History, as you know, loves to surprise. On closer examination, very much turns out to be not at all what it seemed for many centuries. What associations arise in a person hearing the name Don Juan? Lover of women, conqueror of hearts, passionate Spaniard … The first statement is true, but the last? Was Don Juan Spanish or was it made by writers and poets? Probably, it will be a shock for someone to learn that in fact Don Juan comes from an old and noble Azerbaijani family. How did it happen that the origin of one of the most famous cavaliers in Europe remains a mystery for so long?
As the researchers suggest, Oruj-bek, as Don Juan was actually called, was born in 1560 in the noble Kyzylbash-Turkic tribe Bayat. His father, Sultanali-bey, from 1578 served for 9 years at the court of the Safavid shah Muhammad Khudabenda, then his son Hamza-Mirza, being their close attorney. At that time, the territory of modern Azerbaijan belonged to the Ottoman Empire. The Safavids were concerned about the liberation of Tabriz, military clashes for this city were not uncommon, and in one of such battles in 1585 Oruj-bek's father died heroically, commanding a detachment of 300 people, which he himself collected and armed with his own funds. Oruj-bek takes command. Hamza-Mirza appreciated the military successes of Oruj-bek, and since then the latter has been taking part in all the military operations of the Safavids. His political and military authority is growing under Shah Abbas I,reigning on the Safavid throne in 1587, Oruj-bek was one of the first to be included in the anti-Ottoman embassy sent by the shah to Europe.
An embassy of four secretaries and fifteen servants departs for Europe in July 1599; Huseynali-bey was appointed head of the embassy, Oruj-bey as the first secretary. The embassy is authorized by its government to visit Russia, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, France, England and Scotland.
With numerous adventures through Astrakhan, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod, the embassy reaches Moscow, but due to bad weather it is forced to stay for five months at the court of Boris Godunov. At the beginning of 1600, with rich gifts, the embassy leaves for Arkhangelsk, in order to get from there through the mouth of the Elbe to Germany. All the way, the participants receive great honors, they stay in the best castles with the most eminent nobles. Emperor Rudolph II invites them to stay at his residence in Prague, and three months later, in the spring of 1601, the embassy leaves for Italy, stopping on the way to Nuremberg, Munich and other major European cities. Cities and emperors are replaced: Mantua, Florence, Verona; Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Duke of Gonzaga, granddaughter of Catherine de Medici, Pope …
From Rome, after a two-month vacation at the papal residence, travelers on galleys set off for France. And again Avignon, Montpellier, Perpignan and other cities of Languedoc flash by. On the way of the Spanish embassy; first Barcelona, then the capital - Valladolid. Here the mission of the embassy ends, and the message of Shah Abbas I is passed on to King Philip III of Spain. And now the embassy in Lisbon, in the port, is waiting to be sent home, but …
This is where, in fact, the story of Don Juan, or rather Oruj-bek, begins. Three of the four secretaries of the embassy unexpectedly convert to Christianity and remain in Spain. The first to be baptized is Alikuli-bek, Philip III himself becomes his godfather and gives him the name Don Philip of Persia, the second is baptized by Bunyad-bek and becomes Don Diego of Persia. Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, becomes the godmother of the third convert, Oruj-bek, and the Azerbaijani becomes Don Juan of Persia. (Don Juan should be written in the correct transcription, but we will leave the more familiar spelling).
Here it is necessary to make a small digression: there is a mention of Oruj-bek Persian in history, how not to be, if this historical person left a noticeable mark in the literature, having written the "Book of Oruj-bek Bayat, Don Juan of Persia". It was the last word - "Persian" - that brought some confusion and confusion into the origin of Don Juan. Many who do not know much about history consider Nizami to be a Persian poet on the grounds that from the beginning of the 17th century the territory of modern Azerbaijan belonged to Persia. But both Nizami and Oruj-bey were born on the land of Azerbaijan BEFORE the conquest of the country by the Persians, and this is a historical fact.
So, we have a new Spaniard, a convert to Christianity Don Juan, who bore the name of Oruj-bek from birth. In his new homeland, Don Juan led a stormy life, was known as an irresistible conqueror of women's hearts, a desperate duelist who defeated more than one rival. In the memoirs of contemporaries, there is even a mention of Don Juan's duel with the ambassador of Persia, whom he killed in a duel on May 15, 1605. And who knows whether the reason for the duel was an ordinary amorous adventure or a kind of patriotism, unwillingness to come to terms with the occupation of the historical homeland by the hated Persians, mixed in here? History is silent, we can only speculate.
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Oruj-bek - Don Juan left a mark in history not only as a lover of amorous adventures. A highly educated man, he writes a book in Persian in three volumes. In the first and second books, the author describes the Safavid state, Persia and its history from ancient times very figuratively and with amazing observation and a penchant for analysis. The third book tells of his journey with the embassy. The undoubted value of his work is his descriptions of Russia, his vision of the events that he personally witnessed. “No one is allowed to go to a doctor for treatment if that foreigner, and no one, on pain of death, can leave Muscovy to go to another country, have communication with other people and learn something,” Oruj-bey writes. To the Persians, he is no less merciless in his observations: “They were always jealous of their wives,this is their ancient characteristic. " His tenacious and observant gaze allows us to get an idea of the Spaniards, his new "compatriots": “All these folk festivals, as it seemed to us, were held better in Spain than in any other kingdom or country we visited before, since the Spaniards even in competition there is a splendor and self-control that other nations lack. " It's like reading a report about some 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona!which other nations lack”. It's like reading a report about some 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona!which other nations lack”. It's like reading a report about some 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona!
An observant reader can learn from his work a lot of interesting and useful things in relation to Azerbaijani history. Speaking about Safavid Persia, Oruj-bey mentions that “now we have 32 clans of noble families recognized in Persia and having a huge superiority in the country: Ustajlu, Shamlu, Afshary, Turkoman, Bayaty, Tekelu, Harmandalu, Zulkardarlu, Qajar, Karamanlu, Baybartlu, Ispirlu, Oryat, Chaushlu, Asayishlu, Chamish-Kazaklu, Saruzolaklu, Karabajaklu, Baharlu, Kuiniorilu, Kyrklu, Boshalu, Haji Fakikhlu, Hamzalu, Zolahlu, Mahmudlu, Garachomahlu, Gyzluyuykluy-Gyzluyklu-i-Paly, . Thus, we can conclude that even under Shah Abbas I, who with all his might sought to reduce the authority of the Kyzylbash nobility, the government of Persia was still in her hands.
Oruj-bek, being an educated person, himself, apparently, quite objectively assessed the importance of his work. No wonder, without false modesty, he compared his journey with the travels of Marco Polo and Magellan.
In 1604, his book was published in Spain in Spanish. This event can hardly be overestimated: it was the first edition of an Azerbaijani author, translated and published in Europe, and even printed by typography. And all this, mind you, happened a year before the release of the famous "Don Quixote of La Mancha" by the great Cervantes. Both the publication of the book and the reception given to the secretary of a foreign embassy at the court of one of the most culturally enlightened countries of that era speak volumes. First of all, about the level of education received at Azerbaijani universities at that time.
History is a strange lady, and such an important book from all points of view has been forgotten for many centuries. Only in 1926 was the next edition published in England, already in English. In 1959 it was again translated into the original language - into Persian. And in 1988 the book was published in Russian. The translation, along with extensive comments and introduction, was carried out in Baku by the well-known Azerbaijani historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences Oktay Effendiyev, together with Candidate of Historical Sciences Akif Farzaliyev.
Oruj-bek, no doubt, was an extremely extraordinary person and, of course, interesting. His book, written in Spain, was devoid of the costs of the Shah's censorship, and therefore objectively is the most valuable source of information about the history, life and culture of Azerbaijan in particular and the Caucasus in general, as well as Iran, Russia and many European countries. And all this information was kindly extended to us by another great Azerbaijani from the darkness of centuries.