P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Prominent Tajik Figures of the Twentieth Century

37
Ashurmuhamadov has written several plays, including, Subhi Iqbol

(The Morning of Fortune, 1957); Rubob Hikoyat Mikunad (The Lute
Relates, 1967), a concert-spectacle entitled Shu'lai Oftob (The Flame of
the Sun); and a musical composition entitled Lenin Partia, Oktiobr
(Lenin's Party, October, 1980).
Ashurmuhamadov became a People's Artist of Tajikistan in 1967.
He is a recipient of the Order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of
Tajikistan.
Ashurov, Ghaffor
Tajik philosopher Ghaffor Ashurov was born into a family of
farmers in the Tajikabad region on March 5, 1930. He received his early
education in the new-method school of Gharm. He joined the CPSU in
1953.
Ashurov graduated from the Moscow Sociological Institute in 1953.
From then until 1955, he served as a special editor and following that
became the Chief Specialist on the Board of Directors of the Tajikistan
State Library Named After Firdowsi. Between 1955 and 1958, he was a
post-graduate student majoring in the history of philosophy. In 1959
and 1960, he was a Scientific Worker. Between 1961 and 1964, he was
the Director of the Department of Philosophy. Ashurov defended his
dissertation, entitled Aqoidi Falsafii Nosiri Khesrav (The Philosophical
Thought of Nasir Khosrow), in 1965. From 1965 to 1988, he became the
Director of the Philosophy division of the Academy of Sciences of
Tajikistan. He was a member of the Board of the Directors of the
Academy. He had gained full membership at the Academy in 1976.
Between 1986 and 1990, he was the Academic-Secretary of the
Anthropology Department of the Academy. He repeated the same
position between 1999 and 2000. From 1999 to the present, Ashurov
has been the Chief Scientific Worker of the Institute of Philosophy of
the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan.
In his research, Ashurov has addressed three major philosophical
issues: 1) the history of social and philosophical thinking of the Tajiks;
2) The Lenin phase of the development of Marxist philosophy; and 3)
Criticism of anti-Communist ideologies. Ashurov's contributions
include "Filosofskaya i obshchestvenno-politicheskaya misl'
tadzhikskogo naroda" ("Philosophical and Social Thought of the
Tajiks"), which appears in Istoria tadzhikskogo naroda (The History of

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Iraj Bashiri

38
the Tajiks, vol. 2, Moscow, 1964); Filosofskie vzgliadi Nosira Khisrava

(Nasir Khosrow's Philosophical View, Dushanbe, 1965); Aqoidi Falsafii
Nosiri Khesrav (The Philosophical Thought of Nasir Khosrow,
Dushanbe 1965); "Afkori Falsafi--Ijodiyyoti Tojikon" (Philosophical
Thought--The Contribution of the Tajiks), in Ta'rikhi Khalqi Tojik
(History of the Tajiks, Moscow, 1964); "Afkori Ijtimo'i-Falsafii Tojikon
dar Asrhoi XIX-XX" ("Socio-Philosophical Thought of the Tajiks
during the 19
th
and 20
th
Centuries"), in Ta'rikhi Falsafa dar SSSR
(History of Philosophy in the Soviet Union, Moscow, 1971).
Ashurov won the Ibn Sina State Prize in 1981. He has also received
the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1970), the Badge of Honor
(1981), and the Honorary Order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
of Tajikistan (1965, 1973).
Ashurov has traveled to Germany and the Czech Republic.