01/07/10 - Narratives of Historical Events in Antique Manuscript

Дата публикации: Jan 19, 2012 1:16:57 PM

The manuscript stock of the Institute for Oriental Studies of Uzbekistan’s Academy of Sciences has a unique book titled Tazkirat-ush Shuaro published in 1605 by the historian Mutribiy Samarqandiy. Along with the information about Eastern poets of the second half of the 16th and first half of the 17th century, the author presents a detailed account of scholars, educational institutions, urban planning, historical monuments, minarets and gardens in Samarqand that he was witness to.

An observer of many historic events, Mutribiy Samarqandiy tells about spring of 1598 when Abdulmumin bin Abdullahon destroyed the cupola and Bayni tok (arch) built by Ulughbek in Samarqand. In his bitterness the author wrote about destruction of Ulughbek’s observatory in 1590. He also informs about secondary and higher education institutions like Oliyai Saroymulkhonim Madrasah, Sulton Ulughbek, Amir Shohmalik, Ho’ja Ahror Vali, Shayboniyhon, Abu Saidhon, Amirhon, Qozi Sokiy Zominiy, social and exact sciences and teachers. The renowned Samarqand scholar Behruz Ma’rufiy states that this source is of huge value and importance in terms of studying the past of Samarqand. The author of the book recollects the Ulughbek’s Madrasah as “the model of the globe that soared upwards and then returned back with spinning motion”, geographical coordinates on it, names of towns and regions. Mutribi copied this map and represented it in his work Tazkirat-ush Shuaro. The map depicts the globe in the form of semicircle with seven regions on it with their specific climate, land and ocean colored in different colors. In particular, it showed Egypt, Alexandria, Basra, Great, An-Nahrun Nile (the Nile River), Behron, Domgan, Multon, Kandagar, Sanandaj, Hojent, Bukhoro, Hazorasp, Horazm, Bulgor, Kashg’ar, Olmaliq, Nayman, Khonbaliq, Rome, Jazirayi Bahri Fors, Sayhun, Bahri Ukyonus, Jazirai Kamerun, Sind, Zaytun and other territories.

According to Behruz Ma’rufiy, discovery of coordinates of 683 settlements was one of the highest and important achievements of Ulughbek and his school. Along with that, in his book Tazkirat-ush Shuaro, Mutribiy Samarqandiy cites priceless data about the location of towns and countries. This proves that the academy by Mirzo Ulughbek accurately defined many geographical distances using different astronomical instruments. They compiled a catalogue of 1,018 stars and defined the duration of the year: 365 days, six hours, ten minutes and eight seconds (the calculation error was only 0.58 seconds). This calculation turned Samarqand into the world’s science center.

According to Mutribiy’s evidence, this map was drawn on the wall of the madrasah. 150 years after Ulughbek’s death students from various regions continued studying the natural science in Samarqand that remained the popular scientific center in the 16th century as well.

The copy of the map was enlarged and placed in Mirzo Ulughbek Madrasah in the new exposition Scientific and Architectural Heritage by Mirzo Ulughbek.