A Creator Who Left an Indelible Name in The Literary Environment of Khorezm

Abstract

Muhammad Yusuf Bayani made a достойный contribution to Uzbek literature through his original works and translations. Bayani compiled a divan, wrote historical works, and engaged in translation activities; manuscript copies of these works are preserved in the collections of several libraries in Uzbekistan. Several manuscript copies of his divan are kept in the manuscript fund of the Abu Rayhan Beruni Institute of Oriental Studies. This article provides information on the study of Bayani’s oeuvre, as well as on the manuscript copies of his divan numbered 1120, 7082, 7106, and 6666/6. It also notes that Bayani wrote poems in such genres as ghazal, mukhammas, musaddas, murabba, musabba, tarji‘band, rubai, maqta, qit‘a, masnavi, and ta’rikh. The article also presents information about the literary environment of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as well as about the scholars who studied the works of Muhammad Yusuf Bayani. In studying Bayani’s life and literary heritage, such sources as the works of poets, the writings of other authors, archival documents, and scholarly research may be cited. Different sources provide varying information regarding the years of Bayani’s birth and death, and this article clarifies those discrepancies. The article further notes that although various studies and literary sources have provided partial information about the life and work of Muhammad Yusuf Bayani, such research remains insufficient. It argues that Bayani’s literary legacy requires more comprehensive study and that new scholarly research should be undertaken.