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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.76.04.3

How to Cite:

Shoaliyeva, N., & Golkarian, G. (2024). The legacy of Nizami Ganjavi in Transoxiana: An analysis of Khamsa's influence on oral

narrative. Amazonia Investiga, 13(76), 42-52. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.76.04.3

The legacy of Nizami Ganjavi in Transoxiana: An analysis of

Khamsa's influence on oral narrative

Nizomiy Ganjaviyning Mavoronahr merosi: Xamsa”ning og‘zaki hikoyatga ta’siri tahlili

Received: March 28, 2024 Accepted: April 30, 2024

Written by:

Nargiza Shoaliyeva1

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7314-0093

Ghadir Golkarian2

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3801-7089

Abstract

Nizami Ganjavi, one of the distinguished poets of

the 12th century, has a special place in world

literature with his works from ancient times to the

present. This poet is famous not only in Persian

literature but also in Turkish and Indian literature.

Nizami Ganjavi is related to the Mesnevi works,

which were translated into Turkish and even

translated by many Turkish poets and writers in the

following centuries. Among these, we can count the

essential figures of Chagatai Turkish literature

(Transoxiana), especially Emir Alişer Nevai, who

cared about Mesnevi Khamsa Nizami and made

changes and wrote examples based on his stories.

Nizâmî, with the dreams and images created in the

Mesnevi above, has revealed an original style that

is very important in today's comparative literature

field at the international level. He proved his

success by creating a new style of fantasy drawing

using imaginary images, and many poets influenced

by him entered the field of literature. This article

refers to Panj Ganj or Khamsa Nizami Ganjavi's

works and tries to explore his influence on

Transoxiana writers. The study uses a qualitative,

library, and comparative methodology and is

founded on the laws and categories of scientific

research. Researchers applied modern research

approaches and methods (general scientific

analysis, comparison, generalization,

systematization, text analysis, and retrospective

analysis).

Keywords: Nizami Ganjavi, Khamsa, Persian

literature, Transoxania, Alisher Navoiy.

Annotatsiya

XII asrning atoqli shoirlaridan biri Nizomiy Ganjaviy

qadimdan bugungi kungacha yaratgan asarlari bilan

jahon adabiyotida alohida o‘rin tutadi. Bu shoir

nafaqat fors adabiyotida, balki turk va hind

adabiyotida ham mashhur. Nizomiy keyingi asrlarda

va hatto ko‘plab turk shoir va yozuvchilari tomonidan

turk tiliga tarjima qilingan mesneviya asarlari bilan

bog‘liq. Bular orasida Chig‘atoy turkiy adabiyotining

(Mavoronahr) muhim namoyandalarini, xususan,

Xamsa Nizomiyni qo‘llab-quvvatlagan, hikoyalarida

o‘zgartirishlar kiritgan, namunalar yozgan amir

Alisher Nevaiyni sanashimiz mumkin. Nizomiy

Mesneviyda yaratgan orzu va obrazlari bilan bugungi

qiyosiy adabiyot sohasida xalqaro miqyosda juda

muhim boʻlgan oʻziga xos uslubni ochib berdi. U

xayoliy obrazlar yordamida yangi muvaffaqiyatli

fantaziya uslubini yaratdi va undan ta’sirlangan

ko‘plab shoirlar adabiyot maydoniga kirib keldi. Bu

maqola Panj Ganj yoki Xamsa Nizomiy asarlariga

ishora qilib, uning Transoxiana adiblariga ta’sirini

o‘rganishga harakat qiladi. Tadqiqotda sifat,

kutubxona va qiyosiy metodologiyadan foydalaniladi

va ilmiy tadqiqot qonunlari, toifalariga asoslanadi.

Tadqiqotchilar zamonaviy tadqiqot yondashuvlari va

usullaridan (umumiy ilmiy tahlil, taqqoslash,

umumlashtirish, tizimlashtirish, matn tahlili va

retrospektiv tahlil) foydalanganlar.

Kalit so’zlar: Nizomiy Ganjaviy, Xamse Nizomiy,

Fors adabiyoti, Mavoronahr, Ali Shir Nevoiy.

Assoc. Dr., Department of Classical Literature and Origins, International Islamic Academy оf Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan.

WoS Researcher ID: JVN-2014-2024

Prof. Dr. Near East University, Art & Sciences Faculty, Head of Rumi Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus. WoS Researcher ID:

T-3725-2019

Shoaliyeva, N., Golkarian, G. / Volume 13 - Issue 76: 42-52 / April, 2024

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Introduction

Knowledge and literary sciences popularized

among the Turks of Central and Trans-Asia

began with their conversion to Islam. The first

written literary science among the ancient Turks,

the work created by combining selected poems,

is called Divan. On the other hand, names such

as old Turkish literature, classical Turkish

literature, and Islamic Turkish literature are also

used in the history of literature. Since most of the

literary period is focused and studied in three

areas of Turkish literature, it can be

acknowledged that the literature related to the

Turkish area, whether in Central Asia or

Transoxiana, was studied in the category of

Turkish classical literature.

It is necessary to explain that classical Turkish

literature is divided into three fields: Chagatai,

Azerbaijani, and Anatolian. From the 16th

century onwards, Anatolian Turkish literature

was known as Ottoman literature. However, the

dimensions and extent of Persian literature's

influence on Turkish literature were more

evident in the 15th century AD till today.

(Golkarian, 2020)

The impact of Persian literature on the cultural

and literary structure of the Transoxiana region is

a subject that requires expanding the scope of

research. Although research has been done in this

field, and the impact of classical Persian

literature on the cultural and literary

environments of ancient and modern Uzbek

literature has been examined through academic

research, it is not enough. Persian literature has

had a profound cultural and literary impact on the

Transoxiana region, especially Uzbek writers

and poets, since the 15th century. It is possible to

see the continuation of these traces of influence,

even in Anatolian Turkish literature, in the

following centuries (16-19 centuries). In this

context, Evidence dating from the 18th to the

20th centuries shows that Persian literature

played an essential role in changing the region's

intellectual and cultural geography and

establishing modern Persian literature. After

Alisher Navoyi and his contemporary poets,

writers such as Mirza Siraj Hakim, Sadr al-Din

Aini, and Abdul Raouf Fitrat created different

and innovative works under the influence of

these environments.

In general, current research on Uzbek Turkish as

a result of field research proves this. Nizami

Ganjavi, an Azerbaijani Turkish poet, wrote all

his works in Persian, and among them, his work

"Khamsa" became a point of inspiration for many

poets and writers. Even if research has been done

on Persian and Uzbek literature, Nizami

Ganjavi's influence and fact-creation on literary

figures in the Transoxiana region are not

included. For this reason, the present research

fills a significant gap in scientific and literary

history.

Therefore, among Turkish literature researchers,

the beginning of the profound influence of

Persian literature on Turkish literature can be

considered from the Ottoman Empire. Despite

the attention to the purification of the Turkish

language in literature and the tendency to

simplify and use Turkish words, Turkish

literature became popular among ancient writers,

including Alisher Navoiy in the Transoxiana

region and Ahmed Pasha and Nejati in Anatolia.

In the history of Turkish literature, this period is

known as "the course of orientation to simple

Turkish" or simple writing in the language. But

breaking away from Persian literature was

impossible. (Aydın, 2022)

Theoretical Framework or Review of

Literature

As a historical region in Central Asia,

Transoxiana has matured and developed

religiously and literarily with Persian literature.

This region includes parts of today's

Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The

area is culturally enriched entirely with Persian

resources. Therefore, the role of Turkish and

Muslim poets and literary figures is essential for

field research.Nizami Ganjavi's poems as

stylistics are essential, and are known as the

owner of the style and the leader of storytelling

in literature. The influence of his poetry on the

poets of Central Asia, Turkish literature, and

even the poets of the Indian subcontinent is

apparent. Since the beginning of the 7th century,

following Nizami, khamsa writing has been

started, and one of the ancestors of Uzbek poets

who was inspired by Nizami's Khamsa and wrote

Khamsa is Alisher Navoiy. Naming such

personalities and their works mentioned in the

other section of this research can be the basis for

continuing their field research. In addition to

Uzbek poets, other poets have been inspired by

Nizami Ganjavi and continued his style. Amir

Khosro Dehlavi, Khajui Kermani, Abdul

Rahman Jami, Katabi Torshizi, Vahshi Bafghi,

and Faizi Dakkani have composed romantic

verses similar to Khamsa Nizami.Examining the

available scholarly sources on Nizami's works is

important when reviewing the literature. Some of

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the results of the literature review are as follows:

The thesis titled "Transoxiana (its place and

importance in Turkish-Islamic history)" is the

research topic, which was conducted by taking

into account sources such as the historical,

economic, cultural, and social structure of

Transoxiana, works, etc. It is envisaged to be

done. This study examines the role of

Transoxiana in the Turkish-Islamic world and the

influence of Nizami's works in this

region.Therefore, Ali Avcu's Work on Islamism

is known. By comparing our article, the subject

has been discussed from different dimensions. In

addition, based on the Transoxiana

Encyclopedia, the region has experienced

significant historical developments and is also

essential in economic, cultural, and social

structure. Persian Literature and Persian sources

played a crucial role in all these developments. It

helps explain the theoretical foundations,

creating a theoretical framework for these

sources. It will especially enable one to obtain

more information about Nizami's works and the

general situation of Transoxiana. It is also

influential in the development of Uzbek literary

history.

Research Methodology

The research method in this article is field and

library studies. What is considered as research

findings are presented in descriptive and

analytical form. In this research, the influence of

Khamsa Nizami on the poets of Turkish classical

literature, especially the Transoxiana poets, has

been carefully considered, and the existing

examples have been studied in terms of influence

inspired by the style of comparative literature. In

line with the research method, references and

articles have been analyzed. In this research,

library and qualitative methodological

approaches have been considered. Also, to

understand the issues, comparative methods have

not been neglected in explaining the poets' views

of the past centuries in the Transoxiana region

from their works. In this regard, the studies of

published sources in books, articles, and

documents in the state museums of Uzbekistan,

Azerbaijan, and Iran have been considered. Also,

data analysis is considered based on the

documents available in the study sources. Of

course, there are limitations in the field of access

to some handwritten sources related to the past

centuries, and the use of such sources from the

pages available in the Internet data has been

considered.

Results and Discussion

Khamsa, written by Nizami Ganjavi, is unique in

stylistics, definition, and description of

anecdotes. The use of metaphorical language and

characterization in 5 different volumes in the

Khamsa collection proves the ability of this great

poet of the past centuries. He used this in his

poems in 5 separate volumes, which are named

Makhzan al-Asrar, Seven Figure, Lili and

Majnoon, Khosrow and Shirin, and

Iskandernameh; in addition to talking about

mediated and unmediated forms; he also

mentions the distinct and valuable moral

qualities of human beings. His messages often

involve fighting injustice, raising love and

loyalty, and prioritizing the human concept. This

attitude and approach is specific and unique to

Nizami Ganjavi, which other Turkish and Uzbek

poets have also been inspired by and adapted

from the name of Khamsa. Alisher Navoiy is one

of the most prominent and famous poets and

mystics of the 15th century AD in the

Transoxiana region. He has emphasized these

moral values and norms in his work, Khamsa.

Khamsa Nizami Ganjavi's work is a synthesis of

Persian literary achievements. From Ferdowsi's

heroic attitude to Khayyam Nishabouri's

esteemed belief, Sanai's human-centeredness

opinion and Onsori or Farrokhi's lyrical lyricism

have signs in his Khamsa. In one sentence, it can

be said that Khamsa Nizami is a collection of

Persian literature's philosophical, cultural,

literary, and historical attitudes that have

fascinated the poets of the Transoxiana region.

This fact can be well understood by comparing

Ottoman and Turkish Uzbek literature.

Therefore, the Khamsa work is taken into

consideration as research material.

Nizami Ganjavi is one of the greatest and most

prominent poets of the Persian language of

Azerbaijan and is considered one of the greatest

poets of the Middle East in the Middle centuries.

He is the most excellent romantic poet in Persian

epic literature, who introduced colloquial speech

and realistic style into Persian epic poetry.

Therefore, his work can be considered among the

works analyzed in literary aesthetics. At the same

time, Nizami Ganjavi's literary works include a

philosophical view of literature. Primarily, the

book "Panj Ganj," later called Khamsa,

dramatically contributes to forming Iranian or

Eastern mystical and romantic culture, also due

to Nizami's critical role in Persian literature

storytelling.

In Azerbaijan, they respect Nizami Ganjavi and

consider him the founder of their classical

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literature. Using the themes of traditional oral

folk art and historical written records, Nizami has

united Iran's literary periods before and after

Islam with his poems. Nizami epic-romantic

poetry influenced the Eastern world during the

following centuries, and many poets, writers, and

playwrights have tried to imitate it. Many later

generations, not only in Iran itself but throughout

the region, including in the culture of countries

such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan,

Georgia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan,

Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, accepted

his literary vision. Teaching the literary works of

the past becomes a tool for defending people's

identities by using the powerful resources of the

national cultural heritage and understanding its

remarkable predictive potential. (Pokhilko,

Ivanova, & Martynenko, 2020)

His works have influenced great poets such as

Hafez Shirazi, Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi,

known as Rumi, Mullah Muhammad Fuzuli, and

Saadi. His long Mathnawis, known as Khamsa,

has many themes in the fields of epistemology,

and today, by examining and delving into the

many themes of his works, one can see his

influential role in the literature of the Eastern

world. The characters in his poems, who are

mentioned in the Mathnawi of Khosrow and

Shirin, Leili and Majnoon, and the Mathnawi of

Iskandar-name as the heroes of the story, can be

understood in many literary works of Islamic

countries and Persian and Turkish literature.

Mullah Mohammad Fuzuli (1494-1556) is one of

the greatest poets of Turkish literature and a

significant figure in Azerbaijani and Ottoman

literature. With the lyrical story "Laili and

Majnoon," he has brought the necessary

descriptions of his influence to the fore by using

mystical metaphors and symbols from poets such

as Nizami Ganjavi, Jami and Hafez, and Alisher

Navoiy.

At the time of Nizami's birth, a century had

passed since the attack of the Seljuk Turks

3 on Iran and Transcaucasia. According to the

French historian René Grosse, the Seljuk sultans,

who were Turkmen themselves and had become

the sultans of Iran, did not leave Iran, but on the

contrary, voluntarily became Iranians and, like

the Sasanians and other great ancient kings,

defended Iran and Iranians against the attacks of

other nations and tribes. And they were trying to

save Iranian culture from the threats of the

Turkmens. (Grousset, 1970)

Persian language and literature are considered a

literary language as well as the language of

science among Turkish communities. For this

reason, it is not possible to separate from it. For

example, Alisher Navoiy, in his book

Muhâkemetü’l-Lugateyn, although he made a

linguistic and conceptual comparison between

the Turkish and Persian languages, confirms the

non-separation between the Persian and Turkish

languages with the following verses:

 





"It means that the meaning and concept of the

Turkish language are delightful and colorful. But

if you pay attention to the Persian language, it is

like precious pearls. When I speak in Persian, it

3 The Seljuqs were originally Turkmen, and after they came

to the throne, they did not leave Iran. Despite being Turks,

they considered themselves Iranians. They made Persian the

official language of the court of the Seljuq sultans, and like

is as if my mouth is a pearl market. But it must be

said that in this market, sweets are offered on one

side and gold on the other."

Or in another place he says in Uzbek:

Chun fors irdi nukte shougi

Azrag’ idi onda turkiy zovgi

Min turkcha boşlban rivayat

Gıldim bu fisonani hikoyat

Kim shuhrati chun jihongir tolgay

Turk Iliga tog’i behre bulgay

"When the essence of the word was said in

Persian, it had little appreciation in Turkish.

However, when I heard thousands of Turkish

narrations, I had to tell this truth. Anyone who

wants to be famous worldwide must be Turkish

and find the benefits of this."

Therefore, the ancient writers could not in any

way distance the Persian language from Turkish

literature or ignore it. This intellectual

development also appeared strongly in the

borders of the Ottoman Empire. So, the best

works of Persian literature were translated by

Turkish-speaking writers and poets and found a

special place in classical literature, looking at the

"Tazkirat al-Shu'ara" (Memoirs of the Poets) of

poets and the collection of poetry books that were

written and composed in Turkish literature

other old Iranian sultans, to protect the people and the land of

Iran, they fought against the looting of the Oghouzi groups

and other aggressors to the borders of Iran. They worked hard

to save and develop Iranian culture and literature.

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between the 11th and 19th centuries, the role and

position of Persian literature can be recognized.

Alisher Navoiy, the poet of the Transoxiana area,

sent his thirty-three ghazals to Ahmed Pasha, one

of the poets of the Ottoman period, in the 15th

century. These are his ghazals that attracted

Ahmed Pasha to Persian literature. (Çelik, 2021)

This approach has significantly contributed to the

development of Persian literature and the

literature of the Transoxiana region in the field of

Ottoman literature. Such an approach is very

similar to the distance education system used

today. From this historical incident in the field of

literature, it can be understood that the main link

and bridge of cultural and literary exchange

between Anatolian literature and Transoxiana

literature is Persian literature, which was

concretely manifested during the Ottoman

Empire period. Of course, the role of Nezami

Ganjavi among the poets of Azerbaijan's literary

field is undeniable. This poet in the 16th century

AD is one of the Persian-speaking but authentic

Azerbaijani poets who positively impacted the

poets of the East (Transoxiana) and the Turkish

language of Ottoman literature.

Statement of the problem and discusión

Nezami is the poet of heartwarming love songs.

His works reflect true, sincere love. The genuine,

beautiful love Nizami wrote about is entirely in

line with the facts of the real world. It is a unique

example of a story that celebrates love literally.

From the Nizami point of view, speech and

poetry are tools for conversation and creating

beauty, but they have a place beyond that in the

creation system. Therefore, in addition to

creating outstanding literary works from the

point of view of aesthetics, he always seeks to

explain the critical issues of ontology and teach

the basics of thinking about the system of

existence and its levels of existence. In this

intellectual system, poetry and poetics are an

essential part of the levels of existence in the two

areas of creation and the continuation of the

purpose of the prophets from the point of view of

awareness. They are among the most critical

levels in the service of sacred affairs and in line

with the supreme creation system.

(Vaezi, Mohabbati et al., 2024).

Although Nizami did not name his five works,

Khamsa, after his death, his "Khamsa" became

very famous in Eastern literature and influenced

the works of writers. Many Uzbek, Tajik,

Azerbaijani, and Turkish poets started writing

"Khamsa". Amir Khosrow Dehlavi, Amir

Alisher Navoiy, and Abdul Rahman Jami

creatively followed Nizami Ganjavi's method in

their literary works. Among those who have

succeeded in this direction, we can mention Amir

Alisher Navoiy, whose poems are written in

Turkish-Uzbek and are incomparable with the

works of other Asian poets.

It should also be noted that Nizami traditions

existed in Turkish literature before being

developed by the poets and writers of the

Transoxiana region. However, many literary

figures in the Transoxiana region influenced the

development of Persian and Turkish literature in

the Eastern world by adapting the tradition and

style of Nizami Ganjavi in Khamsa's writing.

Among them, Amir Alisher Navoiy has a unique,

prominent role.

The effect of Ganjavi's five Nizami treasures

on poets and writers in the Transoxiana:

At the beginning of the 14th century, the Uzbek

poet Qutb Khwarizmi, Fakhr al-Din Yaqub ibn

Muhammad Fakhri from the Aydin Oglular

dynasty, who lived in the Isa Bey palace, as well

as Yusuf Sinan Sheikhi and Muhammad Efendi

Eshghi, who were famous in their time, were

among the poets of the 15th century in

Transoxiana region were considered to be the

ones who translated Khosrow and Shirin's poems

and Nizami Ganjavi's seven figures (Haft

Peykar) into Turkish. At the same time, Heidar

Khwarizmi, who also lived in the 15th century,

translated another work of Nizami Ganjavi called

"Makhzan al-Asrar" into Turkish.

Qutb Khwarizmi, a poet and translator of the 14th

century, wrote a work like the epic story

"Khosrow and Shirin" in 1340-1342 AD,

considered the only reliable source. This work,

translated from Persian to Turkish, was copied in

Egypt in 1383 AD by Barka Faqih Barukaz

Adagu Qipchaghi and on the recommendation of

Amir Qutlu Khajeh. This manuscript was

registered in the National Library of Paris in

1914 with number 312.

The creative years of Qutb Khwarizmi

correspond to the period when Khwarazm

belonged to the Golden Horde "Olt'in Orda"

state. The famous work of Khosrow and Shirin is

a free translation of an epic of the same name

written by Nizami Ganjavi. For some reason, this

work was not widely distributed and did not

become famous. (Herkmen, 2021)

Haider Khwarizmi from the Khwarazm region,

who lived at the end of the 14th century and the

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first half of the 15th century, is considered a poet

and one of the representatives of classical Uzbek

literature. Information about his life and works

can be found in Dowlatshah Samarkandi's

"Tazkirat al-Shu'ara" (Memoirs of the Poets),

"Majalis un-Nafais," "Muhâkemetü’l-Lugateyn "

and "Makhzan al-Asrar" by Amir Alisher

Navoiy. Heidar Khwarizmi wrote a copy of

Nizami Ganjavi's "Makhzan al-Asrar" and

presented it to Sultan Iskandar under the name

"Golshan al-Asrar" in Turkish (1409-1414). In

terms of design and belief aspect, his work is

close to Nizami Ganjavi's epic, and its weight is

the same as that written in "Bahr Aruz" (method

of poem) and contains six hundred and thirty-

nine verses. Unlike Nizami Ganjavi's work, this

work is presented first with the story and then

with the summary and conclusion chapter and

thoughts arising from this story.

Among other famous literary figures of the

Transoxiana region, we can mention Amir

Alisher Navoiy, whom Nizami Ganjavi's

Khamsa also inspired. It is known that Alisher

Navoiy wrote one of his self-made stories with a

different style and opposite to Nizami Ganjavi's

"Laili and Majnoon" and created it in Turkish.

Due to his profound mastery of storytelling

traditions, he gives new clothes to his stories and

breathes the Turkish spirit into him. Muhammad

Fuzuli also follows the path of innovation in his

fiction writing and presents an attractive Oghouzi

in Turkish with comparative analysis. In

particular, the introduction to the story of Laili

and Majnoon by Alisher Navoiy and Muhammad

Fuzuli elevates this love story to a new level.

Khamsa is written in the East with more than 50

examples, and different expressions. But not all

the old works have reached us. After Nizami

Ganjavi, his Khamsa has been translated and

composed in Turkish, Urdu, Pashto, Kurdish, and

other languages based on sources. With time, in

certain socio-political conditions, they have a

theme, composition, images, and definition,

which have changed to some extent regarding the

content and structure of all written Khamsa. The

tradition of Khamsa writing has continued in the

Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan,

and India, and the interest in writing Khamsa in

the Turkish language in folk literature began in

the 13th and 14th centuries.

In the above passages, it was mentioned that

Qutb Khwarizmi in the story of Khosrow and

Shirin and Haider Khwarizmi in Makhzan al-

Asrar were able to maintain a poetic format like

Nizami Ganjavi despite the translation of the

work into Turkish and Uzbek. Of course, in the

meantime, due to a lack of familiarity with the

Turkish poetic style, they had made some

changes, which was inevitable. Because Turkish

poems were often written in syllables. Alisher

Navoiy is one of Transoxiana's poet significant

poets and writers of the 15th century. He

considered writers such as Nizami Ganjavi, Amir

Khosrow Dehlavi, and Abdul Rahman Jami as

his teachers.

The peak of Alisher Navoiy's work can be seen

in his immortal work, "Khamsa," written

between 1485 and 1483 AD. This poet was

among the first to create a complete "Khamsa" in

Turkish and proved that such a great work could

be written in Turkish.

In this work, Alisher Navoiy admits that his work

called "Khamsa" is a continuation of Nizami

Ganjavi's work, which is called "Panj Ganj" or

"Khamsa." He writes these verses at the

beginning of his book:

Emas oson bu maydon ichra turmoq, Nizomiy

panjasigʻa panja urmoq.

"It is difficult to stay in this field, and putting a

paw in the Nizami paw is difficult."

To some extent, Alisher Navoiy promoted the

genre of "Khamsa" in its kind, made it famous in

the literature of Turkic-speaking peoples, and

considered their creativity. He skillfully

developed his ideological and artistic methods

and style. Qanuni is one of the other literary

figures of the past eras who further developed

Khamsa and positively impacted the continuation

of Nizami Ganjavi's style in Khamsa's writing.

So, different stories were written in the Middle-

Asia Turk tribes. Poets like Uzbek Khaja wrote

"Maqsood al-Atwar." A Turkish poet named

Lemoui from the Uzbek tribe and a Uyghur poet

named Nizari adapted the story of "Farhad and

Shirin," and Muhammad Fuzuli, an Azerbaijani

poet, created "Leili and Majnoon."

The methods of Ferdowsi, Nizami, and Dehlavi

were updated through the stories of Alisher

Navoiy, and the same process played an essential

role in solving the main problems of Turkish

classical literature. In this regard, we can mention

the works of Ahmad Rizvan, Jalili, Harimi,

Bafqi, Urfi Shirazi, the stories of Lemoui, Nizari,

and many other stories that were later adapted

from Nizami Ganjavi.

Therefore, it can be said that Nizami Ganjavi is

one of the poets who, despite his numerous

works, his work "Panj Ganj," which is known as

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"Khamsa Nizami," has been able to influence

Turkish poets more than his other works because

the poets of Eastern literature and especially the

Transoxiana area have written several examples

or adaptations in Turkish from his Khamsa and

even separate volumes in the past centuries and

imported them into Turkish literature. Some

Turkish poets rejected prosaic poetry due to its

incompatibility with the poetic structure of

Turkish oral literature and tried to use syllabic

poems. Still, famous poets such as Nejati Bey,

Ahmed Pasha, Sheikhi, Suleiman Chalabi, and

Alisher Navoiy have used Nizami Ganjavi's

works and started composing lyrical poetry in

Turkish classical literature. Writing sonnets was

a priority for Turkish poets compared to other

poems. Because lyric writing was counted as a

kind of superiority and skill in creating a literary

work. If the name "Divan literature" is mentioned

in the review of classical literature, it is due to the

literary influence of Nizami Ganjavi on Turkish

classical literature. Because with Ghazal, Divan

literature in Turkish has grown and developed.

(Uzgor, 2023)

Ghazal has been the leader in the past ages, which

has been an influential factor in the influence of

Persian literature on Turkish literature. For a

work to be called Divan, it was necessary to have

a lyric section. A work that consists only of the

sonnet section is considered a Divan Poem.

Alisher Navoiy expresses the importance of

Ghazal for Divan as follows:

“Dîvân tapılgay kim anda ma’rifet-âmîz gazel

tapılmagay ve gazel bolgay kim anda

mev’izet-engîz bir beyt bolmagay mundak

dîvân bititse hod asru bî-hûde zahmet ve zâyî’i

meşakkat tartılgan bolgay.

"With this explanation, he says that: When

Diwani is composed, if there is no wise sonnet in

it and if there is no instructive couplet in the

sonnet; If Diwan is written in this way, the efforts

made will be wasted."

In Divan's poetry, the theme of love is generally

raised in the content of the sonnet format. About

love, which is characterized by all kinds of

characters, the lover, the beloved, and the rival,

the poet in Divan often takes the lover's side and

considers himself one with the beloved. A poet

who falls in love in his poem evaluates his

position in the field of love. The criteria in these

evaluations are great love heroes such as

4 If the poet praised himself in the poem he wrote, that type

of poetry was called Fakhriye.

Majnoon, Farhad, and Karam, who have become

part of the public cultural heritage. Especially the

claim of the superiority of Majnoon's character is

remarkable, which is why the story of Leili and

Majnoon has been considered necessary by the

poets of Turkish literature and even Shir Navoiy,

who resorted to it. (Ustuner, 2007)

The poets of Turkish literature, especially in the

Ottoman period, considered Nizami Ganjavi an

authentic and imitable literary reference. While

expressing their poems' literary value, they

appealed to Nizami and pointed to him. For

example, Zati, one of the 16th-century poets of

the Ottoman period, expressed the following

statement to prove the prominence of his sonnets

in the court: "If Nizami had seen my poetry, he

would have appreciated and approved me as a

poet."

Nizâmî görse bu ebyât-ı penci Deye idi Zâti’yâ

pençen burılmaz

Or Edirneli Nazmi, another poet of Turkish

literature in the same century, says: "Know that

if Nazmi's poetry were seen as a Ganjavi style, he

would certainly consider you a pearl from the

poetry treasures in terms of his poetic ability."

Nazmiyâ Gence Nizâmîsi göreydi nazmun

Tab’-ıla genc-i dür-i nazmdurur dirdi sana

When Turkish poets of the Ottoman period were

hesitant about their poems and literary

compositions or could not make sufficient

conclusions about them, they resorted to the

Ganjavi method. Especially in translating Persian

poems, they benefited from Nizami's thought and

interpretation. So, Sunbulzadeh Vehbi, one of the

other poets of the Ottoman period, admitted the

following in the 18th century. (Yenikale, 2012)

Nizâmî hamsesinde bâ-sarâhat Demişdir şi’r

içün cüz’-i nübüvvet

"Nizami has clearly stated in his poetry that

poetry is a part of prophecy."

As mentioned above, the poets of Turkish

literature, especially in the Ottoman period,

considered Nizami Ganjavi a master poet and

were influenced by him. The poets of many areas

of Turkish literature, including Choghatai,

Azerbaijani, and Anatolian, criticized other

poets, especially in "Fakhriyeh's poems,"4 they

never had the courage or the courage to make

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negative comments about Nizami Ganjavi. They

always flaunted their superiority by comparing

the Nizami poems of Ganjavi. If the poets of

Turkish literature were to compare themselves

with prominent poets, they would undoubtedly

compare themselves with Nizami because they

saw him as superior to them. It is as if it was

necessary that they used Nizami Ganjavi's

spirituality to produce their literary works in

terms of the aesthetics of poetry and the greatness

of the concept and acknowledged his adaptation.

This can also be seen in Alisher Navoiy's

Khamsa. (Türkben, 2015)

Although it was a habit among the poets of the

Ottoman period to prove their prominence in

comparison with the famous and great poets of

the past, in no way can you find a work or an

example in which the poets of the Ottoman

period and other poets of the Turkish world

associate themselves with Nizami. In proving

their superiority and talent, most Turkish poets

always mentioned the greatness of great poets at

the beginning of their work, considered them

their teachers, and then claimed they were

equally talented poets. In other words, they

proved their superiority in the clothes of famous

old poets like Nizami Ganjavi.

The reason for such an approach by the poets of

the past era was Turkish literature derived from

the power of words and the literary image of

Nizami Ganjavi. One of Nizami's most essential

and prominent ideas in his worldview is the

views related to the two fields of theology and

literature. In a better way, Nizami Ganjavi has

presented a vast collection of thoughts with

literary views in the connection of these two

views, and even from a theological point of view,

he has presented an ontological interpretation. By

studying Nizami Ganjavi's works, we can

conclude that he expressed his intention in all his

works, especially in the introduction to the

poems, so skillfully and masterfully that it is

evident that he is experienced in the science of

rhetoric. Nizami Ganjavi makes a man mighty in

proving his opinions, beliefs, and morals and

makes the necessary proofs capable without

being doubtful.

Since the science of theology can be used to

determine the state of origin and resurrection

according to Islamic law, Nizami's works

confirm that he has always sought to discover

and interpret the universe and raise awareness

about it. In many cases, he also refers to his

constant efforts in this field. Also, poetry and

poetry relate to religious and theological beliefs

in this intellectual system. (Halabi, 1994)

The role of Alisher Navoiy in the development

of Nizami Ganjavi's thought:

The Nizami's Khamsa has gained world fame as

the endless legacy of Nizami Ganjavi. For the

reasons mentioned above, this work contains

teachings on theology and ethics that have

attracted most Turkish poets and writers. Nizami

Ganjavi's works, especially Khamsa, had a

significant impact on the artistic thought of

Turkish literature through prominent masters, as

it is a concrete word and conforms to the

traditions of the Eastern poet. Alisher Navoiy is

one of the prominent writers of the Eastern world

who continued Nizami traditions in the new

literary base and gained an excellent reputation,

a magnificent position, and a unique e position

and became different from other writers in the

Transoxiana region.

Alisher Navoiy, the writer and master of the

genius of the Uzbek people, combined the high

human ideals that Nizami Ganjavi brought into

the history of Eastern artistic thought with the

unique features of Turkish literature. He

preserved the moral ideal and the environment of

that time and enriched it with supplements from

the folk literature of the Turkish people. It is not

a coincidence that the followers of Turks,

especially Anatolian classical literature, used the

Nizami literary school in their works and

benefited from the creativity of the great

Azerbaijani and Persian poets. The transmission

of Nizami Ganjavi's thought and theology

penetrated Anatolian and Ottoman classical

literature through Navoiy from the 15th century

onwards.

Alisher Navoiy, the poet, genius, and thinker of

the people of Uzbekistan, is among the

prominent wordsmiths who continued Nizami

traditions in a new context and achieved great

success in this field. He distinguished himself

with his position. A poet who was closely

familiar with the achievements of the classical

poetry of the East until his time he turned to

Nizami art with endless love. First, Ganjavi's

Nizami art expresses, explains, and understands

humanity, loyalty to the nation's cause, respect

for hard workers people, respect for women's

dignity, human skill, and intelligence. Secondly,

the belief in the power of science and other

similar qualities was in harmony with Navoiy's

creative nature, which made the resonance of

Nizami Ganjavi's speech manifest again in

Alisher Navoiy's Khamsa with high human ideals

in Uzbek literature and the field of Choghatai

literature. This process caused a close connection

between the rich Persian and Turkish literature.

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That is why a poet who worked on the themes

written by his predecessor from a new

perspective and entered a creative competition

with him achieved great success in the world of

art and immortalized his name among the rare

geniuses of the world.

As mentioned, Khamsa Navoiy is adapted from

Ganjavi's timeless work Nizami's Khamsa.

However, Alisher Navoiy's Khamsa is among the

worthiest or first places among other classical

poetry of the East. This work, written in the poet's

mother tongue (ancient Uzbek), has been widely

published among Turkish-speaking people since

its creation and has been loved and studied to this

day. The importance of the work is so great that

it is not only in the Uzbek language, which has

been translated into the world's living languages.

This success has doubled the honor and

importance of Alisher Navoiy and even Nizami

Ganjavi. From this point of view, Navoiy is

considered a capable artist who played an

exceptional role in expanding the sphere of

influence of his predecessor and increasing the

worldly fame of Nizami's works. The fact that

Khamsa Navoiy has been expanded many times

in the literature of Turkic peoples and found new

successors is a complex issue that needs

extensive research. In this research, an attempt

has been made to clarify the critical role of

Alisher Navoiy in expanding Nizami traditions in

Turkish artistic thought and gaining global love.

Alisher Navoiy took an utterly original path and

reviewed the primary sources of the works of his

predecessor, Nizami Ganjavi, by adapting

examples of oral literature and from colorful

narratives and folk tales that have Ganjavi

themes as well as the works of the poet in the folk

creativity of Turkey was associated with

exploitation. In his works, he was able to reflect

on the daily life of the Turkish people, the climate

governing the environment, and the motivations

related to the native land in his works. He was

able to present the spirit and feeling of Turkish

words in the creativity of his predecessor in a

more straightforward way. In all his poems,

Alisher Navoiy deals with the incidents and

stories that happened, and he is happy to say that

by writing his works in the Uzbek language, he

acts differently from his predecessors. In his first

poem, called "Hairat ul-Abrar," this poet says

while talking about the authors of Khamsa before

him:

Форси чу бўлди аларға адо,

Турки ила қилсам ани ибтидо.

Форси эл топти чу хурсандлиқ

Турк дағи топса барумандлиқ (Arasli, 2020)

"The predecessors wrote their works in Persian.

I started writing them in Turkish. The people of

Fars are happy about this. Let the Turks use it."

In another place, by mentioning this point, he

considered the Persian works of Turks to learn

and understand the contents. He requested that

Turkic peoples should benefit from the content of

Khamsa just like Persian languages. He

expresses this matter as follows:

Ул тил била назм бўлди малфуз.

Ким, форси англар ўлди маҳзуз.

Мен туркча бошлабон ривоят,

Қилдим бу фасонани ҳикоят

Ким, шуҳрати чун жаҳонға тўлғай,

Турк элига доғи баҳра бўлғай.

Невчунки букун жаҳонда атрок.

Кўптур хуштабъу софи идрок (Navoi, 1991)

"Those who understood Farsi enjoyed the words

read in that language. I started narrating the

narration in Turkish. I narrated (said) this

legend so that its fame would reach the world and

the Turkish people would benefit because there

are many well-mannered and pure-minded Turks

worldwide."

However, Alisher Navoiy expanded this

tradition, prominent in Turkish literary and

artistic thought, with his Khamsa in Uzbek. By

introducing the works of Nizami Ganjavi, who

was considered one of the predecessors of the

world of literature, Alisher Navoiy was able not

only to translate Persian literature into Turkish

and provide a bridge between the two languages

and literature but also to express the opinions of

the eternal artist of Persian literature, namely

Nizami Ganjavi. To introduce Turkish poets and

lovers of poetry and art and people who love

literature and customs and to strengthen the

emotional, human, and literary relationship

between Persians and Turks.

Of course, during that period, most of the Turkish

poets wrote their texts in Persian, and this caused

the ancient tradition of the Turks to be forgotten.

Alisher Navoiy, by writing Turkc and authoring

Khamsa and Muhâkemetü’l-Lugateyn, made the

Turkish-speaking people present their oral

literature in written form based on tradition and

with reasonable direction. In this way, the literary

Turkish language found a special place. Perhaps,

if the content of Nizami Ganjavi's works with

their translation by Alisher Navoiy did not

impact the people, oral literature could not have

successfully passed the path of becoming written

literature. (Golkarian, 2017)

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By translating Nizami Ganjavi's works, Alisher

Navoiy made Persian literature clear and

understandable for Turkish speakers. She created

works translated into Turkish and authored

Khamsa to explain folk oral literature. The way

of life of Turk people revealed their family and

ethnic characteristics.

In the end, it can be said that Alisher Navoiy was

a pioneer and founder of Khamsa writing in

Transoxania. Therefore, after him, people like

Beheshti, Jalili, Ahmad Rizvani, Hayati, Moeidi,

and other "Khamsa" writers benefited from

Navoiy's creativity in Turkish literature.

Characters such as Farhad, Shirin, Bahram,

Khosrow, Iskandar, and other Khamsa warriors,

under the influence of new motifs and episodes

related to the Turkish environment, lifestyle,

manners, and traditions, created unique

characteristic lines in Turkish epic poetry.

Conclusions

Khamsa Nizami is one of his prominent works

that has influenced ancient Persian and Turkish

literature. If today, Turkish literature is familiar

with his personality and mastery of the science of

rhetoric and literature, it is indebted to the poets

and writers of the 15th century AD, especially

Amir Alisher Navoiy. By translating and

adapting Nizami's works, he recognized Nizami

Ganjavi in different fields of Turkish literature in

other dimensions and aspects. Alisher Navoiy's

literary influence continues to influence the

literature of the Turkic peoples in Central Asia,

especially the Republic of Turkey. With folk

creativity, Turkish artists create outstanding and

exciting works of art by relying on folk literature

and benefiting from Nizami and Navoiy

traditions. The poets of Turkish literature from

the 16th to the 18th centuries saw numerous

examples, which have been mentioned in the

research.

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