Literary Development, Patronage, And Aesthetics in the Timurid Era: The Legacy of Alisher Navoi
Keywords:
Alisher Navoi, Timurid literature, patronage, bilingualism, Chaghatay TurkicAbstract
This study explores the literary and cultural landscape of the Timurid era, focusing on the dynamic interplay between patronage, aesthetics, and literary production. Using the example of Alisher Navoi, a prominent statesman and poet, the article investigates how the Herat court fostered a dual literary heritage in Persian and Chaghatay Turkic, thereby constructing a vibrant bilingual literary field. The analysis highlights how Navoi's contributions—both as a poet and as a cultural patron—exemplify the intellectual sophistication and conscious innovation of the Timurid “renaissance.” Drawing on historical chronicles, literary treatises, and modern scholarly interpretations, the study contextualizes Timurid literature as a product of both refinement of Persianate traditions and pioneering assertion of Turkic poetic legitimacy. It also examines the role of symbolic aesthetics and Sufi-influenced ethical ideals in shaping the narratives and imagery of Navoi’s epics, particularly the Khamsa. The findings underline that Timurid literary culture was not a static inheritance but a consciously constructed legacy, whose resonance extended far beyond the political lifespan of the dynasty.
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