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15
Such kind of arches and niches with arched framing are typical for the rooms
of rich townspeople; Dishes were kept in the niches, sometimes a bouquet of
flowers was drawn on their walls. Construction of the windows made from cotton
is also borrowed from monumental architecture. Up to now one can see plaster
window grille – pandjara with clear geometrical image in old buildings. Thus,
traditional architectural methods are continued in the decoration of the tent, only
they are done by using unusual material – textiles.
Markings and remains of the paper labels with the names of the russian manufac-
tures and the surnames of the owners were conserved on the cotton cloth. On one of the
appliqué there is a trademark «
Фабрика
торгового
дома
братьев
М
.
и
И
.
Щерба
-
ковых
в
Коломенском
уезде
» (“Brothers M. & I. Scherbakovs’ trading house factory
in the Kolomne uyezd”). It indicates the strengthening of the commercial relations
between Russia and Central Asia in the eighties of the 19
th
century once more.
It can be stated with confidence that the hermitage tent is a unique sample of
“textile architecture” both for its construction and its wealth of décor. Quite likely,
the tent was manufactured according to the special order of the emir’s court as a
present. Therefore, there were used unusual for this class of products types of the
textile techniques – solid embroidery and gold embroidery, which demonstrate all
diversities and beauty of the traditional handicraft.
YUNUSOV KOMILJON
Researcher, State Museum of Temurids History
Known and unknown talents of Mirzo Ulugbek
Abstract.
The article is devoted to discuss Mirzo Ulugbek’s talents which not studied
enough by scientists and his contribution on innovation and achievements on history,
music, poetry, mathematics, architecture as king and scientist.
Keywords and expressions:
talent, astronomy, mathematics, madrasa, historian.
Аннотация
.
Мазкур
мақола
Мирзо
Улуғбекнинг
олимлар
томонидан
етарлича
ўрганилмаган
истеъдод
қирралари
ҳамда
унинг
шоҳ
ва
олим
сифатида
тарих
илми
,
мусиқа
ривожи
,
шеърият
,
математика
ва
бунёдкорликдаги
янгилик
ҳамда
ютуқ
-
ларга
қўшган
ҳиссасига
ҳақида
қисқача
тўхталиб
ўтилади
.
Таянч
сўз
ва
иборалар
:
истеъдод
,
астрономия
,
математика
,
мадраса
,
тарихчи
.
Аннотация
.
Эта
статья
посвящена
малоизученным
талантам
Мирзо
Улугбека
,
а
также
его
вкладу
как
правителя
и
ученого
в
сферах
истории
,
музыки
,
поэзии
,
мате
-
матики
и
архитектуры
.
Опорные
слова
и
выражения
:
талант
,
астрономия
,
математика
,
медресе
,
историк
.
Each man has an rare talent. They should only find and work hard on it. Like
those people was Ulugbek whose name was given to many places in the Universe:
creater on the moon, town, metro station, street, park, National University and
ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
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2017,
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others in Uzbekistan, sculptures in Asian and European cities. There was no other
king and great scholar as Ulugbek. I wanted to report about known and unknown
talents of Mirzo Ulugbek – grandson of Amir Temur.
At the end of 20
th
century Ulugbek’s poetical and musical works were discovered.
Historian Muhammad ibn Muhammad Zaman Bukhari wrote his book called “Sea of
histories” (Muhit ut tavorikh) that Ulugbek composed melodies like Bulujiy, Shodi-
yona, Akhlokiy, Ulusiy, Tabriziy, Usuli Ravon, Usuli Otlig and wrote a scientific
book about music. In golden period of Ulugbek’s poetry was always paid attention by
poets. He created beautiful poems, too. Alisher Navai remembered Ulugbek’s poems
in his book “Majolis un nafois” (Fine assemblies). Among the wall decorations of
Mashhad buildings we came across to Ulugbek’s poems:
Ey on ki mulki husn ba zeri nigini tust,
Sho’xi makun ki chashmi dar badoi kamini tust.
I translated from Persian into English:
Better to hide lithesome figure, thou are queen of beauty,
Thou are Moon to my obscurity, better to forget awesome naughty
Mashhad buildings remind that Ulugbek constructed buildings in foreign cities
besides of Samarkand and Bukhara. Otherwise he hadn’t poems written on any
other’s monument. When the construction of Ulugbek Madrasa was completed, he
was 26 years old. He had a big bathroom and Caravansaray built next to his madrasa
in order to conditions of merchants in the Silk Road. In “Baburname” Babur wrote
that it was the best bathroom he had ever seen
1
. In front of the madrasa Ulugbek
ordered to construct Khanaqah – Reception hall. After two centuries Sherdar madrasa
and Tillakari mosque replaced Khanaqah and Caravansaray. Now we can see only
Ulugbek madrasa in Registan square.
Ulugbek had built two madrasas in Bukhara in 1417 and 1433. On the gate of
the madrasa he ordered to write: “To get knowledge is obligatory for every man
and woman”. Secular subjects were taught as formal sciences. He completed con-
structions in Samarkand which his grandfather Amir Temur began: Bibikhanum
congregational mosque, Amir Temur’s mausoleum, Shahizinda-complex of mau-
soleums. Kukaldash and Masjidi Muqatta mosques were constructed by Ulug-
bek’s initiative. Chil ustun (Forty columns) and Chinnixona (Porcelain hall) were
very beautiful. All caravan groups stayed in famous caravansaray built by Ulug-
bek. While Ulugbek’s economic reforms were going on Samarkand continued to
be trade centre in Silk Road. The result of commercial development was based on
Ulugbek’s economic and financial experiences and knowledge. Ulugbek’s coins
were used even after his life by people for half century. Amir Temur’s military
empire develops as scientific empire in Ulugbek’s reigning. Chingizids’ period is
inappropriate to compare with Temurids’ period. As Ulugbek knew history fluen-
1
Заҳириддин
Муҳаммад
Бобур
.
Бобурнома
. –
Т
.:
Юлдузча
, 1990. 9-
б
.
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tly he wrote a historical book called “Tarikhi arbaa ulus” (Four nations’ history)
dedicated for the countries where four sons of Chingizkhan ruled. This book has
importance to study 1213 centuries in Asia.
Besides of introduced talents of Ulugbek he shared his services in the develop-
ment of mathematics. “Treatise of Ulugbek” and “Treatise about determining one
degree of sinus” are belong to the works of Ulugbek. Even construction of his
observatory based on precise calculations. Each flight of the stair beyond quadrant
was built equally with star degrees. Location of the quadrant was accurate to nort-
hern and southern poles. While the Earth goes round towards the east, the position
of the observatory faced to next degree of the space.
According to famous astronomers’ opinion it was foundation for European
observatories
1
. Precise calculation of Ulugbek’s sextant was record result until the
invention of modern optic telescopes in 17
th
century. The length of a year in Ulug-
bek’s calculations was 365 days 6 hours, 10 minutes, 8 seconds – differs in 62
seconds from modern year time, more accurate than Nicolas Copernicus calcula-
tion. Maybe enormous asteroids fell down, maybe the Earth faced to changes. Ac-
cording to the researches by scientists there were other instruments in the obser-
vatory which unfortunately have not been preserved.
“Zij” is a star catalogue that was published by Ulugbek in 1437. It was the
joint product of the work of a Muslim astronomers’ group under the patronage
and leadership of Ulugbek. Their determination of the Earth’s 23, 52 degrees is
the most accurate measurement.
Historian Davlatshah Samarkandiy wrote that there was no a man like Ulugbek
who was king and scholar since Alexander the Great’s period, maybe since before than.
Ulugbek’s behavior was very soft even to rude people. He respected al Koshiy for
his great knowledge despite of his rude attitude. That is why he could establish big
academy of science in his state. We may read short information of al Koshiy about
Ulugbek
2
: “Sultan of Islamic world, ruler of seven climates is a scientist man. God is
witness, I am not telling these words by courteous treatment. That honorable man has
deep knowledge in every hard science. His knowledge was at a such high point that,
he found date of Monday in AD by calculation the dates in Rajab month, 818, AH
while he was going on a horse. No one could calculate as clearly as Ulugbek since
mankind was created. He learnt by heart many Koran verses. He keeps each hadith in
his brain. He understands arabic grammar very well and writes in arabic very beauti-
fully. Also he was aqcuainted of low and logics. He has good experience in these
spheres. He does his works in star studying very well and prooves his ideas as suf-
ficient as it was demanded. As he reads his lectures excellently in madrasas nodiv
can add something to the lecture”
3
.
1
Фозилович
Қ
.
Улуғбек
академияси
//
Ўзбекистон
адабиёти
ва
санъати
. 1993
йил
29
январь
,
5-
сон
(3213).
2
Al Koshiy sent a message to his father to Koshon city. In the message he wrote about Ulughbek.
3
Исматуллаев
Ҳ
.
Осмон
илмининг
султони
//
Ўзбекистон
адабиёти
ва
санъати
. 1992
йил
4
декабрь
, 49-
сон
(3205).
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By the records of al Koshiy we knew that Ulugbek tought students. King of
the state spent his precious time for young students too. So still we remember
great ruler, great astronomer, methematician, musician, builder, innovator even
after half thouthand years.
Here I conclude my article with the short life history of Mirzo Ulugbek:
Mirzo Muhammad Taragay ibn Shahrukh ibn Temur (1394–1449) was born
on March 22, 1394, during one of the military campaigns of his famous grand-
father. Boy's father – Shakhruh was the son of the famous Amir Temur. Mirzo is
shortened form of Amirzoda – (descendent) from Amir.
His mother was Gauharshad Begim, the daughter of one of the representatives
of the Turkic aristocracy.
The eldest wife of Amir Temur – Saray Mulk Khanum was involved in his
upbringing and education.
From a young age Muhammad took an interest in knowledge – he was fond of
natural sciences, history, music and poetry, had a remarkable memory in his
childhood. Reading of ancient manuscripts in a huge library of his father played
an important role in his passion to science.
In 1405 the famous grandfather died, and by 1409 Shahrukh got a significant
part of Transoxiana with its capital in Samarkand. He appointed his eldest son
Muhammad, who already bearing the nickname of Ulugbek ("The Great beg") to
manage the capital. Thus, at the age of fifteen years young Prince felt the concerns
of a vast empire of his grandfather.
However, Ulugbek did not follow by the footsteps of his ancestors and did not
pursue aggressive campaigns. All his energy, wealth and influence, he sent for the
development of science, culture and education in his native country.
According to contemporaries, Ulugbek was himself a very talented scientist.
"In geometry he was like Euclid, and in astronomy – just like Ptolemy" – so me-
dieval authors wrote about him.
Himself lectured on astronomy and even brought to Samarkand
outstanding
foreign astronomers of the time. Together with them he built in the capital the best
observatory of that time.
It was a huge cylindrical tower with a height of 31 meters and 48 meters in
diameter, which housed an angular grand sextant with a radius of 40 meters and
an arc of 60. This tool allowed to measure the location of objects on the sky
sphere, with a record of the time-accuracy error of less than one minute of arc.
Studies of Samarkand
astronomers led by Ulugbek lasted for 30 years and
their works so-called "Zij" completed in 1437. This work contained the theoretical
foundations of astronomy as a science, as well as the exact position of 1018 stars.
This catalog was immensely popular in Europe and around the whole world, it
was published in Oxford (1665), China
and India.
Mirzo Muhammad ibn Shahrukh ibn Temur Ulugbek Gurgan was buried in the
family tomb of the Temurids – Gur Amir in Samarkand.
