CHAPTER I. LIFE AND LITERARY WORK OF NAVOI
1. Alisher Navoi is the great poet and statesman
Alisher Navoi was born in Heart, on the 9th of February 1441.His father,
Guiyasiddin Kichkine, was a prominent man and civil servant, and his
grandmother was a wet-nurse for Timurid‘s children. Adolescent Alisher was
brought up together with offsprings of Amir Temur‘s family. At the age of 4 he
was sent to school. After the death of the governor Shahruh in Horasan a power
feud rose and most people were forced to leave Herat.
The family of Guiyasiddin Kichkine moved to Iraq and set up in Taft town,
but in 1452, when Abul-Kasym Bobur had been confirmed for the position of the
governor, they returned to Herat. Guiyasiddin Kichkine served at the court of
Babur. After a time he was named chief of city administration in Sabzavar.
Alisher stays in Herat and continues his study.
At the age of 15 together with Sultan Husayn Boyqaro he started to serve at
Bobur‘s court. In 1456 Abul-Kasim Bobur moved to Meshhed city and Navoi and
Husain Baikara followed him.
Soon after internecine feuds and animosities were sleeping Navoi returned to
Herat. Then Navoi went to one of the great cultural centers of the country –
Samarkand and studied at madrasah found by Fayzullah Abu-l-Leysa – an
outstanding jurisprudent and Arab language expert. In 1469 Abu-Said had died in a
battle and the throne was taken by Husayn Boyqaro. At the invitation of the school
friend that became the ruler of Khorasan city Navoi moves from Herat to
Samarkand in the same year. Navoi died on the 3rd of January in 1501. Heart city
mourned the poet‘s death
17
.
The Main Literary-Scientific Works
17
Erkinov, A. (1998). "The Perception of Works by Classical Authors in the 18th and 19th centuries
Central Asia: The Example of the Xamsa of Ali Shir Nawa`i". In Kemper, Michael; Frank, Allen. Muslim
Culture in Russia and Central Asia from the 18th to the Early 20th Centuries. Berlin. pp. 513–526.
13
―Badoyi-ul-bidoya‖ (―Rarity of Starting‖) – the first diwan; 2. ―Navodir-un-
nihoya‖ (―Peculiar of the End‖) – the second dewan; 3. ―Hazoyin-ul-maoniy‖
(―The Treasure of Thoughts‖) – the collection of lyric works; 4. ―Dewoni Foniy‖ –
The Collection of Persian poems; 5. ―Fusuli arba‖ (―Four Seasons of a Year‖ –
four rhymes about seasons of the year; 6. ―Khamsa‖ (― The Five Poems‖ ) – an
epic cycle, consisting of five poems; 7. ―Lison-ut-tayir‖ – (The Language of
Birds‖) – a philosophical poem; 8. ―Mahbub-ul-qulub‖ (― A Loved Heart‖) – a
philosophy prose work; 9. ―Majolis-un-nafois‖ (―The set of fanciers‖) – The
anthology poetry dated XV centuries; 10. ―Mezon-ul-avzon‖ (―The Scales of the
sizes‖) – The treatise about size‘s principles of Aruz; 11. ―Risolai muammo‖ –
(―The treatise about Muamma genre‖); 12. ―Muhokamat-ul-lughatayin‖ The
Dispute of Two Languages‘‖) – a linguistic treatise; 13. ―Khamsat-ul-
muttahayirin‖ (―Five Fanciers‖) – The treatise about Abdurahman Jamiy; 14.
―Holoti Sayid Hasan Ardasher‖ – (―Sayid Hasan Ardasher‘s life‖) 15. ―Holoti
Pahlavan Mahmud‖ – (―Pahlavan Mahmud‘s life) 16. ―Munshaot‖ – (― The
Letters‖); 17. ―Forsiy munshaot‖ – (―Persian letters‖); 18. ―Vaqfiya‖ – (―Vaqfiya
note‖); 19. ―Tarikhi muluki Ajam‖ – (The history about Persian kings‖); 20.
―Nazm-ul-javohir‖ (―The threading of the pearls‖) – The collection about theology
and morality; 21. ―Nasoim-ul-muxabbat‖ (―Zephyrs of love‖) – Sufiys‘ life; 22.
―Tarikhi anbiyo va hukamo‖ (―The history about prophets and sages‖); 23.
―Sirodj-ul-muslimin‖ (―The Light of Orthodoxies‘‖); 24. ―Chikhil Khadis‖ (―Forty
Legends‖) and others
18
.
Navoi‘s ― The Fifth‖ became one of the most famous promotion of the
poet. That work opened the emerging of a new stage at the history of a three
hundred – literature tradition. Having achieved the top of the glory and brilliant
success at a lyric genre, Navoi addressed to a great epic canvas and got down to
establish ― The Fifth‖. A Monumental epic cycle of Navoi ― The Fifth‖ is
18
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alisher_Navoiy
14
considered invaluable sample of Uzbek classic literature which became a well-
known memorial of world literature.
His name is equal in a one line with the names of Gomer and Dante, Rudaki
and Firdousi, Nizami and Rustavelli, Saadi and Jami, Shakespeare and Balzac,
Pushkin and Tolstoy. He devoted al his activity and a deep humanistic creation to
serving in the sake of people, flourishing of the science, art and literature. He was a
wise counselor and mentor who taught a whole pleiad personalities of culture
dated XV-XVI centuries.
Zahiriddin Babur remembered as: ―Alisher Navoi was a man to whom
anybody wasn‘t equal. He marvelously wrote so many poems in Turkic that
anybody hadn‘t written such amount until him‖. Other contemporary of the poets
also give a high mark to Navoi‘s creation.
In the past all his books in art and science were translated into the Eastern
and Western languages. For instance, ―The Set of Fanciers‖ was translated into the
Persian language more than three times. The first translated work into other
languages was the poem ―The Seven Planets‖ issued in the Italian language in
1557. Georgian poet dated back from the XVII century Tsitsishili carried out a
free translation of Navoi‘s dastan ―Sabai Sayor‖. At the end of the XIX –
beginning of the XX centuries. ―The Dispute of Two Languages‖ was translated
into the Turkish and Tatar languages.
Russian scientists made a great contribution in learning Navoi‘s creation
heritage. They are famous peoples such as Ye.A.Bertels, A.N.Kononov,
A.K.Borokov, A.Boldirev, N.S.Ivanov and others
19
.
French Scientist Katramer issued ―Muhokamat-ul-lughatayin‖, ―Tarikhi
muluki Ajam‖, H.Vamberi dated ―Mahbub-ul-qulub‖ and the poem ―Farhad and
19
Erkinov, A. (1998). "The Perception of Works by Classical Authors in the 18th and 19th centuries Central Asia:
The Example of the Xamsa of Ali Shir Nawa`i". In Kemper, Michael; Frank, Allen. Muslim Culture in Russia and
Central Asia from the 18th to the Early 20th Centuries. Berlin. pp. 513–526
15
Shirin‖ in German. A French orientalist M.Belen also translated and issued .
―Majolis-un-nafois‖ in a French language.
A Russian scientist M.Nikitskiy was also writing that : ―Mir Alisher Navoi
took a seat of honor in the history of an oriental literature‖. And other famous
scientist N.I.Ilminskiy highly appreciated Navoi‘s works and noted that ―Alisher
Navoi was a flaming fighter for development of native language‖. An English
orientalist Ch.Riyo writes that ―Mir Alisher Navoi was a historic personality who
had stated an irreplaceable contribution in the expansion of a Turkic literature.
And a well known scientist A.Brown noted that ― The importance of creation
heritage and patronage of Alisher Navoi is incomparably great‖ in his monograph
work.
20
Navoi took one of the honest place among classics of world literature. He is
named as their teacher by most poets and admired by his immortal creation. Most
classic of Tajic literature highly appreciated Navoi‘s literature, Azerbaijani as –
Fuzuli, Kishvari, Mirzo Fatali Axundov, Sabir, Turkmen poets Azadi, Makxumtuli
and Zelili, Kazak writer Abay, Kara-Kalpak wielders a formidable pen Berdax
and aAdjiniyaz and others who devoted their ―Nadzira‖ – literature answers to
separate works of the poet.
As a sign of acknowledgement to genius, the most of the streets were
called by his name in Alma-Ata, Baku, Ashkhabad, Kiev and, etc. A monument is
set to a famous poet in the cities such as Moscow, Tokyo, Baku, Osh, bás-relief –
Mazār-e Sharīf in Afghanistan. The crater in Mercury is also named after his
name. Mīr Alī Shīr was a schoolmate of Husayn Bayqarah, who would later
become the sultan of Khorasan. During Mīr Ali Shīr's lifetime, Herat was the
20
Alisher Navoi. Complete Works in 20 Volumes 1–18. Tashkent. 1987–2002,p 90-91
16
capital of the Timurid Empire and became one of the leading cultural and centers
in the Muslim world. It was there that Navai met his good friend Jāmī
21
.
Mīr Alī Shīr served as a public administrator and adviser to his sultan,
Husayn Bayqarah. He was also a builder who is reported to have founded, restored,
or endowed some 370 mosques, madrasas, libraries, hospitals, caravanserais, and
other educational, pious, and charitable institutions in Khorasan. In Herat, he was
responsible for 40 caravanserais, 17 mosques, 10 mansions, 9 bathhouses, 9
bridges, and 20 pools.
Among his most famous constructions were the mausoleum of the 13th-
century mystical poet, Farid al-Din Attar, in Nishapur (northeastern Iran) and the
Khalasiya madrasa in Herat. He was one of the instrumental contributors to the
architecture of Herat, which became, in René Grousset's words, "the Florence of
what has justly been called the Timurid Renaissance". Moreover, he was a
promoter and patron of scholarship and arts and letters, a musician, a composer, a
calligrapher, a painter and sculptor, and such a celebrated writer that Bernard
Lewis, the distinguished English historian of Islam, called him "the Chaucer of the
Turks".Under the pen name Navai, Mīr Alī Shīr was among the key writers who
revolutionized the literary use of the Turkic languages. Navoi himself wrote
primarily in the Chagatai language and produced 30 works over a period of 30
years, during which Chagatai became accepted as a prestigious and well-respected
literary language. Navai also wrote in Persian (under the pen name Fāni), and to a
much lesser degree in Arabic and Hindi.
Navai‘s best-known poems are found in his four divans, or poetry collections,
which total roughly 50,000 verses.
22
Each part of the work corresponds to a
different period of a person's life:
21
Erkinov, A. (1998). "The Perception of Works by Classical Authors in the 18th and 19th centuries
Central Asia: The Example of the Xamsa of Ali Shir Nawa`i". In Kemper, Michael; Frank, Allen. Muslim
Culture in Russia and Central Asia from the 18th to the Early 20th Centuries. Berlin. pp. 513–526.
22
Alisher Navoi. Complete Works in 20 Volumes 1–18. Tashkent. 1987–2002,p 90-91
17
Ghara‘ib al-Sighar ("Wonders of Childhood")
Navadir al-Shabab ("Rarities or Witticisms of Youth")
Bada'i' al-Wasat ("Marvels of Middle Age")
Fawa'id al-Kibar ("Advantages of Old Age")
To help other Turkic poets he wrote technical works such as Mizan al-
Awzan ("The Measure of Meters"), and a detailed treatise on poetical meters. He
also crafted the monumental Majalis al-Nafais ("Assemblies of Distinguished
Men"), a collection of over 450 biographical sketches of mostly contemporary
poets that is a gold mine of information for modern historians of Timurid culture.
Navai's other important works include the Khamsa (quintuple), which is
composed of five epic poems and an imitation of Nezami Ganjavi's Khamsa:
Hayrat-ol-abrar (Wonders of Good People) (تری ح رار بلاا)
Farhad va Shirin (داهر ف و ه یری ش )
Layli va Majnun (یل ی ل و نوى جم)
Sab'ai Sayyar ("Seven travellers (planets)", هع ب س رای س )
Sadd-i-Iskandari ("Alexander's Dam", دس یردى ک س , an epic poem about
Alexander the Great)
23
.
He also wrote Lisan-ol-tayr (س لنا ری ط لا or "Language of Birds", following
Attar's Manteq-ol-tayr قطى م ری ط لا or Speeches of Birds), in which he expressed
his philosophical views and Sufi ideas. He translated Jami's Nafahat-ol-ons
(تاحف و س ولاا) to Chagatai Turkic and called it Nasayim-ul-muhabbat (م یاس و
23
E. Subtelny: ʿAlī Shīr Navāʾī. Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: G. Krämer, D. Matringe, J.
Nawas, E. Rowson. Brill Online, 2013.
18
تب حم لا). Hi Besh Hayrat (Five Wonders) also gives an in-depth look at his views
on religion and Sufism. His book of Persian poetry contains 6000 lines (beit).
Perhaps his most passionate work was his last, Muhakamat al-Lughatayn
("Judgment between the Two Languages"), completed in December 1499. He
believed that the Turkic language was superior to Persian for literary purposes, and
defended this belief in his work. It was the writer‘s last definitive statement on the
subject dearest to his heart; the Muhakamat acted as the author's last will and
testament. Repeatedly, Navoi emphasizes his belief in the richness, precision and
malleability of Turkic vocabulary as opposed to Persian
24
.
Badoe ul-Vasat - The third devon (a complete collection of poems) of
Navoi`s lyric heritage "Hazoin-ul-maoniy". It consists of 650 ghazals, 1 mustazod,
2 muhammas, 2 musaddas, 1 tarjeband, 1 qasida (an ode - triumphal poem praising
a person or event), 60 qit'as, 10 chistons, 3 tuyuks. Total number is - 740 poems -
5420 couplets, compiled between 1492-1498 years.
Waqfiya - Alisher Navoi wrote it in 1481. This is a documentary work by
'Foni' but it also depicted the poet's life, spiritual world, his dreams and unfulfilled
desires. The work is an important source to learn economical, social and cultural
life in XV century.
Layli wa Majnun - The third dastan (epic poem) of "Hamsa" ("Quintet", a
group of five dastans). It is about a man mad with love. It was written in 1484 and
consists of 3622 couplets and 36 chapters.
Lison ut-Tayr ( The Language of the Birds ) - An epic poem that is an
allegory for our need to seek God, whatever our excuses may be. The story begins
with the birds of the world realizing that they are far from their king and need to
seek him. They begin the long and hard journey with many complaints, but a wise
24
Alisher Navoi. Complete Works in 20 Volumes 1–18. Tashkent. 1987–2002,p 90-91
19
bird encourages them through admonishment and exemplary stories. It was written
in 1498-99, and consists of 3598 couplets. In the introduction Navoi noted he
wrote this epic poem as a response to "Mantiq-ut Tayr" by Fariduddin Attar and
used the pseudonym "Foniy".
Majolis un-Nafois - is Navoi`s tazkira (anthology). Written in 1491-92,
completed with additions in 1498. It consists of eight meeting reports, tells about
contemporary poets, especially major contemporary ones. Overall, Navoi provides
information about 459 poets and authors. The work was translated three times and
again into Persian in XVI century . Translated into Russian - volume nine.
Mahbub ul-Qulub - Alisher Navoi`s work written in 1500 - the last year
before his death. Here the poet's extremely rich experience and conclusions are
collected into one work. It consists of an introduction and three parts. The first part
is about status and the duty of different social classes; the second part is about
moral matters; the third part provides useful advice and wise sayings. Translated
into Russian - volume ten.
Mezon ul-Avzon - Navoi`s work about Persian and Turkic aruz. It was
created in 1490.
Minhoj un-Najot (The ways of salvation) - The fifth poem of the Persian
triumphal poems collection "Sittai zaruriya" (6 necessities). It consists of 138
couplets. It was written in response to Khoqoni and Ansori's triumphal poems.
Munojot - is a work written by Navoi in the last years of his life. It is a small
work about pleading and repenting before Allah. The poet's unfulfilled dreams and
regrets connected to epoch and environment, anxiety in his spirit is depicted
dependently with incomplete surrounding. The work is written in prose with saaj.
Translated into Russian and English (1990).
Munshaot ( A Collection of Letters ) - A collection of letters of Navoi
written to different classes of people about various kinds of matters. There are also
20
letters addressed to Navoi in this collection. It was collected in 1498-99. The work
contains details about Khusain Baykaro, Badiuzzamon Mirzo and the letters
addressed to his adopted son and letters expressing his dreams about doing the
pilgrimage to Ka`bah. This work gives valuable facts about political, social, moral
and spiritual matters for the common person.
Mufradot - Navoi`s work about how to do problem-solving. The ways of
making and solving of 121 problems are depicted in this work . There are 52
problems in Chagatay in the Hazoin-ul-maoni section and 500 problems in Persian
in Devoni Foni section. The work was written in 1485, a presentation of various
views and styles of problems (48) is given.
Muhakamat ul-Lughatain - Navoi presents the contexts, the vocabulary and
other possibilities that bode well for the fiction/poetic work of Turkic over the
Persian language. Included are details about poets who write in both languages.
This work by Navoi proves how he struggled for a national language and a national
literature. It was written in 1499.
Navodir ush-Shabob ( The Valuables of Youth ) - Navoi`s second devon
(complete collection of poems) and includes Hazoin-ul-maoniy . It contains 650
ghazals, 1 mustazod, 3 muhammas, 1 musaddas, 1 tarjeband, 1 tarkibband, 50
qit`as, and 52 problems. Total number is: 759 poems and 5423.5 couplets. It was
formed 1492-1498
25
.
Nazm ul-Javohir - In 1485 Navoi wrote this work in appreciation of Khusain
Baykaro's Risola . The meaning of every proverb in Hazrat Ali's collection of
proverbs entitled Nasr ul-laoliy is told in one ruba'i. The creation and purpose of
the work is given in the preface.
25
E. Subtelny: ʿAlī Shīr Navāʾī. Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: G. Krämer, D. Matringe, J.
Nawas, E. Rowson. Brill Online, 2013.
21
Nasim ul-Huld - Navoi`s qasida (ode) written in Persian under the influence
of Khoqoni and Khisrav Dehlavi's qasidas. Early Russian Navoi expert E. Bertels
wrote that it was a response to Jomi`s Jilo ur-ruh.
Risolai tiyr andohtan - In E. Bertels' book "Navoi" he posits this work in the
22nd place in his list of 22 works by Navoi. The work (Risola) was inserted in
Navoi`s non-completed "Kulliyot", which was published as a book in 1667-1670
and consisted of 17 works. Risola consists of three pages and seems to be a
commentary on one of the hadiths. For the first time it was published in 1995 in
the "Tafakkur" magazine, in Uzbekistan .
Rukh ul-Quds (Holy Spirit) - The first qasida (ode) of Navoi`s collection of
qasidas in Persian named "Sittai zaruriya". It consists of 132 couplets and is about
divine love.
Sab`ai Sayyor (Travel Around the Planets) - The fourth dastan (epic poem)
of "Hamsa" by Navoi. It is divided into 37 chapters and consists of 8005 lines. It
was written in 1485.
Saddi Iskandari (The Wall of Alexander the Great) - The fifth dastan (epic
poem) of "Hamsa" by Navoi. This masterpiece displays Navoi's view of
governance. Alexander the Great conquers the world not for self-glory, but for
protecting the people (world justice). It consists of 88 chapters and 7215 couplets.
Written in 1485.
Siroj ul-Muslimin (The Light of Muslim People) - Alisher Navoi`s work
written in 1499. It gives the facts about the five pillars of Islam, Shari'at, the rule of
faith, signs of God, responsibilities and the sunnats of namaz (the five daily
prayers), purity, alms, fasting and the Hajj. The risola (pamphlet) was first
published in Uzbekistan in 1992.
Tarixi muluki Ajam - Navoi`s work written in 1488 dedicated to outlining a
history of the Shahs of Iran. The work describes the useful deeds of the Shahs done
22
for their society and people, starting from Kayumars to Yazdijurd Shahriyor that
belonged to four classes (dynasties).
Tuhfat ul-Afkor - Navoi`s qasida (ode) in Persian written as a respond to
"Daryoi abror" by Khisrav Dehlavi. One of the six qasidas named "Sittai zaruriya".
While writing this work he also was influenced by Jomi's qasida "Lujjat ul-asror",
which he wrote as a respond to Khusravs.
Favoid ul-Kibar (The Usefulness of Old Age) - The fourth diwan (complete
collection of poems) of "Hazoin ul-maoniy" by Navoi. It consists of 650 ghazals,
one mustazod, two muhammas, one musaddas, one musamman, one tarje`band,
one sokiynoma, 50 qit`a, 80 fard, 793 poems, 5888.5 couplets. Written 1492-1498.
Farhod wa Shirin (Farhad and Shirin) - The second epic poem of "Hamsa"
by Navoi. A classic Romeo and Juliet story for Central Asians. Divided into 59
chapters, 5782 couplets. Written in 1484.
Fusuli arba`a (Four seasons) - The common name of four qasidas (odes)
written in Persian by Navoi. Each Qasida is about one of the four seasons - Spring
(57 couplets), Hottest part of Summer (71 couplets), Autumn (35 couplets), and
Winter (70 couplets).
Hazoin ul-Maoniy - The common name of the four diwans (complete
collection of poems) that include completed lyrical poems by Navoi. "Hazoin ul-
maoniy" consists of 2600 ghazals, four mustazods, ten muhammas', four
tarje`bands, one tarkibband, one masnaviy (a poetic letter to Sayyid Khsan), one
qasida, one sokiynoma, 210 qit`as, 133 ruba'is, 52 muammos, 10 chistons, 12
tuyuks, 26 fards, 3132 poems - 22450, 5 couplets (44901 misra's (poetry couplet ).
The work was finished in 1498. In this collection 16 different lyrical genres are
presented
26
.
26
Erkinov, A. (1998). "The Perception of Works by Classical Authors in the 18th and 19th centuries Central Asia:
The Example of the Xamsa of Ali Shir Nawa`i". In Kemper, Michael; Frank, Allen. Muslim Culture in Russia and
Central Asia from the 18th to the Early 20th Centuries. Berlin. pp. 513–526
23
Hamsa - The common name of five dastans (epic poem) by Navoi written in
1483-85. With this work Navoi established a precedent for quality literature in
Chagatay. The dastans are:
a. "Hayrat ul-Abror", 64 chapters, 3988 couplets.
b. "Farhad wa Shirin", 59 chapters, 5782 couplets, written in 1484.
c. "Layli wa Majnun", 36 chapters, 3622 couplets.
d. "Sab`ai Sayyor", 37 chapters, 8008 couplets, written in 1485
e. "Saddi Iskandari", 83 chapters, 7215 couplets, written in 1485.
27
Ashraf, a poet from Khirat (died in 1450-51) wrote a "Hamsa" as well. His
work included the dastans - "Minhaj ul-Abror", "Haft avrang", "Riyaz ul-oshiqin",
"Ishqnama". The last dastan about Iskandar hadn`t been completed
28
.
Hamsat ul-Mutaxayyirin - Alisher Navoi`s work about Abdurahmon Jomi
written in 1494. It contains an introduction, three parts and a conclusion. In the
introduction Jomi`s genealogy, his birth, upbringing, studies, his becoming a
scientist and poet is explained. The first part tells about Jomi's spiritual world, and
his talks concerning creative works; the second part reveals the nearness between
Navoi and Jomi in creative colloborations, talks and invitations to works relating to
Sufism. The conclusion sheds light on Jomi`s death. It includes Navoi`s eulogy
written in Persian that consists of seven sections of ten lines.
Gharoyib us-Sighar - The first diwan (complete collection of poems) of
"Hazoin ul-Maoniy" by Navoi. It consists of 650 ghazals, one mustazod, three
27
Alisher Navoi. Complete Works in 20 Volumes 1–18. Tashkent. 1987–2002,p 90-91
28
Nemati Limai, Amir (2015), Analysis of the Political life of Amir Alishir Navai and Exploring his
Cultural, Scientific, Social and Economic Works, Tehran & Mashhad: MFA(Cire)& Ferdowsi
University,p56-59
24
muhammas, one musaddas, one tarje`band, one masnaviy, 50 qit`as, 133 ruba'is.
840 poems - 5718,5 couplets (11.437 misra). It was compiled 1492-1498.
Hayrat ul-Abror - The first dastan (epic poem) of "Hamsa" by Navoi. It's divided
into 64 chapters, and has 3988 couplets. Written in 1483.
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