Nationality Chinese Name Lutpulla Mutellip Religion Islam | Known for Uyghur literature Ethnicity Uyghur | |
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Born November 11, 1922 Nilka, Xinjiang, China Occupation revolutionary, poet, journalist Died September 18, 1945, Aksu, Xinjiang, China | ||
Lutpulla Mutellip is one of the important figures in modern Uyghur literature. Although he died very young, at the age of 23, he had a strong influence on modern Uyghur literature, and especially on Uyghur poetry. His poems are reputed for the beauty of his language. "Response to Years" (Yillargha Jawap) is considered to be his poetic masterpiece, and "Thoughtful Blessings" (Xiyalchan Tilek) is another one of his best works.
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Biography
Lutpulla Mutellip is believed to be born in the county of Nilka County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Province on November 22, 1922. Other studies by Tursun Ershidin, an Uyghur researcher, show that he was born in Yettesu Region of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Later he moved to Yining with his family. At his school age, he went to a Tatar school in Yining. At that time, some Tatar refugees escaped to Ili Region after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. As most of them were intellectuals, they built schools in Yining and influenced the modernization of the people in the city. At the Tatar school, Mutellip was exposed to Russian literature and Russian culture as well as Tatar literature and culture.
After having finished primary school, Mutellip went to a Russian gymnasium where he learnt more about Russian people and the Soviet Union. During 30s and 40s, the Soviet Union was the only country accessible to most Uyghurs, apart from Afghanistan and India. Therefore, Soviet influences in Xinjiang had very important impact on Uyghurs' modernization. The influence was such that Joseph Stalin was better known among Uyghurs than Sun Yat-sen. Around this time in Russian literature, Alexander Pushkin and his works had started to become popular.
Lutpulla Mutellip was graduated from gymnasium and headed to Ürümqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang, to continue his education. In 1941, he started to work for the regional newspaper, the Xinjiang Daily, after finishing his studies in Ürümqi. However, his essays were considered to be treasonous by the Kuomintang. He transferred to Aksu and started working for the local newspaper there, the Aksu Daily. In Aksu, his writings were monitored by the local police, and he was arrested in 1944 for a political crime, serving some jail time. In 1945, the National Army of the Republic of Eastern Turkistan (the Second East Turkestan Republic, 1944–1949) entered Wensu County on their way to Aksu. Mutellip and his friends planned to agitate the people in Aksu to rebellion against the government. However, one of Mutellip's friends informed the local government of their plans, and Lutpulla Mutellip and company were arrested and executed on September 18, 1945. Mutellip was 23.