our sins. The woman even forgives her
son when he disappoints her, for she has the gift of seeing the beauties in her son that
neither his father, nor the people can see. That ability gives her the hope that even some
in ill's way can return to good. The woman also covers for her husband's evil deeds. She
also hides her husband's ignorant actions and keeps others from seeing them. Sometimes
I think to myself: Good God, the Turkmen woman has to bear such loads that even a
mountain cannot carry. She
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accomplishes all of this by wide patience. Thus, aren't we supposed to call women brave
and bold?!
The Turkmen has seen the continuation of his generation in the woman.
The woman is the sign of permanence.
The woman is the key to permanence.
The woman is the gateway to permanence.
Permanence is her children. That is why we look after our children with excessive
care. Our children are the greatest mark we leave behind in this world. If our children are
our spiritual-biological marks, the results of what we do are the spiritual marks that we
leave behind. To express moral values, erecting a building, founding a state; all these are
spiritual creations. But we also do these for our children. That is why to educate the
generations, to take their material and mental troubles are signs of great morality. To
build the future, to achieve your desires with the strength of the mind and hand is the
greatest sign of morals. When it's about children, Turkmen are very fond of them and are
very sensitive on this issue. Another Turkmen honor, seriousness, goes together with this
fondness, although these honors conflict because seriousness is often associated with
nervousness. A life full of hardships and the Turkmen nature has brought such an honor
to existence. However, the fondness for the child has stopped his heart from hardening in
the light of historical conditions. With his love for children, the Turkmen has shown how
much he loves life and how much his heart is filled with love.
In raising children, a characteristic has come to existence which is free from
nervousness, viciousness, and cold-heartedness. Our ancestors have bequeathed a rich
legacy in educating children. This rich legacy must be implemented at schools and with
children and the latter must be taught. Lately, men have given women the whole duty of
educating the
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children. As if they are not already occupied with housework, now they have to educate
the children on their own. A woman's job was never easy, but now it has grown more than
before. The number of women who also earn a living for their husband and children is not
negligible. She is locked to one target in life...
My friends!
Religion is important for us in our Golden Age and in our community life in terms
of two aspects. First, religion is a means to learn our beliefs and creed. Second, a religion
is the meaning of our life. In the Independent and Eternally Neutral Turkmen State,
secular approach is adopted in life. However, we support the principles and moral values
of religion because morality takes its roots from religion. Moral rules of religion have
become the characteristic and tradition of Turkmen people and formed the internal
dynamics of the nation throughout the years. Religion has set up moral edifices at the
heart of Turkmen community. Those edifices were so strong that even at the time of
atheism they still remained, which is an evidence for their strength. Therefore the source
of our thoughts such as good, evil, legitimate, illegitimate/sinful is religion. Sin and good
deeds also take their source from religion. The notions like doomsday, heaven and hell

are lying behind the principle of religious thoughts; in the same way, the idea of gratitude
for the Golden Age of the Turkmen state and the Turkmen community is lying behind the
principles of mundane morals.
Islam, approaching women in a different way due to essential differences between
man and women hasn't changed the Turkmen woman's position in the community so
much. This is because, according to ancient Turkmen beliefs and spiritual values, women
take an important part in life. Spiritual belief is
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something more than a momentary scene. The materialists have claimed so far that life
generates belief. However, history witnesses the opposite. Belief generates the life,
historical life. Spiritual power regulates life and enables its sustainability, means of
existence. Our archeologists find the goddess statues together with other things in the
most ancient settlements of Turkmenistan. Our ancestors deified the women and
considered them a miracle. This spiritual belief puts forth the position of women in the
community. The rights of women who were deemed holy occupied an important place in
life.
With the adoption of Islam, the women weren't considered God, of course.
However, people continued to grant women spiritual value. Remember the wife of
Gorogly, Agayunus. Agayunus is a fairy and fairies are superior to human-beings in terms
of morals, rationale and understanding. They are created out of fire. They are the signs of
spiritual values of Turkmen thoughts. Fire cleans up, fire spreads out light, brings light to
dispel darkness. Unlike other Middle Asian communities, in Turkmen belief, fairies are
known only as being in female form. This spiritual belief puts forward the position of
women in the family and in the community. History books witness that in various ages,
women used to become Sultans throughout Turkmen history. Poets, intellectuals, and
even soldiers were raised among the women. Priority is always given to the woman in a
family. Therefore in the Turkmen language, it is said that: "Woman = family". This
linguistic variety stems from the difference in spiritual beliefs. If the family is the core of
the community, then women are the owners of the community. Morals of the community
are totally in parallel with the morals of women. That's why our ancestors, who have
already realized this great truth, have acted painstakingly for raising, training females. In
the Turkmen community, the woman is considered a miracle and moral richness. The
Turkmen woman, who constitutes the meaning and basis of life, has
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reached the peak in terms of her spiritual maturity in the Golden Age.
The woman represents pure Turkmen morals!
*****
It was during a time when I had just graduated from school. I very much admired
one of my colleagues at my place of work. He used to know his work very well; he was

very hardworking and painstaking. We used to have lunch sometimes in his house and
sometimes in our house. He had an ideal family, which was very difficult to find. He had
two kids, one of whom was two years older than the other; they were so clever just like
elderly people. They were very friendly and used to show their father what they had done
on that day and they used to be appreciated by their father for such things they had done.
His wife, who was very candid, used to cook very well. It isn't possible to tell you with
words how that woman respected her husband. It was also very obvious that my friend
loved her very much. One day I told him:
- Wonderful, your kids are very good-mannered.
- That is thanks to their mother, he said. She teaches them good manners by
telling them; "If you do this and this, then your father will be very pleased," i.e. she does
it on my behalf.
I am very proud of their cheerful family. I thought that they had married in great
love just like the couple Zuhre-Tahir. But then he explained to me the real story, however,
I didn't change my mind.
When he was at school his parents decided that he should marry a girl who was
the daughter of their relatives living in a far village. The wedding date was fixed and
bridal escort went to that village in order to
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fetch the bride. However, they encountered a very extraordinary case. The bride escort
went to the village, but discovered that the bride had run away. The miserable father of
the bride was beating his breast shamefully and the other women were also in a very bad
situation. This was an event which was ever worse than death! The girl's father had a
brother. The daughter of his brother, who was also very upset, said to her mother:
- I can relieve you of this scandal, let me marry him instead. So by this proposal
she tried to calm them down.
Then they found the father of the other girl, who was supposed to get proposed to,
to discuss the situation. The young daughter of his brother was married to the groom
instead of the other one who had run away. That girl was my friend's wife. I had even
more respect and affection for that family after I had heard their story. Later on, I also
learnt the fate of the runaway bride, too. That girl, who lacked respect for her parents,
couldn't get along well with her husband even for a year. At the moment, she is living
with her third or fourth husband, and has broken off relations with her parents.
Everything can happen in life, but I disapprove of running away from a husband.
Running away means running away from one's fate. None of the parents want bad luck
for their children. Whatever the case may be, agreement can be set among people.
Everyone knows how difficult it is to raise a child. If your beloved sweetheart disgraced
you, that would be a major pain.
Esteemed youth!
Don't be hasty in getting married. A Turkmen always thinks seven times and acts
one time. Don't forget to consult your parents in each decision; don't forget that they are
the closest people to you. If you want to do something, inform them about it. Then they

would be very content. They would do everything in order to help you. Nothing can
replace the
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contentment of receiving the approval and appreciation of your parents; don't be
rebellious against your parents, respect them and be happy.
*****
Jewelry first emerged in 3000-2000 BC. as a genuine art and started to develop.
Nevertheless, the first inception of jewelry goes back to more ancient times when people
used to hunt to survive. Simple ornamental stones were found in the regions of Cebel,
Damdançeşme where the first people settled within the borders of Turkmen land. Those
living in Jeyhun used seashells for female jewels. In the capital of Parfiya, which is Nisa,
it was very popular to make necklaces, rings and beads from precious stones for girls and
women. Rings found in that region have signets, which shows us that the jewelry was
very advanced there. Intellectuals have stated that beads and animal-figured signets found
in the ruins near Bayramaly belong to the V.- VIth centuries. Turkmen jewels are made up
of silver because Turkmen knew the benefits of silver for health since ancient ages.
Silvers prevents the emerging of many diseases and regulates blood circulation.
Jewelry developed during the middle ages. There were specific villages doing
silver work. There were fifteen thousand jeweler's stores in Merv at the time of Melik
Shah of Seljuk. They made and sold precious stones in order to adorn women, girls and
horses. They made jewels for women and girls according to their ages. Gupba, cekelik,
sumsule, kokenli rings and apbasi were worn by girls; whereas necklaces, hair ornaments,
manlaylik, bracelets, cross çangas were worn by women. For women at certain ages,
there are important jewels such as tumar and heykel bent without any button.
Jewels were also used for children. Boys used to wear arrow and arch-figured
jewels whereas girls used to wear buttons
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and amulets. Even in some cases ik and ikbash also used to be made of silver. Jewels
adorning the necks and hair of girls and women were clinking when they collided with
each other; silver ornaments of horses sparkling in the sun; buttons clinking due to
movement in every step of kids; all these jewels and ornaments excited the Turkmen
spirit and increased their enthusiasm.
Turkmen jewelry and ornaments have been considered miraculous. Our ancient
jewels were the ornaments of Turkmen girls who were as beautiful as fairies. The
Turkmen people also adorn their horses. Turkmen jewels are very precious in the global
market. World famous actresses and famous women in the field of art and literature have
considered Turkmen jewels superior.
Look at Turkmen jewels: gupba, tuvalga, çekelik and bukav protect the neck from
attack by sword. Gulyaka saves the breast. Bracelets save the arm and various ornaments

worn on dresses protect the body from arrows. If we are to adorn a Turkmen girl with all
these jewels, she becomes a beautiful warrior girl wearing armor. If a woman wanted to
wear all her jewels, she would wear thirty-six kilos of golden and silver jewels.
Look at the value attached to Turkmen women!
*****
Embroidery is an art by which our girls and our women find ways to express their
heartfelt senses and demonstrate their skills. Embroideries have a secret meaning just like
felts and carpets have. Embroidery has a different meaning and place in the community.
Embroideries are made according to the clothes and ages of children. Women and girls'
hats, shirt collars, kurte, çirpi, handbags; men hats, shirt collars are also embroidered.
Carpet and felt embroideries are like each other. For instance, large colorful
embroideries can be observed in both
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of them. This proves to us that the art of embroidery directly emerges from the heart of
Turkmen girls and women and they are done in this land. They are the kind of voices of
the Turkmen spirit reflected in colors.
*****
Gorkut ata set the principles of the structure of Turkmen family. He stated that the
woman had an important place in the Turkmen family. As a lecturer in the field of morals,
he declared that the women also had to abide by a variety of moral rules just like men. He
said that a good-mannered woman was the base of household, family.
A good-mannered woman is support for the family.
A good-mannered woman is guaranty of earning livelihood.
A good-mannered woman is rationale of the house. Good-mannered woman is
moral support to the family.
A good-mannered woman ensures respect for the whole household.
She is a support, a pillar.
If it were not for the support, there would be no livelihood, income, rationale,
reason, honor and esteem.
Thus, Gorkut ata praised Turkmen women so much.
A man is man with his wife.
A woman is the one who ensures strength for a man and the one who disgraces
him.
Emphasizing these Gorkut ata also said:
Even God cannot rebuild a home pulled down by a woman.
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Man is the guardian; woman is the pillar of a home; if it were not for the pillar,

what would be the meaning of the guardian?
A woman lives for her husband; a man lives for his land.
Reflections of Gorkut ata regarding family put forward the structure of a mature
Turkmen family. Obviously, a woman has a very important place in the family. She
cannot be replaced by anyone else.
*****
My esteemed daughter!
It is of the utmost importance that a female have good manners. She should also
demonstrate this virtue to her mother, father and others. A girl who does not control her
attitudes, who is not dignified, cannot be a Turkmen girl. Not only does she honor and
adorn herself, but also her siblings and her house as well.
The heart of a girl should be kind; her rationale should be strong. Her
understanding should be stronger than that of the man. Girls' expectations are less that
their mothers, fathers and brothers; because girls are more modest. The first rule of
manners of sister is to be affectionate and kind. A feeble sister is the support of her
powerful brother.
My dear daughter!
Good manners in females are nice, meaningful, and despite their simplicity they
are complicated. If you would like to deserve the name of Turkmen, learn it well, live
your life according to its principles. May other people envy you! Then you would be
happy, too. Your life would be illuminated and luminous!
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HOW A YOUNG TURKMEN SHOULD BE?!
Turkmen, with their civilized assets, are a population having achieved raising
personalities who may set an example for the entire world. Read our great classical
literature! You will see that both in Turkmen legends and in Turkmen poems, brave and
courageous personalities stand at the heart of these works.
As a youngster, when I read the world literature, I concluded that there existed
two types of literature in terms of characteristics of these works.
One type is trying to illustrate the life as hard, unbearable, and lacking any taste
for eyes and for soul. The other type targets teaching moral laws to the readers.
That type of literature not only answers the questions of how and what, but also
tries to answer the questions of what should be, how it should be.
Our literature is categorized in the second type. This is what the real sense of
"literature" is. Literature means the system of good manners. It is not very easy to raise
the enthusiasm of life in a person, to exhilarate his/her soul; this is not a self-evolving
process. Therefore, moral bases are essential in literature.
Our classical literature has moral bases, which make up the moral value system of
the Turkmen. The soul and enthusiasm of a person cannot be awakened merely by

counseling and dictating to him. In order to achieve this, there should be criteria that can
be proof of moral values for the moral philosophy of the
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nation, which matures in a natural way. Two values should be pointed out when it comes
to our classical poets and both these values have a moral and rational basis for them.
First of these values is God, and the second one is the people. Based on the
relations between these two values, a person can obtain morals, that is good manners
thanks to rationale.
Every idea that is expressed and every invitation does not satisfy the person
spiritually. Spiritual nutrition is the intellectual property based on rational evidence in
which any individual can believe.
If the author only narrates life but cannot explain how to live it, then we cannot
consider such literature as nutrition of our soul. Authors writing, "You are such a person"
are not real authors, but those who write that "You can be such a great person if you adopt
such approaches and you should do it" are the real authors.
One saying, "You are at a dead end" is not wise. The wise one is the one saying
that "The road that seems to be a dead end is in fact a sign which will bring you light". A
person telling a hungry man, "You are hungry" is not generous, the one who can provide
food for the hungry is generous.
The importance of our classical literature can prove itself by showing the ways to
humanity and providing spiritual nutrition to hungry souls.
*****
In Turkmen manners, conditions for being a man are expressed in a
comprehensive way. This is called manners of bravery. Manners of bravery consist of
behaviors and attitudes of a man throughout life. These conditions are moral law and in
case they are respected, they enable the person to be brave
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and attributes to him/her the characteristics of bravery. The first condition of manners of
bravery is to have sacred spirit (enthusiasm).
The spiritual level of a person should be high just like high mountains, just like
the horizon. Mountains are one of the major miracles of God. As they stand behind the
mother earth, they are tall. Why should a person be enthusiastic (have sacred spirit)? Two
principles set the basis for it. These principles are born out of the national philosophy of
Turkmen. One of them is the creed in God and the second one is the confidence in
people. Creed in God states: God has created man for a certain purpose; nothing in the
world is a coincidence. To be born and to die are all up to God's law. It is God who
creates, gives birth, shows the right and the wrong; as God will reward the right and will
punish the wrong; you should maintain your life decently.
Among moral values, God likes the sacred spirit most of all; that is hope, love,

and enthusiasm. You are enthusiastic if you don't lose your hope on hard days and if you
don't fall into indifference on good days. You don't fall into indifference because you
believe in God. It is not the way of a brave man to exaggerate a minor issue with worries
and concerns.
Make use of the opportunities you have. A person, who believes in God's
existence does not attach importance to minor sparkles of this life, is not concerned about
small problems and considers such things as toys. He not only seizes the day, but also
ponders over the future. He adopts an outer look on life and is aware that the daily
worries are so simple indeed. Then he realizes that the spirit is a bird and believes that
little things suffice in order to console it. It is not a manner of a brave man to make up
worries out of minor issues and demoralize himself. A person who believes that time, life
and food are provided by God, who is aware that God likes working and motivation, is
hopeful, decisive, enthusiastic; since his spirit is in peace.
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*****
A brave man believes in his people. This belief relieves him/her from oneness and
loneliness. In a community among people reigns the name of God. The brave does not do
anything that is not approved by the people. People are the criterion of Turkmen youth.
To be with people means fulfillment, happiness. There is nothing else needed. A person
who is in love with his people has no concern. In every step he would take, he thinks
whether God would appreciate this, whether the people would approve this. People are
the balance of good manners.
One who does anything that is not appreciated by God, is an infidel; one, who
does anything that is not approved by people, is disgraceful. A brave man is happy, has
spiritual delight. The concerns of the brave are momentary, but his happiness lasts a
lifetime. Braves are affectionate; they consider everything they encounter as they have
lost and re-found it. The brave takes pain and grants happiness to the people. The brave
hides his fault, he tries to get rid of it; thus he would be characterized as more mature by
others. You cannot appear with shabby and unclean clothes before the public; you
wouldn't want the shabbiness of your heart, your soul, and your spirit to be seen by
others, would you? You would like others to seem good to your eyes, but don't you think
that the people also would like to see you in the same way as well? You wouldn't want to
see sad, upset, miserable people around you; and if you are in such a situation, then the
others wouldn't want to see you as such either.
The brave is always smiling and glorious. He also raises the morals of others
thanks to his happiness. Then the souls are relieved, life becomes more beautiful and
people become more respectful and affectionate to one another.
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One of the conditions of manners for a brave is his honor. Honor depends upon
effort. Honor means your cleanliness, purity, and your desire to maintain such

characteristics before God, before the public. If we talk about the assistance of bravery
and courage in solving problems, I recall an event, which my mother has already told me
about Serdar of Akoy.
Serdar of Akoy, commanded the braves of Kesearkaç in the army of Nedir Shah.
Once they were in a very difficult situation. The enemy army was two or three times the
size of theirs. The soldiers, realizing this were frozen out of fear.
Nedir Shah and the soldiers were trapped. Turning back is cowardice. If soldiers
were not to believe that they would win, it would be difficult to beat. The target was
apparent; they had to beat them. Serdar of Akoy was watching the progress as he was
sitting by his young people of Kesearkaç. Suddenly, he felt the sign of courage in his
heart. He got on his horse and went to the place where the soldiers of Nedir Shah were
gathered. Serdar of Akoy had an old dinar then. He took it out and addressed the people:
- Come, listen to me. I will flip a coin. If we have heads, it means that God is with
us. If we have tails, it means that God is with them. Only God knows who would win. He
didn't let the commanders say a word and flipped the coin. The men looked curiously at
the coin. A sudden noise rose.
- God is with us.
- We will win.
- Heads.
- Nedir Shah will win.
- Serdar of Akoy cleaned the sand on his coin and put it into his pocket. Nedir
Shah was very frustrated because of this individual act of Serdar of Akoy. He stood up in
order to
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punish him. Seeing that his soldiers had already moved to attack with screams in order to
beat the enemy, he postponed the punishment and directly ordered them to attack. It was
a very difficult war. In this combat, the men of Kesearkaç showed great heroism.
Nedir Shah was the triumphant of that unequal combat. After the victory, he
called on Serdar of Akoy:
- What is the meaning of your act? Who had told you to toss heads and tails?
Serdar of Akoy remained silent.
- If everyone in the army acts on his own will, then what would the result be?
What would you do if you had the tails side of the coin? I will punish you. Serdar of
Akoy took the coin out of his pocket and gave the coin to Nedir Shah. Nedir Shah looked
and was relieved that both sides of dinar were heads.
- I ordered and you heard it too. I will surely punish you but not today. The
soldiers are exhausted, let them relax a little bit. Nedir Shah, who had never retracted his
word previously, never talked about punishing Serdar again, nor on that day, neither from
that day on.
Be honorable, don't crush your rank for property, for duty, for fame. Be honorable,
don't be deprived of humanity and respect in order to live in wealth. Be honorable, don't
give others the opportunity to rumor and laugh behind you. Let your clothes be sightly;

let your honor be complete. Wearing nice clothes at the expense of incomplete honor is
not appreciated at all.
*****
The honor of a brave man means:
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- to stand straight and to be able to look in the eyes of the people with
complacency,
- not to have to retort to anyone's statement,
- not to be a coward when a problem is encountered,
- not to lose esteem to live in wealth,
- not to make concessions on honor in exchange for property,
- not to make concessions on the honor and reputatopom of a relative and brothers
for property and wealth,
- to die but not to lose honor.
The real brave is generous. Generosity is the most persuasive means to prove
one's affection to the people.
Be generous, because one day this life will send you off generously.
Be generous, because God granted you life generously.
Be generous, because the things you give to the others would indeed be your
assets, and those which you don't give, would be lost. They would be indeed your moral
assets because people would know you as generous during your lifetime and after your
death. Things that are not shared are lost because no one else may know really what you
have, only you know what you possess and your possessions would be lost sooner or later
because you would be lost on the road to death.
Stinginess stems from disbelief. In fact, everything belongs to God. Wealth has
been granted to you provisionally. Stinginess, wealth and continuous desire for
possession means to doubt the existence of God. Generosity means accepting that you,
together with your wealth, belong to God.
In the world where time is reigning, nothing is lasting, not even wealth; it rotates
from hand to hand, from person to person. Denying this reality - to be stingy - means
denying God.
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Whatever you obtain from God, give to the people. Esteem and honor are eternal.
When you are dead, people distribute all your belongings and God does not take your
esteem. Not only your hand, but your spirit should also be generous! Don't withhold your
good words, smiling face and your open heart from people.
The stingiest person is the one who withholds his greetings from people.
If you have the support of God, if you rely on people, then you are a real person.
If you don't give even if you have means, you cannot earn anything when you are

in need. If you cannot perform good work, let your intentions be good. Your work
depends on your intentions. The world is reigned by a king called Intention, together with
his servant called Work. Your soul comes from the Creator, your repute comes from the
people. Take with one hand and give with two hands. If you are elder, you greet with two
hands, if you are younger, you greet with one hand.
Nursing a grudge is because of stinginess of the spirit. Life is continual; esteem is
eternal. Don't lose your esteem for temporary world.
*****
The Turkmen are not a population that works day and night, that does not leave
any door not knocked, any hole not entered in order to increase his two belongings to
three, three belongings to four. The Turkmen advocate alms, wow; he shares with people
and eats with people. A Turkmen loves feasts, celebrations; he gathers people together
and invites bards; he enjoys the celebrations and feasts together with the happy people
around him.
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Look at our ancestor Oguz Khan. Returning back home after an attack, he used to
arrange a feast and gather people, distribute their fees, grant land and give discourses to
the public.
Gorogly Beg, after returning from each war, used to call all the peoples of
Chandybil and give a fiesta, money. We are preserving these esteemed traditions of our
ancestors. Generosity lies in the genes of Turkmen. An intellectual traveler who came to
Urgenç (today's dilapidated Urgenç) in the fourteenth century wrote: "In other lands,
people compete for goods, for wealth, for property; but here people are competing to host
guests, to provide them with food, feast and generosity."
Hatem-i Tai, is a historical personality who lived before our prophet Mohammed.
Stories related to his generosity are well known. Hatem-i Tai is the pride of Turkmen
people with respect to generosity. He was so generous that he could give his own head to
a beggar. Turkmen people are very generous, very bounteous; because Turkmen people
are the children of a generous land. Look at the generous land of Turkmenistan, take it as
an example; you will see how the earth requires little and gives more to its people.
Look at rivers, they are running constantly, if they don't run, they gather moss,
they stink, they provide no use. Look at trees. When the sun begins to heat the
environment, they provide us with shadow with their leaves. When the light and heat of
the sun decreases, trees drop their leaves in order for us to see the sunlight better.
Good words, meaningful words immigrate from one soul to another like a dervish.
They relieve the souls where they migrate, they bring wisdom.
God asked his prophet Abraham:
- Do you know why I love you?
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The Prophet answered: "no".
- Because I preferred the destiny of the one whose heart had been hurt, not the one
who hurts hearts. That's why I love you.
In Turkmen brotherhood, people take care of the needy. A Turkmen stops and
helps the needy when he sees him, no matter whether he knows him or not. This
characteristic is unique to Turkmen.
*****
A horse that hasn't been looked after by a groom is not a horse. When it is given
to a groom, it becomes a creature with wings, ready to fly. Bard, who hasn't met any
maitre, cannot have a place at the heart of people no matter how much he exerts effort.
Planting a sapling does not make a vineyard; a gardener prunes it, takes care of it and
makes it seem good, and then it gives a big and tasteful fruit.
A diamond found in the mountains, is not an ore. It is the jeweler who washes,
processes it and turns it into an ore. Each of us cannot be a good person if we cannot be
our own groom, our own maitre and jeweler.
Even though Mighty God has determined the destiny of people, it is we, the
people, who disclose the secret of destiny and make it real.
Go by the seaside and throw bread into the sea. Even if the fish wouldn't know it,
God would; however, don't put a hook in it. Give some seeds to birds but don't put a net
on them. Always help the needy but don't make them feel indebted towards you.
It is not possible to buy self-respect in cash; it is not possible to acquire it by
pressure or by force.
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Neither can it be obtained by fraudulence. There is a single road to self-respect; that is to
be a good person!
Trees are classified in two groups, shade trees and fruit trees. However, there is no
tree without any fruit because God granted height to trees that don't give fruit so that they
could provide shade.
Love your homeland like a real lover, your love will tell you what to do. Love it
as a real lover who is loved, your love will tell you what to do.
The beloved do not get older, may our land always be a beautiful, cheerful one.
The beloved are always sacred, may our homeland be closer than our relatives.
*****
My friend!
Turkmen traditions are a democratic system of rules. Turkmen traditions are
unique to our people's national identity. Turkmen democracy is a system that may be
taken as an example by other nations that are historically and geographically closer to us.
Turkmen traditions are the source of Turkmen dignity.

Turkmen traditions are rules of conduct for being brave.
The Turkmen has always proven his self-respect through his features such as
honesty, tolerance, confidence, and respect for the elderly and affection for the children.
This dignity has been brought up by generations and made up the Turkmen
culture. Respecting a person, serving a king, a Khan, conforming to a leader are the best
habits of our ancestors. We achieved in preserving our unity when we were under fire.
Such ideas are included in the book "Avesta":
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- If springs meet, the riverbed becomes deeper and longer.
- Bended fingers make up a strong fist.
- A tree gives fruit where it takes its roots.
After the adoption of Islam by our ancestors, they detailed the reflection of
respecting people, serving a king, a Khan, conforming to a leader. They consider fair
kings, Khans as representative of God on the earth.
During the times of Oguz, oguz groups used to obey an Oguz Khan, they used to
live in line with oguz traditions. At the time of Gorkut ata, emperors were considered
people who were granted with luck and who were assigned by God.
Our ancestors have always been honest; they never lied. They never ate their
words when they promised something. Therefore there is an idiom among people stating
that "Both the soul and the word come out of the mouth".
Turkmen people served Islam a great deal.
In history, you can find many documents stating how Turkmen preserved Islam. I
would like to give one example from a historian Riza Nur. At first, Turkmen were against
Islam. Turks adopted Islam in the tenth century. After the Turkmen adopted Islam
completely, they became a safeguard of the religion. The Turkmen, who were a bridge
between Europe and China till then, set a barrier before the crusades in the Middle Ages;
they made them fail. The Turkmen people alone proved Europeans' vain in occupying
Asia.
Turkmen, with their bravery and heroism, saved Islam together with Arab nations
from being eradicated. If it were not for Turkmen, today the Arabs would have no
religion, no language, nor would they be able to exist. Many events in the world war
supports this thought. However Arabs betrayed Turkmen, their religious brothers who had
saved Islam for many years and who had extended it from India to Vienna, by
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supporting the Christians. It means that in the new crusade, they voluntarily supported the
Christian side. Turkmen are really the bravest, the strongest, the healthiest and the most
successful nation of Asia. The word "Asia" reminds us of Turkmen. In order to gain
knowledge on Asian politics and history, the Turkmen background should be learned.
Turkmen conducted battles in Europe, under the name of Huns, Persians, Avars and
Ottomans and were greatly successful. Turkmen also stopped bloody battles of Europe. If
it hadn't been for victory in the war of independence in Anatolia in Malazgirt, Asia would

have been devastated. Anatolia became a solid safeguard point for Asia. Europeans had
always carried genetic fear of Turkmen. The English learned many things from the
Turkmen in India and in Egypt. Indeed, in the revolt against the French, the real cause of
the problem was a group of brave Turkmen around the province of Iskenderun. Europe
and Asia believed that wherever there is a unique victory won, it is won by the Turkmen,
and through this belief fear has been spread all over Europe and Asia. The Turkmen
people are known as an unbeatable great community by Asia and Europe.
*****
The ideal personality who has made up the fourth era of Turkmen history is the
brave. The brave is the person who has gathered high moral attributes in his personality.
His characteristics are mercy, modesty, and high morality to serve for the contentment of
the people, hope and sacred spirit. He attaches importance to the people around him;
besides his desires, he tries to find ways to be with the people. In the Turkmen language
such a brave is called "strong man".
In the spiritual world of Turkmen, the ram and sheep are each in opposition to the
wolf. This opposition in a general sense means denying the person ruling in life in the
absence of Turkmen
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government, that is the wolf because that person follows his desires and thinks nothing
else except for himself. In this way, people's demands and ideals would be postponed.
Such a characteristic, of course in a metaphoric sense, is unique to wolf.
Respecting people starts by respecting those around you. The notion of "people"
is not a simple, ordinary concept.
The Turkmen considers that the principle characteristic of a brave is to respect
personality.
We should be brave, not like a wolf but like a ram. We should be peaceful and
good intentioned like a sheep. Only then will individuals and all the people live in peace.
In order to attain the real beauties, individuals should limit themselves; they
should be able to restrict their desires. Turkmen have come to understand very well that
one of the preventing barriers is egoism, selfishness. Avoid egoism, be with the people,
slaughter your horse if the public wants it, even the troubles encountered together with
people are indeed an event to be celebrated. The principle belief of the Turkmen states
that people are kind in heart even if they mistreat you spiritually and physically. This is
the only way to unite the people, integrate them, improve the society and find the beauty.
We should indicate that this philosophy is a part of our life. If Turkmen hadn't
wanted to set up great governments, tribes, communities headed by Khans, they wouldn't
have been able to live with such philosophy because physically, politically and literally
strong nations aim to sustain their lives in a sound way. Individuals don't want to restrict
themselves but to express themselves thoroughly. Where are those eras? In the 18th
century, we had to live up to our assets. Then, positive changes were needed in our

nation's spirituality and these needed to be introduced with new prosperity.
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Makhtumkuli gave Turkmen the example of a brave person. That brave man was
very different than previous ones. Now, his bravery isn't assessed with decapitating and
slaughtering as in "Gorkut ata" or "Gorogly". Even the sword is needed only for the
purpose of self-defense. However, he needs morals and humanitarian values rather than a
sword. Courage is the outcome of inter-personal relations. In a literal sense, the idea of
courage in the poem is important in two ways. This is indeed the reflection of spiritual
morals and spiritual moral wealth. "A courageous man starts smiling if sees the guest; a
coward hides himself if sees a guest."
An intellectual tells a Turkmen about an important part of courage: hospitality.
Courage means generosity, supporting the needy, not disclosing personal problems to
people but to cope with them in person. Generosity is considered both materialistically
and spiritually.
Makhtumkuli is the Plato of the Turkmen because he was a philosopher who was
able to find the truth by comprehending, reasoning and synthesizing the opposite ideas
just like that great Greek philosopher. He succeeded in introducing the necessary
intellectual prosperity to Turkmen by comparing opposite pairs such as sheep-wolf, self-
belief and wise-fool.
A courageous man is the man of people.
A coward thinks of nothing but himself.
In this manner, Makhtumkuli claims that the real prosperity is the people and their
unity; the wealth of people. The great philosopher has also pondered over cases and
thoughts alienating Turkmen from unity and political integrity.
The poet who adopted the idea that the source of evil is in man, described the
inner evil with the word "self." Self seems like a friend to people to people because it
tells them to eat, to drink, to collect goods and to enjoy living. But it only tells these to
people until it captures people. Entrusting his will to the self,
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the person finds himself in trouble. He becomes the slave of self, a toy in the hands of
self. A courageous person is always able to dominate his self. A courageous person thinks
that the self is his enemy because the self turns the person into an enemy of his relatives
and friends. The best way of avoiding the self is to believe. If a person sets up his inner
realm by looking at the prosperity of God, and the prosperity of people, then he becomes
a believer. The strongest side of a believer is that there is nothing to hide or to be
ashamed of and avoid. He is a pure person with respect to his inner realm and spirit.
A believer is never sad and demoralized due to insignificant daily matters.
Belief is the perfect way of living in harmony with the community.
Makhtumkuli turned the outward struggle of ancient times into an inward
struggle. He wanted Turkmen people to struggle with themselves in order to mature in a
personal sense because the principle characteristic in a person's new prototype should be

spirituality.
In ancient times, a young intellectual came by a sage and said:
- You are very wise, one of the human-beings honored with appreciation of God.
The sage thanked and replied:
- You are right.
After the young intellectual, another one came by him and told him:
- You are not an ordinary man, you are evil, and you are attracting people thanks
to your evil powers.
The Sage thanked him and again he replied:
- You are right.
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The person who was sitting next to the sage was very confused by these two
replies and said:
- I don't understand. You told both men that they were right. What is the point in
that?
Then the sage answered:
- I told the truth. Not only these two men but also a thousand other men can have
a variety of opinions about me. Everyone appraises the other one according to his own
spiritual world.
If so, is it possible that a thousand men share the single idea?
You can get to know a person by the esteem that he attributes to others.
*****
Beloved son, dear daughter!
Be generous like the Earth, then life will be bounteous.
Let your tongue and hand be generous too! May your spirit be generous, may
your mind be generous!
Generosity of tongue means telling nice things.
Generosity of hand means preferring legitimate things.
Generosity of spirit means loving people.
Generosity of mind means telling useful things.
Generosity is a sign of honesty, legitimacy.
Your tongue is generous so long as your word is true, your hand is generous so
long as your goods are legitimate, your spirit is generous so long as your intentions are
good, your mind is generous so long as your opinions are positive, useful.
Generosity is to be admitted by people.
A generous man is the man considered by God.
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A young brave fulfils the manners of tongue.
Manners of tongue means capital speech.

If one's heart is open, his speech is smooth and his words are full of affection and
love.
A brave person is like a tree; he can digest the pain and he makes people happy.
He knows wisdom very well and uses it where appropriate. He can open the doors that
were closed due to conflict and disagreement thanks to his fair words. He can explain his
words, opinions everywhere.
Good company is the door that opens up the heart. He proves that he has nothing
evil in his heart by his tongue. Good company is the key to the heart. A young brave
opens a road for himself thanks to his fair words. He eliminates the barriers before him
and gains hearts with words; he restores relations with words. The heart is the castle. The
best friend for it is a good companion. Word is the witness of mind. A foolish person
speaks illogically; a wise person speaks wisely. Remaining silent where a word should be
spoken is foolishness; speaking where silence is preferable is imprudence of mind. The
tongue expresses whatever the mind says. Mind is awarded us by God, however, the
person stimulates the mind as he opens the rose. In order to stimulate the mind, one
should read a lot; in order to sharpen the logic, one should think a lot.
A brave person is merciful and kind. Mercy is not a characteristic of a helpless
person but of a powerful person. A brave person feels sorrow for the needy, for the
retarded, that is the ones who are in worse conditions. This is because a brave person's
spirit is more developed; he doesn't need to get higher by stepping on others' heads
because he is always higher than others. The young brave is always compassionate for
women and kind to innocent children.
A young man has a strong body but a kind heart.
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A young man's spirit is sacred and his behavior is modest.
A young man stands upright. His spirit is like the earth.
A young man is a child with the children and a mature man with the elderly.
He combats like a man and he pardons the enemy like a man.
Don't be little man, be a man!
The good manners and manners of a young man are to be satisfied with oneself, to
be in peace with oneself and to have self-confidence.
My beloved Turkmen!
Insight is God's gift to us.
The fruit of insight is wisdom. The outcome of wisdom is training.
The outcome of training is good manners.
The outcome of good manners is good morals.
Among human values, I consider that good morals are most important because the
purpose of all our struggles is to settle good morals. When I was lecturing university
students, I recommended to them twelve moral rules. I wrote the second volume of
Ruhmana, which you are reading right now, according to these rules. I talked about
twelve moral values oriented towards youth in my discourse. Whereas in my current
book, I have disclosed deep meanings of those values and their various aspects, I

elaborated further the issue from a variety of perspectives. In conclusion, a system of
spiritual good manners has been born, which I consider necessary both for Turkmen
youth and for the Turkmen in general. Learning good manners, retaining them in heart
and in the life of each youth requires good morals.
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Good manners in fact have many moral values, especially the twelve moral
principles that I recommend. First of them is to be wise. Mind and rationale help people
understand the world and understand themselves. If it were not for rationale, man
wouldn't exist. Man is man only if he is able to think.
The condition of a wise man is health. Even if the mind is a spiritual element, it is
linked to the body. The body should be healthy in order to ensure a healthy mind. Well-
being is in the hands of the person. Among the means of being healthy are rational living
habits, physical activities and avoiding bad habits. Well-being cannot be reached merely
by dreaming it, without fulfilling necessary conditions. We should be healthy in order to
talk and think, and we should be wise in order to be healthy. There are all inter-linked.
Each Turkmen boy and girl, who is progressing on the road of eternal happiness
should be able to think healthily; in order to put our intentions into practice, we should be
fully healthy.
Mental and physical health is needed for regular operation of rationale. Thinking
is an essential asset. A man who cannot think wouldn't understand what is said.
Understanding correctly means to be capable of seeing the treasure behind the meaning.
In order to understand the meaning, one should be able to generalize it and to reach a
conclusion. Memorizing words does not provide expected outputs. Words should be
retained in the heart; they should be made a part of inner wealth and belief in order to
understand. Only the words that are understood correctly and retained in the heart can
motivate good moral. Youngsters should understand everything said and they should be
able to get good conclusions out of each word.
Learning is indeed to obtain knowledge. A real scientist can think by himself, can
get positive conclusions from his
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point of view and can carry out new inventions. Skills and works are fruitful only in
places where such knowledge reigns.
However, each idea, each intellectual work has surely some aspects that may be
approved. Such facts are the facts of creed. Creed is to believe in existence and oneness
of God. Mind should learn a lesson from this fact. Otherwise, it can reduce and
jeopardize life. Mind without creed devastates nature and leads to immorality. This would
be an irrevocable disaster.
Therefore:
Each Turkmen son and daughter should believe in God. They should be afraid of
God.
Only then can the mind be stimulated and ration start giving fruits. Creed is an

output of mind, and is the prerequisite of rationale. Rationale that is not supported by
creed is infertile, under-developed. Mind without creed is small, narrow and miserable. If
you believe, then your mind would be stimulated. Then the physical and mental
capabilities of human-beings start increasing. They smile like roses of the garden.
Rationale is sharpened, mind is strengthened and skills increase. Man awakens with
spiritual features. The soul becomes mature and developed by tasting the fruits of
sagacity, like nothing else by the help of individual rationale.
Therefore:
The youth should learn by heart everything they read, see and hear; they shouldn't
forget what they have read. They should achieve in understanding. One of the best
outcomes of science is to speak well, to be a good company. A person whose rationale has
been sharpened and who has accumulated enough knowledge also has an illuminated face
and eyes. His words are influential and attractive. His rationale treasure can be
understood from his intellectual background. One
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cannot trust in knowledge of a person who doesn't know how to speak.
Therefore:
The youth should be able to achieve capital speech and to express themselves
well. Even though a young person's life experience is enough and extensive, without
knowledge and culture he cannot obtain the admiration and appreciation of others.
Capital speech and addressing depends on knowledge. However, for a mature man, these
are not enough alone. Capital speech should be supported with acts, which are the main
richness of speech. Action is the touchstone of all spiritual prosperity. If you learn but if
you don't act, you would be left in the lurch in life. A wise man is aware of his wisdom
and proves it with his acts. So, all Turkmen boys and girls should put into practice what
they learn. They should be honest and they should disapprove of evil.
In order to act well, one should not only indicate that he doesn't approve of evil,
but also should demonstrate his disapproval and adopt the good intentions as well. When
I say that one should be honest from birth, I mean that the honesty should be congenital;
it should be demonstrated by acts because, if words and acts do not conform to each
other, then this is an artificial honesty, not real. Words that are not accompanied by acts
can be nice; however, they can never be genuine. Mind that is not supported and
approved by acts is artificial and this means incapability of living. Eventually, only the
words cannot make a man mature, they solely cause loss of time. Such rationale collapses
sooner or later and collapse of rationale brings major mental and moral troubles. That's
why humanity and tolerance are important and is one of the ways of living in line with
good manners.
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The youth should be highly affectionate towards people. They should be tolerant,
fair and tender. They should struggle against things that are forbidden by religion.
Fairness is the core of action and the spiritual basis of our world. Words that are

expressed after being filtered through the reason are only contingent upon fairness.
Fairness is good morals. It depends on two elements: intention and creed. If God placed
this concept in the heart of man, and if the man trusts and believes it, then by any means
he would express it with his acts or manners.
Fairness should be accompanied with sacred spirit and high morals. Sacred spirit
and high morals are born out of creed. Sacred spirit, high morals and life come together
and make up love. It is not possible to live without love. Love is affection. We are all in
love with the Sun, without which mankind would not survive.
Each Turkmen boy and girl should be goal-oriented.
They shouldn't be demoralized; pessimism doesn't become Turkmen youth.
A sacred spirit and high morals are holy features. I have further explained these
holy features in my lectures. However two of them among these features are of greater
importance. These are the country and the people. The young shouldn't be afraid of dying
for his country, for his people and for his targets and morals because the country, people,
targets and morals are the spiritual wealth of a person which makes up the meaning of
life. Besides this, it is a natural outcome not to be afraid of death. It is natural to run to
death in order to live. Life is more important than prosperity. Prosperity can never share
the equal step with life. Life means to get to know oneself and to prove one's existence to
the people around him. Each Turkmen girl and boy should consider prosperity and money
little things when compared to power.
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Each Turkmen girl and boy should be ashamed of wasting time without acquiring
any results.
Dear daughter, dear son!
In your life, take example of another life! In this charitable work, may my good
manners be principle and assistant to you.
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READ, LEARN, KNOW!
Beloved son, dear daughter!
Reason, which has been granted us by God, distinguishes us from all other
creatures. A human-being is a human-being thanks to his reasoning. Reason provides
people with life unique from other living things. Reason is an influential element on
people's lives.
Reason, which makes up the human-being, ripens thanks to science and
knowledge. To have a wise mind is to integrate thinking and understanding capacity with
the philosophy of life. Reason, which is in fact an abstract element, can be put into
practice in real life and changes can be ensured. Science and knowledge should serve for
this purpose. Almighty God has equipped the human with reason. Science and knowledge
are the products of this reason. Thus, abstract reason has turned into a known entity just
like other elements of the concrete world. A human-being aiming to benefit from science

physically has established schools, which are very crucial. Schools are means of sowing
the seeds granted by God in the soil and to get yield from it.
Civilization comes into being with the invention of scripture. Human-beings
move from a primitive life to a civilized life. Rather than using the already existing
products in nature, man starts cultivating new ones. After that, reason and mind begins to
take the lead. The purpose of life of the human-being is born by the beast of burden of
reason, which is never exhausted, never fed up and daunted.
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The greatest prosperity is reasoning.
The most important value is knowledge.
Because all the creatures at man's disposition are mortal and are oriented towards
the bad, since each mortal creature belongs to the world of opportunity. Even though the
human-being is a mortal creature as well, he is entitled to eternity and reasoning in people
is eternal as well. In any case, just like everything that has an outer existence, the source
of reason is also outside the physical world. As the source of such prosperity is not this
world, the science is surely the greatest treasure, which is able to transform the reason
that is endless, able to produce and change the world we live in from an abstract element
into a concrete one.
Knowledge is a treasure of which value never fades.
Mankind always needs knowledge. Therefore people communicated knowledge
and science from one generation to the next and thus, they invented schools in order to
sustain historical continuity of reason. Therefore it is said that schools are "houses of
reason". Schools that are opened so as to transform reason into knowledge and put the
knowledge into practice are the most important places of good manners. Education to
acquire knowledge is not an ordinary process; certain conditions, rules and regulations
should be fulfilled for education. We can call these conditions, rules and regulations
manners of school.
After passing seven summers, from the first day on which we take our first step to
the door of the school, a new era starts in our life. Like the transition of the man who
once upon a time accepted that the source of power and strength is reason, from primitive
life to civilized life, each of us starts a new life thanks to school. What is the principle
philosophy of this different era? God has created man and surrounded him with time.
This is the name of transition of man from the spiritual
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and abstract world into physical world. The main feature of physical existence, the basic
factor of surviving is time. Time, as the main rule of physical world, takes all creatures
eventually to nonexistence. Reason enables us to take advantage of time, to turn
nonexistence into existence, and to ensure existence on nonexistence because it is a
benefaction granted by eternal God to mortal human-beings. Each of us is trying to get
acquainted with fruits and outcomes of efforts of our previous generations for
transforming nonexistence into existence and we are trying to advance them further.

Thus, a human-being improves his capacity to go beyond the time and as a result, he
starts walking by the time towards the eternity; he is saved from fortune's wheel and
granted with an eternal life. That's why knowledge and science are of great importance to
human-beings.
Beloved son, dear daughter!
You should consider school and manners of school values related to the essence
and meaning of life. Manners of school are applicable from the time when we take our
first step through the door of the school. Schools are the centers of knowledge and rules
for being in such a center should absolutely be respected and are definitive.
If good manners don't exist, knowledge wouldn't exist either.
If reason doesn't exist, the human wouldn't exist either.
One doesn't need to search to find a human-being where good manners don't
reign! Schools, which are the places of knowledge, have a different power, a different
pleasure and spiritual atmosphere. The main good manners ruling this place, are the
desire for education, thirst for science and entitlement of personal will to school rules.
Schools are holy places like tekkes (small mosques). Therefore you should act in line
with the spirit of this holy place from the first day on which you
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take your first step through its door. No matter whether you are a student in secondary
education or in higher education, the veil of your face is good manners. You should
demonstrate good manners in school, you should act seemly, talk seemly, you should
receive education seemly, and demonstrate what you have learned seemly. Education
starts with holding a pencil in your hand, writing and reading. Reading education is a
very important and meaningful act. Therefore it comprises many meanings both in our
language as well as in other languages in the world. By reading, we discover a very
different world in the universe where we are living. Thanks to reading we can open the
doors of the spiritual and treasured wisdom of our ancestors. That's why education,
learning how to read and write is considered reaching the door of heaven. We become
man by education. With education and with reading, we demonstrate that human-beings
are wise. Thanks to education, a person can set sail to his spiritual and moral world.
Therefore the most reliable and perfect way of discovering other worlds is to receive
education. I haven't expressed this fact as an ordinary one. The main characteristic of a
person is to become a living thing, which is able to influence its surrounding, which is
different than its peers, more attractive and capable of obtaining admiration. A human-
being is always interested in different worlds and different things; because he has reason.
Reason is a being which cannot fit in his bed like an ardent river. Reason is the
enthusiasm of the spirit going beyond its limits with fluctuations. In fact, reason flows
continuously and then stops. Its speed is a thousand times higher than the velocity of light
because light belongs to the physical world and reason belongs to the spiritual world.
Bricks make the building, drops make the ocean, soil makes the earth and cells make the
body. A human-being can go beyond the limits of time through his reason and go into
deeper eternal worlds. Such enlightenment ripens through

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education at school. That's why school days are the most beloved and esteemed time-span
of our life, are engraved to our memories and recorded in our minds. Education provides
us with the opportunity to reason, which is the biggest prosperity. This is unique to
human-beings. Reasoning enables us to compare the taste of learning life with other
pleasures on earth. Therefore, the great philosophers in our history adopted retirement
from the world and lived up to this principle in their individual lives. Retirement from the
world is to be alienated from physical pleasures for the sake of the pleasure of thinking.
Of course our current daily life requires different principles for living and I am not
inviting you to retire from the world. My point here is to take lessons from the devotion
of our ancestors to education and science. The best savor, the best pleasure today is
education. The savor of learning cannot be replaced by any other savor.
*****
The earth is the school of the Mighty God. The earth is too big to travel, see and
taste during a single lifetime. Indeed, the earth is big because it is so complex that it
cannot be understood completely during a lifetime. The positive side of the earth is that
one lifetime does not suffice to enjoy life completely. Since the invention of paper and
pencil, grand philosophers have written volumes of books regarding the meaning of the
world and life. However most of them were left in old pages of history and lost. The
world is covering distance toward the future.
The world is going towards eternity.
Life is oriented towards perfection.
The human-being is walking towards the future.
Great philosophers want to see the future thanks to volumes of books that have
remained with us from history. One of
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them says: "Before a big man comes to earth, his place and purpose is determined by
God, whereas other people search their place and purpose by themselves". No matter
whether you are a big person or a little person; if you cannot find your place on earth,
your life passes with torment.
Beloved son, dear daughter!
Life is granted only once. Love falls to one's share only once.
Every person on earth is face to face with life and the world. There are many ways
in life. Most of these ways bring you to happiness.
This is necessary to come into being and to attain your goal.
A man without any goal is like a blank cartridge.
It doesn't matter whether you are rich, poor or a shepherd; if you don't find your
place on earth, you cannot take pleasure in living, you cannot reach your target.
Story: God, having created the World, Moon, Sun and Adam, thinks: Where

should the meaning of life be put? Should it be hidden on top of a high mountain or
should it be hidden under the sea, or should it be buried under seven layers of earth? In
the end, God decides to hide the meaning of life in each person's heart, in each person's
inner-realm. This is because the eyes of mankind look outside and watch the essence of
life from outside. God hides the meaning of life in the heart of man considering that
mankind cannot achieve unless he turns his eyes to his inner realm. Eyes always see the
outer world. Disregarding his status, he even sees the faults of our Prophet but
unfortunately cannot see his own faults easily. If you succeed in seeing yourself,
controlling yourself and knowing yourself, you become a great philosopher, a genius. I
would like to establish a Turkmen State on the conscience of the government that we
have established as Turkmen people for the first time for eight centuries:
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The basis of Turkmenistan government is conscience;
The emblem is unity and integrity;
The policy is justice;
The flag stands for high morals, hope!
High morals and hope are the shortest way that would bring us to the target.
Story: In ancient times, a gentleman encounters a wise man. The wise man says:
- Young man, wish whatever you want from me, you will absolutely have it.
- "Sir, I have everything, my mother and father left me many goods. If it is
possible, show me the world, which God wants us to see. Let me see the life below, upper
life, past and future life" answers the young man. The wise man tells him:
- If you would like to know life on earth, learn it from the book, then you would
be able to see the summit, the future and the past. And then he disappears.
I got used to reading books when I was a child. My elder brother Niyazmurat was
an ideal student at school. He read most of the books at school's library. He taught us
reading when we were five years old, because we were free all day long. My mother used
to go to work early and come home after sunset. Elder relatives who witnessed the years
of war know very well; people used to work fourteen hours a day. Two-fold of today's
working time. Thus they gathered force in order to beat the fascists and win the victory
against the enemy. When I started my first year at school, the teachers were surprised a
lot. I was able to solve the problems that are taught in second class. I heard nothing from
my teachers but appreciation. So the library was my second address. I used to find and
read interesting books with Niyazmurat. Once we finished a book, we started another
one. When I turn and look
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back to my past today, I realize that books saved me from the effects of troubles that I
encountered; because the world of books is a very different world. They end with the
victory of good people and they narrate a better, more fair and nicer world than the one in

which we are living in. Children who got accustomed to reading starting from very young
ages have an active spiritual and mental world. Whom are the book readers like?! They
are like a farmer who plows his field night and day and who manures it, plows again,
irrigates and as a result, who gets abundant crops out of it. A man who doesn't read
books, on the other hand, is like a farmer who does not take care of his field; who can
never get good yield out of it even if he expects more and whose field is covered with
wild herbs.
During those troublesome days when I was alone, having lost my relatives; books
saved me from loneliness in that strange, cold and merciless world. Bored or cheerful
times, I read books when I found time. A book is a different world. In this world, no one
ever disturbed me as the son of a rich man or orphan. The eyes, heart and mind of a
person who reads books are full. I can distinguish people who read books from those who
don't read books. If a person, no matter if he has received his diploma, has a job but
doesn't read, he cannot be successful in his job, even such people cannot speak with other
people either. People who read are made up of honeycombs in a beehive of honeybees.
Each honeycomb is full of love and with necessary things that may help one in difficult
situations.
Who are the maitre, teacher, friend and comrade of a person who reads? Great
philosophers, intellectuals and authors, who have left books as valuable treasures to the
world. No matter when and in which century they have lived, no matter which nation
they are from, they are your maitre, your precedent and your friend.
In order to live a wealthy and prosperous life, we don't need the mind so much. A
person who devotes himself to his
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work and job can maintain a good life. If a person likes agriculture and devotes all his
strength and effort to earth work, the earth bears him its fruits. If you look at the
examples of past intellectuals and sages, you can see that a person who likes earth work
can speak with the earth and a person who likes animals can speak with them. A person
who likes a job and who devotes himself to that job never encounters any hardship;
however if that person has received an education then the case would of course be
different. A farmer would no longer be a simple farmer but become an educated farmer,
and a person interested in husbandry would gain knowledge on details of his work. Their
life would be illuminated, efficient and would have a different sense. My father, my
mother, my relatives, my friends and comrades were books. A reader's heart is full of
good intentions, his spirit clears, his thought matures; besides, his spiritual, intellectual,
linguistic and emotional wealth increases.
I believe that we can make stairs out of books and we can reach the sky; wings
can be made out of books and other worlds can be accessed. Look at previous Sufis; they
read all the books of their era in madrasas, tekkes (small mosque) and in their homes.
They wrote books as well and then they retired from the world in their special retirement
houses and struggled with the "self" in order to get closer to Mighty God. Thus, they
became the wisest personalities of our nation.

There are many steps in life:
- On the first step are the people who meet their daily needs and provide for their
families, who are only interested in working and living a normal life;
- On the second step are the people who have read a lot, who have talked with
famous philosophers and sages and who have devoted their life to understand the secrets
of life;
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- On the third step are the people whose reflections have become mature and
deeper.
After the third step a person starts discovering the secrets of life and the universe.
Story: In ancient times, a holy dervish used to travel from village to village and
town to town during his whole life and advise people, wish good things and finally he got
very old. He felt he would soon die and moreover he fell ill. Awaiting his death, the
helpless dervish went to the town with great difficulties. He walked through the shopping
places first and entered a bookstore. He asked the bookseller how he was. The bookseller
complained:
- Market is so flat.
- What's up, aren't the books in the market good?
- No Sir! The books are very good but wealthy people don't buy books, because
many of them are illiterate. Those who can read don't have means.
Even though the dervish was very exhausted he set off again; good fellows tried
to tell him that it wouldn't be good for him to set off in his condition. Doctors told him:
- Dervish, you would die before your arrival at the next village if you set off in
this health. You have a serious illness, don't go anywhere, and stay here!
Dervish:
- "Here there are more sellers than buyers in the market, prices are so high,
bookstores don't have any customers; I would prefer dying in an isolated desert and being
a bait for jackals" and he continued on his way without any halt.
Dear youngsters!
Try to derive lessons from each story, from each tale. Let the book be your friend
and your comrade. The value of life is
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understood thanks to books. Books enlighten and illuminate your life.
Love your beautiful country, beloved patriot cordially!
Those who love this land, this country can be the sons of this patriot.
Only those who exert efforts for this patriot can be Turkmen.
We have awarded wings to this country; you should fly toward the sky! We have
introduced the Independent and Eternally Neutral Turkmenistan to the world; from now
on, you will introduce yourselves to the world as new generations with free will
deserving appreciation from your ancestors!
If your luck goes well, you may be one of the prominent riches of the country, an

owner of large lands or the owner of herds in one year, three years or at most in five
years.
However, in order to be a wise person, in order to be a knowledgeable, modern
person, you should spend your lifetime by reading, learning and knowing.
In the past, when our ancestors talked about a great sage, they used to say:
"Reading and reading, that sage winged and flew". I wish that you would learn,
advance in the field of science and fly.
*****
The human is the child of nature. Changes that take place in the world and in the
whole universe are of direct concern to us. Among all improvements and changes in the
world and in the universe, our schools and teachers are lasting. Every event that happens
in nature is made up of successive phases and components like a chain. The world
revolves around itself and this makes one day; the moon rotates around the world and this
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makes one month; the world spins around the sun and this makes one year. There are four
seasons in one year and they provide us with the necessary products needed for a life of
one year: plants sprout, have leaves, blossom and then they drop their leaves and
hibernate. This is what the human-being's life is like. A human-being is born as an infant
and passes through the seasons of childhood, youth, adolescence, maturity and
elderliness.
The world only revolves around its axis and makes up days and nights since its
inception. Look at the Sun, which spreads light around by revolving around itself; it
brings us cheer, happiness, cleanliness, pleasure, strength and power in the mornings
when it rises. While continuing its own routine, the Sun leaves the veil of night on us at
the end of the day in order for us to get rid of fatigue, to relax and to feel relieved.
The universe is expanding constantly in huge momentum. A human-being's mind
and reason expands in all directions as well and horizons come after horizons. It is not
possible to compare yesterday's momentum with today's. It is not possible to compare
today's momentum with the future's either.
A hundred and fifty years ago, it took two weeks for the news of the assassination
of President Lincoln of the United States to reach Europe; however, the news of
Armstrong's first step on the moon was declared in one and a half seconds.
Evolution and change are the rules of life and the rules of universe.
Don't waste even one minute of your life that is awarded by Almighty God!
Try to make use of benefits of science and technology in your daily life!
The taste of life is hidden in spending the lifetime beneficially.
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To this end:
Read!

Know!
Learn!
*****
Beloved youth!
A human-being is very complex, but has been created very well, perfectly. We
don't use our brain for everything; we do things because we are accustomed to them. If
we are accustomed, we wake up every day early at the same hour. Even the sleep of a
human-being depends on habits. One should not necessarily wind the clock in order to
sleep at twelve pm. and wake up at five. He sleeps in time and gets up in time. One big
man said: "Don't even drink water at certain periods, it would become a habit." Whatever
one's habit is, he is addicted to it. A human-being, at early ages smokes in order to put on
frill, to try or by no apparent reason. With his friends, he goes to a bar and drinks.
However, mankind's trials and experiments later turn into addiction. He cannot live
without drinking every day and he becomes addicted to alcohol and sick.
Good and charitable works also turn into habits; this is of course appreciated.
However, habits of smoking, alcohol and drugs make people addicted to this stuff
inevitably. I would like to share an important memory of my university years as an
example with you.
One day, one of our professors showed us this meaningful scene. It seems very
simple at first sight but in fact it is a very important matter.
Our professor put an empty, transparent and big jar on the table.
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Without speaking to his students, the professor started his experiment. First of all
he put into the jar the pebbles that were as big as his fist. The jar was full.
Then the professor asked us:
- O k. Now, do you think that this jar is full?
Students nodded their heads and approved.
Then the professor started to put in other pebbles that were smaller than the first
ones. He put in a few handfuls of these pebbles, which meant that the jar hadn't been full
before. And then the professor asked us again:
- Now, what do you say, is the jar full?
We again approved that the jar was full.
The professor took some sand from another buckle and started to pour it into the
jar. The jar was shaken slightly and the sand was filling up the tiny spaces in it. Two
handfuls of sand were put in the jar, which we had thought was full.
The professor addressed to us:
- The jar is full, right?
Then we hesitated to agree.
The professor without asking us for the second time, took some water and started
to pour it into the jar. Even if the jar was full, there was of course space in it for water.

The professor put some water in the jar. As a result, the jar was full of water.
The professor repeated his question:
- Yes, is the jar full?
No one said anything.
Professor took a piece of salt and started to put it in the jar slowly. Even though
the jar was full, there was space for the salt. The professor put salt in it as the salt
dissolved in water. After
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putting a great deal of salt in the jar, professor turned to us and said:
- Yes, the jar is now full, isn't it?
I haven't told you this event for no reason. That jar reminds me of opportunities
for people. Opportunities for a person are limitless like with the jar. We think that the jar
is full, but we can still put something in it. I consider this jar as an example in all my
behaviors. We shouldn't be hasty in making conclusions. We should try to fully
understand everything. Every person should try to improve his capacity to learn
everything in depth, to have a broader view and to improve himself. I wake up every day
at five o'clock. I try to greet each day as a gift from God and try to spend it for suitable
purposes. A human-being is granted life only once. Don't waste this life which is
unrepeatable with meaningless habits, try to live it well and reasonably. Don't take a
shower because you are accustomed to it every day when you get up; but have your
shower with awareness and with pleasure. Do physical exercises every day as they are
good for a healthy body, you shouldn't do it just because it is your habit. Every day have a
breakfast but don't do this just because it is your routine, try to take pleasure from your
meals, from life; this pleasure, this delight would be much more different.
Friendship, brotherhood begins with greeting others!
Unfortunately, greeting has turned into a habit, i.e. friendship, humanity has
started to be a burden.
Nevertheless, from now on, be sincere, frank when you greet your friends and the
people you know, ask them how they are in order to share their troubles. In one week you
will surely realize that the people you know are your friends and that your friends are
your brothers.
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Story: It was said of a talented master that he was very skilled in building a house
with bricks. He used to do all the master works of the house by himself. He could
succeed in building a house that would satisfy the owner in two months. One day the
master wanted to build a house for himself as well. While he could complete the rough
work of others, he could not even build the mud bricks of his house in five months.
Briefly, he could complete his house in two years.
His fellows asked:
- You build houses that satisfy us in two months but why did you build yours in
two years? The master answered:

- While I was building my house, I plastered each brick by myself and put them
together. Therefore I finished my house in two years. You are paying me for my
competence, and I finish your houses in two months as expected from a talented master.
If you were to pay for the sincerity and affection in my heart, either you would be left
with no money, or I would be left with no money.
Life is an invaluable chance, let's not turn it into a burden; let's consider that each
moment is an opportunity and let's try to enjoy it. May our life be valuable like a work of
art.
*****
Oratory, the science of eloquence is a branch of art that emerged in very ancient
times. Oratory and eloquence are the products of a great mind and understanding. Two
thousand, two thousand and five hundred years ago, oratory reached its top levels in the
old Greek and Roman civilizations. In the
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field of oratory, great schools were opened and special skilled young people were trained
in these schools. In ancient Nisa this branch of art advanced further, but manuscripts from
that period were burnt unfortunately.
Oratory is a very important branch of art. In old Greek and Roman civilizations,
people who proved to be talented in oratory could get important duties. Hundreds of
intellectuals such as Socrates, Plato who is named as Eflatun in the Islamic world,
Aristotle, Seneca, Cicero achieved in being acknowledged by the people thanks to their
skills.
Turkmen sultans and Khans attached great importance to oratory. Far-sighted and
sedate people could succeed in preventing big wars and in saving those under the penalty
of death.
Starting from the time of Oguz Khan, generations of Khans and Sultans on the
Oguz throne received education in schools for years. Oratory was one of the major
courses taught in schools. During the rule of Gazna, Seljuk and Harzimshah; madrasas
and schools, attended by the princes and sons of elite families became centers of science
in the country.
At these centers, the future Sultans, viziers, commanders and the young people
who were going to be ambassadors were educated. There, learning at least one foreign
language is compulsory. Emperors, Sultans and Khans sheltered hundreds of scientists,
poets, astronomers, astrologers, and doctors at their palaces. Every week, conversations
among scientists, and poetry contests among poets, were organized. Paying visits to the
dergahs of the philosophers and the dervishes who wandered village-by-village, city-by-
city, and conversing with them became the custom of Turkmen Sultans. Apart from these,
there were humorists and clowns to entertain the palace people.
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Our ancestor Makhtumkuli emphasizes that, in the history of the Turkmen, Shah
Abbas had no equal in the subject of rhetoric.
Dear Turkmen People!
In this book that I have composed, I never talked uselessly. I want you to be
successful in the areas of rhetoric and humor.
Rhetoric must be valued on the government level. In our spiritual and golden
society the discipline of rhetoric should take its place among our spiritual values. We
should have the custom of organizing ceremonies and evenings among young people at
schools, universities, offices, entertainment places, and civilization houses.
Rhetoric is the essence of moral highness.
I see closeness to the Turkmen soul in Zen teaching. I particularly value the
symbols used in Zen teaching. Let me tell you a piece from the Japanese Zen teaching.
In one of the distant villages of Japan lived two brothers. They were priests at the
Zen temple. According to the principle of the Zen temple, the monks who roam around
the world could go to the temples to eat, drink, and rest. But, in order to earn that right,
the monks have to make discussions with the temple's priest about the subject of Zen. The
monk who succeeds in the discussion has to be served by the priests the way he desires.
The elder of the priest brothers was very educated and clever, whereas the
younger one was a stupid and a spendthrift person. In addition, one of his eyes was blind.
One day, a monk arrived their temple.
The elder one ordered his younger brother:
- Go near the monk who has just arrived. Tell him that you would like to make a
discussion without talking.
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- The young priest went near the guest. The monk and the priest began their silent
discussion. Then the elder brother noticed that the monk picked up his belongings and
left the temple. The elder brother stopped him, and talked to him. The monk said:
- You have an exceptional brother. He has defeated me in the discussion
The elder brother asked:
- Tell me, what sort of a discussion has occurred between you?
The monk started talking:
- I declared that Buddha is one, and I confessed him by showing my finger. Your
brother showed me his two fingers and he opposed me, and said there is Buddha's and his
orders above. I developed this idea of your brother. By keeping in mind Buddha, his
orders, and the believers in Buddha, and the masters who live in nature according to his
orders, I showed my three fingers. He concludes the discussion by showing his fist. I
admired this thought. By showing his finger, he shows that everything in the world, every
living creature is in harmony. He said a conscious being has created everything. I have
accepted my defeat, and I am leaving.
The monk left. Then the elder brother went to his brother.
- Where has that stupid monk gone?! asked the younger brother.
- You have defeated him!

- No, he defeated me. That's why I want to intimidate him.
- Tell me what has happened.
- When he saw me, he told me that one of my eyes is blind, said the younger
brother. By showing his finger, he told me that I have only one eye. I did not want to be
impolite since he was a stranger, so I showed my two fingers.
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By showing my two fingers, I told him that he had two eyes, and I told him with dignity
that he had no physical defect. That foolish monk did not understand the courtesy that
was offered to him. By showing his three fingers to me, he said, "with your brother's
eyes, your eyes will make three." Isn't this too much? He deserved punishment. I could
not bear that, and showed my fist. When he saw the fist he realized that he was going to
be beaten, so he left. I assumed that he came to see you to complain. Did he complain?
The elder priest said nothing good or bad.
Dear son!
Dear daughter!
There are lies against truth, hate against love, prohibited against legitimate, and
badness against goodness. There are two sides of the ocean of life. On one side, there is
hell; on the other, there is heaven. Would you like to go to heaven by obeying the rules of
the Almighty God, or would you like to go to hell by following the vile Satan? This
choice is left to each individual's own will.
Starting with the ancient times, our predecessors have chosen the best and the
most correct way to teach their sons to be virtuous and to educate them. Our ancestors
believed with all their hearts that the Word is God's sign. They accepted the Word as
honor. They preferred to die instead of to lie. Secondly, our ancestors believed that the
souls of our ancestors' fathers can see and feel. Also in these days our ancestors say:
"Say! God sees! Is it possible to own another man's property?" or "God hears, can I lie
without being ashamed of my beard?" Our ancestors believed with all their hearts that
God is Hakk, and the souls of their fathers are their comrades. That it is why lying is
worse than death for them.
I have searched the archives a lot about the practices of the oppressive regimes of
the thirties. Even at the times when
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they knew that they were slandered, the innocent, miserable people took refuge in God,
and did not give answers to the questions except using the words "yes or no." There were
a lot people that were killed during NKVD's (the judicial commission of the Ministry of
Interior) interrogations since they could not have lied to say yes to questions like "You
have attempted to destroy the Soviet government," "Were you among the ones who have
destroyed the kolkhoz's depot?" "Have you tried to poison the kolkhoz president?" of the
three members of the NKVD committee.
God is the friend of the honest person.
God sees and watches everything.

God even knows what you feel inside you.
Our hearts, our conscience, our faith are God's watching places.
If you steal because you think that nobody sees you, it means you are nothing
because you see yourself stealing.
If you lie by saying that "Come on, never mind, nobody will notice," you are
nothing because you yourself know that you are lying.
Dear son, dear daughter!
Our ancestors uttered, "Cling to the good work."
Clinging does not only mean doing in haste, the real issue is not finishing the
work quickly, but also doing it well. When you start doing each good work, try to make it
good. Like the man who is in love with a beautiful girl and who sees nothing, devote
yourself to science, learn it in detail. Pull the thing that you want to pull with its root.
Superficiality, never minding, doing a thing without giving importance to the things done
in science and in every business are the characteristics that do not suit the Turkmen
people.
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A book is the solid form of human thinking. We cannot give the importance to
books that they deserve since our eyes have become acquainted with them. But let me
remind you that human-beings have suffered for long years because they could not
discover the way to materialize their own wealth by abstract reasoning. In the end,
humankind has found the book, the sacred object. By fitting it between two folds, the
book has put in our hands the intellect of humankind, which could not be fitted in the
world. Can there be a more precious gift for the person who understands? When
compared to a book, pearls, coral, gold, and silver are nothing because none of them are
the things that humankind has produced on his own, whereas the book is the
manifestation of intellect. It is the confession of man by himself. Because of this, only
man knows the power of the book. The material values that humankind has discovered -
all the technological developments, inventions - they all are the products of the intellect.
The real science is the science which can be transferred to life and which is beneficial.
No one can live with the intellect of another. One has to be conscious in order to
live in the world. The teacher can teach a lot of things like how to talk, or how to behave
in the society. He can talk a lot about these issues. But unexpected things happen in life.
In these conditions, where are you going to find the teacher? The person will be known as
a result of his relationship with other people. The words that he utters reveal his worth.
Again, about this issue, the Japanese Zen teaching can be given as an example. For
instance:
- There were two temples. There was no communication between the priests of
these two temples. They regarded each other as enemies. The priests were recommending
their community not be involved with the priests of the other temple. Every priest has a
young servant. The priests of the
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temple were recommending the same thing to these young servants.
- Never talk to the young servants of that temple, they are very dangerous people.
But a young person is a young person. The more you tell him not to do a thing,
the more he becomes eager to do it. Once, the young servants of the two temples came
across each other. The young servant of the first temple asked the young servant of the
second temple:
- Where are you going?
The servant of the second temple was walking by memorizing the Zen teaching
that was taught at the temple. That was why he responded to the servant of the first
temple according to the principle of Zen teaching:
- I will go wherever the wind takes me.
The servant of the first temple got angry at this word. He thought, "This man is
having fun with me." As time passed, he became angrier. He remembered his master's
words, and he regretted talking to the other servant.
The young servant went to his master. He told him that the servant of the second
temple had replied his question "where are you going?" by saying "I will go wherever the
wind takes me."
- Forgive me, my master. You were right. They are dangerous people. I knew that
the servant was going to the market to buy fruit and vegetables, but I just wanted to talk
to him. I am sorry since I am defeated by his words, my master. I am the one who wants
to defeat him.
- The master realized from the words of his servant that the servant of the second
temple replied according to Zen teaching, and taught his servant to defeat the servant of
the second temple by using words.
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- Tomorrow you will go again to the place where you have met the servant of the
second temple. If he replies to you in the way he replied to you yesterday, retaliate
according to Zen teaching. Ask him: "What will you do if you do not have your foot?"
Because a soul does not possess a body it will go wherever the wind takes it.
The following day, the young man went to the same place with the joy of the
belief that he was going to beat his adversary by asking questions from the Zen teaching.
The servant of the second temple came, and the other asked:
- Where are you going?
- 1 am going to the market to buy fruit and vegetables.
So, what are you going to do in this condition? The things that the young man had
learned from his master did not help him.
In life, your desires and your expectations do not always happen. You must be
quick to respond. That is where the beauty of life is.
Dear son, dear daughter!
There are two virtues at school. One is the teacher's virtue; the other is the
student's virtue. When the teacher obeys the rules of the virtues of teachers, he becomes a
real teacher. It is said, "it is easy to be a scientist, it is difficult to be a man." Undoubtedly,

to be a scientist is not easy. Because one has to be a man before becoming a scientist. You
have to be a man before becoming a scientist. You will only become a person who knows
too much. The condition of becoming a scientist is being a man, and the condition of
science is virtue. The teacher has to be a scientist. The scientist is the person who finds
his own way in education and science.
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There are two parts of this way. The part before becoming scientist, and the part
after becoming scientist.
In the first part, man owns the science of variations.
In the second one, he produces new opinions because science is not only the
accumulation of knowledge and memorized realities, it is the totality of the concepts that
open the person's eyes. Science is not quantity, but quality. It provides a new quality to
the human character.
Not every person who reads can be a scientist.
The one who knows a lot is not a scientist.
The scientist needs his heart as well as his intelligence. The heart, transforms the
intelligence from being abstract to being solid. The real scientist is the person who is born
for science. Science is his country, and the other things are the things that are beyond the
boundaries of that country. But there is no indestructible wall between them. The scientist
is the person who transforms his science into a light that will illuminate the world.
It would not be proper for a real teacher, or a scientist to hide in his house. The
best scientist is the scientist who gives his science to other people's service. The scientist
who cannot teach is the man of greediness of intelligence and jealousy of opinion.
Science is such a treasure that it becomes more valuable when you give it to other people.
Science is such a treasure that you can give it to other people and also benefit from it
yourself. The more science you give to other people, the more concrete it becomes in
your mind. The person who knows this truth is the real scientist that is why he never
hesitates to share the things he knows with other people.
At school, the rules of student virtues should be obeyed. The only thing that a
student must think about has to be science and books. The intelligence of science loves
powerful
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minds, the humble, the well intentioned, and the enthusiastic. The aim of the student is
not to learn by heart and to repeat, it should be to learn to think. To learn by heart means
to be pleasant with what the teacher knows.
To learn by heart is to be content with the few pieces of gold that the teacher
gives. To learn to think, is to earn the key of the treasure that is full of countless pieces of
gold. So, what is science? Science is not the knowledge that is learned by heart.
Throughout our lives, we read every kind of book and learn a lot of knowledge. But can
we preserve all of it in our minds? Of course not. The real science is the knowledge that
is preserved in our minds for our entire lives. The others are lost with the wind. The

preserved knowledge is our own property, our own wealth; it becomes a part of us by
settling in our minds and hearts. It is an object used for life, and it shows us the way.
About this subject there is a story about His Holiness, Nagshsibendi.
A man approached Bahiddin Naksibendi and said:
- 1 traveled the seven seas. From one master to another, I learned everything, and
passed the major distances in the religious order. The things that I have learned provided
me a boundless joy. There is no other person like me because I have been to more
different places than everyone else. I have taken lessons from numerous masters. I have
heard your mastery in every corner around the world. And now I want to be your
follower.
Naksibendi asked some questions to detect whether he traveled the seven seas,
and to understand what he had learned from numerous masters. Then he asked his
servants to prepare a superb meal. The person who had gone there to be his follower,
appreciated this offer of Naksibendi.
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First came the rice. The master said: "Eat, eat," the man ate a lot and became full.
The candidate continued to eat since he thought that it would not be proper to stop eating
while the master was telling him to eat. Then came the fruit, then every kind of desert,
and after that, again the rice. The candidate was full because of these never-ending offers,
but he continued to eat since he thought that it would not be proper to stop eating because
he saw that his eating made Naksibendi pleasant.
It is the duty of the follower to please the master.
The young man ate too much. It was obvious that he had eaten too much from his
every move. He began to feel bad, and he put his head on the pillow. Bahiddin
Naksibendi said to the young man:
- You don't feel fine, I guess.
- M y stomach suffers while digesting the food.
- Right. Hey, young man, your situation resembles the one in the religious order.
You have learned a lot from numerous masters, but you could not apply to your life all
the things you have learned, you could not digest them. What a pity, you could not take
all the things you have learned. The reason why I have let you eat on your own was to
understand who you are. I accept you as my follower, but my first condition is that you
act according to the things you have learned. You have every kind of knowledge in your
mind; it cannot accept any other knowledge. The young man considers that the master
was right.
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EVERYONE HIS OWN GARDENER
My dear Turkmen nation!
We all have been created by the Almighty God, we are still undiscovered
treasures. The Great God has created each of us as a treasure, but we are a treasure that is

still not discovered completely. The key for the treasure is inside us. Each of us can open
this treasure, which was freely given to us with the only keys - with zeal and by
struggling. Our lives will fade away from the memories like an unnoticed hidden
treasure, unless human-beings work.
Work is a person's self-representation. The living witness that shows a man is
alive is his work and his toil. Work helps the man to reach maturity, and the life to reach
beauty. Humankind is the most perfect creature in the universe.
There are features of flawlessness. Firstly, the most perfect creature that God has
created is the man. This is the first half of flawlessness. Here the Creator's will, power
and science reveal themselves. The second half that completes flawlessness is hidden in
man. It is what makes the man use his all senses in the most profitable way. What lies
behind this is God's power and His divine dispensation. God has commenced; being
perfect is left to him and his will. Because of this, work is a manifestation of God's will
by human command.
All thinkers state that toil is the visible form of love.
There are three types of love:
Love of lust,
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Love of heart,
Love of toil,
Love of lust provides the continuity of the race and generations of all living
things.
Love of heart provides the continuity of the soul, and its result is a good character.
Toil is material love, the materialization of love.
Toil can be considered as love from two perspectives; it gives results and products
like the other forms of love. In conclusion, the value that we define is one of the most
prominent values in human life and the world. Only the life with consequences can have
a meaning. If there is no consequence, life is void. The consequence of toil is the level of
welfare and the beauty of life. Nature, with the season of autumn, produces a new period
of time. The time that is created there completes the development in a certain period of
time. Life without a harvest, and work without a result are meaningless and bad. Value is
born from the result, the product and the profit. If these were not present, man would quit
this world and his life like he would give up his wish for living. Value is limited within
eternity. For the continuity of life, time has to be eternal. If time stops, life comes to an
end. Also, this continuity of time, which is accumulated in a certain period, yields result
and profit. Toil makes life visibly more beautiful. Humankind has passed certain
distances because of the consequences of his toil. Man's love for toil is the same with his
wish for happiness. Love makes man happy and allows him to feel this happiness
thoroughly. This happiness is a mixture of joys which belong to the heart. Toil gives man
a boundless and unique spiritual joy. As well as protecting man's health, toil makes the
man spiritually happy. With toil human life is saved from meaninglessness, aimlessness,
begging, and depression.

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Only the working man enjoys life because work is the key to happiness.
Happiness is not given by other people, it is earned. Happiness is not a value that man
takes from outside, it is a value created and developed by the individual.
Toil is life's fidelity. Toil is life's blessing.
Toil gives man the opportunity to be himself. For every human-being a child is
precious, but the value of his own child is more so. Similar to this, the value of the wealth
that the man earns himself is more precious than wealth he did not work for.
Toil develops the intelligence, it polishes the mind.
Every individual has a certain amount of intelligence. In fact humankind is the
greatest intelligence and mind of the universe. In order to polish this mind, one must
study, work hard and think. Working is not only for earning someone's living. In reality, a
good life is related to the sustenance that God gives. The meaning of toil is different
because toil is the source of happiness. To be happy financial opportunity is needed, but it
is not adequate. Financial opportunity is one of the conditions of happiness. God gives
financial opportunities, but He does not give a prepared happiness. Man has to deserve
happiness by his own effort. This means that happiness arises from man's own hand, and
with his own desire.
When man falls in love he reveals the power of love in him, this hidden energy
gains freedom. Then he reaches happiness. Happiness means to be independent and free.
So it is with toil. It is to make your effort, intelligence, and success active. It is to be
happy by enjoying like a lover. That is why nothing will take the place of happiness that
is gained by toil. To be loved makes a man happy, to love increases happiness two times.
Wealth that is earned without toiling is good, but toiling and seeing its results is the
ultimate happiness. Peace and welfare can be reached through toil.
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Peace is above material sustenance, pleasures, and spiritual joys. Peace is to see the fruit
of life. Thus toil adds peace to life - it is the guarantee of happiness.
Remember the blossoming of a rosebud. When you have that kind of a chance,
you enjoy it spiritually; your eyes sense the pleasure. With the rose your heart also
blossoms. Thus have you ever thought about this reality? At moments like this not only
your heart, but even the rose becomes happy. Our hearts become happy because of this
beauty, and the rose becomes happy because of the toil that is used to materialize this
beauty.
Similar to the blossoming rosebud, humankind blooms his intelligence and being
by his toil. That is why toil makes life beautiful as it makes mankind.
My dear Turkmen people!
Do not stay away; do not be deprived of toil which is a benevolence of God!
Without toil they will not be production, the wealth that is earned without an effort is
worthless. The wealth given as a donor does not have any value for man. This type of
wealth is like a beautiful but artificial flower. The end of pleasure and enjoyment is pain

and torture, whereas peace is an endless spiritual wealth. God has created man free, but
made him dependent on his being about certain issues. The meaning of freedom consists
of the fact that both happiness and wickedness are the consequences of your own will.
Toil is also a source of happiness that is connected to the will. Thus if you want to be
completely happy, you must get accustomed to working from your youth. Learn to
work, to labor, to see their results, to enjoy life at an early age. Happiness is the peak, but
you cannot reach the peak instantly. You can reach the peak gradually. The complex
things, the inks start from their simple forms. When you are an infant, learn even the
easiest things.
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What is the thing we call simple? Achieving to do a simple thing gives it a value.
Everything that man accomplishes appears to him as simple. But this leads him to reach
higher goals. Mankind ascends continuously in time. Remember your childhood. A child
cannot give up playing. But for the child playing is not only playing, it means also to toil.
Because, similar to the grown-up people who mature by working, a child grows up by
playing. For a child, keeping his clothes clean is a toil because, in this way, he gets
accustomed to doing things on his own. Learning to read and write is also a big task for a
child. By reading and writing, a child learns to use his conscience and his thoughts.
Toil is an instrument to grow up. Man ascends to flawlessness by working just
like he ascends from one step to another while climbing the stairs. Human growth has
two forms: physical growing and spiritual growing. The first one is an outcome of nature,
the second one continues with the maturity of the soul. The second depends on man's will
with other factors. Thus man has to aim flawlessness in a conscious and logical manner.
This type of an orientation is established in childhood. Parents should teach the value of
working and toiling to their children. Learning not to give up and to be persistent begins
in childhood. A man obeys the things that he has got accustomed to during his childhood.
Sloth and giving up work gives temporary pleasure. Therefore it is natural for the child to
like these kinds of pleasure. Though how can a child possibly know that laziness and
idleness are temporary joys? Thus it is the duty of parents to protect their children from
these kinds of wrongs. When you get used to a difficulty, it has no danger. If a child gets
used to working, if he gets accustomed to working, toil becomes his character, and it
enriches his character. As a result, it will not be hard for him to overcome difficulties.
Man takes his parents as an example. If his father is hard-working, and his mother is
industrious, the
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child begins to work. The things that he sees are always good. A man has to teach his
child to do the easiest tasks, and to work with simple tools until he becomes two years
old. Turkmen people say "the father's profession is proper for the son." It would be proper
to teach the children in villages and cities the professions that are convenient to the
regions they live in. In villages, agricultural professions and in cities professions about
intelligence and arts are valid. In addition, people's special talents should be kept in mind

when choosing a profession. Farming, cattle raising, teaching, civil service, etc. -every
profession has its own secrets and mysteries. But in all professions the secret of success is
the same; dedication to your job and loving your profession.
Dear son, dear daughter! When you are young, get used to difficulties and
working.
Since youth becomes after childhood, and toil after playing, it would be difficult
to get accustomed to working. Being successful in life can be achieved by being
successful in business; and being ready for life can be achieved by being ready for
business.
Therefore, if you want to live successfully, strive to work! You need to be
enthusiastic and you have to love your profession to be successful in your job. Find the
job that you love with all your heart! If you do not enjoy the thing that you are doing, life
will be meaningless and dull! Look for a job which is suitable for your intelligence and
talent!
Do not run away from your job, do not whine; go for your job!
To do the job that you do not want and you cannot accomplish is a burden for
other people. Not only you suffer; you will be a trouble for the others. You will make
your job useless; you will lose your spirits! Thus a person should not only choose the boy
orthegirlthatheisorsheisgoingtobe
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happy with, before that, he or she has to find the job, the profession that he or she is
going to be successful at. Do not hurt yourself by starting to do the job that you are not
going to achieve, show your seriousness in the job that you will accomplish!
Love your job! Then you will be happy. If you do your job, your house will be
beautiful, you will be beneficial to your people, and your profession will be valuable.
Happiness is gained by working. Zeal is hard work's comrade. Toil and zeal create
miracles. I want to tell you a story about Michelangelo. The famous master was walking
in the market. He called the marble-cutter. There he saw a big piece of marble. He walked
around the marble and stared at it for a long time. The master asked its price.
- If you want this, you can take it for free! I do not think that it will be useful for
you. It has been lying here for twelve years. You are the first to show an interest in it. If
you think that you can use it, please, take it.
The master took the stone and worked on it for a year. In a year, the experienced
sculptor made a famous magnificent statue from the stone. He depicted Virgin Mari with
the pretty baby Jesus in her arms. The master went to the market to show the marble-
cutter how a beautiful statue could be made from that stone. The marble-cutter could not
believe his eyes when he saw the statue:
- Where did you buy this beautiful statue?
- This is the marble that you gave me for free, the stone which you said that you
could not sell for twelve years.
- How did you get the idea to create a wonderful work of art from that dull and
worthless stone?

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Michelangelo replied:
- I did not consider it at that moment. I had the intention to make a gigantic statue
like this. When I came to the market, the idea came to my mind. I was wandering under
its effect. I looked at the stone that was waiting for twelve years. I would not like to
exaggerate, but I thought that I saw Jesus Christ in the stone. It was as if he was saying:
"I am in this stone. Save me." I listened to my heart. I felt that I was not deceived. I cut
the useless parts from the stone that I took from you, and saved Jesus Christ and Virgin
Mari.
By telling this event, I aimed to tell you that you should listen to your heart and
get accustomed to it. Our heart is the most reliable advisor in our lives. The heart does not
betray. We push ourselves into difficult conditions by following it because of our desires.
Why have we chosen the way of our ancestors, developed it according to the
conditions of the times, and declared it as the sacred way of our people and state?
Because our ancestors' way is a sacred way of the accumulation of experience, it is the
way that completes the Turkmen nation's customs and traditions, its nature and character,
its soul and conscience!
What is the essence of this way?
Belief, purity, security, trust, respect, love, fraternity, friendship and the union of
blood.
Our ancestors' belief was strong. They trusted their elders, the important people
in the society and the leaders.
They trusted their homeland, people, and their country.
They trusted their land.
Our sacred land is our endless treasure.
They believed that their children would have had the chance to live on these lands
prosperously and freely after they provided the order, peace, security, friendship and
fraternity.
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They accepted this holy land as God's gift and an opulent treasure. Our ancestors
believed in their power and zeal.
Our ancestors first believed in God, then in man himself.
They believed that the souls of their deceased ancestors were alive.
Our ancestors saw various matters of life as treasure.
Our ancestors accepted seven things as treasure.
A Turkmen's job and life are directly related to these seven things.
So, what are these seven treasures of Turkmen? To me, the seven treasures of
Turkmen are as follows:
(1) Land: It is the first among the seven treasures of Turkmen. Perhaps, we
practiced the justice that the world has never seen. We gave thousands of hectares of

Turkmen land to the real farmers for free. Land gives the equivalent of the work done by
the worker and laborer generously, gives the farmer abundance and welfare. The farmer
who has a land to sow will not suffer. We have a fertile land. These lands return one seed
in a thousand, or two thousand. We have lands on which we make two or three harvests a
year. If we cannot increase the production rates of cotton, wheat, rice, fruit and
vegetables, we would be disrespectful to this land. Five thousand years ago, our ancestors
sowed wheat and produced cotton on these lands. Today it is known by the experts that
the land of white wheat is anew.
We receive a good production from the two million hectares of land that we use.
In the future, we will have a ten times greater farming land; we have vast and untouched
barren lands.
(2) The second treasure: Horse breeding
The Turkmen has seen as the horses that he raised as the symbol of sovereignty,
freedom, development, life and
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Homeland. Our people respect the horse breeders a lot. The most important vizier of the
Turkmen emperors and Sultans was the mehter leader. Mehter was responsible for the
entire country's war-horses, full-blood horses, and horse herds. Turkmen people were the
first to systematize the taming of horses by domesticating them. During the years that I
lived in Kıpçak I used to go to the ranch with the children of the village to water, to let
walk, and to wash the tamed horses. I really got used to the horses, so I could see the love
in their eyes. I could see the love in the eyes of the racehorses when I caressed their heads
and smiled with all my heart. I do not know another loyal animal except horses and dogs.
When I brought a horse to the river, I used to fly like Gorogly. The Bedouin horse used to
give its legendary wings to me. We could communicate with the Bedouin horses without
talking; there was not even the need for a language. When I finished my works in the
evening, the horse that I used to water would neigh, and start to jump. Could there be a
greater happiness than this for a person whose heart was broken like mine? I was finding
the love and caring in horses which I could have not found in human-beings. When I
managed to finish reading the legend of "Gorogly," I understood him, I understood the
Turkmen. Now I believe that the legend of "Gorogly" is not only about Gorogly, at the
same time it is about the white horse of the Turkmen.
Dear young people!
Read the legend of "Gorogly" over and over, and then you could become a patriot,
a brave man like him. You will understand the greatness of the Turkmen nation after
reading this legend. When I had no owner, I became winged with the horse, and the
legend of "Gorogly" helped me to be hopeful about my future. We have not chosen the
horse by chance as a symbol of the fifth period, the new period of Turkmen history.
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In this period, our souls have to be really beautiful, fast, like our horses, high spirited and
full of love like our horses.

(3) The third treasure: Carpet weaving.
Like the horse, the carpet is also sacred for Turkmen. Thousands of years of our
history, conscience, culture, and the beauty of our hearts have been ornamented to our
carpets. The Turkmen carpet is the choice of the most respectful palaces, museums, and
the wealthy people of the world.
The Turkmen carpet has always had a prestigious, rich, and prosperous life. Is
there a Turkmen family, which is not involved with carpet weaving? Our people who
realize the value of the third treasure, who accept carpet weaving as sacred, have always
lived prosperously because the carpet has always been valuable.
(4) The fourth treasure: Cattle breeding.
Our people believe that a shepherd who treats his animals well and does not beat
them will meet His Holiness, Hizir by the end of twenty years. If you can love a sheep
and take care of it for twenty years, even if you do not meet Hizir, you will gain a
considerable wealth because a sheep's every part is valuable. Its meat is medicine. Its
wool never loses its value because our people use sheep's wool in weaving, and use its
skin to make shoes. In short, even sheep's excrements are not wasted, and are used as
dung to make the land fertile, and to have more products. During the soviet period, our
people were introduced to the entire world as nomads because nomadic people do not
know reading and writing, and they do not have spaces, land, or vineyards. By saying,
"Czar's Russia has come to take the nomads to the level of world civilization," the
invaders aimed to purify their politics. Turkmen have never been a nomadic people. Can
the nation who made global art with the Turkmen carpet, the most perfect carpet of the
world, be nomadic?! Can the nation which has established more than seventy states in
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history be nomadic?! Turkmen has always been one of the important nations in the
consummation of fruit and vegetables. Turkmen people are tall and athletic, and they are
good warriors since they consume a lot of fruit and vegetables. Milk, yogurt, airan are the
foodstuff that the Turkmen likes and values.
Our people have known for a long period of time that the drinks made of camel's
milk are medicine.
Story: When Lokman Hekim was on his deathbed, the prominent people said:
- Hekim, you were a great doctor who found remedies for thousands of diseases.
Now what are we going to do without you?
Lokman Hekim replied:
- There is no better doctor than the camel! Feed camel for its milk. Make clothes
and socks from its wool, then no disease will manage to approach you.
In Turkmen land, where there is less water than Black Sand, the camel has a
special place. Every day camels walk for kilometers, eat the healing herbs of the desert,
and provide dairy products that are beneficial to our people's health. Everyone knows that
there are people who have become very rich by feeding camels.
Since the earliest times, Turkmen have benefited from the camel.
The scientist who has found camel bones at Namazga-Hill discovered that camels

were present within the boundaries of Turkmenistan, and they were used as transportation
vehicles, and animals for working.
Turkmen has traveled the tough roads of the Silk Road with camel caravans.
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The Turkmen has carried his load with camels. There is a saying about the
strength and power of the Turkmen camels: "If there is a male camel in the caravan, the
load will stay on the ground."
The Turkmen said: "To carry the palanquin, a white female camel is needed." The
bride sat on the palanquin like sitting on a throne.
The Turkmen saw camels as property.
Lokman Hekim's words about camels are not rumors, they are the truth. It is
known that camels have an important place in medicine.
(5) The fifth treasure: Poultry
Today poultry raising has become the fastest growing sector in our country. In
towns and villages, thousands of hens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and even ostrich are bred,
and production in this area increases day by day. Some produce chicks by artificial
methods since it is an easy way, some others let the chickens incubate because the
chickens which are bred in this way endure diseases, and their meat is delicious. The
number people who nourish turkeys in pastures are not few in number.
In this sector, there are poultries with modern hencoops that are comparable to the
ones in European countries in addition to the thousands of poulterers.
(6) The sixth treasure: Books.
The Turkmen's treasure of science is his eternal treasure. No one can steal this
treasure. This treasure does not become worn-out, or lose its value. This treasure is
always its owner's protector and guardian. This treasure is an inexhaustible treasure
which makes its owner both wealthy and happy. The Turkmen nation has given a great
importance to science and education since the reign of Oguz Khan. Oguz Khan
endeavored immensely to make each Oguz educated and
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rational. He recommended that every citizen learn not one but seven languages. The
Turkmen people have kept Oguz Khan's "A man who has a strong science defeats the
man who has a strong wrist" saying in their hearts for thousands of years, and adapted it
to their lives. This saying has a great place and stake in Turkmen's remaining Turkmen,
and in being saved from perils for hundreds of years. In the schools that were established
by Oguz Khan and which educated young rulers various foreign languages were as well
as leadership and war tactics. Education in different branches of science was given. The
Turkmen nation has placed great importance on our ancestors' advice, and always lived
according to them. The Turkmen people who founded more than seventy states in history
have lived with their own philosophers and thinkers, not with other people's ideas.
Turkmen people have endeavored to comprehend even the religion of Islam by reading
the poems of Makhtumkuli. The Karahanli people made use of Yusuf Hashacib of

Balasagun's "Kutadgu Bilig", the Seljuks of Nyzam'ul Mulk's Siyasetname, the Salurs of
Sheik Seref Hodja's Muinu'i-Murit, and the Akkoyunlu (White Sheep) people of Long
Hasan's Kanunname as handbooks. The Turkmen nation has always appreciated the value
of science, and the book's worth and importance.
It is said that Makhtumkuli exchanged his book for a camel, Ersari Baba (13th
- 14th centuries) was given forty camels for his book and he always personally cared for
the education of the people.
The Turkmen nation's struggle for education has been protected in our national
heritage. You will recognize how deep, how intellectual, and how high-spirited is the
spiritual world of the Turkmen people when you encounter our literary heritage closely.
(7) The seventh treasure: Water.
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The Almighty God creates the essence when He wants to create the universe.
From the essence He creates water, from water He creates the universe, and from the
universe He creates the world. When God creates the primal sea, water recognizes His
grace. Thus, water runs continuously by adding the color of the sky to its color, and by
saying "I wish I would see Hakk's face again." In the legend of "Gorkut ata," the miracle
of water is described like this:
"In front of the cauldron, water came out"; he called out to the water by saying:
"Water has seen Hakk's face, I should communicate with water."
Our legends refer to situations like sending someone's compliments with water,
and asking someone's beloved one to water.
The belief that water is a miracle is still common among the people. In some
places they say, "One should not go to take water before the right time." If someone goes,
he will greet water by saying "Esselamü aleyküm, mother water."
Our ancestors who observed that a fierce thunder is soothed with rainfall,
distinguished water as a great power. When a cyclone emerges, nomads spill water into
its direction by saying, "Go away trouble, stand aside trouble." This is a manifestation of
beliefs about water.
The presence of the sayings among the people such as Mir Haydar is the master of
wind, Burkut is the master of rain, Baba Dayhan is the master of crops, Oraz is the master
of fire, Veyis Baba (Veysel Karani) is the master of camels, David is the master of iron,
and Moses is the master of cattle inform us that Turkmen people have some certain
beliefs. There were times when our ancestors portrayed God as a woman, and worshipped
her. The tradition of comparing God with the beautiful beloved one is based on these
beliefs. The image of Zoroaster, Zoroastrianism's - the religion of the majority of the
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Turkmen nation before Islam - prophet, falls on an irradiant thing when he drinks water
and goes to Murgap River during the spring festival. It is called "Vahu MaKhan" (good
intention). Thus, fire was accepted as the symbol of goodness. That day has been
celebrated as Nevroz. In those days, people used to worship the Sun in the skies, and fire,

which they saw as a part of the Sun, on the earth.
When there was lightning, they thought that God was angry with them. Therefore,
beliefs like saluting the Sun, rubbing hands on their faces when they saw the Moon,
burning straw in festivals and when a bride comes, burning incense sticks in some
months, jumping over the fire, putting flames around a sick person, drinking from a
breathed water on straw, accepting water as God and sacred have taken their places
among Turkmen traditions. The beliefs about water and rain involving Tuytekin,
Gaytarmıs Ata, Garri Mama who hit his cup made of leather for rain are beliefs that
belong to the period of fire-worshipping. Makhtumkuli's poem named "Let the rain fall,
my Sultan," was inspired by the tradition to beg for rain from the sky god in the fire-
worshipping period.
*****
Dear young people!
These seven treasures of our nation are the values which open the gates of our
people's spiritual world and make them comprehensible. The interest of our people in
these values and their inner world make them different from other nations.
Of course every nation has its own national peculiarities and values. A society
which protects, respects and admires its nationality always lives in unity. We must protect
our national heritage, and transfer our national values to our children and the coming
generations just like our ancestors have done.
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Our people search, research, and find out. How can we be very rich? How can we
be a wealthy family? The one who searches will discover. There are a lot of cows, camels
and horses in front of every house. There are hens, turkeys, and rabbits in front of every
house that will be adequate to feed their owners.
Farmers and cattle raisers are exempt from every tax. DayKhan Banks
(Agriculture Banks) offer credits to the men of initiative, land owners, and cattle raisers
on proper conditions. What else is needed to become rich? We must only free ourselves
from the Soviet period's approach. Each family and each house in the state's structure is a
tiny state.
The rulers of every state must think and consider making their families wealthy.
You should not wait for orders from above.
Some people are capable of achieving this as if they got accustomed to it during
their childhood. These people are capable and talented from their birth.
In general, people are determined to work because, during the million years of his
life, mankind has become purified and has reached a certain level as a consequence of his
labor and hard work. In the Soviet regime everything belonged to the state. Average
amounts, which would not let you die but also which did not respect your work and
effort, were paid to you. The person who brought water and who broke the pot were
considered equal. You continued to be paid whether you worked or not. In the end, the

people lost their desire to work. As a matter of fact, it was clear that this was going to
happen because the trouble that you suffer becomes meaningless when another person
takes the profit of the work done. In the 1960s, the people who were working at the
kolhoz were not paid monthly; they were only paid for the days that they worked. In the
end of each year, they got their small allocations from a share of
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the annual production in proportion to the days that they worked. In the 1960s, the man
who had a higher position in the kolhoz management used to get a higher salary than the
man working there. The smart men who did not work and who hated working earned
more than the working men, and got higher salaries. Thus people naturally lost their
desire to work. Lands became unusable! Selling the products of their lands was another
trouble. They regard involvement in that business as profiteering. To be healthy you need
to have a normal blood circulation. You need to work for that.
*****
My dear citizens!
I resolved the matter from every perspective. Every place - mountains, plains, the
desert, the steppe - in Turkmenistan are fertile places for production, we have a bright
future. I want to boast with this fact. In the small number of years since our
independence, we have confirmed the value of our land, water, desert, and mountains. We
have believed that all these places are important and we have understood one truth:
It is possible to plant trees in every barren land in Turkmenistan.
On our mountains, walnut, pine, oak, and plane trees will grow in a short time.
We have started to transform empty spaces into forests. In forty or fifty years, Kopetdag,
Koytendag, and the Balkan mountains will become forests. The skirts of the
Turkmenistan Mountains, Khanhovuz, Gulistan, Sasenem steppes and the Kesearkac hills
will be resplendent with every kind of trees. Dehistan will become a subtropical
woodland.
The vast Ustyurt lowlands that reach Aybogur will become abundant and fertile
lands.
The 80% of Turkmenistan land is desert. Yes desert. But why? It is desert because
until now we had enough land to
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cultivate. But now along the Murgap and Jeyhun rivers, new lands are opening up since
there is not enough land to cultivate. In ten years, these places will become fertile.
Plough, sow, take care, and harvest! There is no desert in Turkmenistan! The deserts in
Turkmenistan are yet untouched places, but they are fertile lands that will be transformed
into rose gardens.
You will reply to these ideas of mine by saying, "unfortunately there is no water."
This is not only your idea, some administrators think in the same manner also.

In fact, this idea belongs to the past!
The ideas that belong to the past cannot shape the future.
There is too much water in Turkmenistan, more than you want!
God has given the land, would He not give its water? Right, it does not rain
heavily as it rains in Europe. We do not have numerous rivers. We only have seven rivers.
But is it not enough for a state to have seven rivers? Water is of course golden! Do not
put the blame on someone else if you cannot make gold from gold!
We have enough water, enough money, and our hardworking people to make
every corner of Turkmenistan suitable for cultivation.
As the structure, government style, and conscience of the Soviet system was
wrong, our consideration of land and nature was also wrong. In only a short period of
time like seventy years, we misused our land and made our vast lowlands and land
infertile. We tired the land by giving less and wanting more. Not only our land, all the
lands of Central Asia have become barren. Now it is more difficult to make those lands
fertile. But by saying it happened like this in the past and by only talking there is no need
to lose time. The Turkmen must make his land fertile! The Turkmen should make his land
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fertile, but how? I have thought a lot about this important subject:
Turkmen Lake has come to my mind as a solution.
I prepared the draft of Turkmen Lake by working on the map of Turkmenistan and
by traveling on the sea of ideas at nights. I have talked to experts, scientists,
administrators and landowners. They have found my ideas accurate!
The Turkmen Lake project is not only a project of Turkmenistan's era; this project
is perhaps one of the most important projects of the century, or the world. Turkmen Lake
has the capacity to make both Turkmenistan and the barren lands of the entire Central
Asia region fertile. Turkmen Lake is the rebirth of the nature. Right now, the construction
of Turkmen Lake continues at a high speed. Turkmen Lake is the new sea that will
become real with the Turkmen miracle, and it is going to be 80 kilometers in width, and
120 kilometers in length!
Turkmen Lake consists of a million kilometers of irrigation and used salt-water
canals equivalent to ten thousand kilometers of river and a hundred thousand kilometers
of trenches. Turkmen Lake will consist of a ten thousand kilometer long river, and a
hundred thousand kilometer long stream. As a result, Turkmen land will again be fertile
with its vital points. Today, during emergencies, the water taken from the collectors at
Mari (Merv), Dagoguz, and Lebap is used for the irrigation of crops. Thus a million-
kilometer long collectors will not only be useful for the soil, they will also increase their
amount while passing through their mainline.
Turkmen Lake is going to be the second Ceyhun Sea. Right, its water is salty. But
if there is water, even if it is salty, it is not difficult to distil it in our age. We can get gas
from the gas pits that we have probed wherever we want near Turkmen Lake. In the close
future, we will help the nature's rebirth in the Balkan lowlands, in the sub-tropic areas of
Dehistan, and in

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Ustyurt's vast territory by using Turkmen Lake's distilled water.
A million-kilometer long collectors can make the climate of Dagoguz milder. It
will make the hot summers of Turkmenistan cooler.
Thousands of years have passed since Turkmen people started to dig up canals
and irrigate their crops. Ceytun civilization and agriculture, which has a history of eight
thousand years, is accepted as the starting point of Turkmen agriculture. Historical
sources confirm the usage of irrigation systems in Ceytun.
But in the last seventy-eighty years the irrigation canals have become completely
ineffective. They were seen as the useless heritage of the past. The canals have lost their
importance since we started to dig pits to find water. But after five or ten years, the water
of the pits becomes salty. We gave up using irrigation canals, and wasted our fertile
resources by struggling to find more water because of our greed.
I tell you: "The irrigation canals are not our past, but they are our future."
The elderly people talk about thousands of irrigation canals in the districts of
Kesearkaç, Etek, and Arcman. Where are those canals? A few of them are left. Why?
Because entering a battle with nature and taking what we want from it by force became a
rule in the Soviet period. Who would care about the canals when there was the possibility
to dig pits and to use them in a month? Digging pits and pumping water are against the
rules of nature. There would be a natural harmony if we benefit from water by using
irrigation canals.
We consider each drop of water a gem. Now in the lands we cultivate there is
enough water, but in the near future we will cultivate more lands, and we will learn more
to earn riches. It will not be an exhausting task for our state to dig
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irrigation canals from the steppes of Mene-Cece to the Balkans. Do not the canals full of
water symbolize the presence of the second Ceyhun in Turkmenistan?
The irrigation canals are the business of the future. Has not the state of Iran turned
its lands to rose gardens? We will establish the system of large irrigation canals in a short
period of time. Turkmen people will never suffer from lack of water and drought!
Historians indicate that the rest of the world utilized the same type of irrigation
systems that had been used in Turkmen land. Indeed, since the earliest times,
Turkmenistan has been seen as the land of agriculture. It is one of the highest footsteps of
human development after the passage from nomadic life to established life.
Six or seven thousand years ago, our ancestors transferred water to their fields by
digging irrigation canals and building water ponds. They achieved to water the crops
without pumps by building head walls on Murgap, Tecen, and other rivers and by
augmenting water levels. Thus, wherever you look in Turkmenistan, you will recognize
the ruins of old canals and water ponds.
And now our people are digging canals, building ponds, and sowing seeds in the
fields like their ancestors did seven thousand years ago. Today, the total length of the

irrigation canals in Turkmenistan has reached millions of kilometers.
We must dig million-kilometer long canals; continue to do that every year, we
must take care of them, and clean them annually. The labor that is done for the canals is
neither more nor less than the labor done in the fields. Today, we have the obligation to
dig irrigation canals to bring water to two million hectares of land. We do not have
special canal digging machines. The excavators achieve this task. The excavator does not
dig up properly. As a result, one third of the water
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vanishes before reaching the irrigation area. The canals made from soil turn into swamps
and reed-beds. More simply put, we must spend half of our efforts, which we spend for
crop production, for water. In a short time, Turkmenistan will become the land of grapes
and our vineyards will be irrigated by water-drip method. Soon, orchards and gardens
will appear on the million hectares of Turkmen land, gardeners will irrigate their gardens
by the drip method.
In a short time, the Karakum will become a shady and fertile forest as a
consequence of the water pipes.
In a short time, the Mesedi-Missiran and Dehistan steppes will become walnut,
nut, orange and lime forests. They will also be irrigated by the drip method. There, we
will plant coffee and tea trees.
The vast Ustyurt territory becomes the land of white wheat, the "white gold."
Now, these are all dreams, but they will become true in the future.
Turkmen have achieved every task like performing an art. It is also possible to see
this art in both pits and irrigation canals.
Turkmen have always been engaged in the search for water. The Karakum Desert
covers an important part of our country. In the desert which nourishes the Turkmen
people, a drop of water is appraised like a particle of gold. That is why water is called
"zer" (gold), and an irrigator is called "zerger" (money-changer).
Since the earliest times, digging up pits has been considered as the most
prestigious profession. The master of digging has become a respectable person in the
society.
The pits are made in a few ways: the pits which are dug up on cracked surfaces,
and which accumulate the water from
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the ponds that appear after rainfalls are called "çirla." They have sweet water. Pits are
also dug up on the hills of wandering dunes. Their water is lightly salty, and it can be
used for the animals.
Pits are also dug up on clayed and solid lands. But digging these pits has always
been very difficult. The pits that are dug up on solid lands are called "çovluk." In these
types of pits, water accumulates seeping drop by drop through the walls of the pit. These
pits are called "damdam."

The people who live in sandy places protect their pits with great care. From time
to time they clean them because these pits constitute the water supply of the people of the
sandy places (the steppe people). In the Karakum desert, there are pits which are three
hundred meters in depth. They are the deepest pits on the earth.
Pits are the sources of life and existence for the people who live in the country.
Irrigation canals had the same importance for our ancestors who lived on the skirts of the
mountains. The masters of canal [kariz] building are called "karizgen."
The bases of their extremely hard work, which requires effort and toil, go back to
the ancient times. In the villages and the cities on the skirts' of the mountains, irrigation
canals were used even before 1000 B.C.
Irrigation canals were invented to bring sweet water that accumulated
underground to the surface. They consisted of a few pits which collected underground
water, and the canals that united the pits. The pits are 2-5 meters in depth, 1 meter in
width, and the distance between two pits is 20-40 meters. The length of underground
canals can be one or two kilometers. Every hundred meters, the irrigation water can
incline 10-15 centimeters; the difference in height can reach 60-70 meters at
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the bottom of the canal. Its walls are strengthened with wood and bricks to avoid the
destruction of pits and passages.
The craft of karizgens [canal builders] has passed from one generation to another.
The irrigation canals bear the names of the master who built them, or the name of
the person who ordered them to be built.
There are 175 canals of all sizes at the skirts of Kopetdag.
Archeologists have discovered evidence of an ancient people settled in Turkmen
land that used irrigation systems.
Thus canals, pits, and artificial irrigation systems served our people immensely to
obtain water for them. Just because of this, our people used their intelligence and brains
extremely well to establish these underground systems. Fine art is born when intelligence
and craft unites.
*****
Dear young people!
Pottery was an enormously developed branch of art in ancient Turkmen culture
and civilization. But, with the Middle Ages, a regression and fall have started in the art of
pottery
Pottery, was prevalent in the western cities during the earliest periods. In cities
like Dehistan, Sehrislam, Nusay, Merv, and Sarahs making pottery by baking hard, red-
clay in spheres had become one of the most leading crafts. These potteries were in
various forms, and their surfaces were decorated with scenes from our ancestors' daily
life and living.
The art of pottery saw its brightest age especially in the 8th-9th centuries. In the

cities of Misserian, Sehrislam, Durun, Nusay, and Abiverd, large earthenware jars (30-40
meters), glassed jars to save wheat, "golcha" to save other food, basins,
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and pitchers were made. The potteries were painted in beautiful colors, and they were
ornamented with calligraphy in "kufi" style. The things written on the potteries were
generally about good wishes such as: "May it be abundant," "Good appetite to he who
eats from this vessel," "I wish the owner of this vessel lives a long life," etc".
It is possible to come across the ruins of the old civilizations all around
Turkmenistan. There, archeologists have discovered exceptional architectural examples.;
On these lands, architecture commenced with Ceytun civilization around 7th-6th
centuries B.C .
Goksuyri, Garadepe, Namazgadepe, Anev, and Yenikent are the centers of ancient
civilization. In that period, strong houses and even palaces were constructed.
Urbanization started on Turkmen land between 3rd -2nd centuries B.C.
The establishment of the worldwide famous cities like Dehistan, Nusay, Gurgenç,
Margiana goes back to the ancient times. It is possible to come across the examples of the
architecture of the Middle Ages in many places. Ebu Fazl in Serahs, Astanababa in the
district of Atamurat (Kerki), Ebu Said Mehnevi mausoleums in Mehne, Dayahatun
Caravanserei, the mosques and minarets of Dehistan, and other works of art are among
these examples. The old city of Merv, which embraces masterpieces of architecture, and
which is known as "the mother of Khorasan cities" is the city that incorporates a few
fortresses within its limits. Strabon, the traveler who journeyed through Margiana
mentioned that the city was surrounded by a circular wall which was 250 kilometers in
length.
The two-storied palaces built in the city of Merv demonstrate that Turkmen
people have been experts in construction since the earliest times. Each palace and each
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building was decorated with authentic ornaments. Right- angled arches, big doors which
take the form of a triangle on the top, added a national taste to the buildings with the
principal gates. The domes of the buildings were covered with enameled tiles. These
works of architecture became examples for other cities.
Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum in Merv is the magnum opus of Turkmen architecture.
It had been built so strong that even the soldiers of Jingiz Khan could not manage to
destroy it.
Arabian traveler, Yakut bin Hamavi wrote that the dome of this mausoleum was
seen from a one-day distance.
Residuddin from the ulema of the Middle Century said, "It is the greatest
masterpiece of the world."
The architect of this building is Muhammet ibn Atsizi, the famous master of
construction of Serahsli. lts foundation was laid in four meters, its height is thirty-eight
meters, and its walls were laid with quadrangular bricks. The authentic architectural

design of the building, the decorations on the walls reveal the flawlessness of Turkmen
architects.
Other beautiful works of art in Merv are the Kizbibi vault, the mausoleum of
Mohammed bin Zeyd, the mosque of Hodja Yusuf Hemedani ... All of these embrace the
national signs of Turkmen architecture.
*****
The constructions, which were built in the city of Kohne Urgenc, also bear the
marks of our nation in architecture. The mausoleums of Il Arslan, Tekes, Necmettin
Kubra, Torebek Hatun, and Piryar Veli, the minaret of Kutluk Timur and other unique
works of art fascinate the minds of people with their colossal appearance.
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The minaret of Kutluk Timur is not only the highest construction of
Turkmenistan; it is also among the highest buildings of Central Asia. When it was
constructed, it was eighty meters long; now its length is sixty-five meters. The
rumor that the aggressive soldiers of Jingiz Khan destroyed the top of the minaret is
talked about everywhere.
The emperor of the time who ordered the construction of the minaret decided to
kill the architect after its completion since he wanted it to be only one of its kind. When
the architect discovered the emperor's evil intention, he began to find out a solution to
save his head. While erecting the minaret, he also made a pair of wings from leather and
reed. At the moment he finished his task, he flew away from the top of the minaret.
*****
There are a lot rumors among people about how famous architects and artists
saved their lives by using their own skills. I think it would be appropriate to tell the rumor
about Torebek Hatun, which I consider very important for the young people. According to
the rumor, Torebek Hatun became the emperor after her father's death. Torebek Hatun
was the single child of her family, and she was beautiful and haughty. Everybody went to
see her, but she liked none of her suitors. Her beauty astonished many virile, brave men.
An excellent master fell in love with Torebek Hatun. He composed numerous odes and
poems which illustrated her beauty and depicted his affection for her. Torebek Hatun
liked the poems of the brave man named Seyid. But because of her pride she never let
him know that.
Torebek Hatun asked Seyid what his skills were. Seyid replied that he was a good
architect. When she heard that, Torebek Hatun ordered him to construct the most
beautiful
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building of the city. Then she said that if she would like it, she would marry him, but if

she disliked it, she would put him to death. Seyid accepted the condition, and started to
work. With his unique talent Seyid built a construction which had never been seen before.
The ones who saw it admired the building. In a short time, everyone learnt the beauty of
this building. Torebek Hatun went to see the building with her viziers and his men at the
palace. The building immediately conquered the girl's heart, and she decided to make the
building her palace.
The emperor girl asked:
- "Can you do a more beautiful building than this?"
Seyid replied:
- "If you wish, I will do it"
Torebek Hatun stated, "Build me a mausoleum. If I like it, I will marry you."
Hearing these words from Torebek Hatun, the architect became exulted. Seyid
embellished all his skills, his love, and talent on this building. In the end, he built another
beautiful construction. One day, Torebek Hatun visited the mausoleum with her viziers
and her men at the palace. This one was more stunning than the previous building. The
people who saw it admired it, they flattered the architect and presented their gratitude and
indebtedness. Torebek Hatun also liked the mausoleum. She called the architect by her
side, and said:
- "You have done a good work. I cannot deny, you are talented, well done. But
now prove your love for me!"
- "What can I do to show that I love you?"
- "Jump from the top of this building!"
The people around Torebek Hatun were amazed by these words, and said: "Our
Sultan, this is an insult and a great mistake. This was really too much. Please be
compassionate to him! If you do not want to marry him, just let him go."
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Torebek Hatun frowned, examined the people around her attentively. Everybody was
petrified, and could not look at her face. The young man in love looked at her in an
astonished manner, and did not want to believe his ears. The Sultan lady flirted with him
by smiling kindly, and showed the way to the top of the mausoleum with her delicate
hands. The young architect turned back, looked at Torebek Hatun from the tip of his eye,
her smile and her charm melted his heart. Her mesmerizing eyes and her slim waist set
the brave architect's heart on fire. The love that accepted every complaint voluntarily did
not think about death even for a moment. He began to climb the steps with all his energy
to achieve his beloved oners desire. There, he was at the top of the building. Below, down
there, the Sultan girl, about whom Seyid had dreamed through sleepless nights, was
looking at him.
The brave man who wanted to meet his beloved one jumped from the top.
People took the young man who was in the throes of death to his house. Each
bone in his body was broken and he was in agony, but could not die because he had
accomplished the last task that his beloved one told him to do. Seyid wanted to see the
Sultan. The prominent inhabitants of the city gathered, and talked to Torebek Hatun: "If

you will not go to see this brave man who has sacrificed himself for you, and tell him that
you belong to him, he will continue to suffer." The Sultan accepted this offer
involuntarily, visited the young man, and after consoling him with sweet words, told him
that she wants to marry him. The architect relaxed after this talk, a smile appeared on his
face, and he passed away. In the first book of Ruhnama, I underlined this fact
particularly: everybody must find his equal in this world. The end is obvious if you woo
someone without realizing who you are. Our ancestors wanted to emphasize this fact in
the story.
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*****
Dear son, dear daughter!
Be beneficial to your people if you want to gain from life what you desire!
Succeed in giving before you consider taking; the thing that you need will find you!
Put yourself forward by your work and your legitimate earning!
Know how to survive!
You will become what you want!
Explain yourself first with ideas, then with your work!
Postponing today's work to tomorrow is to be deprived of the fruit and taste of
today's labor. The taste of the newly cooked meal is different from the taste of the
leftovers. Peace does not come independently; hardships cannot be overcome
individually! While working work like a slave, so live like a gentleman. Life is
movement; if you want to live, move all the time! Your hands and mind should not know
to stop; they should be like your heart. Do not refrain from work; do not be intimidated
by hardships! Happiness and future cannot be reached in a short time. The more
hardships you see, the stronger you become! The joy of reaching your goal through
hardship is completely different!
Be perseverant! Get what you want, do not come with empty hands from where
you have gone!
You will meet a lot of obstacles on the road to success! If you fail in nine attempts
out of ten, but reach your goal in the tenth, this is very natural. Giving up because of
hardships is to reject your own self!
If there is no hard work, there will be no satisfaction!
Be hasty, have brilliant ideas, and do not worry!
Have sparkling thoughts, and a clear heart and eyes!
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Legitimate gain is your protector!
Do not see decent living as a trouble!
Deceptively illegitimate can be seen as a comfort, do not get close to it, legitimate
can be seen as hard, do not run away from it! The pain of the illegitimate is forever; the
pain of the legitimate is temporary!

Working means honor, do not turn your face from it!
In whatever form you accept life, it will happen that way! If you see it beautiful, it
will be beautiful; if you see it bad, it will be bad!
If you manage to appreciate the things you take, you will be able to give! If you
achieve to give, you will see appreciation!
Do not say you cannot do something before trying!
If you reach your goal, find bigger goals! Without goals life will be meaningless!
Spend your life with endeavoring!
The one who is determined and the extravert conquers the mountains, the timid
goes astray on the road!
The blood of sweat is a piece of gold! You will find what you seek!
A man is known by his work, a horse is known by its ambling, and a sword is
known by its sharpness! The only thing that will be your guarantor, and which will make
you a decent and a respectable person among other people is your toil. Staying away from
toil is giving up a decent life!
In similar fashion to how olive oil regenerates fire, working makes you faster,
more famous, and adds a different meaning and significance to your life!
Do not seek happiness in the exterior world, but inside you!
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Do not be tired of life, life does not accept discontent, it gives it back to you. Life
does lose the toils you give; you will get what you give! If you give joy, you will get joy;
if you give happiness, you will get happiness!
Be determined, work, attempt, and never stay wherever you are!
If you stop you cannot protect your position, you will go backward!
While working, work according to the rules because everything has a rule. It is in
vain to talk about success and results in a place where there are no rules. Working
systematically needs effort, and it is also a manifestation of being cultured.
Determination, perseverance, order-organization, having project plans, and saving of time
are the work ethic's fixed elements.
*****
Dear son, dear daughter!
The meaning of human life, its peace and beauty are related to having a
profession. If a person does not learn a skill, life will be meaningless, tasteless, and
empty! The unskilled person will neither be appreciated nor respected in society. He is
always seen as a second rate person. Thus, try to learn a profession at your earliest ages!
A person should choose his future profession knowingly when he is fourteen years old,
and should start working on that.
A person should consider three criteria while choosing a profession and skill: your
interest in the profession, your ability to do that profession, and the benefit of the
profession to your society.

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If these three criteria are present, you will have a profession. If you have a
profession, you will lead your life. In that way, happiness will always be with you!
If you want to own your life, have a profession! There is no such thing as a bad
profession because there is no useless profession. Life gives opportunities only to the
professions that it needs!
What is important is to be an expert in your own profession. If you will not be an
expert, you will damage the esteem of your profession. In the end, you will make yourself
miserable and destitute. Be what you want, but be a master of your profession!
For the person who is an expert, his profession is not a duty, but his future and
destiny. When the work is done professionally and with love, this work will illuminate
the person's future and heart!
There is no unnecessary profession; there is only the unconcerned personnel! He
loses his enthusiasm to work with his own inability and his unproductive work attempts.
This kind of a person makes life dull!
Do your own job, your profession and your toil will save you!
Work well! While working, the place where you work has to be tidy, orderly, and
clean! Try to work carefully like an artist. You must make a great effort for that. Blowing
like the wind, working in haste, and trying to earn three times more than you deserve are
the signs of being impudent. Do not work in haste; try to get accustomed to working
according to the rules and to being meticulous. Small savings will make up a fortune. Put
yourself and your work in an order, then you will get profit and pleasure from your work.
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A man is like a tree, and toil is the gardener. Toil and work are the only protectors
which will take you to your choice and to happiness.
Working is the guarantor of happiness.
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OWNER OF HEART
Decency does not only smarten a person's condition and movements, it also
purifies his heart. Decency is not a value of physical beauty, it is, in fact, the unity of
inner beauties. The spiritual maturity of Turkmen that comes from the ancient times
reveals itself when it comprehends the unity of physical and inner beauties. The decency
of believing is among the inner beauties of decency. Our ancestors, who were
mentally and spiritually mature, realized that physical beauty would be meaningless if a
person's inside is not disciplined. When the beauty of position and movement develops
with the beauty of heart, the maturity will be perfect and faultless. When the discipline of
position and movement becomes dependent on the decency of heart, decency transforms
itself into a perfect and complete spiritual wealth.
The decency of believing is the decency of heart.

Believing materializes the peak point of Turkmen's spiritual thinking structure
which has reached our day through ages.
This thinking involves a deep and great meaning. It has a number of ways and
approaches. Believing which forms the basis of the structure of thinking is equal to the
Turkmen's entire spiritual being, and it shares the same area with national spirit. Seas
hide themselves in a drop of water, so the treasure of being embraces all the
characteristics of the Turkmen's spiritual structure. Believing is the manifestation of the
Turkmen's relation with his spiritual and moral values in a word.
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As well as reminding you the profundity of the subject, I would like to emphasize
two more things. Firstly, it is not possible to refer to the subject in such a narrow context
since the issue of believing is a deep, great, and important fact, and our main duty is not
to do that. Thus, the things that you have to pay attention to are the elements of believing
which have an effect on decency. Secondly, if you want to completely understand the
subject of believing which shapes the basis of the Turkmen's structure of thinking, you
have to be mature in mind and spirit to a certain extent, and have experience and
knowledge about the subject. Thus, the things that I am going to refer to are for the
people who are physically, mentally, and spiritually mature. There are four essentials to
consider about the decency of believing. First of all, the individual has to reach a certain
age. This starts at the age of seventeen or eighteen. Secondly, he has to be mentally
mature. That is directly related to the first essential. Because at those ages, intelligence
and the structure of thinking starts to mature. The individual has become mentally and
physically mature, and develops himself according to his experiences. Thirdly, he has to
build a connection between physical and metaphysical words, and has to be experienced
about this subject. He gets spiritual gains about the ideas which involve the meaning of
human life. The heart becomes rich with the profits beyond the horizon and by thinking.
The fourth one is moral maturity. This is the unification of spiritual vales with the
character. It is the transformation of feelings, thoughts, and belief into personal wealth,
and man's limitation which is put on his position and movements. When these four
essentials assemble, the individual becomes ready to be disciplined. In fact, maturing and
ascending mean to be ready for different surroundings and phases. There is no limit for
ascending; that is why the idea that maturity has no limits is true. Believing is the theme
of spiritual freedom. Believing is to grasp the secret of existence
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individually, and discovering its relation with spiritual facts. Believing is a phase that a
person must reach individually, and it is a spiritual value that he must gain. There are
some realities that cannot be told to the individual - they can only be described, but the
individual must reach their truth individually. For instance, it is difficult to tell how hot
water is even if you utilize the rules of intelligence and logic. But when a person puts his
hand in hot water, he understands its temperature. Believing is trusting personality.
If a person did not fall in love in his youth, he will not understand what love is. To

understand the meaning of love he has to fall in love. Love can only be understood by
living. Believing is also love. The condition of believing is love, and its outcome is
spiritual reality. When we look at the subject only from this perspective, the real meaning
of love can be understood by thinking. Believing actually means confidence. Saying that
a person has believed is a superficial and limited method. When the individual reaches
reality on his own, and when he notices it, then he should have confidence.
*****
Realizing the reality means to fall in love and choose the way of love.
Love, is a special way to mature spiritually and morally. It is possible to converse
about this way's experience and observations, but it is never possible to transfer the
experience and gatherings from one person to another. Love is the spiritual life. A person
can never live on another person's account, and he can never be born again. In the end,
love's spiritual way that leads to believing is similar. An individual can learn science, but
not believing. So it is with love. Philosophers before us grasped this profound truth
entirely. This is an important concept taken in the improvement of the Turkmen soul
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because this truth has proved the absolute necessity of providing independence, freedom
and existence to human character on the road to the spiritual universe.
On the path of religion we walk as a nation, but on the path of believing
everybody walks individually. Religion can be repeated as word and different customs,
but believing is a spiritual happening that belongs to the heart.
Our great thinkers accept the relation between religion and believing, but, at the
same time, they indicate that they are two different things. A new era has started in the
spiritual development of Turkmen by recognizing the thin line between religion and
believing, and this condition enabled the individual to have freedom of religion, and
strengthened the temporality of the society. At this point, I want to refer to the meaning
richness of believing. Believing is the confidence in God. Believing is the confidence in
spiritual values. The greatest and most important of them is of course God. Believing is
to feel the presence of God in your heart, and to accept Him with your heart. It is not
possible to understand God haphazardly. Our old thinkers stated this reality could be
found in the heart, by feeling it. Believing does not emerge with proof and silencing.
Believing can be expressed through the senses. Believing is to believe, in God's presence
and
uniqueness, to feel this with all your existence in your conscience. It is easy to teach, but
believing is not like that. Because believing is the development of the feelings about the
creation and nature.
The development of feelings is possible by walking the way of love. In our
national and spiritual heritage, the rules of the way of love are described in detail. The
people who walked this way have reached God after sipping sufferings and pain during
long isolated days and fasting. Beyazid-i Bestami, Yunus Emre, Yusuf of Balassagun,

Hodja Ahmed Yasawy, Zemanseri, Necmettin Kubra, Bahaiddin Naksibendi,
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Jelaleddin Rumi, Nesimi, Nevai, Devletmemmet Azadi, Makhtumkuli Firaki were the
people of this place of love, and there were more people than these. The spiritual wealth
of these high souls will remain as our nation's eternal heritage. Believing helps the
individual develop, but the individual cannot live on his own. This is the real meaning of
love. Love enables the individual to improve all his spiritual traits. The improvement of
traits can be possible by contacting directly a human-being from outside. Roads and
characters can be different, but they all lead us to the same goal. Life in the world is
based on the relation between two people; this is privacy, being in solitude with the
beloved one in every sense. The love of the great religious thinkers manifested itself by
transforming God into a character, and being attached to Him. This is because it is in vain
to talk about love if there is only one individual. There are only two characters in a life of
love: "you" and "me." This kind of a high and elevated feeling of love has been declared
in the prayers of the religious thinkers from which you can understand these things: Love
is the discipline of realizing the reality of essence and understanding life.
*****
Love is the name for reaching life.
Love is denying non-existence and absence.
The outcome of love is devotion to God. It is abandoning the mortal, and turning
to the eternal. It is the process of being among the good by benevolence, beauty, and
purity. The world of this kind of a person is perfect. There is no place for evil in his heart.
The devotion to God is to volunteer for eternity. From this perspective, human life gains
an importance, the individual lives according to his aim, and he has some principles for
life. The real meaning of these
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realities is to elevate religious and spiritual values above other things.
It is possible to find spiritual progress in Turkmen's values about believing.
Believing is the principle of gaining an eternal life from the perspective of religion. The
precious spiritual-moral meaning of believing in our temporal structure of thinking
indicates the heart's spiritual richness and the stability of justice. In the state of
temporality new principles of believing emerge. They can be organized as:
Believing in God;
Believing in the homeland (love of the homeland)
Believing in the people (love of the nation)
Believing in life (joy of life)
Believing in ethics (being virtuous)
Believing in God is to believe in God's presence and uniqueness.
This belief saves the person from meaninglessness and from being errant.

Assuming that lies would make a person happy is to go after a dream that will never
come true. Reality is God's consent. In old times, there was a sagacious emperor, and his
people loved him. But that emperor was enduring an absence; he did not have a son or a
daughter. After a while, the emperor decided to adopt a child.
Public criers shouted, "Listen to me people! On Friday our emperor will adopt a
child. The child must be a ten year-old boy; our emperor will leave his throne to his foster
son, and he will rest. The people who want to give their sons to the emperor should
gather in front of the palace on Friday."
Before the crier finished talking, the public square in front of the palace became
full of ten year-old boys.
The emperor gave flower seeds to each boy, and declared his condition. "After
sowing these seeds and growing them,
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you should bring me a bunch of flowers. Of whose flowers the emperor becomes fond of,
that boy will become his adopted son. You have three months; after this period it is our
decision to gather in this same place."
Three months passed. The emperor went to the square, and saw that the square
was full of beautiful flowers with different colors. The boys who had taken the seeds
were waiting for the happy moment.
The emperor looked attentively at the boys while passing near them without
stopping.
At another corner stood a boy crying who had no flowers in his hands. The
emperor went near the boy, and stopped. He asked:
- "Why are you crying?"
The boy spoke of his trouble:
- "My emperor, the seeds that your Excellency has given me did not grow despite
my efforts. I tried everything, but in vain. I am weeping because you will not adopt me
since I do not have any flowers."
- "Do not cry because of that, because I will adopt you as my son. Your seeds did
not become flowers because I boiled them before giving them to you. These people who
have brought flowers think that they can deceive me. Their flowers are not from my
seeds. They have found them somewhere else" said the emperor and hugged the boy.
"You told me the truth; you did not lie to me. Listen carefully, the person who
accepts the truth, not the liar, will become happy in the end."
Turkmen youth must believe in God, and be afraid of Him. Being afraid of God is
not being incompetent because the meaning of this fear is different. God is not a physical
being. The possession of the Supreme Soul (Zat-i Uluhiyet), who is
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independent from time and space, must be recognized, and you must obey Him through
your entire spiritual life.
Believing in homeland is to hold your fatherland superior to your life. You should

identify it as a higher being than yourself.
Believing in the people is to realize that the benefits of the nation and the society
are more important than your benefits. You should adapt the idea that your existence is
worthless if there is no nation, and your existence is trivial.
Believing in life is to accept that the beauty of the world depends on the joy of
life. Consequently, everybody's life comes to an end. But the length of a human-being's
life demonstrates its meaning and beauty.
Believing in ethics: it is to believe that a person should live according to some
moral measures in this short and mortal life. A human-being's life depends on ethics.
History shows that human nature becomes corrupt, and cannot protect itself in time if
there is not a moral balance between people. Because of that, believing is the basis of our
lives.
*****
My dear people!
Turkmen people have purified and developed their old tradition for centuries, and
brought them to our time; they did not give up their customs and traditions when they
changed religion.
Their previous beliefs, customs, and traditions played a significant role in the
acceptance of Islam by the Turkmen people's own will. They declared to the instructors
of Islam that they would accept Islam as the Turkmen's religion on the condition that the
best manners of their former customs and traditions had to live together with Islam. Since
the instructors
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of Islam realized that Turkmen beliefs and customs coming from the past could not
damage the new religion, they set people free in choosing Islam as their religion.
Unquestionably, we should remember that Gorkut ata had a significant role in the spread
of Islam in a diplomatic way among people. He was the person who introduced Islam to
us. The second age of Turkmen, the Age of Gorkut ata is the period of the spread of the
religion of Islam. In the third age, the Age of Gorogly, Turkmen people accepted Islam in
masses, and Islam became permanent as a result of Gorkut ata's sermons and advice.
Islam advises purity, simplicity, the clearness of hopes and thoughts, and
generosity, and forbids fraud, parsimony, and cruelty.
Islam is a religion founded on the bases of love and respect, and does not oppress
the people from other religions, and does not prevent them from practicing their religion.
In every country of Islam, the Muslims live in harmony with the people from other
religions, and everybody lives according to the rules of their own religion. They have no
obstacles. On the contrary, if a religion clashes with another, Islam negotiates between
them. In the past, some religions did not allow the religious minorities to live freely, but
Islam has never given permission to that. Some leaders attempt to create disagreements
by using religion. They want to base it on a foundation, but that does not have a specific

basis. The thing that has no foundation collapses easily. Today, there are three thousand
religious practices. But there is a single faith on the basis of all these.
Turkmen people have believed in the religion of Islam with all their hearts; they
have assimilated it in their souls with their beliefs, customs and traditions coming from
the past.
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The Turkmen nation has accepted the Qur'an and Mohammed's advice as the
principles of life. Turkmen people believe in a single God, and recognize God's
uniqueness and power.
At the instant when the Turkmen child starts talking, his parents teach these
words:
- Whose creature are you?
- I am God's creature.
- You belong to whose religious community?
- To Mohammed's community!
In this way, the principle knowledge of the religion passes from one generation to
another.
Only the good things are taught.
The things that are taught and live in people's minds settle in the nation's heart.
The things settled in the nation's heart illuminate its road.
A human-being is evaluated according to his character and personality.
Each child that comes to the world with God's order is pure, cute, and precious
like a diamond. The child grows up, matures, and becomes brilliant like the gem. After
being transformed into a gem, the person goes to God's residence. The child, who gives a
great pleasure to hundreds of people, offers happiness to thousands when he grows up,
and departs from this life being missed by everyone.
The wealth and prosperity of every person that comes to this world is his
character and personality.
God gives a peculiar face and appearance to everyone, and ornaments with this
body with clothes, but the most precious and the most liked side of the person is his
character and personality.
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Look, there are a group of trees there. You have to know which one is shady,
which one gives fruits, which one is long living, which one is short, which one is
decayed, and which one is strong by looking at them from a certain distance. The ones
that do not give fruits are big, large, and gigantic, they have branches that try to reach the
skies. The fruit trees branches bend and look downward.
Humankind has two types of beauty: the potential one given by God, and the one
that he gains by using his petty will.
Like every individual has his own character, each nation has peculiar features.
We, as a nation, have been sovereign for five thousand years, and shaped a good

character and decent customs as a result of these thousands of years. Every individual
reveals his nature in weddings, entertainments, and mourning. The industrious and hard
working person begins to serve immediately. You must see, he either prepares the hearth
or cuts the wood. Another one immediately begins to organize all the work in the best
manner. And another one enjoys the wedding by gathering people around him, and sitting
at the table and sipping his tea. He also mourns during times of mourning.
A Turkmen's character is being a man of his word, and being devoted,
courageous, brave, bold, daring, hard working, forgiving, generous, humble, patient,
determined, compassionate, productive and practical.
Why do we love with all our hearts the book of "Gorkut ata" and the legend of
"Gorogly"? Because in these works we see the brilliant gem-like character of our
ancestors, the real Turkmen, and with the help of these characters we develop ourselves.
For example: Salur Kazan sees in his dream that the enemy is going to invade his
town. He leaves the place where
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he is present, and learns from a shepherd that the enemy who committed numerous
crimes has plundered his motherland.
The shepherd who stood against the enemy courageously wants to fight against
them with Salur Kazan. The shepherd, without listening to Salur Kazan's advice, decides
to revenge his relatives who were killed by the enemy. But, Salur Kazan does not want to
take the shepherd with him, because he is a gentleman. A gentleman would not go to the
war with a shepherd, he must take his revenge on his own. Otherwise tomorrow a
garrulous man will say: "Salur Kazan is afraid of taking his revenge, he went to war with
a shepherd." Therefore, Salur Kazan ties the shepherd, and leaves him there by saying:
- S hepherd, before the night falls and you starve; find a solution to save yourself.
After a certain period of time, Salur Kazan looks back and sees that the shepherd
is coming behind him with the tree on his back. He says:
- Hey shepherd, what is that tree on your back?
- I thought that my master would need a fire to cook after he fights with the
enemy, replies the shepherd.
Do you see the purity of the old people's character, and their practicality?
A Turkmen's good traits like being humble, modest, determined, hospitable, well
behaved, devoted, productive, patient, war tricks when needed, brave, and generous
cannot be given up!
The gallant gentlemen of the "Gorkut ata" book and Gorogly would never attack
people unless they were attacked by them first. They communicated with the enemy by
using nice words, and aimed to convince them. When they had no alternative, they did
not only defeat their enemies, they also became their
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friends. Isn't it true that only prophets would have character traits like these?
Who has bright ideas, and a high aim in life will also have a beautiful and caring

inner world. Who has a beautiful inner world will have a mature and beautiful character.
The people who have beautiful inner worlds and structures of thinking have brilliant eyes
and illuminating faces.
Our characters develop at home and at school, in the society that we live in,
among our friends, and according to our attitudes about life. The people who conquer
themselves are the people who are good examples, and who have good character traits.
The people who act according to their desires, and who only think about
themselves have immature souls, and they always change their places. There are even
some people who could not take their places in the society, who are aimless and void. If
you have good intentions and high aims, your characters will also be good, and you will
enjoy your lives.
Noble and wise Turkmen people has taught their features even to the animals that
they tie in front of their houses.
Until the end of the legend of Gorogly, which is thick like a pillow, Gorogly
continues to depict his winged white horse. Because Gorogly's white horse is clever, it
has strong intuition, and it is vigilant. When his owner looks at its face, it feels what he
wants. The white horse is Gorogly's friend.
Turkmen will consider his property inauspicious if it does not resemble him.
*****
My dear Turkmen!
I want you to learn in detail the elevated character of the Turkmen who has
always been like this since the ancient
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times, and I want to seize the time. I want you to be nobler, and I want you to reach
spiritual wealth and big achievements. Thus, I want Turkmen to be attentive about the
superior character that he has inherited from his ancestors, and I know that you would
like to be similar to those characters.
Humankind is perceived according to the degree of his understanding, tolerance,
and forgiveness. There are numerous beautiful traits in the character of humankind.
Surely, it is difficult to prefer one to another since they are all beautiful. After observing
my childhood during which I suffered a lot, my youth, and my whole life, I want to put
my forgiving and tolerant character at the first position.
I believe with all my heart that if you do not have the feeling of heaven in your
heart, and if you have not made your heart beautiful like heaven, you cannot go to heaven
after you die.
If you do not believe in God with your heart, you cannot go to His presence.
If you have the seed of hell in your heart, you will not get close to heaven. If you
have the wicked Satan in your heart you will not reach God's presence.
Everybody has a conscience. Religious thinkers call it believing. Humankind lives
in this world with his conscience, and he passes to the eternity with his believing.

Conscience measures our good and bad deeds. Conscience is our touchstone.
*****
Dear son, dear daughter!
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Your conscience tells you who you are, and who is your friend. You can deceive
your wife, your son, and your nation, but the conscience can never be deceived.
Conscience is God's representative in the heart.
You cannot deceive God and His representative.
The greatness of conscience is its forgiveness. Conscience forgives; it transforms
your great sins like mountains to tiny millets. But never forgets, everything is saved and
stays in its memory. Life becomes more complicated with each year and each century.
Every person that comes to this world struggles with each other for life, to be in high
positions, to become rich and to be administrators. In this struggle, firstly people try to
break each other's heart and to damage each other's inner world, then work against each
other cowardly.
If you spend your time with two of these you struggle with useless people in your
life.
A drunken man stops a Jew, and wants to quarrel with him:
The smart Jew asks:
- First let me understand what I have done to you!
- You crucified our Lord Jesus Christ!
- But that is a crime committed two thousand years ago!
- The drunken man continues to hit him by saying:
- I heard it yesterday, so I take my revenge on you today.
Feeding the feeling of revenge, and nourishing a grudge are not the features of a
noble man.
It is the duty of a good man to forgive what has been done to him and to respond
to evil with goodness. Forgiving and being understandable are the most important and
supreme characteristics of a person.
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I wake up very early in the mornings. It is a different feeling to taste the still of
the night, the disappearance of the stars from the sky one by one, and to see the dawn,
which paints the half of the world with different colors. The sound of the birds which sing
on the trees when the sun rises is much more beautiful than the symphony of an orchestra
in the world. When the sun rises, you do not see the birds, but you can hear them singing
wonderfully.
They rejoice in a beautiful new day that God has offered them.
I wonder is there anyone among you who rejoices the new day? Probably there is
not. That is why God has given wings to birds, not us.

We cannot rejoice and enjoy each new day like the birds. Most of us cannot
achieve to wake up a newborn child. There are some people who cannot forgive the
person that broke his heart when he was a child. As a result, he lives with his old worries.
One must learn to forgive, and to let the bad memories go. Then it is possible to heal the
heart that is wounded by another person.
Jesus Christ looked at the people who were yelling at him and wanted him to
carry his crucifix, and said:
- M y Lord, forgive them! They do not know what they are doing.
He begged God to forgive his enemies.
And life teaches another lesson. When you start to do something, do not repeat it
for the second time. Tooth for tooth, blood for blood.
Humankind is not mature. If it were, it would not break other people's hearts.
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Is there a wise person like Makhtumkuli who can take a burning wood, which is
big like a fist, in his hand and say, "If you can bear, do this thing."
While conversing with the prominent ones of the state, one of the impatient
gentlemen uttered bad words to be heard. Tugrul Beg pretended that he did not hear them.
When the meeting came to an end, and when Tugrul Beg was left alone with his intimate
friends, one of them said:
- Tugrul Beg, that son of a dog uttered disgusting words, but you pretended that
you did not hear him.
Tugrul Beg replied:
- IfIwerethesonofadog,Iwouldretaliate,butIamnotthesonofadog,Iam
the son of Seljuk. Also, you cannot be a Sultan if you hear every word. At that moment I
was trying to speak to God in my conscience.
The man who knows to forgive saves two men at one time: his own self and the
immature person who does not know himself.
First learn to forgive yourself, so that you can forgive the others.
The man who can forgive wrongs is a good man, he is chosen by God. There is a
mysterious power in forgiveness. Forgiveness returns to the person as reward and respect.
I want to mention an event from Buddha's life about forgiveness. All the unexpected
things can happen. A person comes near Buddha unexpectedly and spits on his face.
Buddha wipes his face and talks to the person in a calm manner:
- Is there anything that you want to say?
- Buddha's student Ananda gets furious about this incident, blood rushes to his
brain. He says:
- M y master, the thing that this horrible man did is unbearable, please let me get
rid of him.
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Buddha does not allow Ananda to do this, and replies:
- Firstly, this stranger came near me, not you. Secondly, look at his face carefully?

Do you see a trace of evil on his face? He does not know how to give an end to being
miserable and to stop the fire burning inside him. He looks for a solution. He does not
know how to end the storm in him. If he is full of anger, I am full of love and affection.
Like this man, I also do not know how to reveal the things inside me. I know what kind
of a situation he is in don't you see, Ananda?
The furious man gets amazed by Buddha's and Ananda's behavior. If Buddha
attacked to take his revenge, he would not be astonished. If Ananda would attack him to
protect his master's honor, he would not be astonished, too. But it is an unexpected
condition if you are not punished after you insult someone. That man is amazed by the
greatness of Buddha's character. He thinks about Buddha through the entire night. The
more he thinks, he realizes that he was wrong. His respect for Buddha increases. In the
morning, the man goes near Buddha on his knees, and asks for Buddha's mercy.
Buddha talks to Ananda :
- Do you see, the same man again? How he respects me, but he cannot verbalize
his pain. That is why he is begging on his knees.
Do you recognize how weak is humankind? He does not know what to do when
he has lots of things to say. He cannot articulate the things he wants to say. His tongue
remains generally desperate. In addition, this man seeks for a more advantageous
condition, and a sign. This man is expressing his inner world in the best and the perfect
way he can by begging on his knees.
The man says to Buddha:
- O h, the great master! Please forgive my mistake and my error, pardon me. I very
much regret what I have done. Please
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do tell me what I should do to make you forgive me! I am ready for anything!
Buddha replies:
- Let's forget it now! If you have noticed, the man who spit on your face is not
here today. Today, you are not the same man. Today you are someone different. Today I
am someone different. Today, you have become someone else. What should I say to you;
today you are not the man who deserves to be spit on his face.
Every man plans his life according to his financial and spiritual possibilities.
Every society's structure is formed according to its sources of income, its developed
structure of thinking, and spiritual wealth.
Foundations and social organizations are important factors in the development of
human civilization. Charity is found in man's nature. With the major religions, charity has
become dependent on certain rules. It is the moral debt of people, who are in good
conditions financially, to give zekat, osur, and fitre. In old times, mosques, schools, and
Muslim schools of theology were established and survived with the earnings of
foundations. During the Seljuk period, Turkmen people led a wealthy life in abundance.
Foundations and charity institutions were developed immensely. The Sultans of Seljuk,
viziers, and other prominent wealthy administrators established great mosques and
schools. Charity stones, places where sufficient amounts of charities for the poor were put

in the mosques, were built.
Each mosque had its own foundation property. Foundation lands were used as
"iltizam," and great amounts of money was earned in that way. It is not true that all the
money was given to mullahs, and the imams of the mosques. A considerable amount of
these incomes were distributed to the poor, widows, and orphans.
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In the old days, an old shepherd met Hizir. The eyes of the shepherd were full of
tears since he reached his aim, and came across Hizir. For thirty years, this shepherd had
never beaten a sheep from the hoard, never yelled, cursed, or whined about his life.
Hizir said:
- S hepherd, your wish has come true. The Almighty God has shown affection to
you. Here I am, wish anything you want, your three wishes will come true.
The poor shepherd could not know what to say:
- Hizir,Iamashepherd.ForallmylifeIdidwhatIwastoldtodo:Idonotneed
this world's possessions. Please allow me to talk to my wife and my children.
The shepherd went to his house, and told them what had happened.
The whole night he talked with his wife, his three sons, and his daughters-in-law.
Each one them asked for something.
In the end they said:
- Father, we have spent our lives in deserts amid herds, we have become like
them. Do not miss the chance that God has offered us. For each of your sons, make a
wish for a palace in the middle of the city, which is grater than the Sultan's. For each of
your sons, make a wish for a treasure of gold. Then you can wish what you want for our
mother and yourself.
The next day, the shepherd went near his herd. Hizir welcomed him again, and
repeated:
- S hepherd, I am ready, wish whatever you wish. The shepherd replied:
- Hizir, what God has given me is adequate for me. I want nothing.
- What about your sons?
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- M y sons can come hear and do your service. If God chooses them, they will
meet you, then, they can ask for what they want!
Every nation tells stories and rumors which are appropriate for its character and
soul. These stories and rumors illuminate the nation's road like a torch.
The Turkmen believes with all his heart:
Laughing, being merry and rejoicing are not included in the calculation of life. If
you laugh for five years, you will have ten more years to live. When you get angry with
your daughter, your life will be shortened. Rage is dangerous for both your own self and
for other people.
One day, the Sultan of Seljuk, Melik Shah, gets furious. The Sultan who is a
smooth and tranquil person in general, holds his sword and blazes like a fire that trembles

the earth. Suddenly, he gets out of the palace, and starts to walk rapidly. Who can attempt
to go near the Sultan in a situation like this? The Sultan enters the building that is used
for resting, and starts to drink wine. At that moment, the Sultan's wife, who is not aware
of anything, commences to moan after realizing that the Sultan is drinking wine.
- Sultan, what are you doing? Drinking wine is a sin, is it not?
- I would call myself a brave man if I can manage to stop the storm in me by
committing a petty sin.
When a person gets angry, his blood in his veins will freeze, his brain does not
function, he will be removed from being a human, and he will become wild like an
animal. There will be no intelligence in a person who gets mad. The man who has
become insane will not know what to do. God forbids, he will even get out of his religion.
Mohammed aleyhisselam ordered:
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- Rage is like an ember in man's heart. Do you recognize that when a man gets
angry his eyes flush, and pop out? When one of you gets angry, if he is standing let him
sit, if he is sitting let him lie, or he takes refuge in God.
Lokman Hekim stated:
- The person who cannot suppress his rage will not be a mature person.
Our Prophet aleyhisselam said:
- The one who defeats his opponent in wrestling is not a wrestler. The real
wrestler is the person who defeats his rage when he gets angry.
When I get furious, I immediately say to myself:
- Everyone can get angry! If you are strong, this time manage to laugh.
When rivers get angry they overflow and destroy their banks. When a person gets
angry, first he will hurt himself.
Rage is a hard trouble, because it has the sword of fate and lightning in its hand.
Did not the world wars happen because of somebody's rage? When prophet Noah could
not suppress his rage, didn't he make the world drown in water?
In human nature, mercy and cruelty remain together.
When man gets angry, he will be the slave of his cruelty, becomes removed from
being human.
According to the rumor, Hodja Ahmed Yasawy would burst into tears when he got
angry. When people asked him why he was crying, he would reply:
- 1 cry because I know that I am far away from my God.
Fire is extinguished with water but there is no magical water that can restrain
man's rage. We can only restrain it by using our intelligence and sagacity. The person
who gets angry removes himself from sagacity. We should be his support.
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Two fighting people should be separated from each other instantly. One of the biggest
meritorious actions is to separate fighting people and to reconcile between them.
Once, in one of his campaigns, Sultan Alp Arslan whipped someone when he lost

his self-control because of his rage. Then he became regretful of what he had done, and
told his viziers angrily:
- Why did you not stop me? Should not the viziers and the helpers of the Sultan
control his rage?
*****
My dear young people!
A Turkmen says "Rage is the character of the infidel." Rage pushes man to
horrendous wickedness. A man has to achieve to defeat his rage, and to control himself. It
is not a coincidence that our ancestors focused on the issue of doing nothing at angry
moments. Being calm, forgiving, and being tolerant have to be the distinctive features of
a Turkmen. There is a fortress for you to conquer and no goal to achieve with your rage.
Tolerance, forgiveness, calmness, and maturity are the guarantors of success in human
life.
There is an endless power in believing. Beliefs are the bases of the lives of every
human that is living in this world, and they cannot be demolished. To what do we devote
ourselves with all our hearts?
To the Almighty God;
To our holy country;
To our beloved people;
To our sacred land;
To our dear ancestors;
To the bright future.
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Turkmen people have never removed themselves from God despite the fact that
we were living in an atheist country, and we were removed from our religion, mosques,
and schools.
They never stopped loving their fatherland despite the fact that they lost their
independence, and lived under the control of other people. They never lost their will even
when they lost their liberty.
The 21st century is the age of knowledge and communication. The community of
humans has reached the peak of development. There is no person today who gets worried
only for himself. Today, everybody is in contact with each other and the whole world.
Today, there are thousands of thoughts and problems on people's minds. As it is a custom,
every individual prays to God, refers to his trouble, and ask for His help. Sincere words
have an effect on the human heart. If you are not sincere and pray to God just because
you are accustomed to praying, would your prayers be heard? In the religion of Islam it is
believed that there are two angels on the shoulders of every human-being; one records
your sins, one records your good deeds. If your angel who writes your sins works for
night and day, and if the one who writes your good deeds rests continuously, then will
God answer your prayers even if He hears them? Do not forget, we want to satisfy

ourselves by being occupied with earthly things. God does not forget us even at the times
we forget Him because there is no other power that is more merciful than God.
Remember the legend of Gorogly. When things went wrong for Gorogly during
times of peace or war, he would stop fighting when he sensed an ill omen. He would
perform his ritual service, pray to God, and he would be purified spiritually. Then he
would continue fighting, and defeat the enemy. Life is hard, even you if are Gorogly there
are powers that can defeat you. In these situations, you have to trust
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yourself, and put your faith in God instead of lamenting. Belief means power and
strength. Belief is a power that cannot be defeated.
When you were a child, your dear mother's and your honorable father's love and
caring made you happy.
In your youth, the love of your angel of benevolence, whose eyes were full of
love, made you cheerful.
Definitely, the love that you give to your important duty, to your dear people, and
to your beloved country makes you happy.
Spring's beauty that blooms in various colors, the seas which rise in waves and
then become quiet, and the immense love of the snowy and misty mountains ought to
attract you.
God's love is a kind of love that accumulates all sorts of love within itself, and
gives you a power which would make you feel that you lead your whole life in a sea of
love that is eternal and beautiful like the universe. That is why we must only be suitable
for God's life.
The decency of love has three manners and three conditions. The first one is the
intelligence, the second is the heart, and the third is the action.
Intelligence and thought means to comprehend what belief is.
This means to be connected to the Turkmen's thinking structure that has been
accumulating knowledge about the subject of belief for centuries, and to know that
treasure. Our ancestors had an immense and rich, and a profound thinking structure about
this subject. It is an obligation to know this treasure that they have founded, and to
understand its meaning. But a great effort is needed for that, and this is the middle road.
Instead of intending to reach intelligence, a man has to aim his heart to reach spiritual
maturity and unity. Otherwise,
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deficient and immature individuals will be raised. Their qualities are: the mind of the
person who is not matured in believing is engaged with the idea of God, whereas his
heart is busy with "masiva" [object]. Thus the mind is obsessed with the truth of creation,
and the heart with earthly love. Looking from the perspective of the soul, this is a
deficiency. The person who yields his mind to his soul (to the ideas about believing), and
his heart to the object ruins his life. This life is like a tree that cannot become green.
Therefore, the heart's condition must be accomplished by giving importance to the heart

which is the second matter of the decency of believing. That can be achieved by feeling
spiritual love. Believing should not only be verbalized, it should also live in the heart.
Otherwise, everything will only be words and expressions. The condition of reaching this
stage of heart is to be clean of doubt and desire. Desire is the person's side that is
interested in substance. The mature man is the person who becomes divine and spiritual
by staying away from physical pleasures and substance, and by putting the decency of
believing at the center of his life.
Desire is the greatest and most dangerous enemy of man because it likes ready
tastes. But its consequence is a great sorrow. When a person utters that desire is a need
for human-beings, he gets out of the sphere of the legitimate, and looks down on the
created beings, and degrades man to the level of animals.
A love for desire and bodily activities is to be unable to avoid physical pleasures.
It is possible to classify desire after generalizing the accumulation of the Turkmen's
thinking structure:
Desire for wealth (love of property)
Sexual-physical desire (being lustful)
Desire for inactiveness (sloth)
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Desire for stomach (gluttony)
Desire for life (love of luxury)
Desire for sovereignty (love of fame and status)
All of these items, more or less, to a certain extent are the characteristics of
animals. Thus, desire is a humiliating thing for a man. On the contrary, believing is the
way to be free by maturing the feelings of nature and limiting the cravings of desire.
Desire for wealth (love of property) is an outcome of the continuation of the urge to eat
and drink. These kinds of urges create the love of property and money in man, and the
person loses everything in this way. This kind of a person would not have a character. A
person's spiritual side is stronger. A man lives like a man because of his nature. If a
person stands against his nature, and obeys his desire, he will have a bad end, and greed
for life surrounds him everywhere.
Sexual desire increases lust and directs man to adultery. The rules of the
intelligence are invalid when there is desire; desire accepts no boundaries. Adultery is the
chief enemy of love, the family and moral values; it destroys all of them.
Desire for inactiveness, is sloth and carelessness. Man has come to the world to
live, and in order to live he has to work. A person can live like a person if he sleeps and
rests in certain orderliness.
Desire for stomach, is being immeasurable with eating and drinking. It is to be
addicted to things like alcohol, hashish, drugs, and cigarettes. These kinds of habits will
make a person vulnerable to certain diseases, and they will shorten his life.
Desire for life is to protect a person's life from everything, and is to give the
greatest importance to it. Love of luxury makes the person gutless, dishonest, and a
villain.

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Love for fame and status comes forth by attacking other people's rights, and by
using power.
The only way to be saved from desire is to go in the way of believing.
The believer sets a wall to the wishes and demands of desire. When a man
commits a crime in his life by obeying his desire, it does not mean that everything has
finished. The solution is to repent.
Repenting is to be reborn again spiritually. Then the person frees himself from the
effect of desire, and unites with believing.
Repenting is to renew yourself. But, repenting is not a simple thing that everyone
accomplishes. After sinking in the swamp of desire, a few people can manage to get out
of there. Luck smiles at man three times. You will get two chances to return to believing
after sinking in the swamp of desire. Therefore, if a man loses his belief for a single time,
it will be very difficult for him to return. I have given detailed information about this
subject in the second work of Yasulular. I would like to emphasize again that the religious
leaders have a great responsibility in making people's thoughts about repenting and
believing deep-rooted. Let's try to take our share from Hodja Ahmed Yasawy's words:
Know everyone you see as Hizir,
Know every night as Kadir,
Everyone is good, but you are bad.
Everyone is wheat, but you are straw.
A Turkmen's beliefs should find its place in his heart, and should embrace his
entire soul.
Weakness of believing leads man to inactiveness. Thus having a strong believing
is the manifestation of a strong society.
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From the first days of our independence, we have given a great importance to
religion. We have built mosques in towns, villages, districts, and cities. We can easily say
that the mosque in Kıpçak is one of the greatest mosques in the world. We will continue
to build mosques like this and we will give a particular importance to religion.
But the state and religion should be separated from each other. The religious
personnel should only do their religious duties. They should not make their offices the
instruments of their personal interest, and they should support government
policy. It is possible find property after losing it. You can buy a similar thing. An idea can
be forgotten, and can be remembered again. Matter and intelligence are the materials of
temporal life that is why you can find them again in time.
But believing is not like that. Believing is a reflection of the eternal life. It is
difficult to gain it since it is very precious. Thus, learn the part of the decency of
believing, which looks to the intelligence well. Utilize the features of the heart properly,
and then reach believing. Be a man of action so that you can live your whole life with a
strong believing. Then you should earn you place in the eternal life.

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THE TURKMEN DOES NOT SPARE HIS LIFE IN BATTLES,
AND HIS PROPERTY AT WEDDINGS!
Festivities are the most peaceful moments in the life of a Turkmen, and they are
the spring of the Turkmen's heart. Most of the characteristics of Turkmen manifest
themselves during festivities.
There are three kinds of days for Turkmen: ordinary days, days of mourning, and
days of festivity. Among these, festivities are special moments of life. Turkmen
entertainments are not like the other nation's entertainments. With these events, Turkmen
people reveal the importance that they give to life.
Most Turkmen characteristics are related to festivities and celebrations. I would
like to especially emphasize two of them. The first one is splendor. A Turkmen likes to
entertain himself with splendor. The second one is generosity. The Turkmen who makes
the celebration would not feel comfortable if he does not use everything he has. I see our
people's spiritual wealth, or with the word's real meaning, the enthusiasm in these two
characteristics. You see this striking truth in the old Turkmen legends that you read. In
Turkmen
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legends the two significant factors of life are mentioned: war and entertainment. War and
festivities appear to be the two basic realities in the legends after you separate the
assisting, and less important background scenes from the story. The same spiritual
characteristic that is peculiar to the Turkmen's heart appears especially in these important
time periods. In fact, this is a characteristic, but it changes according to the atmosphere of
war and festivities. The general implication of this is not to think the end of it that takes
the name of self-sacrifice in the war, and enthusiasm in the festivity. The feature that
makes a Turkmen a real Turkmen is his self-sacrifice in war, and his openhandedness in
the festivities and weddings. The courage, fame, and honor of a man are indicated with
these measures. The one who can give up his life on the day of war, and his property on
the day of festivities is always respected and praised. The brave Turkmen man has to be
crazy on the battleground, and enthusiastic at weddings.
The Turkmen nation passes the entertainment day enthusiastically after making
great preparations. Enthusiasm is the transformation of life from its usual state to another
speed; it means to show your pride and joy enthusiastically. This is a sign of open-
heartedness, and a manifestation of a different spiritual talent, effort, and character. One
day, a stranger who has gone to a Turkmen wedding told me: "You have a very different
people, they can distribute all their savings easily at their wedding."
In these words, I sensed a feeling of appreciation and envy for the beauties that he
did not possess.
Turkmen people are a spiritually rich people who looks at the world from upward
like a falcon on the top of a mountain. The Turkmen describes this world as "a world to

spend lavishly." Worldly life is a life in which you have to spend lavishly; while working,
you have to spend lavishly your ideas, effort, and hard work.
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This is the world where you have to spend lavishly all the sorrow and grief that
have been gathered in you in the day of mourning.
This is the world where you have to spend lavishly your courage and bravery on
the battleground despite the dangers against your life.
This is the world where you have to spend your property lavishly on the day of
entertainment.
This way of getting in touch with life is called "Turkmen contact." "Turkmen life"
means to give your entire existence to life. A Turkmen thinks that a life in which property
and existence are saved, and sadness and joy are not shared is a fake type of life.
The best parts of worldly life are revealed in Turkmen entertainment. Since it is
one of the four essentials of life, the peculiar rules of Turkmen entertainment, wedding
traditions, and their performance have been developed throughout centuries. Because of
its peculiar characteristics, the Turkmen nation does not like hiding, being different, and
to be isolated from society; these people like crowds. Therefore, they organize their
weddings with the whole people. The Turkmen nation has found the opportunity to
organize festivities and weddings at certain periods of life since they have high
characters, and they like to enjoy life. Thus, various entertainments are organized in
public. Here, I will mention only their major characteristics.
The pregnant woman is called "the woman with celebration," because when the
baby is born, they will make a baby celebration. In this ceremony, they call for prayer, a
name is given to the baby, and there will be numerous offerings for the guests. Turkmen
organize a great festivity when a baby is born. It is the symbol of the happiness
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felt for the life given to mankind, beauty of life, and the great wealth of meaning.
Turkmen cut the hair of the newborn baby, and make a cap celebration. The uncle
(mother's brother) cuts the hair, and a present is given to him because Turkmen people
say that "a boy will resemble his uncle."
When the first tooth of the child appears, a tooth celebration is made. It is done to
pray for the boy to be healthy, fit, wealthy, and brave.
When the boy reaches a certain age, the circumcision feast is done. The meaning
of the circumcision is to wish for the boy to be brave like many other gallant men.
The greatest celebration of Turkmen is the wedding. Generally a wedding comes
to mind when Turkmen people talk about celebration. This is a natural thing. For the
Turkmen, family represents one of the major values. Every wedding gives the good news
of the establishment of a new family. The protection of the family, to continue the unity
according to the values of our ancestors and to customs and traditions are the bases of
national stability and continuity.
There are some peculiar Turkmen customs and traditions about marriage. In

general, the wedding is referred to as "marrying the son" because another house is opened
for the boy after he gets married. This is an Oguz tradition that was formed thousands of
years ago. The young man who wants to get married shoots an arrow in Turkmen desert.
A house is built where the arrow falls down, and the wedding takes place there.
"Evlenmek" (to marry) is a word that has been derived from "ev kurmak" (to build a
house). For the girl, getting married means "durmusa cikmak" (to find a husband).
Because the girl enters life as a member of Turkmen society who has every right.
The girl and the boy, before getting married, live with their parents.
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The preparations of the Turkmen people for the wedding begin with asking a girl
in marriage, with "dunurculuk." Asking a girl in marriage is a special tradition. The
parents, who want their son to get married, choose the best candidate to be their daughter-
in-law after consulting their relatives. There are two conditions in choosing a daughter-in-
law: firstly, the girl's family, their reputation among people, their financial status,
and the possibility of being relatives with them. The second condition is about the girl's
beauty, virtue, talent, and skill. After agreeing on these two conditions, the most
important thing to do for the parents is to ask their son's opinion. The procedure of asking
the girl in marriage starts after taking the boy's consent. But if the boy is in love with a
girl, they will go to ask her in marriage after taking the consent of the parents.
There are some special rules about asking a girl in marriage. To be "dunurcu"
means to become relatives, and it is a delicate job. People refrain from acting openly, and
they do things in secrecy. Turkmen people call the go-between, "osmakcı" (matchmaker).
Osmakcı is generally chosen among old women. osmakcı visits the places where there are
a lot of girls and women, investigates, and gathers information secretly. It is the duty of
osmakcı to learn whether the girl wants to get married or not, and her parent's opinion
about the subject. She learns the parents' opinion by asking some questions.
After finishing her duty, if osmakcı gives the hope that the consequence can be
positive, then comes the term of "sozcu" (spokeswoman). In general, sozcu goes to
the girl's house on Wednesdays. Different from osmakcı, she acts openly, not in secrecy.
She goes to the girl's house, says that she is the guest of God, and has come to ask the
girl in marriage. Sozcu commonly talks allusively. She declares her intention openly by
saying "I have heard that you have a ring
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covered with gems. X likes to have the ring." When she goes to the house she takes
candies and chocolate with her, and returns with the hope that it would end happily. The
family of the girl is not expected to answer overtly and clearly. Generally answers that are
to comment are given to sozcu. This means to open the way to the Dunurcu.
Dunurcu is a crowded group of people. Among them there are the prominent
members of the society, old women who will talk to the women in the girl's family, and
the relatives of the boy's parents. Dunurcu will go to the girl's house in the evening, after
everybody returns home because the essential thing in asking a girl for marriage is

protecting the dignity of the girl and her family. If dunurculuk [asking the girl for
marriage] will not end in a positive way, this thing is kept secret so as not to cast a
shadow both on the girl's and the boy's families' honor. If the dunurcu are not going to
receive a positive answer, the wrapped bread will not be opened. But if the parents do not
reject the offer, and if there is even a little hope, then the bread is opened.
Dunurcu do not open the bundle, and divide the bread into big parts, they just take
a small piece, and taste it. After this, they declare their real intention openly. This is
generally depicted as "We have a brave son around here, we have followed him." If the
girl's parents like the proposal of Dunurcu, they ask for a few days to consider it. The
bundle, in which there is bread and sugar that the Dunurcu has brought, is kept waiting
until the girl's parents reach their final decision. If the bundle is not opened until the end
of the given time period, it means that the parents do not want the marriage to happen. If
the bundle is opened and put in front of the dunurcus in their second visit, it means that
the parents have decided upon giving their daughter as the bride. The
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essential point in coming to an agreement is getting the consent of the girl.
The tradition of Dunurcu asking a girl for marriage is an important custom in
Turkmen life. It illustrates the fact that marriage is an important and serious affair. The
families think seriously about the future of the girl and the boy. After obtaining the
consent of the girl and her family for marriage a sum of money is paid to the bride's
father, and the date of the wedding is decided. The girl and the boy prepare for the
wedding in a special way. The girl arranges her trousseau, which consists of her
belongings, and the presents that her parents have given. Before the wedding, the girl
exhibits her trousseau. Her friends and her relatives visit her, and provide what is missing
among her possessions.
There is a wrong conviction that there is no girl's wedding in Turkmen tradition.
This is not true. Turkmen people call a girl's wedding a "girl's heap" (kiz yigini). The
girl's parents organize the girl's wedding. Today, there is no difference between a boy's or
a girl's wedding. The girl's wedding is done on the day before the boy's wedding.
In Turkmen tradition, the advice that the parents give to their daughter is
important. The mother teaches the girl how to be a good housewife, and to establish good
relations with the people that she is going to meet in her new life. And the father gives
her advices about being respectful to her husband and father-in-law.
On the day of the wedding, the girl's escort comes, the "kurte" [veil] is put on the
bride's head, and she is taken to the boy's house. There are a lot of customs for taking the
girl out of her father's house.
At the moment that the girl attempts to leave the house, she is stopped, a tip is
given to the escort, and the girl departs
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out of her house. Presents and money are thrown over her head.
Meeting the girl's escort is one of the most entertaining and joyful moments of the

wedding. The individual who first recognizes that the bride is coming is given a tip. The
escort is welcomed with belladonna incense sticks. Old women pray for the new bride
when they go to see her.
To perform the marriage ceremony, the witnesses and women with scissors get
ready, and the ceremony is carried out at a convenient place. After the ceremony, the
guests drink sherbet.
The rules about marriage that the families of the girl and the boy have to obey are
confirmed in Turkmen tradition in detail. On the day after the wedding the girl pays a
visit to her father-in-law's house. The bride first meets her in-laws before taking her veil
off. The girls near the bride give out the presents that she has brought with her.
In order to be prepared for the wedding, the groom has to know the customs about
the wedding night. He has to be serious and he has to behave himself on the wedding day.
He must not drink. In Turkmen weddings, the groom has his best man, and the bride has
her friend near them. They give some information about the subject to the bride and the
groom.
Before and after the wedding, the close relatives talk about the wedding at the
groom's house. Certain tasks are given to certain people. The aim is to make the best
wedding without having any trouble.
In Turkmen weddings, during the ceremony, a woman stands behind the bride and
the groom and begins to cut wool with scissors to prevent magic and enchantments that
would tie the couple in a harmful way at the nuptial night. This continues until the
ceremony comes to an end.
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The guests who come to the wedding should act "according to the customs and
traditions." The relatives, and the friends of the couple should assist the organization of
the wedding. Meeting the guests who come to the wedding, and serving them has also
certain rules. Everybody should work together to arrange an exceptional wedding.
In addition, the guests who come to the wedding should also obey some rules.
They should pay attention to the clothes they are going to wear for the wedding, and to
their behaviors and words. They should refrain from making bad jokes that would spoil
the wedding. It is a dishonor to exaggerate the situation and to annoy the guests when a
plate is broken and someone has spilled some food on their clothes.
In Turkmen tradition, it is a principle to go to the wedding that you are invited to,
and not to go to the wedding that you are not invited to. You have to be cheerful, and you
should join the entertainment during a wedding. It is a disgrace to retire to some place, to
indicate the missing things, to ridicule the wedding, to be jealous, to become drunken,
and to cause trouble at weddings.
There are always poets, bards, and wrestling at Turkmen weddings. Apart from
these, there are sometimes horse races, and chess, a game resembling "up Jenkins," and
"duzzum" (nine pebbles) are played. If you go to the wedding, you should participate in
these kinds of games to make the entertainment jollier. It is a great privilege to serve at
the wedding if you can. The owner of the wedding starts the ceremony, and other people

end it. Thus, cooking the wedding meal, offering tea, and serving the guests, the foreign
guests, and the players of the musical instruments mean to be the man who serves the
public. In Turkmen tradition, a great respect is shown to the people whowork at the
wedding. These people are called the "people who serve the public".
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To go to the wedding to which you are invited is to feel the happiness and the joy
of life. A wedding is the spring of heart. It is the characteristic and a nice tradition of
Turkmen to color the spring, and to help to make the wedding a wedding. Our customs
have become traditions, and our traditions have become rules (destur).
It is a custom to marry a boy and a girl.
It is a tradition to make a wedding while marrying them.
There are certain rules for weddings. For instance, when the bride arrives, flour
and butter are put on her hands to provide her an abundant life.
After the ceremony sherbet is drunk to bring happiness to the couple's life.
Rules like untying the girdle and taking the shoes off are invented with the idea to
make the bride obedient to her husband.
*****
Our ancestors, regardless of the religions that they performed, have worn caps and
skullcaps while praying.
It has been the custom of our women to expose their faces since the times of
Zoroastrism.
Since the old times, our women have been veiled as a symbol of respect to the
elders.
Our ancestors had the custom of organizing wrestling contests, dog and cock
fights, and camel wrestling, and letting the poets read legends at weddings, while giving
his name to a new born child, while cutting his hair, when the forty days of a woman who
had given birth to a child was over, at circumcision ceremonies, on birthdays. They also
offered presents to the winners of the contests.
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Our people can change and develop its customs and traditions according to the
conditions and the changing times.
Our people's achievements in culture, art, music, literature, painting, and folk
literature are among the highly appreciated world classics. I do not know anything similar
to art which prolongs a person's life and resolves his troubles. Art is like the sun that
illuminates the universe. Real art is a remedy, it gives man spiritual power.
The lullabies of our people have always been sufficient to make the crying babies
sleep in their cradles.
Before starting to fight, all of the heroes in our legends like Gorgoly take their
tambours in their hands, and say a few words. They fill the brave men with enthusiasm,

and prepare them spiritually for victory.
The musical instruments that give out touching sounds are the remedies of the
people who have troubles.
When a child has measles, the Turkmen people treat him with "dutar" (a two-
stringed Turkmen instrument).
The real art illuminates the soul of the nation.
Music is our people's spiritual wings. With these wings Turkmen people have
reached the present throughout centuries. With these wings they fly to the beautiful
tomorrows.
*****
Music has always been our people's confidant in reaching their sacred hopes. The
core of our ancestors' soul has been mingled with Turkmen music. Whoever listens to it
becomes spiritually developed.
The Turkmen people's respect for the poet Aydin Pir is not in vain. Our people
have always aimed to have a forgiving, humble, honest, and noble life. The poet Aydin
Pir achieved to
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bring this humane way to words and music in a delicate manner that soothes the heart.
Aydin Pir is one of the important names of the eastern world, and he was a master who
accomplished to decorate hearts with beautiful feelings by using the power of music.
Since the earliest times, numerous people have lived in Turkmenistan who
became famous with their music talents in the eastern world.
The name of the poet, Berbad Mervezi, who lived in the 7th century, became well
known during the Sasani period. It is also known that Berbad composed three hundred
and sixty songs, and that he established seven special groups by playing thirty different
instruments. Berbad established a music school in Merv. He was a great musician and
composer. The great scholar, Ebu Nasr Farabi wrote a book about our musical art named
"Introduction to the Science of Music". I had this book translated by ordering it from
Koprulu Library in Istanbul.
The person who both composes and sings is called "ozan" (poet). Gorkut ata is
one of the most famous poets of the Turkmen nation. Our people believe that music can
do what weapons cannot do. It is known among our people that in the 19th century the
poet, Sukur Bahsi rescued his brother from the dungeons not with weapons or by paying
ransom but by using the power of his art to which he devoted his life.
Serdar of Akev [white house] states that Nedir Shah, who was originally an Afsar
Turkmen, loved music, always carried four poets with him, and occasionally played
dutar.
According to the rumors, during his Central Asia campaign Alexander of
Macedonia listened to all kinds of music that would increase his soldiers' moral power. In
the end, he chose the one that he liked, and ordered it to be played when he started to

fight. That music was the Turkmen melody named "pomegranate tree." A lot of people in
the world
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like this music. The famous Russian composer Glinka utilized the music of "pomegranate
tree" in the instrumental solo of Ruslan and Rudmilla.
The custom of playing music during military campaigns was first developed in
history on Turkmenistan soil. This music is called "mehter." There was mehter in the Nisa
campaign which was done by the Seljuks and "Gazne."
In mehter, there are instruments like drums, kettledrum, cymbal, shrill voiced
pipe, and zurnay.
Turkmen people have used musical instruments like shepherd's flute (sadivan),
"zok," lute, reed pipe (ney), boatswain's pipe (sipsi), double boatswain's pipe, tambour,
and violin.
The lute is the oldest of them. It is the instrument of the age of Gorkut ata. When
the groom's music is played with lute, the behaviors of the groom who follows the bride
that visits her father's house, and the bride's departure from the house are depicted
musically. When the melody about the shepherd and the wolf is played with lute, the
traces of the life of the past are reflected perfectly. The reed pipe is made of reed. Among
Turkmen people, there is a rumor about the emergence of the reed pipe that involves
Iskender Zulkarneyn. According to the rumor, there were two horns on Iskender's head.
He used to kill every barber who cut off his hair. But on one occasion he could not kill
the barber who did his last shaving since he was a brave and handsome man. Iskender
instructed the barber not to tell his secret to anyone. Days and months passed, and the
brave man began to loose his health since he could tell his secret to nobody. As a
solution, he went in a dark pit where there was not anyone, and shouted: "Iskender has
two horns." After some time, a shepherd passed near that pit. The pit had become a
reed bed. The shepherd made a pipe from a reed. When he played it, the
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pipe sang "Iskender has two horns." Thus, everybody heard that secret.
With reed pipe, songs like Nevai, Aycemal, Hayit Yikan, Ovadan gelin, and
Ovezim are played. There are people who sing to accompany reed pipe.
The boatswain's pipe is made of thin reed, and it is one-finger long. There are four
sound holes and a sheave. Most of the songs of Turkmen folk music can be played with
boatswain's pipe. Sounds that portray a baby's crying, a mother singing a lullaby, her talk
to her baby, and the baby's joy... all of these can easily be played as a result of the player's
talent.
The double boatswain's pipe is made of two boatswain's pipes that are bound
together.
The flute is a musical instrument that is made of wood and one-span long. There
are four sound holes in the front, and two at the back. It has a special sheave on its tip.
One of the seven classes of Oguz Khan's army was called "Sadivan." Sadivan

soldiers used to carry their flutes with them. They played music in different tones to give
information about the enemy's power, and how they could retaliate against them.
The Turkmen's most famous instrument is the "dutar". It is made of mulberry tree.
The name dutar was derived from the union the words "dut" (mulberry) and "tar" (string).
Each individual has a different perspective about music, and each instrument has
different effects on people. For example, instruments like tambourine and tar make
people lively. Some like to dance, and the others who do not dance move their feet, and
clap their hands according to the rhythm.
So, why does nobody dance to the music of the tambour? Because the music
played by the tambour is a reminder of the bad things that happened to our people, the
cries from difficult times, separations, longings, joy, and love. Tambour and
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gipcak have become the ornaments of weddings. A Turkmen does not accept a wedding
without instruments and poets as a proper wedding. Dutar and gipcak are the voices of
the fifth period of Turkmen.
The dances that belong to different Turkmen tribes like garsak and kasik (spoon)
performed by women show that Turkmen folk dances are very old, and were originated in
ancient times. The dances like "himbil" and "nanay" which are again performed by
women are about wedding ceremonies. In some Turkmen national dances some of the
dance figures have remained original.
Our national games reflect the spiritual structure that Turkmen people had in the
past. According to the archeological discoveries, knuckle dibs (asik oyunu) is an ancient
game. By declaring that most of the nations of the world have accepted this game as a
game belonging to the ancient times, we can easily say that Turkmen people have
developed at the same level of civilization as the other nations of the world.
Archeological findings manifest that games like "akca sunk," "dokuz gumalak,"
takilatti," and "altin kabak" were started to be played nearly two thousand years ago
outside today's Turkmenistan's boundaries. Our ancestors who lived in Central Asia,
Altay, Seyhun, Volga (Idil) were really fond of playing these games. Games are our
nation's inerasable history, and the family tree of generations.
"Ayterek Gunterek" is one of the popular games played among children. This
game, which had its origin in Oguz Khan's period, is played between two groups. The
name of this game, which was played by Oguz Khan's two sons, is derived from their
names: Ayhan and Gunhan.
The game, "Aytabak Guntabak" is also based on the games that Oguz Khan's sons
played.
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Since Oguz Khan's reign, our national games like wrestling, catching a
handkerchief, "altin kabak" (golden pumpkin), horse racing, "oglak kacti," cevkan, "koc
almak" (taking a ram), have become the amusements of Turkmen festivities. In these
games, the education of people in a peaceful manner has been desired. Games like

"duzzum" (nine pebbles), "icyanagzi," leap frog (asiratti), "ucbokum," "takilatti," "lukur,"
"peciz," and "bestas" (five pebbles) which are played sitting down reveal that the
Turkmen culture of resting is also sophisticated. These kinds of games have made people
get used to good habits, have kept them away from gossiping and boredom. Individual
living and gossiping are the habits that the Turkmen does not like. Elderly people play the
"kece-kece" game when they find the opportunity.
In some places, "kece-kece" game is called as the game of finding the ring. The
aim is to find the person who hides the ring among a group of people. Thus, this game is
very entertaining, and strengthens shrewdness and the ability to guess. The game of
finding the ring teaches to analyze other people's character.
In our society, there are hundreds of games which lead people to discipline
themselves with good habits.
*****
Dear citizens!
The Turkmen nation is the nation that has more celebrations, festivities, and
festivals than any other nation of the world. This is a manifestation of the spiritual wealth
of Turkmen. It shows that Turkmen appraise the human soul. For each individual the
Turkmen has invented more than twenty celebrations. It is the sacred duty of every
individual to behave with good manners in these celebrations.
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Each Turkmen should spend his life bestowed by God in an atmosphere of
festivity and entertainment, and should live his life as a celebration.
May you have great souls!
May you celebrate one festivity after the other!
May everything be full of joy!
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FUNERALS AND COMMEMORATIONS
Maturity of an individual indicates itself by not only his/her understanding of life
but also his/her thoughts on death. It is the same for a nation; the existence of the rules
and traditions are important not only for the daily life but also for death and
commemoration. It is exactly the sign of maturity to understand that life and death are the
integrated parts and both are the dimensions of the existence. Life is a
whole and flows towards eternity. Existence is a whole, it is permanent and continuous;
there is liveliness at one side and death on the other; one of its circles is liveliness and the
other is death. To look from this perspective, death is not a final point; it is the inception
of life in a different dimension, that is, death covers just a specific period in life, which
keeps running.
In Turkmen customs, the traditions about death which constitutes a period of life,

are known as good manners of commemoration. This is the indication of the respect of
the living to the deceased. Unfortunately, human life on this Earth is very short. Life
after-death continues in spiritual terms. In other words, a deceased person lives in the
memories of the alive. A good manner of commemoration is traditionalization of
remembering the deceased.
It is called "five days' life" among Turkmen. This expression is a thought, which
comes from very old times. The spiritual leader of the second period of national spirit,
Gorkut
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ata, had wished three times thirty and ten years (a hundred years) to brave young people
in his prayers. Makhtumkuli Firaki, also defined the lifetime as hundred years. Our
ancestor Oguz Khan had the chance of living a hundred and seven years more. Therefore,
the Turkmen called a hundred seven years as the Oguz Khan year and deemed people
who could survive as fortunate people.
However, no matter how long you live, you will definitely return your soul to its
owner, one day, according to the rule of the life on the earth. The Turkmens have drawn
important lessons from this painful reality. They have given meaning not only to life but
also to death, by creating the good manners of commemoration. Each individual must
accept the reality of death ever as of the realization of self. He must not be afraid of
death; he must not be weak and desperate towards death. The greatest bravery is to walk
towards death without any hesitation. The worst type of cowardice is to remain desperate
before death. If there were no death, there would not be life, at all.
*****
If there were no death, there would be no birth.
The road never ends if there is no beginning.
Life means to gain a value through death.
Death is an advice.
A person who does not take death seriously cannot appreciate the meaning of life.
Not caring about life leads to the path of the world while forgetting death leads to
mundane addictions.
There is a guest, who is never desired, some day walks fast with harsh steps
through the gate of life. This is the death, coming. Whoever has never had a vivid life, he
drinks the sherbet of death without any hesitation; and smiles to the face
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of the death. To understand the aim of life, transform life to pleasure and to news that
heralds from other side.
*****

Within the context of the manners for commemoration, it is among the major
duties to take care of the one who is about to die, like he/she is a baby. Never break the
heart of a patient, on whom the shadow of death falls. It is your duty to be a fellow to him
or her during his journey to eternal life, but you must be twice as sincere and serve full-
heartedly while he is in the bed of death. Do not be careless to the loneliness of a person
who is alone on board the ship of Mortality Sea and who is going away from the coast of
life! Go fetch whatever he or she wants though he or she cannot eat! Bring the pills and
drugs which may heal or not, regardless of its price! If he cries because of the pain, share
his feelings! When you do this, you will comfort him; you
provide support to him, while he is challenging the death; and you help him to quit his
sweet life easily.
It is disgrace to play music, to make noise and to talk about inappropriate matters
nearby the patient. Make him repeat the Kelime-i Shadat (confession of faith) while he is
giving his last breath; wish God to be compassionate to him. After the soul leaves, the
deceased should be dressed off.
Put him on his soft mattress where his face will see towards the direction of
Mecca. Close his eyes slowly, not to let them remain open. Attach his hands on his chest
and tie his feet by his toes. Also, tie his chin so as not to let it open. It is necessary to
cover him with a sheet. The news of death must be conveyed to people as soon as
possible. In the tradition of Turkmen, the news of death is not given in a cold manner
such as "someone died". Instead, they use softer expressions such as "someone has
changed his home", "he conceded", "he received God's mercy".
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The Turkmen definitely cry when they learn that somebody died. A man who
reaches the house of dead person, covers his face with his hands and cries silently, by
leaning on the wall. It is necessary to console and comfort the crying man. Later, that
person stops crying and retires to a corner and sits quietly. Women keep crying, they
lament all together; because women have tender hearts. However, their crying has a
manner, as well; in the place of mourning, older women must remind them not to cry so
loudly. According to the Turkmen traditions, the dead must be buried as soon as possible.
However, this may not always be possible. The deceased is sometimes kept, so that some
close relatives can make it to the funeral. It is called "to host the deceased" in the
Turkmen traditions. Because someone who quits his soul does not belong to this mortal
world anymore; the idea of hosting the deceased for a while dates back to very old times.
*****
There are a series of procedures and rules to host the deceased. A dead person is
not left alone; there must be someone in his company. Don't leave his soul alone and don't
let his soul be hurt. A candle or lamp is lit. It is not a good manner to eat, drink or talk
about the matters of daily life near the dead. The dead must be respected as if he is alive.
It is true that "the dead can understand exactly what the living people are suspicious

about". Everything is done during the assigned period not to hurt the corpse. Beside the
corpse, positive sides of the dead as well as his or her good deeds are elaborated duly. In
the room and around the room, silence must be sustained. People are respected as much
as they respect death. Washing the corpse is a compulsory part of Turkmen's good
manners of commemoration because hygiene is necessary, not only for the living, but
also for the dead. As cleanliness is the basis of life in this world, it is also essential in the
other. It is better for the
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corpse to be washed by a pure-hearted person. If the deceased is a man, then a man
should wash him; or if the deceased is a woman, then a woman should wash her. It
is a significant good deed to wash the dead. Actually, the relatives of the dead must wash
the corpse.
This order is obeyed during the washing of the dead. The clothes tied on his toes
and chins are untied. Then, its intestines are discharged. If the deceased is an adolescent,
he is washed according to the rules of the ablution, firstly, the right and then left arm is
washed to the elbows. Later, the face is washed and then the whole body is washed three
times, on a horizontal position. He is turned on his left side and his right side and is
washed, and vice versa; it is done three times. The water must not be hot. It is a tradition
to add soap or herbal essence to water. Later, if it is necessary, cotton is stuffed into the
nose, mouth and ears. If there is no water, teyemmum (Islamic way of abduction with
soil) is applied to the corpse. The one who applies the teyemmum puts his hands on the
ground and touches on the face of dead, then put his hands on the ground and touches the
arms of death. So, the teyemmum is completed.
*****
The fallen of war go to heaven with their blood.
Nice essences are sprinkled to the dead after he is washed and covered with a
shroud. His hair is not combed but his nails are trimmed.
The cloth for the shroud must be white and 9 to 11 meters according to the height
of the deceased. The burial part of the funeral is implemented according to religious
rules; the Turkmen religious authorities are very careful about it. According to their rules,
the shroud has three parts; kefeni zaruret, kefen-i sünnet and kefen-i kifaye.
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A suitable cloth can be used as a shroud if there is nothing else. The second
shroud consists of three parts for men; izar (all around the body), bandage and reed. The
first two surround the body completely. Reed is a shirt covering parts from neck to feet.
Three of them must be wide enough to cover the body. In addition to them, head and
chest covers are used for women. Head cover must be able to cover the head completely.
The chest cover is tied onto the chest. It is of virtue to wrap with cotton cloth. The reed
first and chest cloth, second, are put on and then, cloth is wrapped all round the body. For

women, all around the body is wrapped first, and it is followed by chest, reed and head
cover. The reed is firstly put on and then the head cover is tied during the shrouding
process. The chest cloth is bound up firstly on the right side and then the left side. The
chest is covered up after it. All round the body is binding up in a same way like principle
chest. Then nice smells are sprinkled with rose water. It is a good behavior to write on
chest "Bismillahirrahmanirrahim." Then, preparations to put the dead into a coffin follow.
Recently, there are coffins presented to frequent use. In old times, a coffin was a box or
raft with stairs, five, seven or nine stairs. There was a carpet under the body in the coffin.
The head side of the coffin was positioned to see front while it was taken out of the
house. Then, it is brought to a pre-determined place for the last prayer. I believe that there
is no need to sprinkle sands in front of door for the last prayer because we have sufficient
means, now. It is better to use cloth or special products, with this end. Later, the body is
carried to the cemetery, after the last prayer. The coffin is carried by the relatives, after
forty steps, other people can carry, as well. According to the Turkmen customs, carrying
the coffin is a very good behavior, religiously. The Qur'an is not read till corpse is buried.
The body is buried into the exact location in the cemetery. Generally, all relatives are
buried close to each other. However, it is not right to choose a place before death. It
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is acceptable, in accordance with Turkmen good manners of commemoration, to bring
soil from the cemetery of the one who died abroad and bury it in his homeland. However,
it is important to know the proper procedure.
*****
A special pot is made to get soil from the cemetery. The Qur'an is read and prayed
at the grave. The soil, brought into his or her homeland, is treated as if it was the body of
that person. In addition, on special days, various charity rituals are carried out such as the
fortieth day anniversary, serving meals to people and reading Mevlid. What is appropriate
is to dig as deep as possible. The hill, as a result of digging, on the side of the grave is
called as admiration hill (hayrantepe). The coffin is put on this hill before placing the
body into the grave. The clothes on the body are removed and the corpse is transferred to
people in the grave to place it. They handle the body carefully and untie the belts and
lower it to the grave. In Turkmenistan, generally graves, resembling tombs, are dug. After
the corpse is placed in the grave, its top is closed with wood or adobe, which is prepared
specially. If there is a danger of land slide and there is no possibility to dig a tomb, a hole
is dug in the middle of the grave and the body is buried here. This is called a "cleft grave"
among Turkmen. The moment of burial is very special, according to the good manners of
commemoration. Relatives must allow burial of the corpse. When the top of the tomb is
closed with adobe bricks, relatives throw three shovels of soil. Later, other people help to
bury. A grave is heightened with the hill's soil, like camel hump. Grave stones, bearing
name of the deceased, birth date and date of death, are placed at the head and foot side.
After the burial, the Qur'an is read. It is not proper to prolong reading it. One

person reading the Qur'an is enough.
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*****
After the funeral, one of the relatives meets the people who borrowed from the
deceased or loaned to him. Who will get what is clarified. By the way, at the funeral,
what kind of a person the deceased was is asked; people there answer this question three
times as "he was a good person". The people who assisted with the helped burial return
home and put the shovels aside; the Qur'an is read, prayers are said; the owner of the
funeral wishes that may the blessings God be upon you and everybody leaves.
Commemoration of the dead is a very old Oguz tradition, it comes from the pre-Islamic
period in Turkmenistan. It means to commemorate and say farewell to the deceased.
These days are, third, seventh, fortieth, hundredth days and anniversary. These are the
turning points in the decay of the body. This is a different kind of projection of pre-
Islamic shamanists (worshippers of fire), who kept the corpse and did not bury it. Blood
is thickened after three days.
Among Oguz Turks there is commemoration for relatives during these days.
Seven days later, his eyes decay; this is the period for the one who was seen by him. On
the fortieth day, the inner organs dissolved, this is the period for the relatives. Hundredth
day, the face changes and cannot be identified, anymore. Therefore, this is the mourning
period for closer relatives who once shared water and bread. Lately, in some regions,
people who mourn for the death after a month have emerged. This has nothing to do with
our ancient traditions.
The mourning period for the relatives is one year because a year is enough for the
body to decay completely; it is believed that, only bones remain. The close relatives are,
father, mother, husband or wife, brothers and children. Our ancestors believe that the soul
does not leave its place during a year and it quits totally after a year. The soul wants to be
remembered during a
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year. To make souls peaceful, read the Qur'an, pray and remember them on Friday nights.
According to the Turkmen traditions, there must be charities (Islamic
commemoration meal) periodically. Thus, related people can finish the commemoration,
in mass. In those days, having fun, making jokes and such behaviors are not acceptable.
In those days, dishes are carried on one hand. The aim of visiting the mourning house is
to wish condolences to relatives. Good conduct of the deceased is talked about at the
house of mourning. When relatives come together, the life of ancestors and roots should
be talked about. This is important for children. Do not wait for an invitation to visit the
house of the dead person who is your close relative or who was a fellow from the same
village or good friend, participate in the third and seventh day commemoration of the
deceased. Do not postpone your visit.
Following the share of the inheritance, old Oguz Turks gave charity for meals to

be given for thirty years. With this end, a big animal like a cow was slaughtered and a lot
of people were invited. After that, the dead is considered to reach a higher position.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are deemed as the days to visit the cemetery.
When arriving at the cemetery, all deceased people are greeted. Then, the targeted grave
is reached and the mourner's face is turned to the grave from the direction of Mecca,
firstly a religious greeting is given and then prayed. In the independent and Neutral
Turkmenistan, the sixth day of the month of Independence, the twelfth day of the
Turkmenbashi month and the eighth day of the Makhmutkuli month; these all are the
commemoration months and days. If related people visit the cemeteries, on these days;
and if Qur'an is read and prayed, it will reflect good conduct.
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Sleeping in the cemetery, stepping on graves and crying loudly are disgraceful
behaviors. It is necessary to care the graves under the direction of experienced people and
cut off the grasses on the graves. On account of the fortune trees on the graves,
experienced people can understand whether the graves are cared for or not. The clothes,
which are different colors, are tied to the fortune trees each time when it is visited. The
neglected graves are a sign that the relatives of the deceased became deficient people.
There are some deep meanings in these Turkmen proverbs: "The one who shows respect
to the dead become rich and the one who respects the living becomes lord", "The one
who does not care for the dead, never cares for his relatives". Therefore, it is fitting for
the Turkmen if he obeys the rules of commemoration.
*****
There are old beliefs about the Sun, Moon and stars among our people. These
emerged thanks to the science of astronomy. Lucky and unlucky days are determined,
according to the position of the stars. There are strong beliefs about the Mars. This star
was believed to say "I inform the one who does not know anything and I kill the one who
knows." Today, it is accepted that if this star rises in the direction, which you will head to,
that day is thought to be unfortunate. The Turkmens have transferred the things that have
a place in their hearts to their traditional life. They have developed them according to the
needs of time and make them a tradition. Turkmen traditions are a set of rules of life,
implemented in daily life. Each and every tradition has characteristics, which are in line
with Turkmen national spirit and character.
Although our ancestors were under the influence of different religions, they have
never lost their traditions. For centuries, our traditions survived, in an integrated way with
the religion of Islam. The Turkmens have original traditions of
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funeral rites. It is a shaman tradition for men to wear a fur hat at a funeral. It means "I
have a trouble on my head". Women cover their head during mourning. Relatives of the
dead person do not listen to music for forty days; no wedding is organized till certain

commemoration days are over.
At the house of the deceased, no meal is cooked till the third day; the relatives and
neighbors bring meals. The biscuits are served in odd numbers on the dinner table. The
house of mourning takes one of the three biscuits and gives back the two so that peace
can last at his home; or in return, they may give chocolate or sugar, it means that
everything will be a pair, and there will be rest.
Always double biscuits are taken away to the house of a wedding. Praying after
meals is carefully practiced by our nation. The Turkmen read the Qur'an and, while
praying, they pray in the native language.
The Turkmen always prays while he is passing nearby a cemetery. Today, he
reduces the volume of his tape while driving nearby a cemetery. This is our rooted
tradition.
*****
My Beloved Son!
My Dear Daughter!
Did you understand the reason why I explain all these things as clear as possible?
I mention all these things to hinder various traditions in every corner of our vast country,
among clans and tribes and to ensure that these traditions are implemented in uniformity
everywhere from village to cities, and I mentioned these so that you can know them
definitely. All villages should come together on commemoration and mourning days and
give out some charities, read the Qur'an and pray. It is necessary to take care of graves.
The circumference of graves should be turned into green areas. Commemorate and talk
often about the respected and prestigious people at
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your neighborhood. May the souls of our ancestors become happy!
There is a proverb "if you cannot make it to the weddings, it is fine; but you have
to show up at mourning." The proverb is not told without any reason. To support and help
people who have a great pain is necessary. It is very important to console a person who
lost a close relative. During good and bad days, people need close friends. An individual
wants to see his friends on his painful or happy days.
Melt strong rocks; sweet words heal broken hearts. Do not abstain from using
sweet words for people, and make it viable.
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GOOD MANNERS OF INDIVIDUALS
My Beloved Turkmen Nation!
Good manners are an end-result. Every result has its own circumstances and
justifications. The basis of good manners is to know your "self". The good manners of
individuals differ from others in this respect. Other good manner rules determine relations

of a person with others and the outer world. Good manners of an individual regulate
relations of a person with himself.
Good manners of an individual are very important in the spiritual and civic
development of the Turkmen people as a nation. Ever since very old ages, wise Turkmens
have reflected about how a person can be mature, that is, how he can gain a personality.
One of the ideas concluded about this matter is: Having a mature personality is a set of
values which are indicated in behaviors with self. Influencing someone from outside,
steering and educating a person is important, however, there are certain limits to this.
External effects are beneficial and important, until the human-being discovers himself in
spiritual sense. However, when this point is reached in terms of development of self,
relations of a person with the outer world change direction into the inner world. When a
person realizes himself, he owns a power, which lets the soul and mind move, as a result
of the self-relation. Later on, human-being continues development of self on his own and
he does better. Therefore, to regulate spiritual and ethical life, some rules for manners of
individuals have been introduced. What is personality? This question can be answered, as
the personality is the 'self'. This is generally an acceptable answer. However, normally,
'self' is
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more different, complicated and multi-dimensional than what is thought to be. For
instance, take your own ‘self'. Where is 'self'? What is it like? The hand or foot or any
organ is not the self, and self cannot be imagined without body. A person can
communicate with self just as he established relations with another person; and he can
talk, discuss or hate it or obey to self. As a result, personality has a bifurcated and
complicated spiritual structure. Philosophers noticed in old times that the shortest and
safest way to elevate a human-being in terms of maturity can be ensured by relations of
the individual with himself.
*****
The meaning of staying head to head with the world is totally different from
staying alone with your self. An individual always perceives the self as good. He cares
about the inner voice rather than the outer voice. Thus, when a community elevates its
own values to the level of the individual's own values, a complete discipline can be
achieved. To internalize the values of the society, the individuals must be forced to
believe that maturity is necessary. There are two selves in a person: ‘outer self' and ‘inner
self'. Turkmen intellectuals defined the apparent self, who is focused on substance and
nature as soul and internal self, focusing on soul, as will, which looks at the inside. Will
tends towards evil acts and unrest, but the heart is open to maturity since the first one is
material while the second one, which is the essence of the civilization, belongs to soul.
The real maturity is the superiority of will to soul. This victory can be achieved only by
self. The most perfect way of disciplining someone is to ascribe this experience to him.
To put it correctly, reaching the level of soul is necessary since man's soul has an

animalistic side, he wants to live like an animal, according to the rules of nature.
However, society is a different institution and has different regulations. Natural laws are
not
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valid at this institution. If those laws are in force, important ethical and spiritual problems
occur.
The real meaning of individual good manners is to respect spirituality and the
ethical demands of the society and to obey the behavioral orders of the society.
*****
The best obedience is the obedience of soul to will.
The best way is to meet the needs of will and limit self.
The real victory is the one which occurs against soul.
After I graduated from high school, I read such a story while I was working with a
geology group doing field study. It was about an interesting sculptor. The sculptor
became famous for his magnificent masterpieces. His living standard increased. He made
very good sculptures. They would not be called as sculpture. It was hard to understand
which one was the sculpture when the model of the sculpture stood next to the finished
work. It looked like a real person. Everything had a beginning and an end. The sculptor
noticed that he was very close to death as the time passed by, but he never wanted to die.
He wanted to escape from death. He sought to find a way to save himself from death. He
made ten sculptures of himself very carefully. When you looked at them, you would think
that there were ten more sculptors like him. It was not possible to find any flaw on any
sculpture. One day, Azrael came to take his soul at the workshop of the sculptor. When
the sculptor sensed that Azrael came, he hid among the sculptures. The Azrael saw eleven
sculptors when he entered the workshop. Azrael never experienced such a situation. God
would not create similar individuals. All individuals were created uniquely. Brothers
would look like each other but there would be some small differences since their moods
would be different from each other.
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Azrael counted and saw eleven of the same person. However, he had to take the
soul of only one person. The angel of death could not find any way to do this, no matter
how long he thought about it. Azrael returned and explained the situation to God:
- I am in a difficult situation; I went to take life of one person. However, I found
eleven persons. Which one's life shall I take among those eleven sculptors?
God smiled in return. Then, God taught the angel of death the secret to distinguish
the real individual from the artificial one.
- Go to the workplace of the sculptor and repeat what I taught you.
Azrael asks with astonishment:
- If I do what you told me, will he reveal himself?

- Sure, don't worry about it.
Azrael went to the workplace once more. Loudly, but without looking at any of
the sculptures, he said:
- Those sculptures seemed alive, it is a great job. However, it is possible to do a
better one. It is obvious that they were made quickly. I wish it would not have this flaw.
The sculptor gets angry when he heard those words and he forgot what he did to
save himself. He came out from his shelter and said:
- S how me what the flaw is. There is no flaw.
Then Azrael smiles:
- Now, you have revealed yourself. That is the only flaw of being human. A
human-being never forgets himself nor erases himself from his conscience. A human-
being considers himself in the first place and loves himself infinitely. This infinite love
prevents him from a lot of things. Good manners start with having good manners towards
the self. Having good manners towards self is the necessity of the good manners of
individuals.
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*****
The main condition of good manners of an individual is to know self. The person,
who notices his own deficiencies before anyone else does, has a bright future. The person
who fulfills the condition of good manners notices overdoing and deficiencies in his work
life, private life, educational life, way of thinking, relations with others, nature and
character, in short, in his entire life; it means he is trying to be a mature man. This is a
difficult task. The nature of human-beings tends to imitate and to subject to others instead
of self-control. Why? Because imitating and subjecting occur out of will and they are not
cared about so much. This does not mean to do something; but rather, to seem like doing
something. Providing the necessities of the will means to quit habits and change deeply
the natural structure of self and its character; therefore, it requires too much effort and
labor. Let's try to clarify this important issue with an example: There is a big mountain
that you have to surmount. It will be a victory for you, if you can do so. People, who see
you conquer the mountain, shall declare you as their lord. There is only one way to do
that: you will climb from a very hard and vertical path in a short time and you may even
die, or you will walk around the mountain for a long time. Subjecting to someone else is
something like walking around the mountain, controlling the will is like climbing the
mountain. Of course, the second one is harder; however, it leads you to absolute victory
and a result. The first one is the easy one, but, since it is not real, although it is seen as
right at first sight, it is in fact fake.
For the viability of good manners in an individual, self must always be under the
supervision. There is no good manner contradicting a wise person. An individual must act
with conscience, so his attitude towards the other path is always ready; he is not
suppressed by others.
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Use your wisdom and stay away from actions which you will regret, in the end.
Will makes you to do wrong things for the sake of itself. Therefore, you must act
according to wisdom and ethical rules and always feel comfortable.
Do whatever you do in the boundary of reason, conscience and fairness! If you do
not act according to reason, you will regret it and if you do not consider the conscience
and fairness, there will be sorrow, in the end. Reason is the eye of God and conscience is
the eye of the public. Fairness means not to treat someone in a way that you would never
want to be treated. If you treat people in a way that you cannot tolerate, then, they act
towards you in that way. Finally, you will have no face to appear before them and you
will have nothing to be forgiven.
*****
Fairness is an auto-control system that comes from the heart. You may do
something wrong and nobody will notice or understand. Nevertheless, when you
understand the meaning of what you did, it begins to disturb you. You can feel it deep
inside heart. These feelings surround you over time and you hate and punish yourself.
This is the appearance of conscience and fairness.
If personality is protected from both sides, by reason and conscience, it becomes
ready to be at one with good manners. These provide strong shelters because one belongs
to God and the other to people.
For existence of a personality with good manners, God and people are not the sole
external elements; they are the sovereigns of the inside of the personality; by wisedom
and conscience, it becomes ready to be good manners. His wise acts occur according to
God's measures whereas conscience acts according to the measures of the public.
Wisdom and conscience are the dynamics of the inner world.
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Mature personality is the one who possesses the values of the outer world. The
values, constituting a personality, have meanings and importance. Things, which are not
possessed, are nothing.
Personality is the milestone of having values according to the externalities, if he
has an aim. Having no aim causes isolation from people and values.
If you do not do what you suggest to others, the values begin to erode. The ethics
of society depend on the individuals. The worst thing occurs if the individual does not
care about the values. Therefore the sign of maturity is to supervise the self, according to
the old mentalities. They advise themselves, others. They cope with their own will firstly,
and then they turn their faces to others. They have reached the pure reality. It is necessary
to travel deeper inside for the good manners of individuals.
Personality can be purified with self effort. If you have an evil heart, people stay
away from you; in short, purity depends on self. Keep your body, heart and conscience
clean and pure!

Shame is the sign of conscience.
Conscience is the heart and shame is the body. If there is no heart, the body is
dead. You have to cut your fingernails, on account of other people and you have to cut
your toenails on account of yourself.
You have to keep your clothes clean in the presence of others and you have to
keep your underwear clean due to others.
If you do not get used to being ashamed of yourself, you cannot be ashamed of
others.
If you do not realize the things you say, you make it a habit not to do what you are
told to do.
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If you do not have mind, you cannot understand the fear of God. If you do not
have conscience, you cannot respect others.
The one who is not afraid of God, is afraid of death. If you do not avoid others,
you do not care about being despicable.
Having the fear of God causes one not to be afraid of death, whereas avoiding
others causes one to be afraid of self will.
The one who passes the examination of reason and conscience, is always
blameless.
Story: A theft occurred in the house of a rich man in Delhi. His golden items were
stolen. Who could have stolen them? The rich man guessed that the thief was someone
from his house. But, if you did not see who it was, who would you blame for this crime?
The rich man went to the minister of King Ekber, Birbal, since he needed some advice.
- Our great master, everybody knows your talents and reason. It is said that you
know everything. Therefore, I came to ask you for some advices.
- Please, tell me.
- M y golden items were stolen from my house.
- Is there anyone you suspect?
- Master, I think that one of my servants stole them, however, I cannot find out
who he or she is.
- I see. I will investigate. I have never been wrong, call your servants.
Six servants appeared in the presence of the Minister. Birbal held up six sticks.
- Look, these are six equal sticks. Be careful, are they equal?
The servants looked at the sticks and answered:
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- They are equal.
- Then, each of you will take one of them.
They did what they were told.
- I hope that we will find the golden items of rich man tomorrow. Now, each of
you will sleep in different rooms. You will come to me early tomorrow morning and
show your stick. The stick of the one who stole the golden items will be 20 percent

longer. The owner of the longer stick is the thief. His punishment will be decided
tomorrow.
Each servant slept in a different room. The thief thought cleverly and cut the stick
by 20 percent, so the Minister would not be able to understand the matter.
Next day, the servants brought the sticks to the Minister. The stick of the thief was
shorter than the others.
*****
What is important for personality is the sense of fairness and conscience. This
sense always protects it and provides dignity for it. Shame is a sense that belongs to
conscience and fairness.
Shame is the power of keeping promises, working, obeying the rules of mutual
relations, manners, eating, drinking and clothing.
The person who has the feeling of embarrassment, dresses clean and suitable
because this feeling advises him to do so.
The person who has the feeling of embarrassment, eats neatly and suitably since
this feeling advises him to do so.
The person who has the feeling of embarrassment, speaks in a sweet and nice way
since this feeling advises him not to break the hearts of people.
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The person who has the feeling of embarrassment, works fairly since this feeling
advises him that if he works harder and does not let someone else do his own work, he
will earn purely.
The person who has the feeling of embarrassment, maintains good relations with
others because this feeling drifts him away from bad manners and an evil life.
The human mind is like a boat, if there is no paddle, called conscience, boat
cannot be controlled.
Fairness is like human life; if there is no tongue of embarrassments, the soul
cannot even breathe.
These are the features of a mature person. He only imagines altruistic deeds in his
mind. His hands work for good things. His feet go after good works. Only nice thoughts
emerge in his head. His tongue always says nice and sweet words. His eyes see only nice
things.
Conscience seeks nice things. There are good aims before it, good works at the
back, his trust to good acts on the right and regrets on the left. To get used to good
manners of thoughts, words and actions are the guarantee of happiness. Your life passes
with pleasure and wealth, if you get used to living with good manners.
Otherwise, ill-manners dry out the rose of conscience and decays the tree of
rationale. Always critique yourself when you notice the small excuses of others; ask
yourself whether you have those excuses or not. At this point, you notice that you have
big excuses. Look at yourself first, and then look at others. Wisdom is the guarantee of

the happiness and the conscience is the guarantee of the maturity. If you do not want to be
hurt, do not hurt!
You cannot find rest and confidence, if your mind does not control your tongue. If
your fairness does not control
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your hands and if your ethical values do not control your feet, you cannot find peace and
trust.
If your hand, foot and tongue are long, your way will have loops.
If you train your will with mind and conscience, happiness comes quickly.
Do not wait for happiness, look for it; do not think that evilness and bad luck
vanish; go over them with wisdom and conscience.
The fair person likes his own fairness. Therefore, a person, who can sense his
fairness, does not need to look for other pleasures. It is not possible to suppress the one
who has conscience and fairness.
The one who respects the rights of others cannot be beaten. He becomes more
powerful when he is attacked. It is not possible to destroy him. If you destroy his body,
you cannot cope with his soul that is a thousand times more powerful than the body.
Maturity is the talent of limiting self. If you can limit yourself, you own the
world. If you want to be mature, master your will. Search and find yourself. What is the
meaning of the world if you cannot know yourself? The good manners envisage someone
to be a man. To be a man means having a personality. This means to be yourself and no
one can imitate. Being himself does not mean to be a cover, it means to be an
essence. It is a kind of fortune to say "I survived as I am", at the end of the life. Do not
imitate and do not be imitated!
Roses in the garden of the heart are not imitation and cannot be imitated.
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MAY YOUR SOUL BE HIGH!
(BE HOPEFUL! HAVE HIGH MORALE!)
My Dear Citizens!
The aim of good manners is to have the rules of beautiful morality adopted as
habits. The best among the good manners is definitely supremacy of the soul; exalted
soul, high soul, high morale, hope, desire, eagerness and enthusiasm. High morale is one
of the major values in the lives of people. If you cannot maintain a good mood, life will
have no meaning or taste.
Having a high soul and holding your head up means to enjoy the cheer and
pleasures of life together. The path of life continues with success and difficulties, in an
intertwined way. Life does not go the same way; black and white are side by side. We call
this the Tibetan doctrine. Good mood, which is a milestone of morality, is necessary for
both sides of life. You have a good mood when everything is fine and successes
follow each other. To gain consecutive successes, you need to have a good mood. It is not

possible to be content with one gift from a destiny because there is no determined coast
the sea of life.
In other words, it is a kind of infinity, continuation and action, tied up at the
moment of death. Therefore, high morale is necessary to reach from one point to another.
High morale enables the stabilization of survival; it is an equalization of the flow of
personal life to the speed of your flowing life. Comfort is temporary in this time which
flows
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into eternity, while action is continuous. It is necessary to balance the flow of life with the
flow of the river of life to catch the running time. Everything on the earth moves. Life
always flows towards eternity. If you want to understand the reality of life, you have to
join it. Therefore, it is necessary to be in high morale to run from success to success. This
means, you have to target a bigger success, when you achieve a smaller one. There is no
stabilization of movement. There is stabilization only for death and stabilization suits it.
On hard days a good mood has much more importance since, during the hard
times, the motions of the body and soul slow down. On harder days they may stop and
nothing has been achieved. In those days, a human-being needs a power not from the
outer world but from the inner world. This is the good mood. Silence, unwillingness,
boredom are the enemy of man. You search for the enemy inside, not outside. You
consider your will instead of someone else as the enemy. They are the hangmen of your
rest and confidence. In those days, you will remember two things to have a high soul. The
first one is physical health and the other one is being honorable. I will explain the real
meanings of these two, which we often use in our daily speeches so they lose their
meaning.
What is physical health? It does not necessarily mean that you have no pain in
your body. Its meaning and importance are crucial to understand life. Physical health is to
have all the means to survive. While you have such means, why are you worried about
tomorrow? Nonetheless, you worry, since the difficulties harm your honor and dignity.
However, if you are in good condition, why do you feel sorrow? Understand that if you
are healthy, you can cope with every difficulty! If you have a heart, your life goes on. The
difficulties will go away from you with time. Health looks at the future and difficulties
look at yesterday. Therefore, it is not right to blame yourself and
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disturb others. Actually, pessimism is a kind of weakness of the soul. What more do you
need more when God gave you liberty?
Health is the freedom of body and dignity is the freedom of mind. Although you
have those two freedoms, it is not understandable to perceive yourself as a slave, this is
just inferiority.
Gautama Buddha reiterated the same doctrine for forty years: sammasati (correct
perception).
Correct perception is very important for man. Man generally disappears without

knowing who he is to be. Man can remember a lot of things. However, they allocate such
little time to learn and they do not know themselves so much.
Gautama Buddha explained himself with an old event; the example of a lion,
jumping from hill to hill. The lion jumped between two hills and there were sheep down
there. According to the story, the lion was almost about to give birth. She gave birth at the
moment she jumped. Her babies fell down on the sheep. The small lions did not know
themselves, they grew up among sheep. They ate only grass like sheep and did not eat
meat. They thought of themselves as sheep instead of lions. One day the mother lion went
hunting. While she was passing nearby the sheep, she noticed a lion eating grass. Sheep
were not afraid of it, at all. She stopped hunting and started to observe the lion. The lion
repeated whatever sheep did. Ate like them, ran like them. She attacked the herd. She
caught the small lion and took it away to the riverside. The small lion began to beg:
- Please let me return to my herd.
She warned him that he thinks mistakenly about himself and she wants him to
look at his reflection in the water. The small lion saw himself. Really, he did not look like
sheep at all and he looked like the lion next to him. When the lion, who grew up among
sheep, saw himself in the water he roared wildly.
The older lion said:
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- I achieved my mission; rest of it is up to you.
The small lion told the older one:
- I did not know myself. I am very thankful to you since you helped me about
such an important issue. Thank you very much.
Gautama Buddha always says that:
The duty of the mentor is to find who must be directed and let him know himself.
*****
If you understand my words, health can be perceived in two ways: One is the
perception of a lazy person. A lazy person enjoys immobility and sleeping. The other one
is the perception of a hard worker. A hard worker always copes with difficulties and aims
to overcome the obstacles.
The dignity is to schedule your life, to make use of your mind, to have balance
and to dominate the self. Wisdom is a big power. A lot of things can be gained through
wisdom. A wise person can gain property, friends, in short, everything needed to survive.
But you cannot gain wisdom with any of them.
Wisdom is endless richness.
Wisdom is a loyal friend.
Wisdom is an inexhaustible resource of love.
Wisdom is the cure for everything.
As a result, I do not see any obstacle for the majority of people not to have high
morale. There may be some excuses; but there is no excuse, in a real sense. Take care of

your health and use your mind while you have your dignity.
At this juncture I want to tell you a story about our ancestor Oguz Khan. He tells
that: "If a horse can gallop fast while it is thin, normal or fat, then, it means that it is a fit
horse; if it cannot run fast in one of these cases, it is not a good horse." The same
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thing is valid for human-beings. We can call a human-being a real one if his soul is high
in cases of illness, difficulties and success.
Story: Zeus and Hera observe human-beings from their place in the sky. Hera
feels pity since people forget happiness and cheer on account of family matters and they
have so many troubles. So, she tells Zeus:
- M y Lord! Don't you see the miserable situation of these people? Show them
mercy, help them, you are so powerful a god! You see how poor they are! Look at this
guy, he does not even have a shoe lace.
Zeus answers her:
- M y Hera! Nobody can take more than what is written in his destiny; even
though you want to give, he cannot take it.
- You are kidding me, aren't you? Do you think that I can believe such a thing?
Leave a purse of gold coins on his way. You will see whether he will take the purse or
not. Their life will entirely change when they take it. They will become wealthy, let them
live as wealthy as possible.
- Hera, believe me, even I put a case of gold in his path, a man who cannot find
his laces will not be able to see it.
- You leave it there where he can see it easily.
- O kay, let's do what you want, says Zeus, and then he sends a thunderbolt and
leaves the bag where the man will encounter it.
When the poor man comes near the purse of gold, he stares at the sky, as if he
wants to understand whether it will rain or not. The lazy man stops there for a few
minutes and suddenly goes back as if he forgot something. The purse is just lying there.
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The Turkmen has a concept of destiny and fate. There is a story about destiny, as
well. According to the story, an altruistic man wants to help a poor man from his village.
So the rich man drops a bag full of gold on the bridge used by the poor man. The
poor man passes by on the bridge with closed eyes to test himself. He does not see the
bag. He hits the bag without seeing it and it falls off the bridge. He does not even realize
a bag is falling into the river.
The Turkmen nation has a good fate and destiny.
*****
My Beloved Citizens!
In all three cases, have a high soul, high morale and implement the rules of high

morale both for yourself and others. Do not boast on your good days; do not relax on
your hard days! On your good days, don't make people say: "The one riding a horse
forgets his ancestors". Do not lose yourself on hard days.
Do not be downcast on good days and do not be weak on hard days.
It is not normal for things to go smoothly on good days and bad on hard days!
Be modest, while your reputation, title and wealth is on the rise!
Remember that wealth, success, wisdom, and talent are a means of testing your
character and judgment. Likewise poverty, failure, title and reputation are also a means of
examination! Give to people on your wealthy days, so that you can have a door to knock
at on your hard days. Be a person who is appreciated while everything goes well on your
good days, so that others can give you a hand when you have hardships. Thank God for
your health so that you may find the power to deal with pain when you are sick!
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*****
All the secrets of life are hidden in your relations with life, not in life itself. If you
manage to be cautious about wealth and success, on your good days, your perception will
not be blurred and you will not be surprised; if you are eager against difficulties during
hard days, you won't be surprised either. In fact, everything is up to you; if you are in
good mood and earnest, you won't be surprised in any case. Be modest during your good
days and do not lose your hope on your bad days!
Control your will on good days and rule your heart during hard days.
Do not humiliate people on your good days and do not humiliate yourself during
hard days.
Trust others on your good days and trust yourself during bad days.
Do not be silent during good days and do not anticipate during your hard days.
Do not talk about yourself on good days and do not complain on bad days.
Share on your good days and do not talk about what you share on your hard days.
Do not give way to pride and arrogance on good days and do not feel sorrow on
hard days.
*****
My Dear Citizens,
There are seven rules to have high morale and highness of soul.
First; keep your heart pure and be affectionate. This means to look at the world
with love. Affection is the source of love
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and inner beauty. It gives a human-being the power to be tough against the difficulties.
Pure heart means to be higher than all difficulties. The phrase is right; there is weakness
on earth, not difficulty. Having compassion is a good thing that prevents you from
becoming greedy and selfish. You do not worry because of small barriers. In case of great

obstacles, a person with compassion finds a way to protect his heart and head. If you
want to understand that remember the situation of a man in a passionate and hopeless
love. The world is always pleasant for him; there is always spring. He always has a hope,
always thinks goodness. You admire the beauty of his heart. You must be like that about
life, perfect, and remember the importance of the supremacy of soul. Then, the doors of
success and happiness are opened to you. The body needs food, the heart feels and the
human-being thinks. Life is shaped according to how you shape it. If you think of it as a
burden, it is a burden, if you see it as a nice thing, it is nice.
The second rule of good mood is the feeling of gratitude and gracious relations.
Think about the countless opportunities you had. Consider how much effort and
opportunity are spent for a person to reach a desired level of achievement. You utilize
from so many things in your life. When life is mentioned; nation, country, relatives and
friends must be recognized. You have to know that you are not alone. Recognition of
those always reminds you of the feeling of gratitude; you can pay back the goodness that
is made for you. All goodness is made with gratitude, you must consider yourself the
payer instead of the payee. Live with the aim of paying goodness. Do not wait for
gratitude because you will have the feeling of gratitude. Gratitude is to know the
goodness done for you and to live with this
conscious.
The third rule of good mood; Ethics and will. It is not possible to talk about the
good mood, where there is no will. I say like this since I want to give the right of the will
at the
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first place. A person, who cannot give the right of his will, can have nothing and can
reach nowhere. All ways are open if you can control your will, otherwise, every way is
closed. The world belongs to people who have a will. Oblige yourself to live according to
your needs instead of desires. Do not do whatever you want, do just what you need. If
you can control yourself, you can have the world. Firstly you need to control your
feelings. Your feet do not step where they want, they go to wisdom and benefit. Your
hands keep what you need, instead of what they want. Your tongue tells what is
necessary, instead what you have in your heart. Feelings always cover the wisdom.
Secondly, controlling the self means to control the thoughts. Create thoughts for your
responsibilities. Search the thoughts that make your life easier. Use your thoughts for the
acceptance of others. Stay away from useless thought, like you stay away from the goods
and services which you will never use. The third direction of self-control is to use your
time effectively. Time is spent from life. Your earning and success depend on how you
use your time. Use your time responsibly. All success depends on how you use time. So
many people complain about not having enough time. It is not true. There is always
enough time to do the things that you want. An inexperienced farmer uses too much water
and causes his produce to rot; like the farmer, so many people use more time than what
the work actually needs; they waste their lives and they have nothing. Then they that
there is insufficient time. Also the objectives are kept as unreachable desires. The person

who uses his mind effectively can earn much with a small amount of money. On the other
hand, if the person cannot use his mind effectively he can earn very little with a treasure.
Normally, time is neither short nor long. Its value depends on how you use it. Some
people leave nothing after living a hundred years. A long life is for nothing. Some pass
away from the earth with great jobs,
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after thirty or forty years. Get used to using time effectively to reach your goals!
The fourth rule of good mood is being contented.
It is a tool to conquer the difficulties of life. There is a tendency among people to
consider lightly what you give and consider great what they give. Therefore, to be
contented is necessary to cope with such weaknesses. You must be happy with a small
success.
You need to be satisfied with a small success and then aim for a bigger one. You
need to live with great troubles! Contentment is a steel shelter against the powerful and
negative impacts of life. Time and patience can achieve good works. Quickness only
destroys; however, construction requires contentment and time. Our ancestors said "Sleep
late and wake up early; set up more hammers to be waken up." Success is gained by
working harder in life.
The fifth rule of good mood is to have an exact target. Always keep nice dreams in
your heart, higher ideas in your mind and great ideals. Having no target means to live
uselessly. Find a target for each day, each week and each month. For each year and your
life, you must have a target. Have a great ideal and to achieve it determine smaller
targets. When you direct to a specific target, decisiveness, patience, working harder are
necessary. Do not say ‘I cannot', how do you know it without trying? A person can dream
something that he can realize. Once, you cannot achieve, try for the second. If you
cannot, try the third one, forth one and so on. You will achieve it at the end. Beauty and
happiness can be reached only after a challenge and everything becomes meaningful. You
are respected, if you achieved something. The taste of the success is the best one.
Achievements are the base of the future successes. Achievements increase your dignity.
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The sixth rule of the good mood is to be cheerful.
The seventh one is to search permanently. Always be cheerful. Pleasure is never
far from cheerfulness and smiles. The one whose heart is open has a clear way. If you are
cheerful, everybody wants to see you and smiles with you. You are alone when you cry
because people want to be cheerful and pleasant. Pleasure and cheer make the heart
better. Music and sense of humor have a part in your life. They are useful to cope with the
troubles since they strengthen your spirituality. Music, a sense of humor, and art heals the
heart and puts your inner world at ease.
Always search! Do not stagnate; do not be satisfied with what you have achieved
thus far but walk towards new victories and horizons!

*****
My Beloved Citizens!
Good mood is one of the ethical values at the forefront of the Golden Age of the
Turkmen.
I always receive suggestions from the people; many of them about the execution
of new traditions in our society. People are excited for the transformation of the country
and society. The need of transferring the good mood habits to our daily life is so needed.
So I want to share one of those suggestions.
Let's make a tradition to wish each other "Higher Soul" after all commemorations,
anniversaries, meetings, working and class hours. Also all programs end with the same
wish that will be repeated three times. After conservations with others you should each
repeat the same. It is repeated in the radios and broadcasts. If we can place such a
tradition in our society, we can be more confident in our heart and supremacy of soul can
be achieved.
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Now, I want to mention an important subject for the personality of the Golden
Age. We demand to protect the national character of the nation; surnames will be in the
Turkmen language. I suggest here the continuation of the tradition coming from the Oguz
Khan. There is no need for additions to the surname. According to the regulation on this
matter; it is enough to write the names of the father and grandfather after the name of the
person. I think that it is useless to say ‘his son or his daughter.' For example, the name of
the person is Cari, his father's name Muratberdi, his grandfather's name is Hakberdi, then;
Çarı Muratberdi Hakberdi, or if the person is female, Güzel Muratberdi Hakberdi; this is
convenient, enough, understandable and nice. This is appropriate with the tradition of
searching back three-generations for our people.
We added an additional box to the identification cards and passports where people
can write their common name since it is difficult to call the person with his full name.
There is already no such usage like, son of Oguz Khan Kara Khan or son of Makhtumkuli
Azadi. Everybody is known in the society with a one famous name or nickname. People
who want it, can take another name for themselves but it has to be written on the
identification cards.
There can be a spiritual emphasis in our names. Choose nice names for your
children. Each Turkmen deserves a respectful name of Turkmen origin.
Try to deserve the Golden Age!
Keep your health, dignity and dignify your soul!
*****
People leave behind the works they achieved in this lifetime. Each Turkmen has
to strive to leave a great achievement behind
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to future generations in our golden path where we are walking. All of us have to work and
live according to this aim.
Our country, Independent and Eternally Neutral Turkmenistan has achieved a
growth rate of 20 percent each year since it was established twelve years ago.
Turkmenistan has joined the world's developed countries; it is no longer one of the
developing countries. The UN Committee of Development declared such a great growth
to the entire world. I want to especially underline one point: There are developments in
the economic area in the last thirteen years, in addition to political and spiritual
developments. The most important thing is that these things have been achieved without
harming the society. We are a conciliator and neutral country in the world. The first and
second books of Ruhnama are the golden fruit of the transformation.
While I am writing the last lines of the second book of Ruhnama, I leave the sixty
three years of life of the Prophet Muhammad behind and I judge my life with wisdom and
conscience.
During the difficult days that I was a young orphan, poverty never prevented me
from reaching my goals. I have always been decisive and hopeful. I have always been
reading and learning.
My Ruhnama books and collected poems are the literary declaration of my inner
world. They are the transfer of my soul to the outer world.
While I am passing the year of the Messenger in these days, like a fruitful tree, I
present my spiritual fruits to my people.
I ignored my precious and private life, taste and comfort of life to be able to
devote myself to my people. Two melons cannot be carried by one arm. Therefore, I had
to leave my private life. I am definitely not uncomfortable since treating myself so
harshly.
For my dear citizens, the tastes of life are not limited with a few things. I am
proud of that. The target of my principles
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and meaning and taste of my life are the same: gaining happiness for my people and
living in a Golden age.
*****
My fate is my people.
I am proud of crops that farmers harvest from soil.
I am proud of any scale of wheat that farmers get from soil. The achievements in
the field of oil and natural gas make us feel in the seventh sky.
I regard myself as a part of the State of Turkmenistan.
I am a member of the Turkmen people.
I want the Turkmen people not to experience suffering, and to have joy and
festivities.

I want every Turkmen citizen to enjoy all the blessings of life.
The fact that our wheat harvest has increased twenty times compared to the Soviet
era is a great development. If not, what could it be?
Every morning I think: "What kind of good things can I do today for my beloved
citizens?!" I start the day bearing this idea in mind.
I see my accomplishments and efforts on the faces of my people.
The development level incorporating great political, economic and spiritual
changes shows that my work, efforts and considerations are not in vain.
Today, I have deep conviction that the path we follow is the right one.
Distance registered, missions accomplished demonstrate that we can better our
today and tomorrow.
My dear Turkmen people!
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You are the meaning of my life.
I am spending my days only for your happiness.
My wings are my people.
My destiny is my people.
Long live the Turkmen people as the world turns!
Long live the State of Turkmenistan as the world turns!
(My dear Turkmen people, dear Turkmen citizens!
While finishing the Ruhnama book, this is my wish for every one of you; May
God bestow constant great love to the Turkmen territory, state, nation, religion and
language, for good!
Arçabil, 26.08.2004)
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Saparmyrat Türkmenbasy.
Ruhnama. (Second Book)