American Journal Of Philological Sciences
48
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue06 2025
PAGE NO.
48-50
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue06-14
The Gradual Development of The Genesis of National
Prose
Shirinova Sitora
2nd-year basic doctoral student at Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Uzbekistan
Received:
12 April 2025;
Accepted:
08 May 2025;
Published:
10 June 2025
Abstract:
Literature is an integral part of human life. Humanity has appeared that the palette of talent, scattered
from its mind and mind, has caused it to live directly with the magic of art and literature, to enjoy the secrets of
the universe. And the desire to understand, feel and understand the phenomena that are happening around the
Lord in the human soul, we will not exaggerate to say that he served as a tamaddun in the emergence of modern
literature. And life is the main source of literature that surrounds a person. Because as life is, so are the societies
that arise in it. As society develops, the literature in it also begins to change. The ideological content in literature,
while the aesthetic ideal, develops according to the demand of the era and times. While the literary hero
embodies both positive and negative aspects, he directly reflects the essence of the period in which the creator
lived. Why, by the way, the creator does not take into account the sum of his impressions from the events and
phenomena that took place in the life of the society in which he lives, but polished and enriched in his literary
thinking. And the reader familiar with the work of art will feel the experiences that the creator felt, will live with
him in the life of that time, which we would not exaggerate to say.
Keywords:
Genesis, prose, classical literature, tazkira, narrative, memoir.
Introduction:
The deep roots of Uzbek literature have
developed over millennia in harmony with the literary
traditions of Eastern nations, closely linked to Arabic
and Persian-Tajik literature. Following the emergence
of Islam, it further evolved through the influence of Sufi
teachings and tariqa traditions. While narrative prose
works appeared relatively early in the literature of
European nations, in the East they emerged somewhat
later
—
as written prose
—
around the 5th to 8th
centuries, evidenced by the Orkhon-Enisei inscriptions.
The flourishing of poetic forms was accompanied in the
10th to 12th centuries by the creation of epic works
such as Qutadghu Bilig by Yusuf Khass Hajib and Hibat
al-
Haqa’iq by Ahmad Yugnaki. During the same period,
notable prose works also appeared, including
Gershaspnamah by Abdulmu’a
yyad Balqi, Makramat-i
Hamidiy by Hamiduddin Balqi, and Jawami’ al
-Hikayat
wa Lawami’ al
-
Riwayat (“Collection of Stories and
Waves of Narratives”) by Sa’d al
-Din Muhammad al-
Awfi al-Bukhari.
[Uzbek National Encyclopedia, p. 92]
The literary scholar Sanjar Sodiq, in his textbook History
of New Uzbek Literature, divides the history of Uzbek
literature into the following three periods:
1.
The period of ancient Turkic texts written in
Orkhon-Enisei (runic) script
2.
The period of classical Uzbek literature under
the influence of Islamic ideology (11th
–
19th centuries)
3.
The period of new Uzbek literature (from the
early 20th century to the present)
[Sanjar Sodiq, p. 3]
The scholar also notes that each of these major periods
can be further subdivided into stages. As previously
mentioned, the Orkhon-Enisei inscriptions date back to
the 5th
–
8th centuries. Therefore, it is reasonable to
suggest that the emergence of written Turkic prose
dates from the 6th to 10th centuries. Following the
Arab conquests, a new phase of literature developed in
the 11th century, marked by such mature examples of
classical Uzbek literature as Diwan-i Hikmat by Ahmad
Yassawi, Diwan Lughat al-Turk by Mahmud al-Kashgari,
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
49
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
Qutadghu Bilig by Yusuf Khass Hajib, and Hibat al-
Haqa’iq by Ahmad Yugn
aki. These works laid the
foundation of written Turkic literature.
In the 13th
–
14th centuries, one of the first examples of
Uzbek prose was Qissas al-Rabghuzi by Nasiruddin
Rabghuzi, which compiled narratives about the lives of
the prophets. This work not only depicts the lives of
prophets, but also reflects on the creation of the world,
conceptions of the cosmos, natural phenomena, and
the historical development of society. Each story
integrates parables, tales, and aphorisms, and
effectively utilizes poetic forms such as ghazal and bayt,
enhancing the expressive power of the prose.
Comprehensive analyses of this work and its
significance can be found in textbooks and teaching
manuals by literary scholars such as N. Rahmonov, Q.
Sodiqov, N. Jumakhoja, I. Adizova, and H. Abdullayev.
Scholarly dissertations such as M. Kurbanniyazov’s The
Development of the Narrative Genre in 14th-Century
Uzbek Literature (Based on “Qissas al
-
Rabghuzi”), Z.
Shukurova’s Folkloric Traditions in “Qissas al
-
Rabghuzi”, and I. Ostonakulov’s Qisas al
-Rabghuzi as a
Literary Work provide further insights.
In the history of our literature, the prose legacy of our
great thinker Alisher Navoi holds a special place in the
development of classical Uzbek prose. In his prose
works, Navoi presents profound reflections on the
socio-political, ethical-educational, and philosophical
issues of his time. In Mahbub al-Qulub, written at the
end of his life and composed of three parts, he employs
rich prose elements to describe the typical life and
challenges of his era, explore moral concepts, and
contrast virtuous and negative human traits
—
enriching
the narrative with parables and wisdom.
His other prose works include Khamsat al-
Mutahayyirin, dedicated to Abdurrahman Jami; Holati
Sayyid Hasan Ardasher and Holati Pahlavon
Muhammad, which recount the lives and contributions
of his mentors; and Munsha’at, which contains 88
letters, New Year greetings, peace treaties, and
expressions of condolence from his time.
In the years of independence, scholarly studies have
focused on the content and ideological-artistic qualities
of Navoi’s prose works. For example, Sh. Hayitov
defended a dissertation titled Sources and Ideological-
Aesthetic Analysis of Alisher Navoi’s “Mahbub al
-
Qulub”, and F. Olimov authored The Art
istic Features of
Alisher Navoi’s “Khamsat al
-
Mutahayyirin”.
In the history of Uzbek literature, the period from the
16th to the 19th centuries stands out for its distinct
historical context and cultural development. The works
produced during this time were primarily rooted in
memoir and tazkira (biographical anthology) traditions.
Some works focused on the life of a specific individual,
while others documented entire dynastic systems.
Among these are Abdullanoma by Hafiz Tanish Bukhari,
Muzakkir al-Ahbab by Khassan Khoja Nisari, Mukhtahab
al-Tawarikh by Hakimkhan Tura, Tazkirat al-
Shu’ara by
Mutribi, and Humoyunnoma by Gulbadan Begum.
Additionally, the works of authors such as Munis and
Ogahi are notable examples of this genre.
Among historically significant works of national prose
are Shajarayi Turk by Abulghazi Bahadur Khan, ruler of
the Shaybanid dynasty and statesman, and Baburnama
by Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, founder of the
Mughal dynasty and prominent figure in classical Uzbek
literature. These prose works hold special value as
historical narratives. They document the events of their
time, the structure of state governance under Mongol
and Turkic rulers, geographic data, as well as details
about nature and daily life.
In her dissertation titled A Comparative Analysis of the
Literary Aesthetics of Historical Prose Works
(“Baburnama” and “Shajarayi Turk”), defended for the
degree in philology, Marguba Abdullayeva analyzes
both texts in terms of narrative impartiality and literary
form. She concludes the following regarding their
genre-specific characteristics:
"We do not intend to rigidly classify historical prose
works strictly as historical records, artistic literature, or
memoirs. Instead, we aim to highlight that features of
each of these genres are found within historical prose
examples. The works of the 16th
–
17th centuries
emdiv the intellectual legacy of an entire society. The
literary standards that apply to contemporary prose did
not exist during that era
—
this reflects the natural
evolution of literary norms. Therefore, it seems most
appropriate to regard Baburnama and Shajarayi Turk as
examples of historically grounded artistic prose with a
memoiristic character."
[M. Abdullayeva, p. 31]
The history of modern Uzbek literature
—
from the early
20th century to the present
—
underwent several
significant transformations. During the Soviet era,
Uzbekistan's cultural, literary, and educational systems
were subjected to the ideological frameworks and
interests of the regime. This period witnessed a
departure from many classical literary norms, both in
poetry and prose.
However, with the emergence of realism in prose,
authors began to draw upon contemporary life and
modernist literary techniques. The Jadid movement,
consisting of forward-thinking intellectuals, made great
efforts to preserve national values, culture, and literary
traditions through the press, theater, and drama,
reviving neglected artistic expressions.
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
50
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
The first recognized prose work of the new Uzbek
literature is Uloqda (“During the Polo Game”
) by
Abdulla Qodiriy, which marked the beginning of a new
tradition in Uzbek narrative writing. This was followed
by Behbudiy’s Padarkush (“Parricide”), Qodiriy’s Baxtsiz
Kuyov (“Unfortunate Son
-in-
Law”) and Juvonboz
(“Womanizer”), Fitrat’s Munozara (“Debate”) and Hind
Sayyohi Bayoni (“Story of an Indian Traveler”), Hamza’s
Yangi Saodat (“New Happiness”), and Cholpon’s
Qurboni Jaholat (“Victim of Ignorance”) and Doktor
Muhammadiyor. These works reflect the ideological
struggles and literary experimentation of the time.
The development of Uzbek prose did not begin in
modern times. Rather, it has deep roots in classical
literature. The masterpieces of classical prose served as
a foundation upon which 20th-century writers built.
The emergence of modern prose in the early 20th
century drew nourishment from classical traditions,
while also laying the groundwork for contemporary
literary processes in Uzbek literature.
REFERENCES
Бобоев Т. Адабиётшунослик асослари. –
Тошкент:
“Ўзбекистон”, 2002
Ёқубов. И. Ўзбек романи тадрижи. Тошкент: “Fan va
texnologiya”, 2006
Қосимов Б. Миллий уйғониш: жасорат, маьрифат,
фидойилик. –
Тошкент: Маънавият, 2002.
Sanjar Sodiq. Yangi o‘zbek adabiyoti tarixi. –
Toshkent:
“O‘qituvchi” NMIU, 2019, 3
-bet
Abdullayeva Marg‘uba Dusmiratovna «Tarixiy nasriy
asarlar badiiyatining qiyosiy tahlili (Boburnoma” va
“Shajarayi turk” misolida) filologiya fanlari nomzodi
ilmiy darajasini olish uchun dissertasiyasi 31-bet
