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Oscar Publishing Services
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ABSTRACT
Worldwide Interest in Eastern culture, especially in miniature art, has always been high. The appearance of historical
figures reflected in the works of Eastern scholars play an important role in the restoration of their original images and
in-depth study of their way of life. Currently, Oriental miniatures depicting historical figures are kept in various regions
of the world, in museums and libraries, scientific institutions, and private collections. Experts from different countries
of the world are studying these works in depth.
KEYWORDS
Worldwide Interest in Eastern culture, especially in miniature art, has always been high.
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, great attention has been paid to
miniature art and its development in Uzbekistan,
exhibitions of copies of national miniatures kept in
world collections, museums and libraries are being
organized, and books and albums are being published.
The authority of our country pays particular attention
to the issues of preserving and repairing manuscripts,
enriching existing funds, creating favorable conditions
for local and foreign researchers to work with historical
sources, in-depth study of examples of our historical
and cultural heritage, and promoting the contribution
of our great scholars to the development of world
science and civilization.
At the same time, on the initiative of the World Society
for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the
Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan, the work of studying,
researching and printing facsimile copies of the
masterpieces of the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, in
particular miniatures, which have gone to different
regions of the world for certain reasons, is continuing.
Great attention is being paid to the use of the same
events and images as depicted in the examples of
miniature art when creating new written works about
Research Article
INTERPRETATION OF RULERS IN ORIENTAL MINIATURES
Submission Date:
May 12, 2023,
Accepted Date:
May 17, 2023,
Published Date:
May 22, 2023
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ijhps/Volume03Issue05-06
Firdavs F. Abdukhalikov
Independent Researcher Of National Institute Of Fine Arts And Design, Named After Kamoliddin Bekhzod
(Tashkent, Uzbekistan), World Society For The Study, Preservation And Popularization Of The Cultural Legacy
Of Uzbekistan, Chairman Of The Board Of Directors, Amir Temir Street 53, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ijhps
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
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our great ancestors, filming feature and documentary
films. This requires a deeper study of the depiction of
historical figures in medieval manuscripts.
During our small research features of the appearances
of historical figures, styles and approaches of different
schools were studied in the miniature paintings of the
XIV-XVII centuries. The purpose of the research is to
determine the importance of Eastern miniature art
samples in the study of historical processes, the history
of our culture, the life and events of famous ancestors,
and to show the importance of Eastern miniatures
created in the Middle Ages in clarifying the true
external and internal images of historical figures who
lived in earlier times.
DISCUSSION
Portrait is the highest manifestation of the
development of the human presence in miniature art,
the roots of their genesis and evolution are connected
with the mural images, sculpture, and applied art of the
peoples who lived in the regions of Iran and Central
Asia before Islam. Ancient images of Iranian kings are
also depicted on the rocks, and in the sources of
Monism, great attention is paid to the images of
Monism or prominent priests
1
.
In the early medieval wall paintings in Sughd
(Afrosiyab, Varakhsha, Panjikent) the bright images of
heroes and rulers are depicted in accordace with the
traditions of folk epics, created in a descriptive visual
format
2
. These images have not yet been brought to
the genre of portraits, they represent only the general
1
Виденгрен Г. Мани и манихейство, Москва, Наука, 2001.
– С. 67.
2
Альбаум Л.И. Живопись Афросиаба, Москва, Наука,
1975; Беленицкий A.M. Монументальное искусство
древнего Пенджикента. Живопись. Скульптура. Москва,
наука, 1973. – С. 254.
image of the hero, and have not discovered his unique
features, but they can become "objects of
embodiment" of a person. Already at that time, their
main goal was aimed at perpetuating the kings and
their work was defined as an ideological-propaganda
program.
Although the first miniatures of Central Asia and Iran
that have come down to us are mainly related to the
book art of the Temurid period. Written sources
confirm that portrait art existed as a separate genre in
the 10th-11th centuries. For example, in Nizami Aruzi
Samarqandi's treatise "Chor Maqalat" (Four Articles)
there is a story about Mahmud Ghaznavi (999-1030)
searching for the famous scholar and judge Avicenna -
Abu Ali ibn Sina (980-1037). Mahmud Ghaznavi orders
the painter Abu Nasr Arraq to paint a portrait of Ibn
Sina. He ordered to copy 40 copies and send them to
different regions of the country
3
.
M. Ashrafi based on this fact, assumes that by this
period, single-person portraits were drawn that
allowed to recognize the image of the depicted
person, with special signs reflected
4
.
As it can be seen, in the East, special attention was paid
to drawing pictures in portraits exactly according to
the prototype. This situation testifies to the pre-
existence of this genre in medieval Eastern art.
In general, the miniatures show the existence of two
types of portraits: the first is a figure in multi-person
plot compositions, and the second is a one-person
portrait on a separate page (according to the image of
3
Низами Арузи Самарканди. Собрание редкостей, или
Четыре беседы. – М., 1963, - Стр 114..
4
Ашрафи М. От Бехзада до Риза-йи-Аббаси / Развитие
миниатюры XVI – начала XVII веков. – Ташкент, SMI-
ASIA. MИЦАИ, 2011 - С 131–132.
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the portrait in the hands of the hero). It can be seen
that the typology of portraits drawn on a separate
page was formed as an independent genre in miniature
art within the framework of multifaceted plot
compositions drawn on manuscript books.
As for the appearance of the figures, the characters of
portraits in many miniatures are depicted according to
the rules of miniature art. The artistic representation of
the images originates from the generalized and
figurative image of the human presence in the poem.
This influenced the artist in describing the category of
portraiture - drawing a conditional and idealized image
of his contemporary. That is why the image in the
portrait is depicted in clothes according to the
aesthetic rules of that time.
Historical literature (chronicles - biographies of rulers,
portraits) that were very common in the Middle Ages
in the East also influenced the development of the
portrait genre. In most cases, historical and
commemorative literature remained within the scope
of panegyric (praise) feature in expressing real events
in the personal life and activities of the kings who were
considered to be the order of the work . The
typological characteristics of the depicted specific
historical figures were close to the images in classical
literature. At the same time, in the decorative images
of manuscripts on historical subjects, an attempt was
made to create iconography of historical figures,
sometimes preserving the traditional principles of the
image. We can see this situation in the images of
legendary, semi-legendary and historical heroes such
as Jamshid, Faridun, Iskandar, Daro, Anushervan,
which are often found in the manuscripts of the
Temurid period.
5
Nizami Ganjavi. Khamsa, Sharafnameh, Herat, 1494. -
British Library, №6800. - B 214 r .
When portraying the first group of people, the artist
relies on the pictures worked by his previous
colleagues or the images created during their lifetime.
If the photos of the historical figure have not been
processed before, it is possible to ask those who have
seen him closely, to use the information about his
appearance provided in various sources. However, in
the absence of any image or information, the artist
tries to depict his character based on his imagination.
Although miniature art uses traditional methods,
general shapes, and three-dimensional images, rather
than the precision of Western painting, artists tried to
harmonize the image with the prototype.
As we mentioned earlier, the fact that pictures of Ibn
Sina were used in the 10th century to search for him, it
can be seen that even then, a person's picture was an
important document in the identification of a person.
Therefore, in many cases, the artist tried to bring the
image closer to the original. At the same time, Eastern
miniatures often depict a historical person who lived
long ago in a way similar to the appearance of a
modern ruler, patron or customer.
For example, Kamal ud-Din Behzad tried to transfer the
images of his contemporaries Husayn Bayqarah and
Alisher Navai to the image of historical figures such as
Iskandar, Sultan Sanjar, Hurmuzd, Amir Temur in many
of his works. This situation can also be seen in the
miniature "Iskander and Seven Wise Men" made of
"Sharafnameh"
5
contained in Nizami's "Khamsa" .
According to the plot of the epic, Alexander invites
famous sages such as Aristotle, Valis (Phales of
Miletus), Socrates, Bulinas (Apollonius of Tyana),
Furfurius (Porphyry of Tirsia), Hermes (Hermes
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Trimegistus) and Plato to a conversation about the
secrets of the creation of the universe.
In this miniature, expressed in the portrait-within-a-
picture genre, which was widely popular in Herat
during Behzad's time, Sultan Husayn is depicted in the
image of the famous historical hero
–
Alexander the
Great.
Among the gathered philosophers, the figure of
Iskandar-Husayn Bayqarah in a green dress, humbly
folding his hands, stands out. His facial features are
iconographically similar to many of Behzad's
depictions of Husayn Bayqarah. Thus, according to the
etiquette of that time, Behzad describes him as an
enlightened and wise ruler by comparing him with the
legendary Alexander the Great
6
.
First of all, it should be said that the historical
information and views about Alexander in the East and
Iskandar (Alexander the Great) in the West are often
inconsistent. Religious scholars suggest that Zul-
Qarnain is not the Macedonian Alexander (Iskandar
Maqdouni) whose name is mentioned in the Quran
7
.
However, Alisher Navai's epic "Saddi Iskandari"
mentions the life of Zul-Qarnain mentioned in the Holy
Qur'an, including his battle with Gog and Magog,
building the wall, and the events related to the life of
Alexander the Macedonian.
In the introduction of the work, Navai says that he
himself has looked through many books, that the
information contradicts each other, that he has a vision
6
F. Abdukholikov, Z. Rahimova. Oriental miniatures:
historical figures. - Tashkent: Zamon-Press-info, 2022. - B
165.
7
Sheikh Osmankhan Temurkhan Samarkandi. Tafsir Irfan. -
Tashkent. East, 2019. Volume 3. - B 158-159.
8
Алишер Навоий. МАТ, 20 жилдлик. 11-жилд. – Тошкент,
Фан, 1994. – Б 67.
of two Alexanders, one of whom fought with Darius,
and the other of whom restored the famous wall
8
.
Jami, relying on Nizami, stated that both persons are
actually one person. Navai, on the other hand, believed
in the insistence of the teacher and finished writing the
epic. So, according to Navai's later changed opinion,
Alexander the Macedonian and the person called
Alexander the Great in the East are actually the same
person.
Naturally, Kamal ud-Din Behzad could not go beyond
from teachers such as Nizami, Jami and Navai and
considered both individuals to be one Alexander.
Therefore, he depicts Iskandar not in a European way,
but in an oriental way, or rather, in a way close to
Husayn Baygarah. For this, the artist would not need
any source. He worked in Husayn Bayqarah's library,
met the ruler several times and knew his appearance
well.
The appearance of some individuals is indicated in
historical sources. For example, An-Nasawi in his book
"Sirat al-Sultan Jalal ad-Din Mankburni" ("The Life of
Sultan Jalal ad-Din ") describes Sultan's appearance as
"he was dark-skinned, short in stature, his language
and pronunciation were Turkish, and he also knew
Persian..."
9
.
This historical situation did not leave the medieval
artists indifferent. Two miniatures have reached us
that show this situation when Genghis Khan and Jalal
ad-Din met. The first miniature is taken from the work
9
Shihab ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad an- Nasawi. Sirat al-
Sultan Djalal ad-Din Mankburny : (Jizneopisanie sultana
Djalal ad-Din Mankburny ). Kritich . text, per. s arab., predisl.,
comment ., primech. i indicator Z.M. Buniyatova . Moscow :
Vostochnaya literatura , 1996 . - S. 288
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"History of Abulkhaykhani", which is believed to have
been copied in Samarkand in 1540.
In this work, the author briefly describes the history of
the countries located in the eastern part of the
Baghdad Caliphate and Mawarannahr from ancient
times to the 60s of the 15th century.
"History of Abulkhairkhani" was written by the former
secretary of Kochkunchi-khan (1510-1530) Masood ibn
Usman Kuhistani at the beginning of the reign of
Shaibani Abdullatif Sultan who ruled in Samarkand in
1540-1551. In the work, we find valuable information
about the Turkic peoples who founded the
Abulkhairkhan state and moved to Mawarannahr
together with Shaibani Khan at the beginning of the
16th century.
This manuscript is stored at the Institute of Oriental
Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan
under the number 9989. The picture was made by an
unknown artist. It depicts Genghis Khan standing on
the upper bank of the river, surrounded by 15 soldiers,
admiring his enemy. Genghis Khan is depicted in a
dreamy position on a blue horse. Each of the soldiers is
armed with swords, bows and maces. Helmets and
pieces of shields are also lying underfoot. According to
natural scenes, the battle took place in the spring
months. A river roars in the middle. On the lower bank
of the river, Jalal ad-Din can be seen looking straight
and proud at the enemy. He has dismounted and is
leaning on his sword. For some reason, his arrow is
lying on the ground. A red flag was attached to the
helmet on Jalal ad-Din's head.
Another of the pictures showing the image of Jalal ad-
Din is the picture from the work "Genghis Khan-
nameh" created in India in 1596-1600 during the
Baburids period, which is believed to belong to the pen
of Mirkhand. It depicts the moment when Sultan Jalal
ad-Din jumped into the river with his horse without any
fear to cross the waters of the river Sindh. Genghis
Khan's soldiers on the other side stood stiffly as if
waiting for the order to chase him away. But the sultan
had already managed to escape. Khorezm-Shah's long
mustache and military clothes, saddles and harnesses
of his horse are not much different from those of
Mongolian soldiers. This is one of the characteristics of
medieval Indian miniatures.
The same situation is reflected in artistic colors on the
page on which the photo is placed. According to
information, this painting was done by Indian artists
Dharma Das, Chihra Nami and Banwari Khurd. In the
margin, the details of the incident mentioned above
are described in Persian - Jalal ad-Din drowned his wife
and crossed the river Sind alone on a horse, showing it
to the sons of Genghis Khan as an example. "He (Jalal
ad-Din) took his tent and flag, whipped his horse and
crossed the river with lightning speed. Crossing to the
other bank, he dismounted from his horse and dried
the water from his sword. Genghis Khan showed it to
his children: "Every father should have such a son."
Amir Temur (1336
–
1405), a great ruler and a talented
organizer, the founder of the powerful Temurid
kingdom, won great attention of his contemporaries
and subsequent generations.
Rui González de Clavijo, who was an ambassador to
Amir Temur in 1404, gives valuable information about
the appearance of the ruler, as well as a number of
historical figures of that time, in his work "Diary of a
trip to the palace of Amir Temur": "He was sitting on a
dais¬. A fountain shot up in front of him, and red apples
floated in the pool of the fountain. The king was dying
on a silk blanket, reclining on his back. The king wears
a plain smooth turban, a long turban on his head, red,
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ruby, jewels and other precious stones are attached to
the top of ¬the turban
10
.
It is known that Amir Temur himself wished that his
name would remain in the memory of generations and
ordered historians to write books about the events of
his life or artists to paint pictures depicting the events
of his biography. Historians who wrote books about
Amir Temur's life, such as Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi,
Nizam ad-Din Shami, and Hafizi Abro, said almost
nothing about his appearance except that he was
lame. They described the name of the ruler with all the
laudable qualities characteristic of medieval moral
standards. According to the formed imagination, he
was physically very strong, extremely brave, fearlessly
entered the battlefield and did not shy away from
death, a true Muslim.
According to Ibn Arabshah: "Temur was handsome,
tall, had an open forehead, a big head, and a loud voice,
his power was no less than his courage; the bright red
of his face enlivened the whiteness. His shoulders were
broad, his fingers were thin, and his muscles were
strong. He wore a long beard; his right arm and leg
were damaged in the battles. His gaze was very kind..."
11
.
The oldest portrait of Amir Temur that has survived to
us belongs to the end of the 14th - the beginning of the
15th century. It depicts Amir Temur in battle dress. In
the portrait, his left hand is smaller, his left leg is
traditionally taken under the thigh, and his right leg is
hanging down from the throne in a straight position.
The artist skillfully disguises Temur's disability with a
traditional position and artistically reflects it. One leg
10
Клавихо Р.Г. Самарқандга, Амир Темур саройига саёҳат
кундалиги. – Тошкент, Замон Пресс-инфо. 2023. – Б 160.
11
Якубовский А. Тамерлан. Эпоха. Личность. Деяние. –
Москва. Гураш, 1992. – С. 23.
extended and the other leg bent at the knee - this
conventional position was often used by the artists of
Herat during the 15th century, and then by the artists
of Mawarannahr in the 17th century for the image of
Amir Temur, and the same position, along with the
reddish crested beard, became one of the typical
details of his iconography. However, the iconography
of Temur was forgotten in Iranian or Indian miniatures
made much later, in the 16th and 17th centuries.
According to the etiquette of his time, the image of
Temur was interpreted by miniaturists as an ideal
person, an example of rulers or warriors of the time
when the miniature was created.
After the death of Amir Temur, during the reign of his
descendant Iskandar Sultan, in the middle of the 15th
century in Shiraz, "Z
afarnamеh" written by Sharaf ad
-
din Ali Yazdi is among the historical works dedicated to
the activities of the Ruler. One of its oldest copies was
created in 1435
–
1436 and is currently kept in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA.
The first paintings for Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi's
"Zafarnameh" were created in Shiraz during the reign
of Temur's grandson Ibrahim Sultan in the first half of
the 15th century. In them, the image of Amir Temur is
conventionally made, but the artist introduced
features typical of the Mongoloid race into his face.
In a certain period, we can see a unique interpretation
of the image of Temur in the miniatures created by the
famous artist Kamal ud-Din Behzad. Another
manuscript of "Zafarnameh" was copied in Herat in
1480-1484, during the reign of Husayn Bayqarah, and
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this copy was enriched with miniatures belonging to
Behzad's brushwork
12
.
The plot of the first miniature in this series of
illustrations for Yazdi's "Zafarnameh" has a great
political significance for the Temurids. It was this event,
more precisely, after the conquest of Balkh in April
1370, Temur became the only ruler in the territories of
the Chigatai tribe.
Behzad describes the most culminating moment of
the event - the swearing process of the chiefs of the
Chigatai clan, who recognize Temur as the ruler in this
work. Temur is sitting solemnly on the throne in front
of the elegantly decorated tent among his comrades
and followers. He wears a precious crown on his head
and a green robe over it. One leg is bent under the
thigh, and the other is lowered on the seat next to the
throne. His ruddy bearded face reflected majesty.
The miniature "The Pursuit of the Kipchak army"
occupies two pages of the manuscript
13
. The Kipchaks,
who were driven out by Amir Temur from Nergiz,
Georgia, hid in the surrounding caves. According to
Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi, in this battle, Temur ordered to
make baskets from large shields, through these
baskets, Amir Temur and his soldiers descended from
the hill into the cave and captured the enemies.
Among the famous pictures in miniature art, the
portraits of Amir Temur made in various art centers and
in different periods, such as Herat and Shiraz during the
12
Kamoliddin Behzad. "Temur is organizing a celebration on
the occasion of his election as the Great Amir". Sharafillin Ali
Yazdi, Zafarnameh. - Herat, 1480-1485. John W. Garrett
Library. Johns Hopkins University.
13
Kamoliddin Behzad. "Temur is organizing a celebration on
the occasion of his election as the Great Amir". Sharafillin Ali
Yazdi, Zafarnama. - Herat, 1480-1485. - John W. Garrett
Library. Johns Hopkins University. - 282b-283a.
Temurid period, Shiraz during the Safavid era,
Mawarannahr school in the XVI-XVII centuries, have a
special charm, but the artists of Baburi's India depicted
him more
14
.
In Eastern manuscripts, it was common for artists to
depict historical figures, mainly in the form of the rulers
of that time. In many miniatures, famous conquerors,
rulers and generals of the past, as well as prophets, are
depicted in Turkic appearance, with white, round faces
and narrow eyes. If we take into account that, the
Eastern countries were mainly ruled by Turkish rulers
during the 10th-20th centuries in the past, it is not
difficult to determine the main reason for such
appearances.
Among the portraits of the rulers created during the
Temurid period, one can include the portrait of
Baysunghur, which has survived to our time and is
currently kept in the collection of Matenadaran
(Erevan) in Armenia
15
. R.Amirbekyan, who published
the description of this picture, rightly calls the work "a
rare example of the 15th century portrait genre." The
portrait was previously kept in Aurangzeb's library. The
portrait, 13.5x15.5 cm in size, was made on "thick,
unglazed, yellowish-white paper produced in the
East
16
. "
Baysunghur represents a popular category of portraits
of one person, depicted on a flat background and not
a miniature. He is seated to the right, facing his invisible
14
Martin F. R. The miniature painting and painters of Persia,
India and Turkey, - London, Bernard Quartich , 1912. - P 28-
40.
15
Amibekyan R. Un portrait in miniature du 15 ciecle Sultan
Baisunqur Bahadjr khan. - Prince Temuride collection du
Matenadaran.- Pp. 209–218.
16
That source .
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interlocutor, and is depicted in the lavish attire of his
time - a richly embroidered cape with a green qabo
underneath . On the head is an important symbol of
royal rank - a tufted crown with crow and peacock
feathers. As typical of nobles, the young ruler was
armed with a sword with a luxurious sheath and a bow
and arrow bow. This portrait shows Baysunghur as an
adult, with a full beard. In other pictures, he is depicted
as much younger.
Other images of Baysunghur are depicted in miniatures
painted for manuscripts commissioned by him. In
particular, his picture is depicted on pages 1b-2a on the
right side of the diptych of the manuscript "Kalila and
Dimna" written by Nizamuddin Abulma'ali Nasrullah .
The picture was created in Herat in 1429 and is currently
kept in Topkapi Palace in Turkey
17
. The next picture on
this topic is called " Baysunghur killing the wolf". It was
made in Herat in 1425-1434
18
.
A number of engravings and miniatures created in the
Middle Ages are important for us to imagine the real
image of the ruler Great Temurid Muhammad Taragai
Mirza Ulugbek (1394-1449). It is known that the figure
of Ulugbek entered the Western visual arts long ago,
already in the 18th century. In the engraving given in
the famous Polish astronomer Jan Heveli's book "
Astronomical Reporter". Ulugbek, the goddess of
astronomy, was depicted in the circle of astronomers
such as Urania, Wilhelm, Jan Heveli, Ptolemy, Tycho
Brage, Ricci Ole
19
. Of course, the Europeans did not
have an idea of the oriental view of the Eastern scholar
17
Lentz, Thomas W., Lowry, Glenn D. Temur and the
princely vision // Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth
Century, 1989 . - Rr. 110–111.
18
Temur and the princely vision . - Cambridge, Harvard
University Art Museums (Arthur M. Sackler Museum) –, R.
113.
and Temurid ruler and reflected it in the form of a
European intellectual.
Although in the Middle Ages Western and Eastern
painters repeatedly referred to the image of Ulugbek,
only two of his paintings during his lifetime have been
identified so far.
The first of them is the image in the manuscript of
Abdurrahman al-Sufi (903-986) "Kitabi kawakib as-
sabita" (Book of Immovable Stars), copied in 1437 by
the personal instructions of Ulugbek. This work was
written during the reign of the Somonids as a
commentary on the famous Alexandrian scientist
Ptolemy
(100-160)
"Almagest".
According
to
information, Ulugh Beg often referred to al-Sufi's
"Kitabi kavakib as-sabita" during his academic career.
The work served as the basis for the tableau "Zij-e
Jadid-e Kuragani". This manuscript, which was copied
twice in Samarkand during his reign, depicts the
constellations with the help of images of people and
creatures. There are 78 miniatures from the
manuscript
20
.
On the 38th page of the work, the lines in the picture
drawn for the constellation Cepheus (Qayqovus) are
exactly like the facial structure of Ulugbek. It is known
that in the miniatures of the palace manuscripts, the
use of facial features of a royal rank holder to depict a
powerful hero was considered a simple method. Here
too, while working on this copy of the work, the artist
may have placed the image of Ulugh Beg in the book.
On the page, the ruler is depicted in a sky dome,
19
Куликовский П.Г. Ян Гевелий (к 350-летию со дня
рождения) // Истори
ко-астрономические исследования.
Вып. VII.1961. С.257—288.
20
Steinschneider M. Uber die Mondstationen ( Nakhatra ),
und das Buch Arcandam / / Zeitschrift der Deutschen
Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, 18 (1864), 118-201 [cf. p.
140]
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705
)
(2023:
6.
713
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
wearing a white hat with an umbrella on his head,
barefoot.
Another picture depicting Ulugbek during his lifetime
is currently kept in the Freer Art Gallery in Washington
(USA). The author of this photo is unknown. On the top
of the picture is written "the greatest sultan Ulugh Beg
Kuragan, may God make his reign eternal." This
sentence alone is a reason to conclude that the picture
is related to the ruler's lifetime. In the photo, the sultan
is depicted barefoot, wearing a white boat-shaped
headdress, a blue jacket and a green jacket, under a
white patterned umbrella, sitting on a blanket.
The miniature does not show too much luxury. On the
right roof, in the background, a bow on a special chair
indicates that the ruler has recently returned from
hunting. In the foreground, officals sitting on the
ground and standing servants are visible. Two of the
officials held one falcon in their hands. Below them, on
carpets and blankets, five women are depicted. Two of
the women were dressed in royal red dresses. It is
reported in the sources that Ulugh Beg had 13 wives
(four of them were in nikah according to shariah, and
the rest were servant women). Apparently, the picture
shows two of those princesses. Upstairs, a woman in
black and wearing a white headscarf scolds two
middle-aged women sitting next to her. The fact that
women sit with open faces in the circle of royal family
members, officials and servants shows that this issue
was treated liberally during the Temurid period
21
.
In the right corner of the page, there are 24 verses from
Nizami Ganjavi's epic "Khusrav and Shirin". Experts say
that this manuscript must have been copied in
21
https://telegra.ph/NIZOMIJ-DOSTONIDAGI-MUD H ISH-
22
Abdukholikov F., Rahimova Z. Oriental miniature.
Historical figures. Tashkent. Zamon-Press-info, 2022. –
B.132.
Samarkand in 1441-1442. In the left corner, two black
slaves are guarding them. A while ago, the two sons of
Ulugh Beg, Abd ul-Latif and Abd ul'Aziz, hugged each
other like brothers
22
.
The same features common to both pictures are mainly
seen in the headdress. This white headgear on the
ruler's head is reminiscent of a peaked hat. In three
parts of the helmets, a toga (or ukpar) typical of kings
is installed. In both cases, the ruler's top coat is blue.
The facial features in the images are also very similar.
From these images, it can be understood that Ulugh
Beg was a white-faced man with slightly elongated
faces, narrow eyes, a sparse, reddish beard. The
pictures included in the genealogical table may also be
a unique type of portrait art of this period
23
.
As an independent genre of miniature art, the portrait
was finally formed in Herat, in the last quarter of the
15th century, during the reign of Sultan Husayn
Bayqarah, as well as through the efforts of his minister,
the famous poet and philosopher Alisher Navai. Both
of them were familiar with Sufism, patronized art and
showed great care for Behzad's work
24
.
Of course, the portraits of historical figures created by
Behzad were not portraits in the European sense,
because the miniaturist did not have the obligation to
create a full-fledged, truthfully embodied image with
the help of flowing and dark paints. Behzad created
portraits within the framework of traditional rules and,
while maintaining a flat solution of the composition,
gave it a lively touch by reflecting the individual
characteristics of the person depicted in the portrait.
23
Lentz et al Lowry , p. 102, fig. 37.
24
Горелик М.В. Портреты Бехзада / К вопросу о
творческом методе // Искусство и археология Ирана.
Доклады. Всесоюзная конференция. Москва, 1969. –
С.111–121.
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FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
713
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Because of this, he allowed
25
the audience to
recognize faces .
In the last period of Herat miniatures, the rules for
single-person portraits were finally established - the
hero is depicted in a traditional seated position against
a neutral background, in appropriate clothing. For
example, in Behzad's portrait of Sultan Husayn, he is
depicted in the green dress that he always loved. It is
brought closer to the viewer, covering the entire
surface of the miniature. It makes the image of the
hero luxurious.
Among his contemporaries, only Babur left a
description of Sultan Husayn's appearance: "He was a
man with narrow eyes, a lion's stature, thin from the
waist down. Although he was very old and his beard
was white, he wore red and green silk clothes and a
black hat made of lambskin. Sometimes, on holidays,
he went to prayer in a small flat turban, which was
folded in three layers and topped with a crow's
feather. He was an eloquent and cheerful person, his
character was a bit shy, his speech was like his
character... He was fearless and brave, he personally
managed to run with a sword; he even drew his sword
in every battle and entered the fight. Among Temur's
descendants, there was no equal in swordsmanship to
Sultan Husayn. He has the ability to write poetry, and
he even composed a diwan himself. He wrote poems
under the nick-name Hosseini. Some of his ghazals are
not bad, but Mirza's diwan is composed entirely of one
poetic weight. Although he ruled for a long time and
was considered a great king by his power, when the
25
Захириддин Мухаммед Бабур. Бабурнаме / Пер. м.
Салье. – Ташкент, Уздавнашр, 1958. – С.173-174..
26
Zahiruddin Muhammed Babur. Babur- name / Per. m. Sale .
- Tashkent, Uzdavnashr, 1958 . - S. 165.
27
Roxburgh, David J. Kamal Al-Din Bihzad and Authorship
in Persianate Painting. In Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual
Culture of the Islamic World, XVII, 2000 . - R 119–146.
time came, as a child, he was engaged in ram-fighting,
pigeon-fighting and even cock- fighting
26
.
Behzad's famous "Portrait of Sultan Hussain" (1490) is
now kept in the Harvard University Museum,
Cambridge . He used the iconography of Sultan Husain
as described by Babur in all his miniatures and scenes
related to the ruler of Herat, always with narrow eyes,
a straight nose, a peaked face. It depicts a middle-aged
man with a beard, handsome features, and wearing
green clothes.
The 15th-century equestrian portrait of Sultan Husayn,
kept in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, may be
considered a new genre of portrait art. The dream
drawing on paper depicts a man sitting on a horse,
wearing a turban with a feather. Sultan's face is very
young, like that of a teenage boy, with narrow eyes and
a moustache. He wears a Herat-style qaba , thin-toed
and heeled boots, and is armed with a sword and bow-
and-arrow bow; a dagger is stuck behind his cloth belt,
and a sheathed sword hangs from his waist. There are
two inscriptions on the photo: one of them is on the
cover - "al-Faqir Behzad" ; the second one has
inscriptions
27
on the hem of the cloak - "Painter of
Sultan Husayn, Behzad" . It is difficult to determine
whether this picture was a sketch for a miniature of a
subject or a sketch for a free-standing equestrian
portrait. Such portraits of the Babur rulers depicted on
horseback were widespread during the reign of the
representatives of the later dynasty
28
.
28
Portrait of Shah Jahan on horseback . A page from " Shah
Jahan Muraqqasi " . guess _ 1630 year. Metropolitan Museum
, New York; A portrait of Shah Aw Rangzeb on horseback .
guess _ 1690–1710 years. - Cleveland Museum of Art .
Volume 03 Issue 05-2023
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International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
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03
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05
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SJIF
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FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
713
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
In 1490-1495, Behzad illustrated Nizami's Hamsa
(British Library) in the form of famous historical and
literary heroes. In it, the sultan is depicted in the image
of Alexander the Great, a great Macedonian general
known for his justice, wisdom, and bravery typical of a
true warrior. Also, in the image of the tolerant king
Hurmuzd, who forgave the sins of his repentant son,
we see a commonality typical of Husayn Bayqarah is
depicted in the image of the righteous Sultan Sanjar,
who ignores the existing rules and politely listens to
the complaints of a poor old woman.
Also, in Saadi's "Bustan" manuscript copied in 1488, a
meeting in the presence of Sultan Husayn is described,
and the figure of the ruler is given the appearance of a
pious dervish. This miniature is currently kept in the
Egyptian National Library in Cairo.
In portraits, Behzad enriches the image of the sultan
with highly positive descriptions and individual
external features, following the requirements of
human ethics in the philosophy of Sufism, and reveals
the content of the image through the plot. Also,
creating bright and unforgettable images, he skillfully
combines his life observations with the idealization of
existence.
In the Eastern miniatures of the 14th - early 15th
centuries, the image of a specific person continued to
be
depicted
without
individualization.
He
conventionally represented people of the "ideal"
category based on social status and age. Even before
the Temurid era, a number of poets used to paint
portraits of thinkers, judges and other famous people.
Among them, the image of the great judge Abu Ali ibn
Sina takes an important and special place.
29
Aliqulibey Jabbardor. Babur kissing Shah Ismail's hand.
Safavid era miniature - 1665.
In the medieval manuscripts, it is clear that sometimes
the painters drew people who were their
contemporaries, but whom they had not seen or met
personally. In this case, the painters must have
received detailed information about this person from
those who saw him or knew him.
In portraying certain historical figures, painters drew
from the interests and approach of the kingdom they
served. For example, in 1665, during the Safavid period,
in the miniature commissioned by Shah Abbas II, Babur
is depicted bowing and kissing the hand of the Safavid
ruler, Shah Ismail, while the Safavid ruler is stroking his
head
29
.
At the moment, there is no information about whether
these two rulers met face to face. The artist's goal here
was to paint a picture that would please the Safavid
ruler he served. Therefore, he may have used this
painting to show Shah Ismail's superiority over Babur.
In such cases, it is more important for artists to fulfill
the wishes of the customer or the client than to rely on
sources and work with accuracy.
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of the study it is recommended:
To continue publishing books and albums on
miniatures stored in foreign museums, libraries,
scientific centers, and private collections at a high
pace;
To carefully study the examples of miniature art that
are part of the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan
scattered around the world, in particular, the figures of
historical figures reflected in them, and thereby pay
Volume 03 Issue 05-2023
34
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VOLUME
03
ISSUE
05
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23-35
SJIF
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FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
713
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
attention to the still undiscovered aspects of our
history;
To organize exhibitions regularly about historical
figures depicted in Eastern miniatures based on
collections in our country and abroad in higher
educational institutions, educational institutions, and
cultural centers in our country;
To use information technologies, on the basis of
portraits and pictures in miniatures, to create and
popularize photos in three-dimensional (3D) format of
famous people who have left a unique mark in the
history and culture of Uzbekistan, who have made a
worthy contribution to the statehood and civilization
of our country and the world, collect them in a
systematic form and place them on special Internet
resources;
To create of monographs, textbooks, training manuals
in Uzbek, English, Russian and other languages, taking
into account the scarcity of literature on the subject of
portraits of historical figures in miniature art;
To give practical recommendations on the use of
images in miniatures in the work of monuments and
statues of our great ancestors in our country and
abroad ;
To encourage the creation of new interpretations of
historical figures based on their miniature images ;
To create animation films, media programs, phone
applications, and use Eastern miniatures in historical TV
shows in order to increase the motivation and interest
of our scholars, artists and poets who have made a
worthy contribution to the national mentality and
world civilization of the young generation,
To pay attention to the allocation of projects and
grants for the scientific research of miniatures in the
research of the cultural legacy of Uzbekistan.
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portret: Movarounnahr tarikhi va madaniyati bilan
boghliq siymolar. [Portraiture in Miniature Art:
Figures Related to Movarounnahr History and
Culture] - Tashkent: Zamon Press-info, 2022.
2.
Abdukholikov F., Rahimova Z. Oriental miniature.
Historical figures. Tashkent. Zamon-Press-info,
2022.
3.
Albaum L.I. Jivopis Afrosiaba (The Painting of
Afrasiyab), Moscow, Nauka, 1975;
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Alisher Navai. Мukammal asarlar to’plami, (A
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Amibekyan R. Un portrait in miniature du 15 ciecle
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Ashrafi M. Ot Behzada do Riza - Abbasi /Razvitie
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Belenitsky
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Clavijo R.G. Diary of a trip to Samarqand, Amir
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Gorelik M.V. Portrety Bekhzada / K voprosu o
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(2021:
5.
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)
(2022:
5.
705
)
(2023:
6.
713
)
OCLC
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1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
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Kamal ud-Din Behzad. "Temur is organizing a
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Kamal ud-Din Behzad. "Temur is organizing a
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Kulikovsky P.G. Jan Heveli // Istori ko-
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Nizami Aruzi Samarqandi. Chetyre besedy (Four
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Portrait of Shah Jahan on horseback . A page from
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Shah Awrangzeb on horseback . guess _ 1690
–
1710
years. - Cleveland Museum of Art .
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Roxburgh, David J. Kamal Al-Din Bihzad and
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Steinschneider M. Uber die Mondstationen (
Nakhatra ), und das Buch Arcandam / / Zeitschrift
der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, 18
(1864), 118-201 [cf. p. 140]
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Shihab ad-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad an- Nasawi.
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, R. 113.
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