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1THE CULTURE AND ART OF LIBRARY IN THE TIME OF TIMURID
Fatima Husanaliyevna Sharipova
2nd-yearmaster's student Oriental University.
Annotation. This article explores the culture and art of libraries during the Timurid era, highlighting their architectural features, organizational systems, and cultural significance. It examines the role of libraries in fostering intellectual and scientific advancements under the patronage of Amir Timur and his descendants. Libraries in Samarkand, Herat, Shiraz, and other key Timurid cities served as centers of knowledge, where scholars, poets, and scientists gathered for research, debates, and literary discussions. The article also discusses the structure, equipment, and regulations of these libraries, such as book shelving systems, reading etiquettes, and cataloging practices. By analyzing architectural studies, primary historical records, and Timurid manuscripts, the research underscores the enduring legacy of Timurid libraries in shaping cultural and intellectual life in Central Asia.
Keywords: Timurid libraries, Amir Timur, Mirzo Ulugbek, Sultan Hussein Bayqara, Alisher Navoi, Herat, Samarkand, Library architecture, Manuscripts, Cultural heritage.
TEMURIYLAR DAVRIDA KUTUBXONA MADANIYATI VA SAN'ATI
Fotima Husanaliyevna Sharipova
2-bosqich magistranti Oriental universiteti.
Annotatsiya. Mazkur maqolada Temuriylar davridagi kutubxonalar
madaniyati va san 'ati o 'rganilib, ularning me 'moriy xususiyatlari, tashkiliy tizimi
va madaniy ahamiyatiyoritilgan. Unda Amir Temurva uningavlodlari homiyligida
ilm-fan yutuqlarini rag'batlantirishda kutubxonalarning o'rni beqiyosigi tahlil
etildi. Samarqand, Hirot, Sheroz va Temuriylar davrining boshqa muhim
shaharlaridagi kutubxonalar bilim o'chog'i bo'lib xizmat qilgan, u yerda olimlar,
va shoirlar tadqiqot, bahs-munozaralar hamda adabiy munozaralar uchun www.sharqjurnali.uz DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14743545
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toplangan lar. Maqolada, shuningdek, ushbu kutubxonalarning tuzilishi, jihozlanishi va kitob javonlari tizimi, kitobxonlik odobi va kitobat san 'ati amaliyoti kabi qoidalari muhokama qilinadi. Maqolada me'moriy tadqiqotlar, birlamchi tarixiy ma'lumotlar va temuriylar qo'lyozmalarini tahlil qilish orqali Temuriylar kutubxonalarining Markaziy Osiyoda madaniy va ma 'naviy hayotni shakllantirishdagi o 'zgarmasmerosiningahamiyatiko 'rsatib berilgan.
Kalitso'zlar: Temuriylarkutubxonalari, Amir Temur, Mirzo Ulug'bek, Sulton Husayn Boyqaro, Alisher Navoiy, Hirot, Samarqand, Kutubxona me 'morchiligi, Qo'lyozmalar, Madaniy meros.
Introduction.
The Timurid dynasty (1370-1507) is renowned for contributing to art, science, and culture. Among its enduring legacies is the development of libraries as cultural and intellectual hubs. Libraries established by Amir Timur and his successors in cities like Samarkand and Herat preserved valuable manuscripts and served as vibrant centers for scientific and literary pursuits. This article examines the organization, architecture, and cultural significance of Timurid libraries, reflecting their vital role in the intellectual renaissance of Central Asia.
The great Amir Timur left his descendants a vast empire and good traditions. As a result of the attention paid by Amir Timur and the Timurids to science and culture, several libraries functioned effectively in the empire.
Literature Review.
The Timurid libraries have been discussed in works by prominent researchers like A.Y. Yakubovski, V.V. Barthold. and, P.A. Pugachenkova, who analyzed their architecture and functionality. Historical sources, including writings by Khandamir, provide firsthand accounts of the libraries in Samarkand and Herat. These sources reveal how libraries were integrated into larger structures such as mosques and madrasahs. Previous studies have focused on the libraries' cultural significance but
lack a detailed analysis of their operational and structural features, which this article aims to address.
Sources and Methodology
This research relies on a combination of primary historical sources, such as Khandamir's accounts, and secondary analyses by architectural historians. Descriptions of library structures, manuscripts, and regulations are analyzed to reconstruct the physical and cultural environment of Timurid libraries. Comparative studies with libraries of other Islamic empires are used to contextualize the findings.
According to Khandamir (d. 1535), in Samarkand, the library of Mirzo Ulughbek functioned as the successor to the library of Amir Timur, while in Herat there were libraries of Baysungur Mirzo, Sultan Husayn Baykara, and Alisher Navoi.
In Herat, the library of Shahrukh Mirzo was renovated and the books of Sultan Badi al-zaman were donated to it. Ibrahim Sultan in Shiraz, Sultan Badi al-zaman in Balkh, Umarshaikh Mirzo in Akhsikent, Babur Mirzo in Agra, and later Kabul, and his descendants had their libraries.
Discussion
Timurid libraries were meticulously designed, often as part of larger complexes like madrasahs and mosques. Key examples include Mirzo Ulughbek's library in Samarkand and Baysungur Mirzo's library in Herat. These libraries featured reading rooms equipped with carpets, cushions, and wooden bookshelves. Regulations emphasized the proper care of books, forbidding readers from placing them on the floor or writing in them. Catalogs were used to organize collections systematically.
Libraries also played a vital cultural role, hosting scholarly debates, conferences, and literary gatherings. The architecture of these libraries, such as high
ceilings and spacious rooms, reflected the importance of knowledge and learning in Timurid society.
Library positions.
According to historians of that time, Amir Timur took with him scribes, clerks, scribes, and historians during military campaigns, and used their services when conducting correspondence with various provinces and states. During and after military campaigns, letters, orders, and conquests were written and sent to the governors of various provinces and regions. The secretaries wrote down what they saw and heard with Amir Timur, and later these records were personally reviewed by Sahibkiran. These diaries were called notebooks and formed the basis of the official chronicle of Amir Timur and the Timurids.
After the Sahibkiran defeated the Roman (Turkish) army: "...it was decreed that the scribes should write conquest letters to Iran and Turan... The scribes, like Maulana Shamsiddin Munshi and other scribes, wrote conquest letters and sent them to Iran and Turan. And they sent another conquest letter to the Sultania - to the harems, and another conquest letter to Samarkand, and another [conquest letter] to Kabul, Zabul, and Sindh. And they sent another [conquest letter] to the Fars region, to the emirzade Rustam. They sent conquest letters to Turkestan, Kashgar, Khotan, Badakhshan, Khorasan, Khorezm, Mazandaran, Tabaristan, Gilan, Azerbaijan, Iraq Arab, Iraq Ajam, Kach, Mekran, and Seistan - all the regions," Sharafiddin Ali Yazdi noted in his "Zafarname."
Every state activity of Amir Timur was recorded by scribes, scribes, and copyists. These manuscripts undoubtedly belonged to the palace diwans and libraries.
Ibn Arabshah also mentioned the names of the most skilled calligraphers and scribes of Amir Timur's library, including Ibn Bandgir, Abdulkadir, Tajuddin Salmani, and others.
The 16th-century historian Dost Muhammad also mentions many artists who lived and worked in Samarkand, such as Khoja Abdulkhay Naqqash and Pir Ahmad Baghi Shimoli. He recognizes that the famous artist Mawlana Abdulkhay was at the head of the palace library in Samarkand. According to him, Amir Timur "brought Khoja Abdulkhay to Samarkand with his victorious army. The master died there. After the death of Khoja, all artists began to imitate his works."
Mathematicians, calligraphers, astrologers, musicians, artists, and doctors worked productively in the Timurid library. Khwandamir provides information about the positions of that time, the rights and duties of some officials, in particular - vizier, parvanachi, munshi, mustaffi, muhtasib, kalantar, mubashshir, hafiz, daruga, katib, librarian (khas kitabdar), writer, istifa, mudarris, muhrdar, muhtasib, tughranavis, etc.; he also mentions some individuals, their works, and the years of their lives.
Libraries were managed by special librarians appointed by the rulers. Holders of such positions as librarian, secretary, and katib were entrusted with several tasks, including preserving books in libraries, making copies of them, searching for and purchasing new books, managing the library's finances, and establishing the library's work order.
For example, Mawlana Fasihuddin worked as a librarian in the library of Sultan Hussein, Khaji Muhammad Naqqash (d. 1507) worked as a librarian in the library of Sultan Hussein and Alisher Navoi in Herat, and later as a librarian in the library of Sultan Badiuzzaman in Balkh. In 1499, he headed the personal library of Khandamir Navoi. In 1500, Kamoliddin Behzad (1456-1537) headed the palace library of Sultan Hussein.
Conclusion
The Timurid libraries exemplify the dynasty's commitment to fostering intellectual and cultural development. Their innovative organizational systems, architectural designs, and scholarly activities set a standard for library culture in the
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Islamic world. These libraries not only preserved the knowledge of their time but
also served as centers of cultural exchange and intellectual growth, leaving a legacy
that continues to inspire modern scholarship.
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