Navoi

On the Dignity

   In the beginning of the XX century French artist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) while dying on the far island Tahiti is creating his last masterpiece – the painting "Where we have come from. Where we go. What for". At the same time Russian proletarian writer Maksim Gorkiy is proclaiming by the tramp Satin's lips in his novel "At the bottom" – "A HUMAN being – it sounds proudly!", hereby anticipating the extraordinary ascent of the human mind and intellect in the upcoming century.
   Technical and informational evolution has not left women aside. The most significant revolution of the twentieth century is the change in women's status, as it was confirmed by the famous activist of women's movement Georgina Ashworth. Outstanding women – legendary Bella Abzug, the senator of American Congress, and Devaki Jain, an Indian writer and founder of the Asian women’s network DAWN – have published their mutual work "Women's Leadership and the Ethics of Development" (Women Watch, 1996), where they have first expressed seeming utopian idea that women can change the nature of power and transform the world.
   Nowadays on the threshold of the third millennium again we ask a question: what is the meaning of the dignity of personality – of both man and woman?
   Half a year ago in the Russian TV-show of A. Malakhov "Five evenings" on the subject of "The value of dignity" there was asked a question: "How much is the person's dignity and whether it is sold?" The statement of a question itself is very absurd in Uzbekistan, where cultural origins of the questions go far away to the past, and the national folklore is a proof for that. Thus, in Uzbek language there are many synonyms of dignity: nature of soul – fazilat, authority – tuturiq, prestige – obro’, ascendancy – nufuz, e’tibor, superiority – ustunlik, ortiqlik, advantage – afzallik, self-respect – izzat, honor, good name – sha’n, value, worth – qadr, characterizing the meaning of a personality for surrounding people, society. Therefore there are some proverbs used in Uzbek life, which are similar to Russian ones: "Keep the dress since it is new, keep the honor since you are young". "Fazilat – farzand kabidir" – "The honor is like a child, it should be protected and always improved" – this is said by folk wisdom from the collection of aphorisms "Gradually learning, gain the wisdom" (Mukhamadiev N., 1977, Tashkent). Dignity is not inherited by blood relationship, it is tender as a flower and brought up since the early childhood.
   The origins of the word "Uzbek" is identified with the proverb: "O’ziga – xon, o’ziga – bek" (“He is his own khan, and his own bek”). Uzbek is the owner of his destiny – his life will depend on how he arranges it. This proverb contains an intuitive understanding of causal-investigator relations in the social phenomena. Folk wisdom is concentrated in proverbs and sayings collected for many centuries. Uzbek folklore is reach in proverbs on the subject of human dignity.

Dignity is beginning from the respect of the own personality. Makhtumkuli – the lovely poet of Khorezm and Turkmeniya, on whose poems there have been sung many songs (and written proverbs) for more then 250 years – was simply and clearly explaining the meaning of dignity:

As a Khorezm hafiz (folk-singer), the favourite of the whole Uzbekistan, Kamildjan Ataniyazov was singing:

   If we refer to Uzbek linguistics, folklore, then the synonym of 'dignity' is the word 'value'. The widespread expression – to strengthen one's own dignity – “o’z qadrni o’tkazish” – literally means "to prove one's own value".
   The value is proved not by the power of money, authority, arms or constraint, it is proved by moral, spiritual authority, demand by the closest surrounding and environment – family, cultural atmosphere, community, state, the nation finally.
   Eastern and Western thinkers were emphasising the sense of proportion in the upbringing of the own dignity's perception. Great Uzbek classic Alisher Navoi 5 centuries ago was writing about measure and personality's dignity:

     What is always respected in the world
     What is called honour and dignity,

     I would tell: these two stages are right,
     But not to each extent are equal.

     Render to the king and his army,
     And in fact render to his dignity.

     But if a khan shows obedience to slave,
     He will put a lasso on himself.

     You are bowing to a beggar, why?
     It’s enough if you give him a dirham.

     Don’t stand with a bow in front of the youth
     Don’t humiliate your dignity.

     Know how to carry the sign of your dignity,
     And render everyone at their dignity.

     Do not forget the duty of respect to the people:
     With your coeval be temperate.

     Do not show the excessive obeisance
     And never insult by rudeness

     There is wisdom in the golden aphorism:
     The middle is the best measure in everything.

     Know how to carry the mark of dignity
     And reward everyone according to its dignity.
     (A. Navoi, "Tumult of the righteous", 1485)

   Self-respect is appearing and developing from the conscious of fulfilled promise or duty. A man looses himself as soon as he forgets his human Duty – to relatives, family, society and nature. In the fifth poem of the immortal “Hamsa” (“Pyateritsa” – “Five”). Alisher Navoi has observed this degeneration dialectics of even the outstanding person – the captain Iskander – whose prototype was Alexander Macedonskiy. "The war (is) for the war, for profit" – cruel and senseless not just for the beaten, but for the winner as well. Insatiable greediness of new conquests drives Iskander to Asian deserts and oceanic depths, resulting in the sudden illness and early death. Before the death Iskander ordered to leave his empty hand, protruding out of the grave, by this willing to express that even though he has conquered half of the world, he is leaving this life empty-handed.

     That one, who is governed by the fire of greed,
     Let he remember this beggarly palm!
     (A.Navoi, “Saddi Iskanderiy” – “The Wall of Iskander”, 1474, Vol.7; “Fan”, Tashkent, 1968).

   The sense of personality’s freedom is appearing only from the confident consciousness of fulfilled duty. Otherwise inevitable dystrophy of the own dignity realization, inferiority and as a result disharmony of personality, insensibility and loss of human reliability take place.

     Birovkim aning himmati yo’q durur,
     G’ani bo’lsa ham, hurmati yo’q durur

     Those who lack the generosity,
     Even if they are rich, won’t have a respect.
     (A.Navoi, “The Wall of Iskander”, 1484 г.)

     Friend, disown self-interest
     As on the sowing, rely on generosity!

     Be able to give, and far from the thought to take
     And it’s better not to take, in order to give.
     (A.Navoi, "Confusion of the righteous", 1484, vol.3, “Fan”, Tashkent, 1968, p.77)

In the collection of folk wisdom there is also mentioned about the passion for accumulation:

"The reason for everything is the self-interest. If a bird had not put her eye on the corn – it would not have been caught in the traps. If a man had not girded himself with a belt of greediness, then he would not have exchanged the garment of respect for the carpet of the humiliation. The weight of greed lowers all advantages of a man".

May be that is why proverbs express the thought about a unique appraisal of the value of human personality and the life:

At the same time proverbs express a direct connection between the sense of the own dignity with patriotism and such qualities as an astuteness. It is widely known that people with a low sense of their own dignity have a seared sensitivity to pricks and infringements on him.

   «Beti yo’q odam», «beti qattiq odam» – literally translated as – "a man without face", "a man with a stiff face", and factually mean " shameless", "insolent". In Uzbek life and in the language a man's face is identified with a conscience.
   The great Navoiy has characterised the spiritual "parents" of dignity as following:

   “Karam va muruvvat – ato va anodurlar, vafoyu hayo – ikki hamzod farzanddur… Har ko’ngulnikim, vafo maskan qilur, hayo ham qilur… Vafosizda hayo yo’q, hayosizda vafo yo’q… Umrkim, vafosizdur, andin umid ko’zin yorutsa bo’lmas… Komillar – ahli hayo va nokislar – behayo..”
   (Alisher Navoi, “Mahbubul-qulub”, 1500)

   “Generosity and magnanimity are father and mother, duty and conscience are their mutual children. In every heart where the debt is settled, the conscience lives, too ... A dishonest man has no conscience; a conscienceless one has no honor (sense of duty). The one, whose life has no sense of duty, will never light up the star of hope from him... The perfect ones are people with a conscience, and the vile ones are shameless ...”
   (A.Navoi, "Beloved of hearts", 1500)

   In the harmony of consumption and return each man is obtaining his own measure of his personality's dignity – within the family, community, society, nation, state.
   From the times of zoroastrism there is a worship of the reverse inceptions: fire and water, ground and air. The land itself, the native land of the oldest proreligion, has brought up an intuitive understanding of the unity of reverse powers, laid in the nature and society. Maybe that is why the language of Uzbeks is reach in dual combinations of both synonym and antonym origins, multilaterally and broadly characterising the qualities of a discussed subject. Five centuries ago Navoiy has adopted "the great right to know a high truth of speeches and the dignity of the own language" in the face of Persian, while enumerating various examples of the ramified Uzbek synonymics and its unlimited possibilities (A.Navoi, "An opinion about two languages", 1499). The "dignity" may be also expressed in various twofold word-combinations: izzat-ikrom (honor-respect), obro'-nufuz (authority-prestige), fazl-kamolot (perfection), qadr-qimmat (value).
   The height of return – is the creation of a new idea, new vision, new shape, thought, word, melody, image, which are raising the humankind on the new stage of perception the Nature and its divine – a human. Only the man, orientated on the return, may create New Information and feel incomparable pleasure, happiness of co-creation and cognition of the Everlasting Truths. A bourgeois-consumer is not familiar with these feelings of participation in the everlasting truths and in the pleasure of creative enthusiasm. Therefore the height of the personality's dignity is the dignity of maker and creator that glorify the property of their people and the humanity as a whole.
   From this point of view a woman is a creator by nature; her highest dignity is children, foster children and pupils, not numerically, but in the qualitative measure – by the upbringing of perfect generation that will inherit the craft, skills and collected knowledge from its fathers, mothers, grandfathers and forebears, teachers and tutors – for an increase of the property of its clan, tribe and the nation. To create the possibilities of full-valued return of the own strengths, capacities, talents for the growing generation of the Republic means to give the youth the perspectives of an adoption of self-value and self-dignity, which will really and many-times intensify the spiritual and financial power of the Republic.
   Only the sense of duty and conscience is forming the responsibility for the taken decisions.
   Conscious, free and responsible activity is an inherited feature of a man, distinguishing him from the rest of the animal world.
   Social progress is accompanied by the gradual widening of the frames of individual freedom and responsibility of the personality of every man.
   Thus a DIGNITY OF A HUMAN is a Duty and Conscience, Freedom and Responsibility for the own decisions, conscious, free and responsible activity for the development and strengthening of the property – cultural, material, spiritual – of its own family, clan, nation, state, and in the global scale – the dignity of the whole humanity.
   In the hearth of the national cultures' fight for the survival the nation is selecting the most viable models of interpersonal relations, of the family and society – for the sake of the future generations that are inheriting the nation's cultural and spiritual property, of the glory of the unique creation of the Nature and God – the Man and his immortal human DIGNITY.

   Flora Pirnazarova
   Tashkent, 2000

On the Fundamental Principles of Educational Programs and Gender Issues in Uzbekistan

   The women’s experience and women’s vision of the problem of gender issues in families and society in Uzbekistan are so many-sided and diverse, that by simply copying and applying western conceptual mechanisms, worked out through 150 years of development of all phases of feminism and gender investigations, is not appropriate. We can argue with orthodox views using both rich cultural traditions and new modern approaches.
   It is necessitates to oppose gender investigations, and common sense, and widespread conception of sex dichotomy in scientific community, their naturalness and mutual addictiveness. Negative reactions on feminism on daily basis are widely known. Gender investigations often perceived as a danger to principle values and norms, as sex dichotomy lays on the basis of lay-out of social community. Feminism often causes emotional reactions, anger and irritation of readers and writers. Feministic theory, which breaks “natural ethical order”, risks to remain long misunderstood by broad mass of men and women.
   The history of women from a traditional environment was reconstituted as “the history of a disaster”, the history of poor wretches, sufferers and deprived. The ideology of women victimization in a class community fostered in our country under the order of soviet totalitarian regime. Hence, it is no wonder, that nowadays, existing social reality forms the social order – investigations in gender issues of today’s life (drug addiction, prostitution, unemployment, migration and etc.)! Maybe they did not want to turn their heroines into “victims”, but the life forces?
   The ideology of women victimization is widespread, but it is not the only available. It is important to strengthen attention to history/sociology/psychology of women success, including indirect political participation.
   Uzbekistan history is similar to the history of prominent women – courageous warriors, highly educated, wise and delicate governors, diplomats, poetess, scientists, writers – legendary Tumaris, Zebunniso, Nodira-begim, Uvaysi, Mahzuna, Nozimakhonim, Samar bonu and many others (historian-literary critics counted approximately 220 poetesses in XIX century!). The dynamics of positive evolution of private and property rights of women under shariat and soviet legislation (before the revolution and after) is completely absent in Uzbekistan, and hardly illustrated in historic-juridical literature.
   Traditionalism often has negative tint, but the stability of cultural traditions stipulates viability of family, generations, tribes, nation and community. The transfer from one generation to another of language peculiarities, proverbs, folks, poetical, literary, musical and entire cultural heritage, brought to current times, actual and demanded by today’s youth – isn’t it an evidence of victorious regalia of traditionalism?
   What can explain the phenomenon of unpopularity of women leadership in politics, social and even private life (especially in Uzbek families)? Why is it in Uzbek families with undoubted women leadership – the earnings and status is higher – women skillfully imitate and demonstrate (!) the dominant position of the head of the family – the husband? Why is it women from Ferghana villages are ready to make any sacrifice (harassing labor in the fields of kolkhoz, own gardens and households, servicing the family members, upbringing and educating children) for the sake of saving their family status even when their spouses are incapable of working (drunk, unemployed and etc.)? Why so firm the hierarchy of the household mode, the tendency of keeping distance between Uzbek family members, the aspiration to autocracy of east man?
   According to soviet statistical data, Uzbekistan consecutively differed through the following characters:
   ● The lowest percentage of divorces;
   ● The highest fertility of women;
   ● The highest birth rate of children even in the families with highly educated women
   Meanwhile, throughout the Soviet Union, it was observed the inversely proportional dependence – the higher the level of education of women the less the number of children that they have. Uzbek women orientation of having a minimum of 4 children in families significantly differed from valuable parameters of Russian women in comparatively happy years of 1985-1990s.
   What is the secret of valuable guidelines of Uzbek women? (Currently, when the daily fight for survival is on high, this question does not appear to be vital for much urban and rural population). Answers for these questions may bring to impartial investigations of traditions and cultural heritage – of not Islamic, but also pre-Islamic period, when the intuitive instincts and traditions, closely linked with natural characteristics and features of sexual differences of men and women; the language as an instrument of communication, development and management; stable traditions in gender relationships.
   However, before arranging educational programs on gender in Uzbekistan, it is important to define main positions of historians, psychologists and genderologists, analyzing private and public sphere of mutual relationships of men and women. Otherwise, educational programs turn out to be out of demand, or inappropriate for wide public, which does not appear to aim fundamental changes of firm gender stereotypes.
   In recently held Forum of women NGOs of Uzbekistan (22nd August 2003) an issue of one-sided primitive view on “the fight” with patriarchal way of life of traditional Uzbek families was raised. Famous Uzbek poetess and enlightener – Tursunoy Sadikova – came forward with a statement: “They say, that we are slaves in our families. If we are clever and consistent, then the men becomes a slave of a women – by building houses, purchasing cars, furniture, and many other things – and do everything what women wants. Therefore, it is said: husband – the head, wife – the neck, where the neck turns the head will follow”. Numerous proverbs and sayings from Uzbek folk heritage also serve as an evidence of invisible and dominant role of a woman in Uzbek “patriarchal” family. In the heart of Ferghana region – in Kokand city and its surroundings, where the legends of prominent women – rulers and poetesses of the times of Kokand Khanate are still alive, and where the soul of women intellectual elite wanders in the air, we have met the women with exceptionally high self-esteem, independent of their level of education – secondary or high – but more likely, passed genetically – through their mothers and grandmothers. Indeed, the “Kokand” women, i.e. a peasant of Kokand, hitherto, differs from others in their flexible intellect, diplomatic manners, being broad-minded, and most important, in their ability of asserting themselves and their dignity in any environment – private or social.
   Centuries-old practice and key principles of assertion of oneself in alien’s, i.e. in husband’s family lay behind the following women strategies: “We enter the family of our husbands with best hopes and kindness, we will care and coddle our spouses, and give birth to beautiful children, raise them to the throne of our families, will obey our sultans … and make them our slaves till the end of their days. The husband – is a master of his wife and slave of his lover”.
   The harmony of family life lies in the balance of roles and based on duality of human nature (at all times the eastern poets praised the fire of human heart and opposed to a cold mind, picturing the man as a ruler of a mass and a slave of a sole lover simultaneously). From timid bride till authoritative house keeper, “the queen of a family” – such growth of women personality was summoned by poets and prose writers of the past, and nowadays, by mass media of the Republic. For this reason, schools for young brides have become very popular in our country, where the attendants are taught the tactics and strategies of “conquest” their spouses, as well as self-assertion and developing of own personality, and hence, in families, in communities and society. However, in the absence of appropriate upbringing of the culture of feelings, educational background and sensitiveness, vigilance and intuition, the young woman will be unable to strengthen its position of partner relationships with her spouse, which can only be established in the dialog of two individually equal personalities.
   But the dialogue begins with respects to each member of the family accepted daughter-in-law. Not for nothing even to younger brother, sister and nephew of the husband daughter-in-law traditionally addresses only on "You", but to seniors – farther-in-law or mother-in-law – a daughter-in-law is obliged to render the respect, bordering with submissiveness longing completely to adopt and develop the traditions of the husband’s families, even the culinary secrets.
   Uzbeks always give to the сеremonial of internal family relations a special importance. At choosing girls, potential brides, decisive significance has a good breeding, forming only in the family and basing on the unconditional acknowledgement hierarchy of generations and household guiding lines on the valuables, and presently solving importance at choice of the bride for son. So the most primary criterion of the choice was and remains the family, in which future bride was grown up. The skill to keep the distance in relations with each member of the families, in the first place, with spouse, is indicative of developed sense of own dignity and skill to protect household’s values too. "Who does not respect itself, that not capable to respect other", – states the folk proverb. So it is consolidated tradition to choose a complementary personality from a family approaching on household guiding lines, both at choice of the bride, and at choice of the bridegroom for daughters. Rationality of the choice with spark of the rapport and sincerity feeling give birth strong and time-proof marriages.
   The Civil marriage, spreading in Russia as avalanche, is unacceptable for civilized Uzbek society, since its natural consequences are as dissolution of such base personal qualities of men, as feeling of the debt and responsibility before family, children, so and increasing the number of single and unprotected women and children. However exactly in Uzbekistan with appearance of the more well-off middle class grows a number of secondary Moslem marriages, bolted by procedure "neekokh" (the rite of the religious wedding ceremony), when man undertakes the duty to take care on the second family, on a par with the first. Even children of the second wife, particularly boys, needing for strong, reliable father bloom physically and under protection of the second "spiritual" father morally, sincerely striving give the growing boys male education and potential to development. The success of strategies of the education depends, certainly, from most personality of tutor, from depth and sincerity feeling in the second family. Not for nothing only men, feeling the strongest emotional hunger fit for such expensive steps.
   The durability of the family ties depends, in the first, from woman, her culture and degree of maturity of especially ladylike qualities. Alisher Navoi considers the main quality of a man – faithfulness to honor, constancy, then "the sweetheart woman hasn’t dept to nobody", she volatile, as wind (Alisher Navoi, "Beloved by the Hearts","Fan", 1970). What is why in the orient legends and tales women possess the fantastic abilities to entice and hold on men by its passion, variableness, inventiveness and flexibility.
   Such was Scheherazade from "1000 and 1 nights", and such was famous princess Mumtoz Makhal-begum, (http://ayel.edunet.uz/marjum.htm), spouse of the Shah Dzhahan from 300-years dynasty Great Mogul in India,

   Boundless inventiveness and changeability of east women fell into many east fairy tales and ancient books such as Ziya ad-Dyn Nahshabi, origin from Karshi (Uzbekistan), in XIV age in the best Central-Asian and Persian traditions brilliantly processed Indian fairy tales in the “Book of the parrot (Tuti-nam’e)” (published in "Science", Main Edition of the east literature, Moscow, 350 p., 1979).
   To disturb a mind of lover by unpredictability, capture and lead away the reason of lover in high spheres of the harmonies of being and consciousness – these natural attributes of the Woman were extolled by “nightingales” of the East poetry.
   To upbringing of girl’s and women’s dignity in Uzbek family it is helping the traditional attitude to woman, as to treasure of the families, which it is necessary to keep and barrier from alien influence, shallowness and cynicism. Exactly these principle and priority of the chastity and good breeding differ modern "patriarchate" Uzbek families, which does not accept lightweight and frivolous westernized relations at youth. Life itself rejects the impracticable models of families and gender relations. In each family – its measure of the balance of the relations, its measure of the consumption and returns, their own borders of the rights and duties of the spouses in family, which dynamically grow with evolution of the family. The slanting of this measure threatens the discord and crisis. "Har narsani haddi-chegarasi bor" – "Whole there is its measure" – so states the public wisdom in Uzbek and Russian folklore.
   Every family has its own measure of the balance of relations, own measure of consumption and payment, own limits of rights and responsibilities of both parties within the families, which dynamically grow with the evolution of families. Warping these limits may threaten with misbalance and crisis. “Everything must have its limits” – the Uzbek and Russian folk saying reads as such.
   Great Babur in immortal "Babur-naм’e” wrote:

   "Memory of mankind is economical, from great abundance of appearing images, names and acts it keeps later only that, which else contains in itself something important and required for life. It generalizes certain, on some faultless scent, firmly keeping necessary things if it need be, and sweeping away all rest, as litter, in quickly carrying away river of the oblivion".
   (Babur-nam’e. Tashkent. The Main editorship of encyclopedia. 1992.
   http://uznet.biz/goldenheritage/Zahiriddin-Muhammad-Babur)

   Therefore, it is not surprising, that parents do their best to give a good education to their daughters, and in particular, higher education, because only literate and educated woman may take up the place of a partner and invisible leader, instead of being a servant in a new family. Hence, one of the key objectives of the women organizations in Uzbekistan includes educating and additional unofficial enlightenment of young girls and women, future mothers, grandmothers and mothers-in-law. But only such education needed, which would not oppose prevalent traditional-rational upbringing principles, otherwise it will not find a response and resonance among general public of the Republic. So, how should it look like this “gender education”, which firstly advocates “the gender balance” of relationships in the family, and then within society; the ways of cultivating self-esteem in girls and women, which will not allow her to be manipulated, and in contrary, evoking man’s admire within his expressions for her quick fit? Obviously, there are no universal recipes, and evidence to that can serve an entire world literature. However, this topic is further open for discussion.

   Pirnazarova F.N.
   Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 2006.

Alisher Navoi – the great poet, philosopher and thinker of XV century

   Uzbek poet, philosopher, historian, composer and statesman Alisher Navoi – one of the few thinkers of the past who was established in recent years in Moscow monument, and in the severe year of World War II – 1941 – solemnly celebrated in Leningrad 500-years anniversary. His name is on a par with the names of Homer and Dante, Firdausi and Nizami, Saadi and Rustaveli, Shakespeare and Balzac, Pushkin and Dostoevsky.
   http://gzt.uz/rus/kultura_i_sport/poeticheskie_uroki_iz_proshlogo.mgr

   "Navoi, like his Western contemporaries such as Leonardo da Vinci, stands up as fully developed and whole personality, uniting in his universalism science and art, philosophical theory and social practice"(B.M. Zhirmunskiy)
   http://feb-web.ru/feb/ivl/vl3/vl3-5762.htm
   Alisher Navoi created in the era of Eastern Renaissance. Renaissance in the modern sense emerged first in the East (The Arab Caliphate, Iran, Central Asia, Byzantium, Armenia, Georgia), and only then in the West (originally in Italy) – according to the concept of the Eastern Renaissance by Nutsubidze Shalva, supported and developed by N.Conrad, V.Chaloyan, I. Braginskiy, V.Zhirmunskiy, M.Alekseev, D.Likhachev et al. Islamic civilization, which reached the highest development in the XI-XV centuries, undoubtedly, was one of the pillars and sources of European Renaissance. The historical gap in the development of European civilization between the collapse of Rome and Renaissance should be sought in the Islamic civilization.
   While the Catholic Church put the scientists to death, calling them heretics, enemies of God, established the Inquisition headed by such savage obscurantist as Savonarola who burned great scientists at the stake and subjected them to tortures and torments, the Muslim religion, Islam had a great respect and reverence attitude towards science and scientists. Central Asia has played a significant role in flourishing of Islamic civilization. It became one of leading centers where brilliant scientists and poets grew up, who enriched the world culture and science with works and discoveries of global importance. Great Uzbek scientist-astronomer Ulugbek, Timur’s grandson, the ruler of Samarkand, the founder of the observatory in his capital, and the school of astronomers, five hundred years ago said, “States are eventually destroyed, religion dispersed as a mist, the science alone is eternal”
   (KHIDOYATOV G.A. ZARYA NASHEGO VELIKOGO DUKHOVNOGO NASLEDIYA
   http://asiaforum.uz/, http://uznet.biz/goldenheritage/Ulugbek)

   Nizamiddin Mir Alisher Navoi was born on February 9, 1441 in Herat, the capital of Khorasan, the Timurid state (now Afghanistan), which included parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan and Iran in the family of Timurid’s official Giyasaddin Kichkine. Alisher's father belonged to a noble Turkic family, was the nearest to court circles, and he was close to literary interests.
   Since 4 years of age Navoi studied in Herat (together with the future governor of Khorasan Hussein Baykara, friendship with whom kept for life), Mashhad and Samarkand. Among Navoi’s teachers there was Jami – hereafter friend and like-minded of the poet. As the poet Navoi has shown itself in 15 years, and wrote equally well in Turkish and Persian. It was during this period Nizamiddin Alisher creates beautiful examples of oriental poetry and acquires fame of unrivaled bilingual (Turki-Persian) poet. He actually became the founder of the Uzbek language. The orks created in Uzbek he signed "Navoi" (“melodic”).
   In 1469 he was appointed the Keeper of the Seals at the ruler Hussein Baykara, in 1472 he received the rank of minister (vizier) and the title of emir. In 1476 he resigned, but remained retainer to the Sultan, who trusted him important affairs in Herat and Astrabad. Navoi, as his teacher Jami, was a member of Naqshbandi Sufi order. Following ethics Sufi Navoi keeps celibacy and hadn’t a harem.
   Navoi provided patronage and supported scientists, artists, musicians, poets and calligraphers. In Herat he shaped a circle of scientists and creative people, which included himself, Jami, the Sultan, who wrote poetry under the pseudonym Husaini, historians Mirkhond, Hondamir, Wasifi, Davlyatshah Samarkandi, painter Behzod, architect Kavash-ad-Din. At the initiative of Navoi and under his government in Herat were built at the coast of the Injil canal: ilt madrassas, khanaka, library, hospital.
   His noble generosity extended to the common people: he helped the needy and even several times liberated people from extortion, covering shortage treasury at his own expense. In the late seventies, he can lay down the burden of state service. By this time, Navoi was already the author of a large amount of lyric poems.
   In the years 1483-1485 in unprecedented short period Navoi creates the top of creations – the famous "Pyateritsa", five poems the themes of which was inspired by Jami: "Tumult of the Righteous" (1483), "Layla and Majnun"(1484), "Farhad and Shirin" (1484), "Seven Planets"(1484), “The Wall of Iskander”(1485). On sustainable Eastern tradition "Pyateritsa" Navoi was the 'answer' to "Pyateritsa" of Nizami Ganjavi and Indo-Iranian poet Amir Khusrau Dehlavi, who wrote in Persian.
   Severe condemnation of despotic power in the poems, of course, grew out of Navoi’s observations on life Herat court and abuse of the court’s embezzlers. In 1487 Navoi incurred disgrace of Hussein was sent to Astrabad and put there at the head of the local government. It was disguised reference as Astrabad concerning to Herat was a distant province.
   And here Navoi continues to work hard. He cares about the welfare of the people and the improvement of lands entrusted to him. At the same time he creates more and more ghazals and combines them into a big "Deevan" of four parts: "The Wonders of Childhood", "Rarities of Youth", "Miracles of Middle-aged", "The Useful Advices of Old-aged". Almost simultaneously Navoi has formed the new "Deevan" of poems – "Treasury of Thoughts".
   Only in 1489 Navoi was allowed to return to the capital. On arrival in Herat Navoi again has given to work: he created a poem, "Language of Birds", a treatise "The Discussion on Two Languages," wrote his last work – the composition of philosophical and didactic nature – “Beloved by Hearts” (1499-1500).
   The struggle against the reactionary circles undermined the health of the poet. In early January 1501 he died. In burial ceremonies of Navoi huge crowds of population of Heart embraced sorrow were attend.

   The creative heritage of Alisher Navoi is huge and varied: it includes about 30 large pieces – deevans (collections of poems), poems (epos), philosophical and scientific treatises.
   The world of Navoi’s images and feelings spiritualized poetry of the Middle East, primarily Uzbek literature. Themes and subjects of his works, perceived from the poetic tradition and folk art, quickly regained walking among the people and were, in turn, often processed by folk singers and storytellers. Navoi merit not only in that he brilliantly proved unlimited possibilities of Uzbek poetry and created "in the language of the Turks great works, but also in fact he expressed his innovative, humanistic ideas of his time in all their complexity and contradiction, in all interweaving of great visions and delusions, unbridled glorification of life in all its forms and sad skepticism, idealistic dreams and sober view of life.
   Love for Navoi – at the same time high, spiritual, and exquisitely erotic, earthy feeling which subordinates man to it and deprives him of liberty. And also it does not produce pessimism as Navoi understands love’s suffering as the basis of spiritual revival.
   Lyrics of Navoi, with all its artistic virtuosity, addressed to the people. The poet has verses condemning unjust rulers and marked by a genuine love to the common people. Indeed, the life itself of Navoi, aristocrat, a man of exquisite, refined culture, but listening lively to the needs of the people, says about the folk roots of his humanism. Navoi himself admitted at the slope of ages: "From means of mine I took for a living only ones that should need the common person – I was satisfied with robe, which defended me in the heat and cold, and unpretentious food. The rest I spent on communicating with people, food and household servants. And that was left over food expenses and performance of various duties, I represented for charity aid". The historian Hondamir in his book «Makorimul-axloq» Navoi called as «avliyolar avliyosi» – «Saint of saints".
   http://www.ziyouz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3911&Itemid=76

   In the poems of Alisher Navoi raised important issues of his time – morality, love and friendship, philosophy, science, art, and state organization. Adherence to the basic Sufi outlook, the principles of selflessness and asceticism develop his ability to "look through the earthly things in the imperishable light, the divine essence"
   (Omar Ibn al-Farid).

   In the tradition of Asian cultures there has long been traced a tendency to dualistic perception of nature. In the ancient Indian beliefs there are simultaneously present the god-creator Brahma and the god-destroyer Shiva. The doctrine of dualism of the polar forces of yin-and-yang in Chinese philosophy symbolized the interaction of extreme opposites: light and darkness, day and night, sun and moon, sky and earth, heat and cold, positive and negative, etc., and considered it as a major cosmic power of movement – the root cause of the constant permanent changeability in nature.
   Good and evil, light of reason and darkness of ignorance of the mind, joy and sadness – all the phenomena of life, of living nature are interconnected by unbroken forces:
   I was burning heat, and break me in cold,
   I knew sweetness of happiness and bitterness of tears.
   The dualism of the Eastern tradition, which goes back to the distant origins of intuitive knowledge, acquires new unique colors in the works of Navoi. For Navoi as a philosopher and thinker, there is obvious the holistic perception of the world with all contradictions and contrasts. Alisher Navoi praised the "fire of the heart and coldness of reason", human dignity and the eternal desire for harmony. Outstanding thinker more than 5 centuries ago in the form of poetry has given the concept of category of measure as an indicator of the balance of opposites in human nature:
   Do not forget the duty of respect to the people:
   With your coeval be temperate.

   Do not show the excessive obeisance,
   And never insult by rudeness.

   There is wisdom in the golden aphorism:
   The middle is the best measure in everything.

   Give the best of your attention
   To anyone – at his true value
   A. Navoi, "Tumult of the Righteous", 485
   Navoi-thinker represents the philosophical category of time as a universal binding factor that makes conditional the irreversibility and causality of existence [69]:
   In every moment, you remember it,
   The future and the past are merged.
   A. Navoi, "Tumult of the Righteous", 1485
   Alisher Navoi "composed and wrote an essay about the true merits of the Turkic languages and Sart ... and called its name -" The Discussion on Two languages" ("Muhokamatul-lugatayn") and opened the purity and elegance, eloquence and the immensity of the Turki’s language… And seems to me that I has approved for connoisseurs of Turkic language the great right to be in charge of highest truth of their speeches and expressions contained in its the dignity of their own language and its words, and they got rid of the blame them for imperfect speech arrogance of ones speaking in Persian. And as a reward for the sorrows and difficulties of my way they will know the secret knowledge that I discovered, and there is hope for me, that I, unworthy, will be remembered in the good prayer, and so rejoice my spirit".
   (http://www.tyurk.ru/file3_204_11.shtm)

   All poetic activity Alisher Navoi was aimed at protecting and glorification of the native language and literature. Babur once in his book "Babur-name" said on the creative heritage of Navoi:
   «Alisherbek was the incomparable man, since composing poems in Turkic language, no other composing them so much and so well»
   (http://uznet.biz/goldenheritage/Babur)

   “On the one hand, he was happy that experienced a thousand torments, to realized his cherished dreams, on the other hand he was deeply saddened by the indifference of contemporaries that are not able to assess his achievements. Ready to sacrifice his life for friends and like-minded, he became alone among aliens people to him on the slope of his life. He felt a boundless pride, because he saw the future from such vertices, on which was able to climb only one. Who confessed all importance of his historical merit for this future, who overcame the Himalayas of centuries to give boundless valleys truly life-giving rivers, who gave us the opportunity to ladle from his inexhaustible river of high thoughts – that appears to us a bright, charming appearance of Alisher Navoi”
   (Izzat Sultan "Navoi’s Book of Admissions",
   Publishing House of the literature and Arts of name Gafur Gulam, Tashkent, 1985, http://uznet.biz/goldenheritage/Alisher-Navoi)

   Exactly in the new millennium the literary heritage of the past is particularly necessary as a reminder on the heights of spiritual and moral perfection, the true universal ideals and values.

   Flora Pirnazarova, 2010

Attachments:

Alisher Navoi – Quotes

   ● You can not clap with one hand in his hands.
   ● Nicer than book in the world do not friend.
   ● Amongst people the best one who brings more benefits to the people.
   ● For a small sin not reproach and cruel death Court does not make up the term.
   ● Cheeky language itself reproaches, generates hundreds of misfortunes, unhappiness and resentment.
   ● People can not always be alive, but is happy whose name will be remembered.
   ● To spend life-time and remain imperfective – is the same as the exit of the bath unwashed.
   ● When a gain sounds in words, do not believe any woman’s flattery or intrigues of man.
   ● Those that have patience can create silk leaves and honey from the rose petals.
   ● Who is the real man, this man's lover must also be a real man.
   ● Who will devote his life to science, which name after death will be immortal.
   ● If you are a man, do not call a person who does not care about the fate of his people by name of Human.
   ● A person can allow the mistake, confession it ennobles him. But twice ennobles if person will correct the mistake.
   ● Who has studied science, and did not apply to the point, as if the one who dug a ditch and the field has not sown, and the harvest has not used.
   ● I've seen so much grief from friends and so much misery and suffering washed with tears that at mortal hour would be better to die than to survive and once again live again with friends.
   ● The book is a teacher without charge and thanks. Every moment it gives you a revelation of wisdom. This is – interlocutor about secret deal talking silently.
   ● Truthful speech is nice and smooth,
   But how beautiful truthful words’ brevity.
   ● Words can prevent death,
   Words can revive the dead.
   ● All of disaster from the malevolent gossip worse than a sharp lance strikes.

   http://ru.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Алишер_Навои&oldid=159278

Navoi's Blooming GardenBy Tursunoy Sodiqovahttp://navoigarden.com***(fragment, translated by Azam Abidov)

Preamble
Every time I read Alisher Navoi, I feel as if I'm reading a beautiful commentary on the Holy Koran. Navoi's great writings bring warmness like sunshine to your heart and light to the bottom of your heart. I will now present to you a couple of his bayts (a two-line verse which is a part of a ghazal).

   Navoi's Blooming Garden

   To share an idea that no one has told yet, or to reach a distant peak, or to make an invention is not greatness, it is only a process of uncommon events! True greatness is in the survival of those inventions! Not only survival but a person or an idea is truly great if it can keep its liveliness for ages as well. There were lots of 'golden heads' in the history of mankind. Great numbers of fresh ideas were proposed. But not all people, who do great works, become great men. Why is this?
   How many kings and sultans have passed away since Navoi's eminence? They were absolutely different. One of them liked Navoi and another one hated him. Unlike Navoi, both execution and power were in their hands. Therefore, shouldn't it be surprising that Navoi was considered great man in all centuries since his death in 1501?
   1941. It was too difficult year for the Russians. There was a war in Leningrad . But in such condition, the 500th anniversary of Alisher Navoi was celebrated. Perhaps, to hold it above sincerity and was necessary to the Soviets for their political games. However there were lots of other nations and famous people in the Soviet Union then, why did the Russians call to mind Alisher Navoi? I remember the saying that my mother always repeated: " People do not humble those who are dear to God". The Creator made Navoi dear. Allah gives people talent and tests them with it. However, only some of them pass the exam. It is not enough to have a natural ability in order to reach the dearness, it is important to be able to hold great talent. Talent is theological light and a poet is a destination place of this sacred light. Light comes uninterruptedly, but growing of flower or thorn depends on the place. If environment is bad or faulty, talent will never grow up! Even If he grows up, people will be indifferent with him. Because he spoiled the sacred light with his bad manner, i.e., he has envy, arrogance or he is stingy, offender, liar or ungrateful and impatient. Such personality is reluctant for talent. The poet writes very expressive words but they return back hitting upon the walls put by Allah and none is able to pass them to people.
   GREATNESS WILL APPEAR THERE WHERE PURE PERSONALITY, i.e., pureness of tongue, heart and feature unites with THEOLOGICAL LIGHT. It is one of the God's boons. It is harmony of theological light with perfection. This is called to reach the Creator! No doubt that Alisher Navoi reached this high point . GREATNESS resembles to source of light – you feel warmness in your heart when you hear the name of Alisher Navoi. Greatness is beyond the period and place, it is like the sunshine without reproach – it will shine even to people who say "I do not like the sun" and flourish them all.

   Capital Sentence

   A man who groans saying "How people can find me:" is the man who have already found himself. Not only found but also he thoroughly checks his faults and tries to be pure and perfect as well.
   Since people try to find themselves, they will be astonished that their body is a field and you would sow what you reap there. You will see the reason of your sufferings and you will start to confess. It will be known, in the fire of which mistake you are burning and you will become silent. You will ask for God and beg to forgive your sins. One of the hadiths run in this way: "Who finds himself he finds Allah". How a beautiful acquaintance it is! It is the most honorable renaissance! There is no other interesting travel in the world than the visit you make to yourself. How a splendid it is when you improve yourself! True life will begin then, your kind intentions will increase! You become zealous and try to load all weight of thousands of unfruitful times upon your present days. You will come down at night and take pleasure from dawns.
   Why do not people want to die? This feeling will strengthen in accordance with their age. It is not refusal from the sweet living conditions and hope for getting pleasure long time, but it is the responsibility of fulfillment of all your debts and duties you recognized after you have found the Creator. It is the harmony of your interior and exterior, it is the union of knowledge and its effectiveness. This is the main step to happiness.
   Every word of Navoi leads you to yourself. A line (bayt) always comes to my lips, my soul hits with it and I feel hurt in my heart:

     A man whom I wish speak to with, likes not to perceive,
     There is a man who wishes me, but heart will not receive.

   A word is Allah's boon and a poetic word is like bright blessing. Light spreads but people are impressed with it differently. Various shape and multicolor blossoms grow from its warmness. The poet writes with one meaning but thousands of hearts will get thousands of meaning from it. Art is popular with this peculiarity.
   You suffer from the ailment of one appearance. To want something is need of whole body. All the organs God gave you: dream, heart, eye, ear, temper, wishes and word are in need of that figure, they are wretched and do everything so that to be lovely. Your night is anxiety, your day is passion, but that figure does not consider you worthy to have talks. Why?!
   You again try to check yourself. You burned for a stranger so much, you felt how it was difficult to burn without fire on the way of some definite goal. Well, how did you like its taste? How about its spiritual suffering? Remember, it is your destiny! Call to mind the second line of the bayt:

     There is a man who wishes me, but heart will not receive.

   My friend, call to your mind, how many people pined for you up to now? Your mother misses your smell, your sisters need generosity, your friend needs your support, your disciple needs protection, and poor relatives need your visit! You were able to flourish many hearts, but you became inattentive. You are indifferent for that sobbing and are going inexorably. You refuse many people, so, don't you think that God will damn it! This is your harvest – people you wanted to speak do not like you at all! It is the Creator's sentence! It is the philosophy of the ancient world that "refused things will need you later":
   You hear these voices from the center of your heart. It is the voice of YOURSELF found with honor of poet and poetry.

   Color of Love

   Youthfulness is your spring. You are beautiful and green in this season. However, remember that abundance in your autumn depends on your spring. Do not think that err is human and man makes many mistakes in youth. If you feel that your work is not acceptable, so, you start to observe the Satan. Remember that you one day you will have to answer for your mistakes. All processes in our life live in harmony: we wear skullcap in order to protect our head from the sunshine and we put on our shoes in order to save our feet from the cold. God created teeth so that our stomach will not fall sick, we have mind in order to perceive good things from the bad ones etc. When people feel passion in their heart and step back from the previous position, they shift the blame to love at once. They say: "It is a trick of love but I am not to blame". Well, what is the color of love? What are the peculiarities of love?
   Alisher Navoi writes:

     Lover is that man – hard to cure,
     Whose tongue, heart and eyes are pure.

   Let's analyze these lines. When man falls in love, he becomes sad and thoughtful like a sick. His voice and feature soften. He speaks to himself and always begs his beloved. It is the appearance of a man fell in love.
   What does "pure tongue" mean? Lover will never deceive and boast. He will never hurt somebody and gossip. He will never tells somebody's secret to another people. It is the pureness of tongue. If he does the opposite of these, he has not fallen in love yet!
   What does "pure heart" mean? A true lover will never envy, complain and revenge. He feels hurt in his heart but he will never be jealous. If he suspects, avenges or envies, he has not fallen in love yet!
   To do everything sincere is also one of the faces of pure heartedness. If a lover insists that he must have his beloved, there is no love there. The biggest interest left from amorousness is only LOVE! Because of this strong feeling of fondness, your tongue and heart will become pure, is there any better award to people? It means, you will always be in plentiful with this feature all life. It also means that the sun entered your heart, almond will forever flourish in your body and a national music "Cho'li iroq" will always sound in your veins, you will never be bored – a nightingale of your heart will continuously sing!
   What does "pure eyes" mean? Impure eyes are the main reason of spoiling the tongue and the heart. If you do not lose your eyes to Satan, they will become your first teacher that acquaint you with most beautiful colors of the world. The eyes pass energy to mind and it awakes heart, thus the actions will start. The eyes working sincere are pure eyes. You know that the first theological revelation came to Mohammed (God bless him) was the word "Read!" The eyes reading knowledge are pure eyes. The eyes learning craft are pure eyes. The eyes looking round with good intention, searching kindness, weeping for people's sufferings are pure eyes. The eyes considering the people before them like the Sun and not looking straight are pure eyes.
   Anxiety begins from the eyes. Shameless eyes are the slaves of carnal desire. People with such eyes will never become lovers, love will not come to them, LOVE DISDAIN THEM AT ALL!

   EVERY HUMAN IS A BOON!

   I like the following lines of Alisher Navoi:
   "Sarv (name of the tree growing upright), rose and tulip has its own buyer, firewood is sold even it is dire". The words of wise men are like remedy and they cure illnesses: A writer gives his newly published book to his friend and says: "Read and tell me, which book is more interesting, my or that of another writer?". Alas! He lost his reputation with these words. Because, jealousy have appeared there. It means, hopes will be destructed in this place. Jealousy comes after arrogance. If a man meets some capable man and worries about it, he is called an arrogant. Arrogance wastes away the talent of the people. When writing the fruits of talent on the paper, the talent will be busy with himself as if he holds fire. However, he never compares or thinks about to write better than someone. He will only tries to extinguish his fire in heart. Such wonderful moments will not be given to everyone. People who reach to this point will never be jealous.
   Do you remember the fact that eminent Navoi finished "Khamsa" and Hussein Boyqaro put him on his horse, holding in leash and demonstrated him among the people? Let's analyze this event: firstly, Hussein Boyqaro shows humanity and patriotism as king – he is very glad that Turkish language raised to the world scene because of this work and his contemporary. Secondly, thus he puts the poet that raised reputation of the nation, higher than himself and with this he encourages literature and all creative forces. Thirdly, seeing one of the miracles of God in Alisher Navoi, he gratifies to the Creator and takes care of the dear man for God's sake. Fourthly, he also was great poet and psychologist and he feels that a beautiful work like "Khamsa" will become very esteemed. Thus he puts Navoi to the saddle of triumph. However, the horse that Navoi rode was his own, symbolically, it may be said that Hussein Boyqaro was the first who voted Navoi as the king of country of lyrical poems – gazels. Despite the king put him on the horse, this luck was written in poet's destiny. However, Hussein Boyqaro was applauded and prayed by his contemporaries for his merit.
   Every human is different in the world. Some people are capable and the others are not so. But everyone has its own place – an elephant is not able to do work of an ant. Thus, I can not do you work. Regardless of anything, man is unrepeatable creature of the Creator. If he does not know to be grateful and take delight in himself, besides, if he is envious, remember that he will not become mature yet. It is bad DESIRE if you think that someone's achievements must be yours. This ill-fated desire will bring all disasters to people.
   Colorfulness makes this world sacred. All things around us are boons. Each boon is has its own meaning, living philosophy and peculiarities. ""Sarv, rose and tulip has its own buyer" – flower lights the eyes, people like it very much, they wish to cover their life with flowers, they compare all those that they like with flower etc. But "Firewood is sold even it is dire"! This is very interesting world! Every human being has special feature and taste. Every creature has its own amateur. There is nothing unnecessary in the world. Why a flower has to be haughty, though it can not be used instead of firewood. The flower may give you pleasure and raise the spirits. But firewood heats your house, boils a cattle, so, it is a good supporter in need. Only amateurs seek for the flowers but everyone needs firewood. Do not be afflicted that you are "firewood" only and do not humble other people with this word, so as the poet wrote that "firewood is sold even it is dire". Some people are proud of their courageous children like Alpomish. Some of them appreciate their disabled and are very grateful.
   While getting old, people grow wiser, their opinion and taste will change. A man, who liked a rose yesterday, may like a tulip tomorrow. However, in this case, the rose will not become unworthy, its amateurs will be found again and again – it is the skillfulness of the Creator!
   What is the HAPPINESS? When it happens? Will it happen when you are rich or honorable? No! I have recently heard that a woman used a phrase "err is human": human feature is unmanageable. There is no obstacle to human wants. Your happiness will last as long as the time of fading the flowers found after great efforts and you will be tired of everything. By the way, when you grow wiser, you will have more spiritual needs than ever. You feel happiness every time your wishes come true. That is to say, there is no account and time of happiness. In spite of your age, inshaallah, thousands of blossoms of luck will flourish in your life!
   Apple-tree has been living as its origin since it was created: it blooms and gives fruit like apples. In short, it is an apple-tree and agrees for its destiny! Its success is in its patience and therefore it has many amateurs. Apricot, cherry and others also like this. You are also like this, my dear friend, you are like a garden – but your fruits are uncountable and your amateurs are more than your fruits!