Language Problems & Language Planning 33:3 (2009), 191–217. doi 10.1075/lplp.33.3.01gar issn 0272–2690 / e-issn 1569–9889 © John Benjamins Publishing Company Language policy and legislation in post-Soviet Azerbaijan* Jala Garibova and Matanat Asgarova Azerbaijan University of Languages Tis paper examines the policy and legislative framework for the regulation of language in Azerbaijan. During the Soviet period, language issues were ad- dressed in the Constitution. Post-independence language revival initiatives promoted laws, high status decrees, and ofcial regulations, particularly in the sphere of status-building. Te authors analyze post-Soviet language policy and language legislation from the perspective of both national and minority lan- guages. To illuminate the ways in which language strategies are developed, laws covering various domains are examined and evaluated as refections of the coun- try’s political priorities, socio-economic tendencies and international relations. Tis paper also discusses the subject of policy implementation. Although the term “Azerbaijan” refers, mostly in popular parlance, also to the northern part of Iran (“South Azerbaijan”) populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis, in this paper the term will be used in reference to the post-Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, except in certain historical contexts. Keywords: language policy, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani language, post-Soviet language policy, language legislation, writing systems, minority languages Historical background Te Republic of Azerbaijan is a post-Soviet country located in the South Cauca- sus. Historically, its territory was closely linked to “South Azerbaijan,” comprising three provinces in the north of Iran populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis. 1 Islam came to Azerbaijan with the establishment of the Caliphate rule in 643. Afer the decay of the Caliphate, various Iranian and Turkic clans reigned in various parts of the territory. Te post-Mongolian period witnessed the rise of local clans to ruling sta- tus, the Sefevids being the most powerful among them. Te State of the Sefevids, established by a clan of Turkic origin and gradually expanding its borders beyond northern and southern Azerbaijan, was subsequently taken over by Persian clans.