By Ms. Nahid
Edited by Farhad Azad
[Mahmoud(in the center) at his court in Ghazni with a few of his poets]
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The height of culture and science in Central Asia was during the
10th and 11th centuries. Under the power of Naser or the Ghaznevid reign
established by Aleptagin Shah in 972 AD, the city of Ghazni prospered.
With the massive economic boost the city gained in the trade of arts, literature, and science.
Aleptagin Shah was succeeded by his son-in-law Saboktagin in 977.
Following him, his sons Ismael and Mahmoud overtook the throne. At the end,
Mahmoud conquered the throne from Ismael after a ferocious battle.
Mahmoud was born in 971 and educated in traditional sciences by
the distinguished scholar Bu Ali Hainair; Mahmoud became well versed in the
arts of combat and poetry.
As ruler of Ghazni, Mahmoud's court was an appealing site
for sustaining poetry. This art loving Shah(king) hired numerous writers
and poets annually to work in his court. It is estimated that four hundred
poets had occupied his court. Numberless books and other works
embracing distinct areas of literature and science were composed
during Mahmoud’s rule. Some of the celebrated scholars were
Abudl Fazl Baihaqi, Aburaihan Alberuni, AbdulFath Basti,
Khwaja Ahmad Hassan Maimandi, and Abu Nasr Mushkan.
Famous poets included, Ansuri Balkhi, Farokhi Sistani, and Ferdowsi.
One of the most important works in the Dari language that was
completed during Mahmoud's rule was Ferdowsi's epic Shahnama.
This epic is acknowledged as the emblem of the epic of the ancient lands of Central Asia.
On account of post-Islam empires, the Ghaznavid dynasty
was one of the most magnificent kingdoms in sustaining the arts.
Renowned philosophers and scholars like Qabus Shamigar, Khwaja Kalan
Hassan, and many others lived in the Ghaznavid kingdom; they enlightened
and enriched the Dari language and literature. Other cities under the
Ghaznavid monarchy progressed and flourished into centers for knowledge
and literature.
The majority of the poets in Mahmoud's court strove to create
great poetry that brought to light the natural beauties of the world. The
leading poet at this craft was Manuchehri who acutely wrote poetry that
was centralize on the sweet and unique expressions and the love of nature.
Ibn Sina or Avicenna was the leading scholar of his time in
philosophy and medicine. He wrote numerous books in Dari and Arabic.
A poet of a different nature that centralized on Sufi mystic
thought was Hakim Sana'i who was born in the city of Ghazni. His greatest
work was Hadiqat-ul-Haqiqiat (The Garden of Truth) which was the first
Mathnawi in the Dari language.
The leading elegist in the Dari language was Farokhi Sistani; his
works are considered the most pleasant and harmonious. Farokhi also
was a composer of music, and he skillfully mastered and created new
styles which are still embedded in traditional Afghan music. His poems
became lyrics to countless songs in the courts.
Numerous other poets and scholars came out of the
Ghaznavid kingdom. Each played their significant part in
developing Dari and developing many of the standards of the
language which are still utilized today. On the whole, the
Ghaznavid Era was a remarkable and notable period in Dari literature.
(This article was first published in the Kabul magazine Afghanistan Today.) |
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