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Volume 1. Issue 2, May 2021
Journal of innovations in scientific and educational research
Akhmedov Oybek Saporbayevich
Uzbekistan state world languages University
G`ofurova Nazokat Komiljonovna
Uzbekistan state world languages University
UNIQUE TRADITION OF ORIENTAL CLASSICAL WRITERS IN XII-XV
CENTURIES. “KHAMSA” BY ALISHER NAVOI IS THE GREAT WEALTH OF
UZBEK NATION
Elektron pochta manzili:
ahmedov.oybek@mail.ru
saidakbarovanazokat@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The countries in the East have always been creative and
they have always had their poetic mind and ability. The
whole world is aware of the wonderful literary works of the
Magic East. Rumi and Khayyam, Firdausi and Fuzuli
created the categories of international humanity
politeness, the behavior of supreme mankind in their
literary heritage. One of the most admirable and wealthy
legacy of the attractive Oriental Literature is “Khamsa”
writing tradition in XII-XV centuries. This unrepeatable
quintuple work was created in the East and flourished in
this territory in the time of Muslim Renaissance. This
article informs about this unique creation which is still
accepted as the codes of humanitarian superior gentle
behaviors. Literature is the instruction to the people not to
lose their way on the rough and smooth paths of life. The
real literary heritage never becomes useless yet its value
increases from centuries to centuries. The article
discusses about unique literary wealth of Turkic nations
named “Khamsa” and its role in the history of Uzbek
Literature.
KEY WORDS
:
Quintuple, didactic-spiritual character, epic,
plot, personage, poetry, poesy, Zulqarnayn
REFERENCE:
1.
“Fakhad and Shirin” Alisher Navai 1975;
2.
“Navoiyshunoslik” 2013;
3.
“Navai and Uzbek literary language” Berdak Yusuf;
4.
“Tasavvuf va She’riyat” Haqqulov I 1990;
5.
“Fors-tojik adabiyoti klassiklari” Sh. Shomuhamedov
1963;
6.
“Ulug’ shoir ijodining qalbi” Zohidov V 1970;
7.
“Alisher Navoiy: Qomusiy lug’at” Sh. Sirojiddinov 2016;
8.
“Navoiy – peyzaj ustasi” Erkinov A. S. 1988
Literature is a miracle that touches your heart. Sometimes it makes you cry, sometimes it makes you laugh and enjoy your
life in the world. Whenever you read a product of the literature, you are proud of being the best creature of the world,
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whenever you read a piece of the literature you improve and refresh your inner worldview. Therefore, the society of the
humanity cannot imagine their lives further from the literature. There are very many genres in the current field we are talking
about. Poesy and prose, novels and stories, comedy and tragedy, tales and fables, folklore and creativity of the nations –
are all the products of the literature. The literary imagination of Eastern nations stimulated them to create new tradition in
the Muslim renaissance period. “Khamsa” – quintuple writing tradition was the most valuable invention of that centuries.
“Khamsa” writing tradition was originated in the East and flourished in this area. The attentive point of this new creative
product was having five conditions which must be followed by the poets and writers of that period. The literary work which
was not obeyed to these five sequences was not considered as khamsa. Let’s see what were these sequences:
1.
“Khamsa” must be consisted of five works and the first one should have didactic-spiritual character;
2.
The second epic is acceptable to be about Khisrav and Shirin
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;
3.
The third poem should be about Maj nun and Layli;
4.
The fourth one should be allowed to write about the king Bah ram;
5.
The fifth epic was demanded to be written about Alexander the King
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[Shuhrat Sirojiddinov, 2018-66]
Firstly, the tradition of writing quintuple in the Eastern Literature, began in the XII century by Azerbaijani Poet Nizami
Ganjavi. He wrote his sequence of quintuple in 1170-1204. These five epics were collected together and named “Panj
Ganj” – “Five Treasure” and later this collection became famous with the name- “Khamsa” (Shuhrat Sirojiddinov,
2015;48). All the epics of the first quintuple had a various plot and personages however, instruct the readers to be well-
mannered. The effect power and the volume of “Khamsa” by Nizami Ganjavi stimulated not only poets and writers but also
many and many fans of the literature.
Khisrav Dekhlavi was the second quintuple-writer in “Khamsa” history. He followed his ancestor’s tradition, plot
and personages yet he approached to some details and points “in Dekhlavi style and language”. But you know, if Nizami
Ganjavi finished his “Khamsa” all in all thirty-four years, just three years were enough for Khisrav Dekhlavi.
Thirdly, well-known Persian poet Abdurrahman Jami did his great job in “Khamsa tradition in 1481-1483. Although
the common group of scientists accept five epics by Abdurrahman Jami as perfect “Khamsa”, there are some differences
as compared with the previous two prominent khamsa-writers. For example:
I.
According to the tradition, the second epic should have been dedicated to the heavenly love of Khisrav
and Shirin. However, Jami creates a philosophic-didactic epic instead of this love story;
II.
The third epic should be about Layli and Maj nun. Yet Abdurrahman Jami writes the love story of Yusuf
and Zulayho;
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Khisrav Pervez and Shirin
–
they both historical personages lived in Iran and Armenia
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Alexander the King is famous for with the name Iskandar in Turkic nations
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III.
The fourth is dedicated to Layli and Maj nun. But in the previous writers’ 4
th
work was about the king Bah
ram.
Abdurrahman Jami just follows the initial and the latest criterion of khamsa writing. Therefore, it would be very acceptable
that Jami could not create a perfect khamsa, in my mind. What is more, later Jami wrote two epics and added them two his
quintuple and named all epics “Xaft avrang” – “Seven thrones”. On the accordance with this fact, Jami didn’t write quintuple
but another literary work consisting of seven works in my view. May be this difference creation of Abdurrahman Jami
stimulates to be done researches and new scientific invention in the field of Persian or Eastern literaure.
These three great specimen-poets perpetuated their names in the history of Classical-Eastern literature by their five
deeds in Persian language. But no one didn’t try to create this “Great Five” in Turkic. Because Persian used to be the
language of poets and writers. Every creation or product of literature from the biggest genre to the least one used to be
created in this language for having its attractive, tender, delicate and tuneful rhythm. However, Turkic-born Poet, the Sultan
of the Word Property [Maksud Shaykhzoda, 1935:59] – Alisher Navoi came to the territory of literature. While writing mostly
in Turkic, Alisher Navoi did his best to show and prove the mighty magnetism, elegant effect power and poetical harmonious
tunes of Turkic language. Therefore, he wrote his great favorable creation “Khamsa” in Turkic too. His quintuple was
accepted welcomingly in his period. However, it had great complicacy and difficulty on the ways of his purpose. He had
already noticed this responsibility therefore, while writing his epics he says:
Emas oson bu maydon ichra turmoq,
Nizomiy panjasiga panja urmoq.
Kerak sher ollida sheri jangi,
Agar sher o’lmasa, bore palangi [Navai, 1880:35]
These are the words He said in Turkic:
Too heavy in this field to be and to dive,
Responding Quintuple to Nizami’s “Five”.
Should be fought bravely opposite Lion,
At least, be Leopard and then would be fine.
Navai shows here a wonderful word game, exactly, he saw some similarities between Ganjavi and himself. Therefore, he
calls Nizami Ganjavi “Lion” and says himself at least “A leopard”. This resemblance increases the rate of the prodigious
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poet. The wonderful word games in the poetry, the society educated such model and specimen proves the high-developed
culture of our wide-spread Turkic-speaking countries, without doubt.
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Let’s look through the epics of “Khamsa” by Navoi.
The first epic was titled “Hayrat ul-abror” – “The wonders of good people”. It has didactic-spiritual character which
instructs and shows the people the right way. It consists of 20 articles and 20 stories at the end of the articles.
The second epic “Farkhad and Shirin” is about heavenly love of this couple which has tragic ending. The previous
ancestors wrote about Khisrav and Shirin. Farkhad is episodic character in their works. But Navoi increases his role
and creates the symbol of perfect human by the personage of Farkhad. The readers love the heroes of the epic
and live in the plot with them together. Farkhad has sensational physical power and uses this energy for goodness.
He says:
Hunarni asrabon netgumdir oxir,
Olib tuproqqamu ketgumdir oxir.
That is to say:
For what should I keep the craft as a brave?
If not used shall I take it to the grave?
Eastern male beings are not only physically powerful, but spiritual well-powered too.
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The next epic is named “Layli and Maj nun”. It is dedicated to tragic-ending heavenly love of Layli and Maj nun.
There are hundreds of stories among the nation about this couple. Though the third epic of “Khamsa” is about
fervent love of humanly love as the second epic, they have quite differences. “Farkhad and Shirin” has rather elation
and cheerfulness, the life is shown here with the colorful sceneries however, in the dedication of Layli and Maj nun
reigns rather dark and black atmosphere like pessimism more than positivity.
The fourth epic is about a king named Bah ram who loves hunting most. He feels in love with Dilorom who has a
perfect beauty and perfect mind. One day Bah ram bring his beloved Dilorom to hunting together and hunts a deer
so skillfully that he expects a compliment by Dilorom. Yet the beauty just says that, it is just for the result of training
a lot. Bah ram ordered her to death in the middle of the desert in his temper. Yet he comes to his mood, he regrets
for his decision. The official men of the kingdom have seven castles built for their king. Bah ram listens to seven
stories there. The seventh night a traveler tells him about Dilorom. Immediately, he finds the girl and dive into
entertainment again. One day they go hunting and Bah ram hunts countless animals in mercilessness. At last his
life comes to an end among the blood of the animals. Alisher Navoi shows here that improperness and
inappropriateness brings not only one’s life to end but also brings fatality to the nation. The poet warns the kings of
his life to be righteous and fair king by showing the unhappy ending life of the king Bah ram.
The fifth poem is about a justice king Alexander the Great. He is famous for the name Iskandar Zulqarnayn in the
Eastern Lands. According to the legends, the term “Zulqarnayn” has two meanings: two-horned man and the king
99
«The description and harmonization of Uzbek Nation’s culture in Alisher Navoi’s literary heritage, 2021
100
«Poetic difficulties in translations of Alisher Navoi’s works from Uzbek into English”
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of sunrise and sunset lands. Alisher Navoi described Alexander as a justice and fair king who lives with the thought
of the nation and always worried about them. In the poem he builds a wall protecting humanity from the Ya’juj-Ma’juj
nation
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and survives the people from the calamitous nation.
Of course, there were countless poets who wrote “Khamsa” in their lives in the East. But most of all were
forgotten in the literature. Only four great representatives’ works were accepted by the auditory of readers. Here
the famous authors of “Khamsa” has been given in the following scheme:
Nizami Ganjavi – 1170-1204
Alisher Navoi 1483-1485
Khisrav Dekhlavi – 1299-1302
Abdurrahman Jami – 1481-1483
The writers who tried to create “Khamsa” has been given in the scheme as small branches in the scheme. Many
others were stimulated and tried to create their “Khamsa” however, Literature didn’t accept them. Creating the whole
“Quintuple” according to the criterion done by their ancestors were not so easy is it was seen. Therefore, these four
prominent poets perpetuate their names by their perfect “fives” in the pages of the not only Eastern, but also the
literature the Whole World. The four poets increase and prove the power of the Persian and Turkish language around
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Ya’juj
-
Ma’juj is a nation endangers to th
e whole population of the Earth. It is one of the signs before the Judgement-Day.
Khamsa
Writers
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the world. Among them, Alisher Navoi has the immense role for showing the delicacy and power of poesy of the Turkic
language. His golden literary legacy always spreads everydiv and everywhere, from generation to generation, from
territory to territory. And the whole nationalities of the world admit that Uzbekistan is the Land who educated such a
Hero of the Nation forever.
