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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CENTRAL ASIAN CALLIGRAPHY SCHOOLS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY
Kalbaeva Maftuna
National Intitute of Fine Arts and Design, named after Kamoliddin Bekhzad, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
AB O U T ART I CL E
Key words:
Central Asian, calligraphy, book,
painting, manuscripts, miniature.
Received:
01.12.2024
Accepted
: 06.12.2024
Published
: 11.12.2024
Abstract:
This article describes in detail the
schools of calligraphy that flourished from the
14th to the 20th century, the great calligraphers
and great scientists who contributed to the
creation of these schools. The works of
representatives of each school were analyzed from
the point of view of art history.
INTRODUCTION
In the long historical past of the people of the East, the art of reading and calligraphy
occupies a special place in the cultural heritage created and left for future generations. It is no secret
that the origin and development of the art of literacy has existed among the peoples of Central Asia, that
is, in the land of todayʼs Uzbekistan, for a very long time. Even wh
en there were no ideas about paper
and books in the neighboring countries, the Uzbek people had the opportunity to provide the world
with unique paper samples. So, the processes of book preparation have been known to us for a long
time. However, the concept of
“book art”
appeared in the first half of the 15th century when Amir
Temurʼs grandson Ulugbek brought “book masters” from Khurasan (Herat) to Samarkand. In
Movarounnahr, the art of bookmaking developed as a branch of craftsmanship, a mature level of fine
art. This art was very useful for the lovers of science of that time, they put their priceless works, ways
of life on paper with the help of skilled calligraphers and painters, and left a valuable legacy for the
future in the form of books. The bookmaking technique occupied a special place in the division of labor
in medieval life, and the art of calligraphy was a professional profession for people. The development
of cultural life has increased peopleʼs interest and demand for books. This led to the
establishment of
book preparation workshops. Special bookmaking workshops were established in ancient cultural
centers such as Balkh, Herat, Bukhara, Khiva, Samarkand, and Kokand, where bookmaking techniques
were accelerated in order to meet the needs of the people. Not only artistic manuscripts, but also
ordinary books are decorated. Amir Temur and his descendants, as well as Alisher Navai, who is
considered a great representative of the people of knowledge and enlightenment, played an
incomparable role i
n the development of this art. “During the time of Timur and Ulugbek, the high skills
VOLUME04 ISSUE12
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/eijp-04-12-06
Pages:30-39
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of calligraphers, muzahibs, painters and scribes created such beautiful examples of decorative
manuscripts that they still amaze the whole world.” The art of calligraphy
and painting also developed
further during the time of Alisher Navai, especially in the areas under the rule of the Timurids. Sultan
Ali, the “Sultan of Calligraphers” of that time Mashkhadi, the founder of the Herat school of miniature
art, Kamoliddin Bekhzad, and the famous master of book decoration, mavlana Yori Muzahib, were the
mentors of hundreds of masters who created royal examples of decorated books was also big, because
with the direct initiative of Sultan Husayn Boykara, in addition to the above-mentioned skilled masters,
there are many other great painters such as Mirak Nakkash, Kasim Ali Makhmud Muzahhib, Shakh
Muzaffar, Sultan Mukhammad, Dost Mukhammad, Abdurazzak, and calligraphers Mukhammad ibn Nur,
Darvesh. Scholars such as Mukhammad Taqi, Mukhammad Khandan, and Mukhammad ibn Ashar
carried out their activities. The results of that period can be seen in “Ilk Devan” dated 870 Hijri/1465
-
1466, which is considered the oldest among Navaiʼs manuscripts. This divan was copied by Sultanali
Mashkhadi in the age of 33-34. The calligrapher, like Navoi, worked in the service of Sultan Abusaid.
The art of calligraphy first developed in Herat, the capital of Khurasan, where a large school of
calligraphy was founded under the leadership of Sultan Ali Mashkhadi. A distinctive feature of the
school, the nastaliq script (1-picture) created by Mir Ali Tabrizi in the 14th century, is revolved by
Sultan Ali. This method was widely used in the works of reading books in large and small nastaliq script,
artistic and historical works were read only in nastaliq script. Religious and some scientific works were
copied in manuscript. Kufi (2-picture), Rika, Suls (3-picture) and Naskh (4-picture) scripts are used
more: in architecture, painting and Eastern epigraphy.
1-picture Calligrapher Mir Ali Tabriziy 14
th
century complicated page “Nastaliq script”.
2-picture Kurʼan was copied in Kufi script in the 7
th
century.
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3-picture XII-XIII centuries. Suls script. Bukhara.
4-picture Naskh script,15
th
century. Bukhara calligraphy schools.
Six schools mentioned in the art of calligraphy are determined not by geographical structure, but by
important economic, political and cultural development stages of the history of Khurasan and Central
Asia from the 14th century to the 20th century. The first calligraphy school was established in Herat.
The great exponent of this school was Sultan Baisunqor, one of the Timurid princes. He died in 1427 at
the age of 35. According to “Davlatshoh Tazkira”, 40 famous calligraphers used to read books in his
library all day long. Calligraphy, jewelry, goldsmithing, patterns, plates, miniatures and other artistic
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works developed during the Baisunqor period. Alisher Navoiʼs “Khamsa” is considered the oldest
manuscript of this period. This manuscript was copied by the skilled calligrapher Sultanali Mashkhadi
in 1465-1466.
“Khamsa”. Small nastaʼliq script. Calligrapher Sultanali Mashkhadi
Binding and inside of the book.
Before 1520. Binding “Majalis al-nafaʼis”. Calligrapher Sultanali Mashkhadi.
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Beginning, double page with unwan and closed flap of the binding.
Bukhara calligraphy school.
This school rose to the stages of development in the 16th and 17th centuries. A new unique art of
reading and calligraphy developed in Bukhara. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Mir Ubayd Bukhari
invented a new type of letter “Naskhi Bukhari” based on a copy letter in Bukhara. This letter was larger
than the copy. According to the Nastaʼliq letter, Maulana Mir Ali Hiravi Fathobadi trained a number of
students. In the 19th century, Ahmad Donish was a great thinker, a skilled writer, a poet, a famous
astronomer and an excellent calligrapher, and at the same time a muzahib (gilder) was also he gilded
the manuscripts he copied, made titles and unique miniatures.
XVI century. Naskhi Bukhari script. Calligrapher Mir Ubayd Bukhari. A preserved page from the
Kur
ʼ
an.
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Astronomic tables, written in nastaʼliq script. Bukhara. Calligrapher Akhmad Donish. Bukhara XIX
century.
Khorezm calligraphy school.
Formed as an independent school at the beginning of the 18th century, this school developed in the
19th century during the reign of Muhammad Rahim I and Muhammad Rahim II. The Nastaʼliq letter took
the leading place, along with calligraphers, the art of book reading also developed. It would be a mistake
not to mention this person when talking about Khorezm calligraphy school. Munis Khorezmi was born
in 1778 in a place called Qiyat near the city of Khiva. The poetʼs name was Shermuhammad, and
Munis
was his nickname. Munisʼs work on the art of calligraphy, which is valuable for students, is Literacy
Education. The book consists of a theoretical part and exercises. This booklet was created for students
to learn the rules of naskh and nastalik letter. In the theoretical part of the treatise, Munis talks about
the importance of language and many scripts.
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Khorezm Document is written in Nastaʼliq script on Kokand paper. 1843 year. Mostly documents have been
preserved in the Khorezm school.
Fergana calligraphy school.
When talking about the calligraphers of this region, it is worth mentioning the first type of calligraphy
“Khatti Baburii” discovered by Zakhiriddin Mukhammad Babur. Babur invents a separate type of letter,
written in different forms of the Arabic letter, which differs somewhat in learning and writing. This new
letter was called “Khatti Baburii” and became famous with this name. In the second half of the 18th
century and in the 19th century, cultural life and art reached a peak in the Kokan Khanate. Under the
leadership of Muhammad Sharif Dabir, many calligraphers were born. Muhammad Alikhan, Muhammad
Yodgor Khoqandi, Abdulatif Hisariy contributed to the formation and development of this school. The
difference between the Fergana school and other schools is
that, in addition to the nastaʼliq letter, the
Shikastiy letter was also widely used in the reading of works of art.
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Album Nastaʼliq script. Kokand. XIX century. Calligrapher Mukhammad Alikhan.
Samarkand calligraphy school.
Abduljabbar Urguti Samarkandi. In the state of Movarounnahr, the inventors of the nastaʼliq letter
consisted of four people. The first is the father of calligraphers, Mavlavi Saqi Muhammad, the second is
Sidiqjan Darakhti, the third is Sidiqjon Ishtikhani, and the fourth is Abduljabbar Urguti.
Album Nastaʼliq script. Samarkand. 1225/1810. Calligrapher Hoji Muhammad Rajab Samarkandiy.
Tashkent school of calligraphy.
By the second half of the 19th century, Tashkent also began to become a cultural center. Muhammad
Osman Kotib Tashkandiy was born in 1856 in the city of Namangan. Usman used to write the letter
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flawlessly and meaningfully. Every literate person could read his letters. He knew Arabic and Persian
languages perfectly, wrote comments on books in these languages, left comments in important places
and wrote them down in beautiful handwriting. Usman, who memorized and beautifully wrote the
poems of poets such as Omar Khayyam, Navai, Fuzuli, and Bedil, also taught calligraphy.
Book “Various wonderful creatures” calligrapher Sirojiddin Makhdun Siddikiy Khandalikiy. Lithography.
1335/1917.
CONCLUSION
The art of calligraphy was reflected in manuscripts until the 20th century, after which this art form was
rarely used in manuscripts. This is the global problem facing todayʼs art of calligraphy. Nowadays
, many
calligraphers are engaged only in creating independent works. If we copy more scientific literature and
sacred manuscripts left to us by our ancestors, we would have left a treasure for the next generation. At
the same time, calligraphy would have helped to pass the traditions of calligraphy schools from
generation to generation.
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Manuscripts on this article: “The works of Alishir Navai in fine books of the 15th
-
16th centuries”,
“Samples of Eastern calligraphy and miniature art” and “Masterpie
ces of Oriental calligraphy and
miniature art of the 7th-
21st centuries from the private collection”.
REFERENCES
1.
Muradov A. “From the history of Central Asian calligraphy.”
- Tashkent, 1971.
2.
History of the period of Timur and Ulugbek.T. Komuslar Chief Editorial Office. 1996.
3.
“The works of Alisher Navoi in the masterpieces of literary art of the 15th
-
16th centuries”. “Silk road
media”, “East star media” Tashkent. 2020.
