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THE PLACE OF MUHAMMAD ALI JAMALZODA IN MODERN PERSIAN
LITERATURE
Nozima Tulkunovna Xodiyeva
Lecturer, Tashkent state university of Oriental studies, Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article analyzes the role and influence of Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda in modern
Persian literature. Jamalzoda is one of the founders of 20th-century Persian literature, and his
works are based on the principles of realism, social criticism, and modernization. The author
discusses Jamalzoda's work, his artistic style, and the innovations he brought to Persian literature.
His contributions to the prose genre and literary heritage are also highlighted.
Keywords:
Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda, modern Persian literature, realism, modernism, social
criticism, prose, literary heritage.
Introduction:
Persian literature has a centuries-old history, in which classical poetry and
traditional prose occupy an important place. However, at the beginning of the 20th century,
Persian literature underwent a process of renewal and modernization. During this period, new
literary trends began to take shape under the influence of secular ideas, Western literary
influence, and socio-political changes. In this process, Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda emerged as
one of the founders of modern Persian literature.
Jamalzoda is known as a writer who introduced a new style - realistic prose - in a period
when traditional poetry dominated Persian literature. His work paved the way for the
development of new methods of artistic expression in Persian literature. He wrote stories based
on realism and social criticism, highlighting the current problems of society. His works are
distinguished by being close to the vernacular, understandable, and vital, unlike the traditional
Persian literary language.
This article analyzes the place of Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda in Persian literature, his
creative heritage, the characteristics of his works, and his contribution to the development of
Persian literature.
Main part:
Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda was born in 1892 in Isfahan, Iran. He was
interested in science and literature from a young age and went to Germany to study. Jamalzoda
studied Iranian and Western literature thoroughly and began to introduce a modernist style in his
early works. He criticized social inequality, corruption, and outdated customs in Iranian society.
Jamalzoda began a new era in Persian literature with the collection of stories "Yaki bud
va yaki nabud" (The One and the Fanatic) written in 1921. This collection was innovative not
only in terms of literary style, but also in terms of content, reflecting simple and folk language,
clear images, and life problems. In his works, Jamalzoda condemned the difficult life of the
people, moral problems, and injustices in state administration.
Jamalzoda's greatest contribution to Persian literature is his role as the founder of modern
literary prose. His work is characterized by the following aspects:
Realism and social criticism: He used a realistic approach in his works and directly
criticized the vices in society. His stories depicted the problems inherent in the lower classes of
Persian society, as well as the corruption and injustices in the state system. This was in sharp
contrast to the idealism characteristic of traditional literature.
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ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
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Simple vernacular language and style: While most of the literature of that period was
written in complex and lofty poetic language, Jamalzoda broke with tradition and created prose
close to the vernacular. This was important for it to be understandable to a wide readership.
Influence of Western literature: He introduced the genres of short stories and novels from
Western literature into Persian literature. Jamalzoda was influenced by French and German
realism, and Russian literature (Tolstoy and Dostoevsky). He introduced techniques such as
illuminating events with deep psychological analysis, creating characters, and depicting events in
life in prose.
Jamalzoda's stories and novels had a strong influence on the formation of modern Persian
literature. Following his path, later writers such as Sodiq Hidayat and Jalal Al-Ahmad developed
modern prose. The main innovations that Jamalzoda introduced into literature were:
Transition from traditional poetic literature to prose - while the genres of short stories and
novels were weak in Persian literature before, Jamalzoda developed prose.
Reflection of real life - he did not romanticize events, but covered them with an objective
and realistic approach.
Creating literature that was in line with changes in society - he challenged old concepts
and put forward new ideas.
His work was not limited to Iran, but had a great impact on the entire Persian-speaking
world. He put forward the ideas of calling for social change, critical thinking, and accurately
depicting the life of the people through literature.
Analysis and results:
Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda left an indelible mark on history as a
writer who radically changed Persian literature. He created a new style, different from traditional
poetic literature, using the realistic prose genre and simple folk language. The innovations he
brought to literature had a strong impact not only on his time, but also on the next generation of
writers.
Jamalzoda's stories based on social criticism formed the basis of modern Persian prose.
He openly criticized corruption, injustice, backwardness, and heresy in society, which made his
works understandable and interesting to the general public. The writer's ideas in terms of style
and content influenced Persian literature in the following areas:
Jamalzoda played an important role in the transition of Persian literature from poetry to
prose.
His realistic stories gave a strong impetus to the development of Persian prose. Later,
following his path, writers such as Sodiq Hidayat, Jalal Al-Ahmad, and Sodiq Chubak also
focused on realistic prose.
He wrote works in a simple and vernacular language instead of complex, old Arabic and
Persian expressions.
This style, understandable to ordinary people, later became the main principle of modern
Persian literature.
Jamalzoda is considered the first Persian writer to write in a realistic style. His critical
stories revealed social and political problems in Iranian society. Despite living abroad for many
years, the topics Jamalzoda wrote were related to the internal problems of Iranian society.
He was inspired by European literature and introduced elements of Western realism into
Persian literature. He used the realistic depiction method of writers such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky,
Flaubert, and Maupassant. His stories were written in a balance between Western and Eastern
literature.
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One of Jamalzoda's most famous works is the collection of stories "Yakka va
mutaassiblar" (Yaki bud va yaki nabud). The following main aspects are observed in this
complex of works:
Criticism of society - The backwardness of society and conservative views are sharply
criticized.
Freedom of the individual - Freedom of thought and action of a person is put forward as
an important theme.
Funny and bitter truths - He revealed the problems of society using satirical elements.
Jamalzoda's style also had a great influence on later writers such as Sodiq Hidayat and
Farooq Farrukhzad. The place of Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda in modern Persian literature can be
determined by the following main conclusions:
The founder of modern Persian prose - He took Persian literature out of the dominance of
poetry and developed modernist realistic storytelling.
A writing style based on the vernacular - He wrote in a language that ordinary people
could understand, bringing literature closer to the people.
Critical approach to social problems - His works are based on social and political
criticism, which had a strong influence on the writers of the new era. A bridge between Western
literature and the East - Jamalzoda, inspired by Western prose, brought the spirit of modernism
to Persian literature.
Jamalzoda is recognized as an important figure not only in Persian literature, but also in
the literature of the entire Central Asian and Islamic world. He has maintained his place as a
writer who modernized Persian prose, and his works are still relevant today.
Conclusion:
Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda has a place in history as a writer who initiated
revolutionary changes in modern Persian literature. He breathed new life into the classical poetic
traditions of Persian literature and laid the foundation for realistic prose. His work brought about
great changes in literature not only in form, but also in content.
Jamalzoda's most important achievement is being the founder of modern Persian prose.
He ensured that prose took its place in Persian literature, where poetry dominated. His stories
were simple, understandable and close to the vernacular, which served to elevate Persian
literature to a new level.
His creative legacy is distinguished by several main aspects:
1. Realistic and critical approach - He sharply criticized injustice, backwardness,
corruption and bigotry in society.
2. Simple and popular language - He abandoned the unbalanced and complex style and
wrote in a way that ordinary people could understand.
3. Influence of Western literature - He introduced the realism style of writers such as
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Maupassant into Persian literature.
4. Criticism through humor and laughter - His stories clearly show the style of exposing
the shortcomings of society with the help of humor and satire.
Jamalzoda's influence is clearly felt in the work of later Persian writers - Sodiq Hidayat,
Jalal Al-Ahmad, Sodiq Chubak. The process of literary modernization he initiated had a great
impact on the development of Persian literature.
Today, Jamalzoda's works are still relevant, and their analysis is important not only from
the point of view of Persian literature, but also from the point of view of world modern literature
in general. He created a powerful example of reforming society and forming a culture of critical
thinking through literature.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 03,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1164
Thus, Muhammad Ali Jamalzoda remained one of the most important figures in the
modernization process in Persian literature, and his literary legacy still remains an interesting
topic for researchers.
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