International Journal Of Literature And Languages
64
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue02 2025
PAGE NO.
64-66
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue02-19
Artistic expression of historical theme in works
Saida Matnazarova
Independent researcher at the Urgench State University named after Abu Rayhon Beruni, Uzbekistan
Received:
24 December 2024;
Accepted:
26 January 2025;
Published:
28 February 2025
Abstract:
This article explores the artistic expression of historical themes in various creative works, such as
literature, painting, and film. By examining how historical events, periods, and figures are conveyed through
aesthetic choices, narrative structure, and symbolic elements, the paper underscores the significance of artistic
interpretation in shaping public perception of the past. In many cases, the artist’s personal vision, cultural context,
and intended audience contribute to a reimagining or reinterpretation of historical realities. Through close
analysis of representative examples, the study highlights the balance between factual accuracy and imaginative
freedom, demonstrating how art can provide deeper insight into historical phenomena, evoke empathy, and
provoke critical thinking. Ultimately, the artistic rendering of historical subject matter serves not only to
commemorate and educate but also to encourage dialogue about collective memory and cultural identity.
Keywords:
Artistic expression, historical theme, creative works, interpretation, symbolism, narrative structure,
cultural identity, collective memory, representation of history, artistic freedom.
Introduction:
There are several types of the historical
novel genre. They are divided into historical
biographical, historical ethnographic, historical-
domestic and other types in terms of subject matter.
Historical novels also differ from each other in terms of
the methods used by writers in creating historical
novels and their attitude to historical facts. For
example, historical novels that describe events created
in the writer's imagination based on a general historical
background, and historical novels that are dedicated to
a specific historical person or a certain historical event
and are based on describing it as a whole. E.
Samandarov's novel "The Well of God" is one of the first
group of historical novels, in which events that are
considered the fruit of the writer's imagination take
place against a general historical background, and
literary characters act.
This work mentions major social events and
important problems that occurred in Khorezm in the
17th century, and gives free rein to fantasy and artistic
texture, successfully depicting events in a consistent
manner with historical facts. Indeed, literary facts show
that there is no literary work, including a historical
novel, without the writer's fantasy, and there is no
historical novel that does not refer to historical facts
and materials. It all depends on the author of the
historical novel skillfully using these two elements -
historical facts and fantasy, in artistic texture, and
being able to maintain their proportion and norm in the
texture of the work of art. In this matter, the author of
the historical novel bears special responsibility. If a
writer gives free rein to fantasy as much as he wants,
creates artistic textures as much as he wants and
needs, and decorates his work, the author of the
historical novel cannot do this, he is limited to a certain
extent by the characteristics of the historical period and
the circumstances of the historical event, and is obliged
to work taking them into account. From this arises the
question of the role and standard of artistic texture in
historical novels. However, the general rule is that
artistic texture should not contradict historical truth,
the logic of history. There is a saying by P. Kadyrov,
based on his creative experience in historical novels,
“The more you read the Book of Ages,” the writer
writes, “the more you become convinced that the
dramas and tragedies created by history cannot be
created by the imagination of an individual writer.”
In the novel “The Well of God”, there are many places
and directions where the writer’s fantasy is a product
of artistic texture. The writer described the lives of
historical figures and historical dramas with all their
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
horrors, using artistic textures effectively.
As is known, in life there are facts of different value and
importance. The same is true in history. There are facts
that are of little importance for the life of society, for
the flow of history, and facts that form history and
determine the essence of the life of society. These
second types of facts are the basis for the artistic
texture in serious historical novels.
In the part of the historical work “Shajarai Turk” by
Abu
lgozi Bahodirkhan called “Remembrance of
Arabmuhammadkhan’s martyrdom and Asfandiyor’s
becoming a khan”, the following sentences are given.
“On the threshold of Bakirgan there was a man from
the descendants of Sayid Ota. Elbars Sultan married his
daughter. He was a liar, a cunning man, and he had
learned some of the rules of the army... In those days,
all the people rode and came to Asfandiyar Sultan in
groups, saying, "It is good that Asfandiyar Sultan has
come, God has saved them from the tyrants who did
not know their father." Nazar Khoja brought three
hundred or four hundred people with him and, on the
great road of the people coming to help Asfandiyar
Khan Sultan, he landed at the mouth of the river and
crossed one side of the river to the other. Without
passing on foot or by horse, Asfandiyar Sultan told the
story of the people who had come to help him, some
with words and some with force. "God forbid, when
Sultan Asfandiyar takes over the country, he will kill
your husband and order your wife to Abo Khan and
Manqishloq Turkmen. He will take her as a slave. If
there is a lie in my words, may the word of God strike
me," he said, and he swore an oath from the Quran in
front of everyone.
The quoted passage is a fact taken from the work
"Shajarayi Turk". The details of the events presented on
page 215 of E. Samandarov's novel "The Well of God"
are written based on this same argument: "..So
Nazarhoji took the Quran in his hand and swore. The
oath of the influential fatherland, who was originally
from the lineage of Said Ata, and originally a saint from
the land of Bakirgan, swore by Kalamullah chilled the
skin of the navigators who were riding on the fast
track." "Nazarhoji, who considered it a matter of life
and death to hold the navigators who had bowed to
Isfandiyar until the Abyssinians arrived from Khiva,
immediately gathered the guards in the palace, the
supporters of Abyssinia and Elbars around him."
The above-mentioned historical fact formed the basis
for the artistic texture of some events in the novel "The
Well of God", which is the object of our research. The
author of historical novels cannot fabricate events in
his own way or interpret fabricated false events as
history. History has its own iron law and indestructible
logic. The writer should not deviate from this logic and
law of history in his work, otherwise the work will lose
its value and significance. "In general, the author of a
historical novel has a certain right to artistic texture,
fantasy, but he does not have the right to present an
angel as a devil and a devil as an angel," says literary
scholar G. Karimov.
Analyzing the novel "The Well of God", we see that the
writer successfully solved this problem. The
experiences of Anusha-Nigina, the love of Khojamberdi
and Enamoy and the sad fate of Enamoy, the influence
of the Bukhara Murtazobek family on the fate of
Abulgozi, the tricks of Zikryobegim, and others came to
life as a product of the writer's fantasy. With their
content and essence, they do not contradict the logic
of history, but on the contrary, they give completeness
and perfection to the ideological and artistic direction
of the work. We see that Erkin Samandarov was able to
create successful artistic images by using such artistic
textures. Another important point of the rule regarding
the issue of artistic texture in a historical novel is that
the artistic texture, in addition to not interfering with
the logic of history and real life, must also comply with
the laws of art. In the events of a work of art, of course,
sincerity in the depiction, integrity and wholeness in
the composition are important elements of the law of
artistry.
As is known, the artistic interpretation of historical
truth is one of the important aspects of written
literature, allowing for a multifaceted depiction of the
era and its moral richness from the aspects of humanity
and vitality. Such an approach to the plot structure is a
guarantee of deep penetration into the world of the
fate of the heroes, their complex relationships, and the
inner experiences of the era and society in the artistic
structure. The writer deeply feels the difficulty of
depicting the images of historical figures in all their
complexity at the level of a full-fledged literary type,
since the possibilities of artistic structure allow the
writer to cleanse the reality of the era from
unnecessary lines, expand the scope of artistic
depiction, and transform the epic narrative into an
impressive form.
Many opinions have been expressed in literary criticism
about the writer's attitude to historical information. In
particular, A.Kattabekov wrote that "the main feature
of the Uzbek historical novel is its harmony with real
history", while Y.Murodov believes that "a historical
document, in general, a biased approach to historical
truth also damages a work of art." Historical documents
testify that Shah Abbas the poet helped Asfandiyar
Sultan in his victory over his brothers Habash and Elbars
and regaining the throne. In this regard, it is mentioned
in Abulgazi's "Shajarai Turk": "Shah Abbas the poet
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
66
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
gave permission to Asfandiyar Sultan to claim his
homeland, saying, 'There is only the edge of Khorasan,
claim your land.' He came to Durun. Then he went to
Abolkhan Mountain. Seventy men of Taka and Saryklin
joined him, ten of them were Yavmutdin. He had three
hundred servants. At that time, the Abyssinian sultan
was camped in front of the Tus fortress on the Amu
Darya, on the side of the Qibla. He came at midnight
and attacked the Abyssinian sultan's house.
Using this historical evidence, he weaves events that
characterize the essence of the reality of the era and
strengthens his artistic image. When the Sultan
Asfandiyar set out on a journey to perform the Hajj
pilgrimage, they tried to kill him on the orders of the
Abyssinian. Asfandiyar's life was saved. After that, the
Hajj pilgrimage was postponed and Asfandiyar decided
to go to the poet Shah Abbas to ask for help. This
incident is described in the work as follows.
“Isfahan came to Isfandiyar's mind. His grandfather,
Khoji Muhammad Khan, and his father, Arab
Muhammad Khan, fled to Isfahan from the enemy
when they were children. When they asked for help
from the Bukhara emir Abdullah Khan, who had
conquered Khiva, Shah Abbas supported them and
helped them regain the throne. It is necessary to bow
to Shah A
bbas. If you ask for help, you will not say no.”
“Isfandiyar Sultan entered Isfahan at night. The
gatekeeper did not let the prince in. Two servants led
him towards the Ali Kopi Palace.” It seems that every
historical information that embodies the reality of the
era serves as the basis for the artistic fabric and is
further supplemented during the development of the
plot and becomes an impressive event. In this way,
historical truth rises to the heights. In the process of
artistic creation, the writer's freedom of imagination,
creative fantasy, has great power, and this also plays an
important role in the poetic interpretation of historical
reality. Historical events are sorted out through artistic
texture, and typical reality that can convey the spirit of
the era is introduced into the work. Some aspects of the
character of historical figures are generalized,
supplemented, and enriched based on the realities of
that era. In this way, artistic proportionality is created.
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