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THE LIFE PATH AND WORK OF ENLIGHTENER AHMAD DONISH
BUKHARI.
Jumayev Abbosjon Akmalovich
Teacher of the Department of Social Sciences, Zarmed University
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15561354
Abstract:
The full name of the enlightener Ahmad Donish (1827-1897) is
Ahmad Ibn Mir Nasir Ibn Yusuf al-Hanafi al-Siddiqi al-Bukhari, and Donish is his
literary pseudonym. He was a poet, thinker, writer, artist, calligrapher, scientist
and enlightener who lived and worked in the Bukhara Emirate in the middle of
the 19th century and became famous for his progressive ideas.
Ahmad Donish was born in 1827 (1242 Hijri) in Kochai Sangin Guzar of
Bukhara city in a mudarris (intellectual) family. His grandfather (on his father's
side) was a farmer, studied at the old religious school in the village, then at one
of the Bukhara madrasas, and then became an imam at one of the mawzes in this
city.
Ahmad Donish was given primary education by his mother, Sakina
Abdurrahman, and his father, Nasir ibn Yusuf, taught him the Arabic language.
Ahmed's mother taught village girls in her home, she was well aware of
literature and practiced poetry. Naturally, Ahmad also received his first
education in this school. A. Donish about this: before I went to school, like other
children in our family, I learned the alphabet from my mother, I learned to read
and write, and even to arrange songs. Loyshuvaq noted that he clearly
remembers drawing geometric shapes on the wall with a pencil.
In his "Reminiscences", Sadriddin Ainiy mentions Ahmad Donish: "He was
born in the family of Mulla Mir Nasir in Bukhara in 1827." Ahmad Donish's
father, Mulla Mir Nasir, taught in one of the small madrasas in Bukhara. Ahmed
Donish and information related to him, the "Amazing Man" section of Sadriddin
Ainiy's "Reminiscences" book has a special place.
His father, who wished that his son would become a mature scholar in the
future, sent him to a Muslim school in his neighborhood, wanting him to become
a scholar and memorizer of the Holy Qur'an. The teacher of the school told
Ahmad Mahdum's father that his son's tongue is soft, his tongue gets stuck when
he speaks and reads, so he does not recite the Qur'an well even when he
memorizes it, so it is better to give up this idea. Nasir ibn Yusuf reluctantly
agreed to this proposal. Although he struggled to memorize the Holy Qur'an, he
memorized this holy book in three years.
Later, Ahmed Donish wrote about this in his work "Risola dar nazmi
tamaddun va taovun": "I was not very happy to memorize the Holy Qur'an: after
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memorizing one part with difficulty, I would move on to the second part. I would
write it down on a piece of paper and read it secretly from the teacher. Anyway, I
couldn't get rid of the stubbornness in my heart and finally, with great difficulty,
I learned the Holy Qur'an in three years. Of course, to memorize a holy book like
the Holy Qur'an in three years, he memorized the Holy Qur'an at the age of 10.
He wrote poems under the pseudonym "Donish" (which means "knowledge").
After Ahmad Donish learned his first education from his mother, Young
Ahmad graduated from the old school in three years and received his teacher's
blessing. In 1841, he entered the higher school, madrasa. In the madrasa, Ahmed
Donish studied mathematics, astronomy, music, philosophy, and history along
with Islamic sciences. During this period, madrasa education lasted 16-19 years.
8 years of that were spent learning Arabic grammar, and the remaining 11 years
were taught natural sciences, rhetoric, and logic with the permission of Islam.
While studying, he was engaged in drawing calligraphy, plates, tables and in a
short period of time he became a good draftsman and a skilled draftsman.
Ahmad Donish was not satisfied with formal classes in madrasahs, but studied
astronomy, geometry and arithmetic on his own initiative, finding specialists.
Then he studied at the Mir Arab Madrasah.
Ahmad Donish's madrasa years were fruitful, the student with a thirst for
knowledge independently studied mathematics, geometry, astronomy, music,
philosophy and history in the madrasa along with religious and Islamic sciences.
He was not satisfied with the education given to him by the madrasas, even
though he lived in the city of Bukhara, he did not stay with his parents in his
yard, he worked day and night on books in a room rented by his father.
Regarding madrasa education, Ahmad Donish writes: "In Bukhara madrasas, the
teaching of the necessary subjects for school students was at a poor level. The
teaching methods were also outdated."
Ahmad Donish was not satisfied with the knowledge he received at the
madrasa, but engaged in mathematics, astronomy, literature, medicine, music,
architecture, calligraphy, painting, history and philosophy. He especially read a
lot of works of Eastern poets and thinkers. He became closely acquainted with
the works of Ibn Sina, Umar Khayyam, Nawai, Fuzuli, and Bedil, and tried to use
their ideas widely in his works. At the same time, he paid great attention to
studying natural sciences, especially astronomy (his teacher, Mirza Abdulfattah
Khan, was an astrologer).
In the madrasa, the future student will learn the Arabic language, its
morphology and syntax, logic, rhetoric, natural sciences, the rules of purification,
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the rules of the Hajj trip to Makkah-yu-Munawwara, the rules of selling goods,
buying a slave, owning a slave and selling or freeing it. rules, family and
marriage, divorce, in a word, studied the rules of Sharia with great interest. He
did not just study these rules in vain, but how to apply these rules to life while
performing the duties of the state and ulama. While receiving madrasa
education, he made a name for himself by copying books that were loved by
scholars, decorating their pages and borders, especially poetic works with
beautiful pictures, so as not to burden his parents.
Ahmed, who has a high level of calligraphy, copied his beloved works such
as "Layli and Majnun", "Yusuf and Zulayha", works of Eastern thinkers,
especially Mirza Abdulqadir Bedil, who was popular in Bukhara, and lived on the
income from their sales. chose his path. He himself said about this: "I would copy
and write after class, I would copy Bedil's twenty-four, thirty-part book in a
month, for which I would spend twenty to thirty coins. were I would have saved
more of this money and used the rest for myself."
Due to the sharpness of his mind, knowledge of geometry and mathematics,
Ahmad Donish was also known among his contemporaries by such titles and
nicknames as Ahmad Kalla, Muhandis, Makhdum, O'raq (one of the influential
members of the emir's palace).
Ahmad ibn Mir Nasir ibn Yusuf al-Khanifi al-Siddiqqi al-Bukhari was one of
the mature intellectuals of his time. Ahmed, who has a unique mind, was
popularly known as "Ahmad Kalla", "Donish", "Mahdum" in his time. Ahmad
Donish, who was known as a mature poet, writer, historian, and philosopher in
his time, had in-depth knowledge of natural and concrete sciences, so his
contemporaries gave him the name "engineer".
Alloma became famous as a character due to his beautiful personality. As a
student, Ahmad, who was known as a skilled hattot, was recruited into the
palace service. Soon the talented young man will become the head of the emir's
palace. This allowed him to get to know the emir, minister and other high-
ranking officials, and directly observe the processes of state administration.
Donish, who had a strong desire to acquire encyclopedic knowledge, deeply
studied the works of poets, philosophers and great thinkers of the East in
general. Later, Ahmad Donish himself took a room in one of these madrasas and
taught students. They studied science in the madrasah rooms and had such a
strong knowledge that they studied natural phenomena and predicted the
events that could be observed in the sky, even in the era when there were no
examples of modern technology. We can see the proof of these words in
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Sadriddin Ainy's "Memories": "Tonight the moon will be eclipsed for such and
such an hour and such and such a minute, it will last for such and such a minute,
and then it will begin to open. After such and such an hour and such and such a
minute, it will completely open. If he wants to see this phenomenon with his
own eyes, he will see it with his own eyes if he goes to the roof of the madrasa at
a certain hour.
Indeed, Ahmad Donish's great science, his prediction of the eclipse of the
moon with accurate mathematical calculations based on the observation of the
movements of the stars and celestial bodies in general, was undoubtedly a great
event for Bukhara in the 19th century.
Ahmad Donish sacrificed himself for the development of science and
enlightenment in Bukhara. This is a sign that his outlook has grown. On
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, he held many conversations with his
students and relatives at his home. Organized reading of poems. Discussions
were held in roundtable discussions on topics such as changing the state
education system and the sphere of administration.
Ahmad Donish writes in these conversations, "Scientists learn the Holy
Qur'an by heart and feel as if they are at the top of the science. The Arabic
alphabet is not the top of this science." He had a number of students who deeply
respected and continued his ideas. The eldest of them was Sadriddin Ainiy.
Even so, Ayniy learned a lot from seeing and observing Donish, especially
from the lively stories of Donish's Hamidbek, Fayzibek, Qori Ne'mat and other
constant interlocutors, especially from reading the works of his mentor.
spiritually nourished.
This person, who was one of the great enlighteners of his time, was also a
profoundly knowledgeable architect-architect of his time. When Ahmed Donish
was still studying at the madrasa, his father Mulla Nasir took him to the famous
Bukhara engineer Babame'mar as an apprentice. According to Ahmad Donish,
after the death of Babame'mar, Amir Nasrullah Khan appointed him as the chief
architect of the palace, gave him the title of Makhdum and set a monthly salary
of 1000 dirhams. After that, Mirza Ahmed Donish will lead the activities of all
engineers and craftsmen involved in the construction of the palace. Then he will
go on a trip to St. Petersburg as part of the emir's ambassadors.
Ahmad Donish was the first to introduce the use of colored plaster in
Bukhara. In this case, they would make a second layer of plaster with paints
made from herbs on the white ganch, and achieve a variety that does not require
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a lot of work. In particular, in this way, black, red, blue or green stars were
painted on the white wall, and as a result, wonderful scenes were created.
Later, Ahmed Donish taught his grown-up son Karomatjon to the art of
carving and painting. Years later, Karomatjon reached the level of an
unparalleled architect and painter, and polished the unpreserved structures of
the palace of Sitorai Mohi Khosa.
Because he is a skilled husnikhat owner, he is hired in the palace of Mangit
emirs. Donish will soon become the chief minister of the emir's palace. His work
in a high position in the palace of the Mangit emirs, getting to know the emir of
Bukhara, the minister and other high-ranking officials, allows him to know the
position, place, and lifestyle of the ruling class. He expressed his thoughts about
this in the following way: "I got to know and communicate with the military
class, because I was the owner of the husnikhat."
The fact that Ahmed Donish was well-mannered, well-versed in subjects
such as geometry, history, and philosophy increased his fame among the palace
servants. The emir of Bukhara personally consulted with him on many issues.
The fact that Ahmad Donish worked as a chief architect (architect) in the emir's
palace at certain times shows that he had excellent knowledge in the field of
architecture for his time. About this, he himself cites sentences like: "architects
and illustrators started working after my instruction."
While working in the Amir's palace, Donish learned scientific knowledge,
this tireless work and study led him to become a famous scientist of his time. Ibn
Sina, Alisher Navoi, Mirza Ahmed Donish, in the formation of his political and
philosophical views, made frequent trips to Shafirkon, Vobkent, and Gijduvan
after he rose to the level of a statesman in the court of Amir Muzaffar. During
these trips, he saw that the country was suffering from lack of water. developed.
This project was rejected by Amir Muzaffar. This project shows that Donish was
farsighted at that time and was the first founder of the current Amu-Bukhara
canal project.
During 1857, 1869, 1874, Ahmad Donish went to St. Petersburg, Russia, as a
mirza of the ambassadors of the Bukhara emir. Ahmad Donish, whose relations
with Amir had deteriorated, left the service in the palace and for some time
engaged in scientific work.
The emir of Bukhara knows very well that leaving such a great person as
Ahmed Donish without a job in the city will damage his reputation, and
secondly, the emir himself is afraid that a person with great reformist ideas will
live in Bukhara and he is well aware that he can influence others. was Akhmed
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Donish sent him as a judge to Guzor province in 1882, taking into account that
he could expose every wrong step taken by the emir. With this, the emir, first of
all, took into account the great merits of Ahmed Donish and allegedly
encouraged him and, not being afraid of anyone who is dangerous for him,
analyzed the social, political and economic life of the country and called him a
progressive thinker. he had achieved his goal of keeping the person who would
deliver to the people away from the capital.
From 1885 he worked as a judge of Narpai. Ahmad Donish, who was a
tireless fighter for establishing social justice in the society, was released from
this task in 1887 and was appointed the director of the library of Jafar Khoja,
and left there in the fall of 1889. Wherever he worked and in whatever position,
Ahmad Donish patronized scientists, got close to enlightened people, and
protected the most ordinary poor people.
For example, "This man was tall, and the king's Banoras robe that touched
the ground when ordinary people wore it came down from his knees. Because of
his excessively large head, he was nicknamed "Kalla". People called him "Ahmed
Mahdum". They call themselves "Ahmad Mahdumi Donish", "Ahmad Mahdumi
Muhandis", "Ahmad Mahdumi astrologer" or "Ahmad Kalla" for short No matter
what they say, I am still Ahmadi Porinaki budam, hastam" (I am that bulturgi
Ahmad, I am still the same)" he said.
Continuing these thoughts, he said, "This man had a Russian club in his
hand. Since clubs were usually made for people of medium height, the club was a
little short for a small man, and when he walked, he bent slightly towards the
side of the slave holding the club. He also emphasizes that when this man
entered the gate of the madrasa walking with dignity, the elders of the madrasa
who were sitting in the miyansarai would get up from their seats, join hands and
bow to him.
The fact that the sage has encyclopedic knowledge increases his fame in the
palace even more. Because of his deep knowledge of geometry, he even served
as the chief architect in the palace for some time. Donish was also a highly
skilled calligrapher and architect. Therefore, in the 50s of the 19th century, he
was hired and served as a calligrapher and architect in the palace of the emir of
Bukhara, Amir Nasrullah (1827-1860). later he was promoted to the rank of
chief architect (chief architect of the emirate). In the 70s of the 19th century, he
left the palace service and started teaching at a madrasa.
After the death of his mentor, Ahmed, who was engaged in decorating the
borders of new books in the palace, was appointed as the chief artist of the
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palace, but in 1869-1870, Ahmad left his position at his own request. In his
memoirs, he commented on this incident: "...serving the rulers is one of the most
useless things..." Ahmad Donish wrote in the Tajik language.
Of course, the participation of a person with deep knowledge and thinking,
who has seen the world and has a decent reputation among the members of the
White House, is of great importance in the socio-economic development of the
state. Therefore, after the death of Amir Muzaffar Khan Donish, he returned to
Bukhara and died in 1897. His div was buried in Khoja Ishaq cemetery in
Bukhara. Ahmed often organized gatherings in his home, together with his close
friends, he discussed new researches, works and treatises.
The important socio-political views of Ahmad Donish in his works make
him one of the leading enlighteners and modernists of his time. Ahmed Donish
criticizes the feudal socio-political system, order and relations, which have
become an obstacle to social development. Comparing the Emirate of Bukhara
with European countries, especially Russia, Donish shows that his homeland is
economically and culturally backward, and emphasizes the need for reforms in
the socio-political system in order to overcome this backwardness.
According to Donish, "the state should not serve to satisfy the needs of a
group of people, but for the interests of the people, for the prosperity of the
country. "We were born to prosper in the world, to explore the seas, to find the
riches of the earth, to know all its continents and people," wrote Donish. For this,
the ruler must be knowledgeable, enlightened, just and serve the interests of his
citizens. No matter what issue he decides, first of all he should imagine himself
in the place of citizens, and them in their place. This makes it possible to ensure
justice. "When running the country," says Donish, "the ruler must solve
important state problems together with his advisers." Counselors should also be
wise and fair people, and it is necessary to count on their opinion, because the
wisdom of many is greater than the wisdom of one person.
Ahmad Donish constantly searched for ways to bring his country out of
backwardness. "A person is always alive as long as he protects his homeland and
is with his people," says Donish. In addition to studying the teachings of Eastern
thinkers, he is also interested in socio-political teachings spread in the West.
Although Donish did not accept these teachings, his attitude towards them
allows us to see the thinker as a broad researcher and his socio-political dreams
are broader.
Ahmad Donish was the ideological leader of the religious and educational
reforms that took place in Bukhara in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His
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views on beautifying the country, ensuring people's well-being, turning Bukhara
into a prosperous country were important for his time. At a time when the
society of Bukhara was facing a political, social and cultural crisis, he delivered
the ideas of his predecessors and contemporary enlighteners to his compatriots,
enriching them with new content. He showed the people of Bukhara that it is
necessary to look critically at the life of the society and try to change it in a
positive direction, and he became an example for them in this regard. Ahmad
Donish is the author of about 20 scientific and artistic works, in which he
expressed his views on the reform of society.
"Ahmed Donish," says Academician Ibrahim Mominov, "was the founder of
the socially progressive and progressive movement of Bukhara in the second
half of the 19th century, and a great enlightener." Being an enlightened person,
he was against the feudal and emirate system. Ahmed Donish served to spread
European and Russian culture to Bukhara; fought for the interests of the people
in a unique way. He tried to justify his advanced political views in the historical
conditions of that time through the rules of theoretical and philosophical
thought. He was admired as a talented scientist, philosopher, great thinker, and
a wonderful figure."
Our compatriot, philosopher-academic I.M. In Mominov's words: "Ahmad
Donish was a progressive and well-educated person of his time, a loyal son of his
people, a rare representative of his historical circumstances. In the last days of
his life, Ahmad Donish lay ill and died in Bukhara in March 1897.
Conclusion:
Ahmad Donish works in the palace of Mangit emirs in high
positions, he could live comfortably with the allowance given in the palace. He
sacrificed himself for the people, for the country, for the homeland. This courage
and bravery in him is an example. Ahmad Donish is a selfless person who gave
his whole life to improve his native city, he is a humanistic encyclopedic
scientist, he deeply studied and analyzed all aspects of society's life. He is
looking for ways to understand the miserable life of the people. For this, he gives
open recommendations and advice to the emirs of Bukhara.
List of used literature:
1. Ahmed Donish. "Nawadir ul-waqae". The author of the foreword and
comments I. M. Mominov.
2. Karieva N. Views on natural sciences in the works of Ahmad Donish, Eastern
torch. No. 3, 2019
3. Sadriddin Ainiy. Selected works. T.5. -Tashkent.: Fiction, 1965
4. Naimov I. The first project of the Amu-Bukhara canal. //Bukhara Sharif 2012
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5. Joraev H. Benazir Alloma, a wonderful calligrapher and teacher.// Waves of
Bukhara. 2013
6. Rahimov N. The influence of teachers on the work of Sadriddin Ayni.
Tashkent.: Uzbekistan, 1972.
7. Muini R. About the life of Ahmed Donish. Bukhara. 2007.
8. Rahmonov.T.E, Orziev.M.Z. Two historical figures: Ahmad Donish and
Sadriddin Ainiy. Bukhara. Durdona. 2015
9. Vahidov R., Mahmudov M. Master S. Ainiy's lessons. - Tashkent: Science. 2004
10. Jumayev, A. (2023). AHMAD DONISH'S ATTITUDE TO THE SOCIAL AND
POLITICAL LIFE OF BUKHARA IN THE WORK "NAVADIR -UL-WAQAYE".
Interpretation
And
Research,
1(34).
izvlecheno
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