The Fergana school of calligraphy: personalia

The Fergana school of calligraphy: personalia

Zahiraddin Muhammad Babur was a famous statesman, commander, poet, historian, and calligrapher. Babur invented his own alphabet called Khatt-i Baburi.

The Fergana school of calligraphy: personalia

Muhammad Latif (19 century) was a prominent calligrapher from Kokand, the son of Muhammad Sharif from Shahrisabz. He transcribed “Chahar diwan” (Four Diwans) by Nawai in Nasta’liq script in the beginning of the 19th century. Each part of this manuscript was illuminated with patterns in gold and many-colored paints (Inventory No. 1715).

Mirza Dabir l ived i n t he fi rst h alf of t he 19th century. He transcribed “Diwan” by Fuzuli in Nasta’liq script by the order of Muhammad ’Ali Khan in Kokand in 1836 (Inventory Nos. 150, 3465).

Muqimi Muhammad Amin Khwaja Mirza Khwaja ogly (d. 1903) was a poet and calligrapher. He transcribed qit’as and ruba’is in fine Nasta’liq script (Inventory No. 9309).

Ma’sumkhan Gulkhani (d. 1922) – was a poet and calligrapher, a contemporary of Muqimi. He transcribed many books and textbooks.

Raji Khuqandi (d. 1924) was a calligrapher who transcribed a series of works on philosophy and poetry. One of the manuscripts is deposited at the Museum of Literature in Kokand.

Ishaqkhan Turaqurghani (d. 1937) was an enlightener, poet and calligrapher under the pen name of Ibrat. The Institute’s collection possesses his autographs (Inventory Nos. 10117, 11618).

You can learn more about this topic in the book-album “The Collection of the Al-Biruni Institute of Oriental studies, the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan” (part five, “Miniature and Calligraphy”) (Volume XXV) from the series "The Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan". 

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