The Case Study of Nawā'ī's Khamsa (1483-1485)
Presented by Marc Toutant
Thursday, October 22, 201511:00 AM - 1:00 PM
11372 Bunche Hall
Turks and Iranian have been interacting for at least one and a half millennia in Central Asia. This contiguity has led to a mutual dependence with profound cultural effects. Particularly representative of these symbiotic bonds, the Timurids were closely acquainted to the Persianate culture. Far from trying to differentiate their domination over the sedentary Iranian population by a specific aesthetic program, the last successors of this Turko-Mongolian dynasty did not cease to model their artistic achievements on the Persian canons. In the context of a research project which focuses on the general analysis of the relations between Turkic and Persian languages in Central Asia, Marc would like to examine how a masterpiece such as ‘Alī Shīr Nawā’ī’s Khamsa(five narrative poems composed between 1483 and 1485 in Herat) can be interpreted in a new way. Up to now, most of the studies devoted to this Chaghatay rewriting of the famous Persian quintet have proved to be reluctant to deal with its ambiguous links to the Persian tradition. Its understanding in the light of recent research carried out in the fields of architecture, painting and literature in the Timurid capital at the end of the 15th century has provided new perspectives. It shows that Nawā’ī’s poetic endeavor can be seen as a singular embodiment of major Timurid aesthetic trends of this period and a privileged access to the cultural history of the region.