19th century

Mahmur (Mahmud Shermuhammad o'g'li)

?–1844Satire

Biography

Mahmud, the son of Mulla Shermuhammad, known by the pen name Mahmur, was a poet and soldier and one of the greatest figures of Uzbek satire, active in the Kokand literary circle from the end of the 18th century until 1844. He was born in Kokand in the household of Mulla Shermuhammad (Akmal), one of the learned poets and scribes of the day; he had his first lessons from his father and afterwards studied in the madrasas of Kokand. He served as a sipahi (sarboz) in the army of the Kokand khanate and took part in the campaigns of Umarkhan (Amiriy) and Muhammad Alikhan, but he was out of temper with the injustices of the khanate and with the beggarly condition of the military class. Mahmur entered the history of Uzbek literature as a master of the sharp hajv and of political and social satire: he stepped outside the traditional literary moulds and set down the bitter truths of his age openly. In such works as 'Hajvi haft qavm' (Satire on the Seven Tribes), 'Hajvi Mullaqo'zi', 'Hajvi Qozi Rajab' and 'Hajvi A'lam' he exposed without mercy the bribery and ignorance of the khanate, the hypocrisy of the ulema and the vices of its officials. His celebrated ghazals with the refrains 'Aftobachi' and 'Karnay' hold up to ridicule the sham careerism of the court and the sudden stratification of society. The poet spent his last years in poverty; in the poems with the refrains 'Hali' and 'Bizning uydadir' the destitution of his family and the tragedy of the age are set out with a deep and bitter humour. Fazliy Namangoniy's 'Majmuat ush-shuaro' and other Kokand tazkiras note that Mahmur, together with his father Akmal, held a place of his own in the literary life of the khanate and was famous for his ready wit. He is the chief foundation of the bridge of satire that runs from Gulkhaniy to Muqimiy.

Excerpt

— From a satirical ghazal

This excerpt has been translated into more languages than the site itself

Translation

Приди, о друг, взгляни сперва на мою походку, а после — на кружение купола, на кружение моей чалмы. Кто увидит мою чалму, тот решит, что перед ним муфтий; а выйдет фетва из моего дома — взгляни на срам моего позорища. Борода отросла, чалма велика, обличье — как у подвижника: взгляни, сколько внутри лукавства, и в чём тайна моей «святости».

Original

Kelgil, ey ahbob, avval tarzi raftorimni ko'r, Ba'd davri gumbazi davri dastorimni ko'r. Kimki dastorimni ko'rsa, o'ylagay mufti debon, Chiqsa fatvo ro'zg'orim, rasmi rasvorimni ko'r. Rish kelsa uzun, sallam buyuk, zohid sifat, Ichda yuz makkorlig', sirri tabarkorimni ko'r.

Works

“Hajvi haft qavm”
“Hajvi Mullaqo'zi”
“Hajvi Qozi Rajab” va “Hajvi A'lam”
“Aftobachi” va “Karnay” radifli g'azallar