QUSIK.134

2. .
Ilyas Yusif oglu Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209) -was born in the artisan
family, studied at the schools in Ganja, perfectly learned medieval century
sciences by reading, especially, became close familiar with spoken and written
literary of Middle East people. He knew turkish, arabic, persian, greece
languages as well as ancient greek history and
phylosophy, astronomy, medicine and geometry sciences.In 1169/70 he got
married to Afag (Appag), daughter of gipchag, who was sent by Seyfaddin
Muzaffar , ruler of Darbend , as a slave.
In 1174 Mahammed,his son was born. Nizami Ganjavi started his creative work
with lyric poems. His works show that he had created great divan (collected
works) , became famous as the author of ghazal and complimentary poems.
But less part of his divan which was consisted of 20000 couplets, as East
narrators noted, has survived. Nizami Ganjavi had written lyric poems during
the whole his creavity , later he has expressed his progressive social-
phylosophic opinions, for the first time, in these poems.

3. The lyrics of Nizami Ganjavi is notable for humanist ideas
of high mastership, secular attitude to love, human fade. But
Nizami Ganjavi had gone to history of world literature
literature as an author of 'Khamsa'' consisted of 5 poems
written in the form of couplets couplets. His first poem titlled
''Makhlanulasrar'' (Treasure of secrets) written in
1177, brought him great popularity.In 1180 he has completed
his poem ''Khosrov and Shirin'' written by the order of III
Togrul and has sent it to Mahammed Jahan Pahlavn. After
Jahan Pahlavan's death, Gizil Arslan coming to crown has
met the poet at his camp near Ganja and listened to his
advises, has gifted him a village called Hamdunyan.
In 1188,I Ahsitan ,ruler of Shirvan asked him to write a poem
on the subject ''Leyli and Mejnun''.Nizami Ganjavi wanted to
refuse ,but he accepted it at his son's request and he
created ''Leyli and Mejnun'' at short time for the first time
in East. In 1196 he has written ''Yeddi gezal'' (Seven beautiful
girls ) for Aladdin Korpa Arslan and at last he wrote
''Iskendername'' (in 1203) by the end of his life, where he
rounded up his all literary-aesthetic, social-phylosophic views.

4. Humanist, public-political, social and moral ideals of that time, have been clearly
expressed in Nizami Ganjavi's creativity which was the peak of the First East
Renaissance. Humanty was the main criterion of the personality as to Nizami
Ganjavi. He was against racial, national and religious separation and we find the
representatives of Turkish, Persian,Arabic,Chenese, Indian,Negro,Greek, Georgian
etc.nationals among his heros. Humanist poet is not against nationalitis, religious
views of these heros which belong to different religion. His heros struggle for justice
justice,happiness,high goals.
Respect to human personality, human labor are the main subject of the poet's crea-
tivity. Nizami Ganjavi was a patriot too. He was trying to link all events described in
his poems with Azerbaijan and singing of past days of his homeland. Love Mother-
land for native people is conected with the idea of heroism in the creativity of Niza-
mi Ganjavi . Nizami Ganjavi's creativity has greatly influenced on the development
of Caucasusian , Middle East people's (Persian,Tajic,Indian,turkmen,uzbek,gazakh
girgiz etc). literary , gone down to treasure of world culture.

7. A story of pre-Islamic Persian origin which is found in the great
epico-historical poems of Shahnameh and is based on a true story
that was further romanticized by Persian poets. The story chosen
by Nezami, was commissioned and dedicated to the Seljuk Sultan
Toghril II, the Atabek Muhammad ibn Eldiguz Jahan Pahlavan and
his brother Qizil Arsalan. It contains about 6,500 distichs in
length, the story depicts the love of Sassanian Khosrow II
Parviz towards his Armenian princess Shirin. Khusrow and Shirin
recounts the story of King Khosrow's courtship of Princess
Shirin, and vanquishing of his love-rival, Farhad. The story has a
complex structure with several genres exploited simultaneously;
and contains many verbal exchanges and letters, all imbued with
lyrical intensity. Khosrow endures long journeys, physical and
spiritual, before returning to Shirin, his true love. They are
eventually married, but eventually Khosrow is killed by his son and
Shirin commits suicide over the body of her murdered
husband. Pure and selfless love is represented here embodied in
the figure of Farhad, secretly in love with Shirin, who finally falls
victim to the king's ire and jealousy.
The influence of Vis o Ramin is visible as the poem imitates a major
scene (that of the lovers arguing in the snow) from Vis o Rāmin, as
well as being in the same meter (hazaj) as Gorgāni's
poem. Nezami's concern with astrology also has a precedent in an
elaborate astrological description of the night sky in Vis o Rāmin In
turn, Nezami's great work had a tremendous influence on later
authors and many imitations of this work were made. With
complete artistic and sturctual unity, the epic of Khosrow o Shirin
turned to be a turning point not only for Nizami but for all of
Persian literature.

8. A story of Arabic origin which was later absorbed and embellished by the
Persians. The poem of 4,600 distichs was dedicated, in 1192, to Abu al-
Muzaffar Shirvanshah, who claimed descent from the Sassanid
King, whose exploits are reflected in Nezami's "Seven Beauties"(Haft
Paykar). The poem is based on the popular Arab legend of ill-starred
lovers: the poet Qays falls in love with his cousin Layla, but is prevented
from marrying her by Layla's father. Layla's father forbids contact with
Qays and Qays becomes obsessed and starts signing of his love for Layla
in public. The obsession becomes so severe that he sees and evaluates
everything in terms of Layla; hence his sobriquet "the possessed"
(Majnun). Realizing that cannot obtain union even when other people
intercede for him, he leaves society and roams naked in the desert among
the beasts. However the image of Layla was so ingrained in him that he
cannot eat or sleep. His only activity becomes composing poetry of
longing for Layla. Meanwhile Layla is married against her will, but she
guards her virginity by resisting the advances of her husband. Arranging
a secret meeting with Majnun, they meet, but have no physical contact.
Rather they recite poetry to each other from a distance. Layla's husband
dies eventually which removes the legal obstacles to a licit union.
However Majnun is so focused on the ideal picture of Layla in his mind
that he had fled to the desert. Layla dies out of grief and is buried in her
bridal dress. Hearing this news, Majun rushes to her grave where he
instantly dies. They are buried side by side and their grave becomes a site
of pilgrimage. Someone dreams that in Paradise they are united and live
as a king and queen. Nezami composed his romance at the request of
theShirvanshah Akhsatan. Initially, he doubted that this simple story
about the agony and pain of an Arab boy wandering in rough mountains
and burning deserts would be a suitable subject for royal court poetry and
his cultured audience. It was his son who persuaded him to undertake the
project, saying: "wherever tales of love are read, this will add spice to
them". Nezami used many Arabic anecdotes in the story but also adds a
strong Persian flavor to the legend.

9. The Romance of Alexander the Great" contains 10,500 distichs. There are differences of opinion on
whether this was Nezami's last epic or the Haft Paykar. The names of its dedicatees are uncertain
but the ruler of Ahar, Nosart al-Din Bishkin b. Mohammad has been mentioned. The story is based
on Islamic myths developed about Alexander the Great, which derive from Qur'anic references to
the Dhu'l-Qarnayn as well as from the Greek Alexander romance of Pseudo-Callisthenes. It consists
of two books, Sharaf-Nama and Iqbal-nameh. The poem narrates the three stages in Alexander's life:
first as the conqueror of the world; then as a seeker after knowledge, gaining enough wisdom to
acknowledge his own ignorance; and finally as a prophet, traveling once again across the
world, from west to east, and south to north to proclaim his monotheistic creed to the world at
large.
The Sharaf-nama discusses the birth of Alexander, his
succession to the throne of Rum (Greece), his wars against
Africans who invaded Egypt, his conquest of Persia and his
marriage to the daughter of Darius. The episode also discusses
Alexander's pilgrimage to Mecca, his stay in the Caucasus and
his visit to Queen Nushaba of Barda' and her court of Amazons.
Alexander conquers India, China and the land of the Rus. The
Sharafnama concludes with Alexander's unsuccessful search
for the water of immortal life.
The Iqbal-nameh is a description of Alexander's personal growth
into the ideal ruler on a model ultimately derived, through
Islamic intermediaries, from Plato's Republic.He has debates
with Greek and Indian philosophers (c.f. with Garshaspnama)
and a major portion of the text is devoted to the discourses he
has with seven Greek sages. The poet then tells of Alexander's
end and adds an account of the circumstances of the death of
each of the seven sages. Nezami's image of Alexander is that of
an Iranianknight.

10. A pre-Islamic story of Persian origin, it was dedicated to the ruler of Maragha, 'Ala' Al-
Din korp Arslan. It is the story of Bahram V, theSassanid king, who is born
to Yazdegerd after twenty years of childlessness and supplication to Ahura Mazda for a
child. The Haft Paykar is a romanticized biography of the Sasanian Persian empire
ruler Bahram Gur. His adventurous life had already been treated by Ferdowsi in
the Shahnama, to which fact Nezami alludes a number of times. In general, his method
is to omit those episodes that the earlier poet had treated, or to touch on them only very
briefly, and to concentrate on new material. The poet starts by giving an account of the
birth ofBahram Gur and his upbringing in the court of the Arab King No'man and his
fabled palace Khwarnaq. Bahram whose upbringing is entrusted to Nom'man becomes
a formidable huntsman. While wandering through the fabled palace, he discovers a
locked room which contains a depiction of seven princesses; hence the name Haft
Paykar (seven beauties). Each of these princesses is from the seven different climes
(traditional Zoroastriani-Islamic division of the Earth) and he falls in love with them. His
father Yazdegerd I passes away and Bahram returns to Persia to claim his throne from
pretenders.