P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Afsahzoda, A'lokhon

Tajik literary critic and intellectual A'lokhon Afsahzoda was born

into a farming family in the village of Voru of Panjakent on November

10, 1935. He joined the CPSU in 1964.

Afsahzoda graduated from Tajikistan State University in 1961 with a

degree in Persian and Tajiki language and literature. Subsequently, he

worked as a Laboratory Assistant and a Junior and Senior Scientific

Worker in the Manuscripts Division of the Department of Oriental

Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan. In 1971, he became

the Director of the Text and Publications Division of the Academy. He

received his doctorate degree in philology in 1981.

Afsahzoda has published a considerable number of books and arti-

cles on Tajik literature of the past and present. His forté, however, is the

works of Jami in relation to which he published Laili va Majnuni

Abdulrahmoni Jomi (Abdulrahmon Jami's Layli and Majnun, 1970).

In 1980, he published Abdulrahmon Jomi (Abdulrahmon Jami) an

autobiography of the poet. His other Jami-related works include Ruzgor

va Osori Abdulrahmon Jomi (The Time and Works of Abdulrahmon

Jami, 1980), Tahavvoli Afkori Jomi (The Development of Jami's

Thought, 1981), and Osori Jomi (Jami's Collected Works, in eight

volumes, 1986-1987). Afsahzoda's other contributions include Hofizi

Shirozi (Hafiz of Shiraz, 1971), Kamoli Khujandi (Kamol Khujandi,

1976), Iftikhori Sharq (The Pride of the Orient, 1983), Akademisian

Abdulghani Mirzoev (Academician Abdulghani Mirzoev, 1984), Ad-

abiyoti Forsi va Tojiki dar Nimai Duvvumi Sadai 15 Milodi (Persian

and Tajiki Literatures During the Second Half of the 15

th

 Century,

1985), Zindagi dar Teatr (Life in Theater, 1985), Dar Safi Buzurgon

(Among the Great Ones, 1986), Paivandi Qarnho (The Connection of

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