P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Jalilov, Rahim

Tajik novelist, poet, and playwright Rahim Jalilov, also referred to

as Rahim Jalil, was born on June 3, 1909, into the family of shoemakers

in Khujand. He received his early education in Khujand where he later

taught until 1931. He joined the CPSU in 1943.

Between 1931 and 1951, he worked for a number of newspapers, in-

cluding Korgari Khujand, Haqiqati Leninobod, Tojikistoni Surkh, and

Sharqi  Surkh. His poetic career is recorded under the penname Dahri;

the first collection of his poetry appeared under the title of Mawjhoi

Muzaffariyyat (Waves of Victory) in 1933. Thereafter, he wrote satirical

stories and published a collection of short stories entitled Arezu (Desire)

in 1936. Jalilov's first novel, Gulru (Gulru) was published in 1941. In it,

following Aini's style, he presented a new portrayal of Tajik woman.

After the war, he rewrote a more complete Gulru and published it under

the title of Odamoni Jovid (Eternal People). He also contributed a num-

ber of stories dealing with the heroism of the Red Army. One such vol-

ume was called Hikoyahoi Zamoni Jang (Stories of the War Days,

1944). In 1956, he published a long novel entitled Angisht Kanon (The

Coal Miners), in installments. The same work was republished as a

complete novel in 1959 under the title of Shurob (Shurob). The second

volume of Shurob was published in 1964. In 1961, he published his first

musical play called Sobhi Sahro (The Morning of the Prairie), and in

1963 another play called Dili Sho'ir (The Heart of the Poet), which

dealt with the life of Kamol Khujandi.

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