Lecture Series on the History and Culture of Central Asia (Winter Term 2024/25)A look at the history of the manuscripts and research of ʿAlī-Shīr Navāʾī’s (Alisher Navoi) ‘Badāyi' al-Bidāya’A lecture by Dr. Oysara Madaliyeva, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan

21 January 2025

Photo: © Sinani

We cordially invite to the third lecture of this winter term series on the history and culture of the Zerafshan Valley. The series is jointly organized by Prof. Dr. Stefan Heidemann, Department of Islamic Studies at the Asien-Afrika-Institut (Universität Hamburg), and Dr. Shovosil Ziyodov, director of the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The subsequent lecture will be presented by Dr. Oysara MADALIYEVA, Senior Researcher, Institute of Oriental Studies, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan

• Topic: A look at the history of the manuscripts and research of ʿAlī-Shīr Navāʾī’s  (Alisher Navoi) Badāyi' al-Bidāya
• Date: January 21th, 2025, 13:00 CET
  
• Place: online via ZOOM

Why listen to Madaliyeva?
Turkish language and literature is the third among the major languages and literatures of the Islamic world. It is the youngest, and its first flowering occurred in the 16th century. The presentation leads us to one of the central figures of this development, ʿAlī-Shīr Navāʾī', who lived under the patronage of the Timūrid sulṭān Ḥusayn Bayqara, who supported architecture, book arts, and literature, and the discovery of a manuscript copied during his lifetime leads to new questions and answers.

Abstract:
The Tīmūrid period was the formative period of Turkish literature. One of its earliest and most influential protagonists was the Tīmūrid poet ʿAlī-Shīr Navāʾī (Alisher Navoi) (1441-1501 C.E.). He lived in the period of cultural flourishing under Ḥusayn Baqara. The discovery of a manuscript of his divan 'Badāyiʿ al-Bidāya' (Badoyi ul-Bidoya), copied during Navāʾī's lifetime, was a major step forward in the study of Turkish Chaghatay culture.

A debate arose about the date of composition of Badāyiʿ al-Bidāya. The presentation also discusses other noteworthy aspects. Why are the titles of Navāʾī's early divans missing from the earliest catalogs

Profile of the lecturer:
Dr. Oysara Rustamovna Madalieva is a senior researcher and associate professor at the Abu Rayhon Beruni Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Oysara Madalieva received her Ph.D. from the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies in 2021. Her scientific interests focus on medieval Turkic-Persian literary manuscripts. In recent years, she has been involved in numerous projects on Persian and Chagatai-Turkic manuscripts.

She has co-authored our catalogs, three indexes, and a book album. Oysara Madalieva's current research focuses on the history of ʿAlī-Shīr Navāʾī's texts and their historical and literary context.

She is a member of CESS, CERF, Step Sisters and WOSCU. She is also a member of the editorial board of the journal "Golden Letters" of the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature (2023) and deputy editor-in-chief of the journal "Social Sciences in Uzbekistan" of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan (2024).

In order to participate, please click here or use the following Zoom credentials:

Meeting ID: 446 979 3351
Password: 12345

For the poster of the lecture in full size, click here!
For more information about the joint Lecture Series on the History and Culture of Central Asia, please see here.