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What subjects are covered in Mahmud Kashgari’s Diwan lughat al-Turk?

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Bābur inspecting a garden, portrait miniature from the Bābur-nāmeh, 16th century; in the British Library. — Uzbek literature Bābur inspecting a garden, portrait miniature from the *Bābur-nāmeh*, 16th century; in the British Library.

Mahmud Kashgari’s Diwan lughat al-Turk (Compendium of the Turkic Dialects), compiled between 1072 and 1074, is a comprehensive dictionary that serves as a vital record of early Turkic language and culture.1

The work is notable for containing specimens of old Turkish poetry presented in the form of quatrains (dörtlük). These poetic examples cover all the principal literary genres of the period, including:2

Epic2
Pastoral2
Didactic2
Lyric2
Elegiac2

By preserving these diverse genres, the Diwan provides significant insight into the literary traditions that existed prior to the widespread influence of Arabic and Persian forms on the region's literature.21