In the second half of the 18th and 19th centuries, cultural life, art, and literature flourished in the Kokand Khanate. Many calligraphers grew up in the cities of Fergana, led by the famous Kokand calligrapher Muhammad Sharif Dabir. Muhammad Ali Khan, Muhammad Yadgar Kokandi, and Abdullatif Hisari made a worthy contribution to the formation and development of this school...
The calligrapher Muhammad ‘Ali Khan, the Kokand Khan, the son of ‘Umar Khan, grandson of Narbuta biy and beloved son of the poetess Nadira begim. He ruled Kokand for twenty years. In his youth he studied with famous masters, holders of the “golden pen”, mastered many calligraphic scripts.
In 1842, by order of the Bukhara emir Nasrallah, Muhammad ‘Ali Khan and his sons were executed, and the rich library of the khan was plundered.
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The text is signed “Inscription of the humble Muhammad ‘Ali Khan gazi”. One of the first experiments in writing in Nasta’liq carried out by Muhammad ‘Ali Khan is presented. His further calligraphic work indicates that he reached the level of a master. Its seal reads: “Abu al-Ghazi Sayyid Muhammad ‘Ali Khan ibn Sayyid Amir ‘Umar Khan”.
Above the text, there is a large khan’s seal “Sayyid Abu al-Ghazi Muhammad ‘Ali Khan, obedient servant of Allah and the Prophet, the son of Sayyid Muhammad ‘Umar Khan” with “Oh, Hafiz! Indeed, Allah is the best of the keepers (hafiz) and the most merciful of the merciful! ”Peace“ – there will be a word of greeting from the merciful Lord!” around.
At the end of the text, there is a signature “hand of Muhammad ‘Ali. 1256” (i.e., 1840). The text was once erased with a needle, apparently out of fear of anger from Emir Nasrallah Khan.
In the Kokand school of calligraphy, the nasta'liq script also occupied a leading position. The difference between this school and other schools of calligraphy lies in the fact that the Shikasti script was widely used here when transcribing literary works.