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Section 3. Musical arts
Rasulova Tatyana Salikhovna, the Candidate of Philosophical Science, Professor of the Department of the Socially-humanities Science of the State conservatory of Uzbekistan.
Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan.
E-mail: navouzbek@mail.ru
CULTURAL HERITAGE OF MIRZA ULUGH BEG
Abstract: This article is about Ulugh Beg (1394-1449), his life and scientific activity in Central Asia. He became a ruler of Maverannakhr at the age of15 and continuethe cultural traditions founded by his granddad Amir Timur. Ulugh Begwas a highly educated person and no wonder that he began his great participation in the social, cultural and scientific construction. Thus he has built madrasah in Bukhara, Samarkand and Gij duvan, Observatory in Samarkand and has written Astronomical tables which were known in all over the world.
Keywords: Central Asia, culture, Oriental Renaissance, astronomy, Astronomical tables, Samarkand Observatory, education, science architecture.
" Often you say a word cult-ure, it means "worship of Light".
So Remind how great is common responsibility to the Light, if every thought may darken or clear the space".
(Hierarchy, 173).
Mirza Ulugh Beg (1394-1449) has left, like his great granddad Amir Timur, a deep track in the history and culture of the Central Asia, and has had influence on the developing of the world's cultural and historical process. He became a ruler of Maverannahkr at the age of 15, and then Ulugh Beg was able to keep a state sovereignty and continue the cultural traditions founded by Amir Timur. It is no more chance that later this epoch was named the Oriental Renaissance or Timurid Renaissance so far as the epoch was connected with the extraordinary developing all the components of culture, in particular science, architecture, music, poetry, landscape art and so on.
Naturally, investigators of the life and scientific work of Ulugh Begnote that in the process of his government Samarkand continued to strike (stagger) his contemporaries by the brilliance of the capital life, as the pearl of the all Central Asia. For understanding the importance of the culture was inherent in both Ulugh Beg and Timur so far as following, or according Roerich's words: "Culture is worship of Light.Culture is love of a man. Culture is fragrance, combination of life and beauty. Culture is synthesis of high and refined achievements. Culture is the weapon ofLight. Culture is rescuing. Culture is motive power. Culture is heart" [1, 46].
No wonder that Ulugh Beg himself, being highly educated, knew some oriental languages, understood the theory of the literary style, taking his part in the literary public debates, which periodically took place at court of Maverannakhr, and were dedicated to the consideration of the oriental poets' creation.
Section 3. Musical arts
Ulugh Beg, like his relatives-Timurids, wrote good poetry, and in the future would quite have been able to repeat, or even increase fame of the famous king and poet - Zakhir-ad-Din Mukhammad Babur. (If you know, Babur was a direct descendant of Amir Timur in the fifth generation).
But as fate has willed it, Mirza Ulugh Beg went to unbeaten track, thorny path of the learned-thinker, on which nobody of his kingly relatives had gone before or after him. And Ulugh Beg became a remarkable astronomer, whose fame can be comparative with the fame of his great granddad Timur, though their activities existed in the absolutely different, even opposite spheres.
When Ulugh Begwas a very young man, he began his great participation in the social, cultural and scientific construction... Thus he has built a madrasah in Bukhara, Samarkand and Gijduvan, which became a center not only religious and spiritual, but also secular education.No wonder that there is a unique inscrip-tionon the portal of Bukhara's madrasah: "Aspiration for knowledge is a duty of every Mussulman and Moslem-woman". For long before the construction of the Observatory, Ulugh Beg had begun training of the scientific specialists (as we could say today), by means of broadening the educational package of madrasah, in which besides theological subjects they taught astronomy, mathematics and history.
This fact is a good prove of Ulugh Beg's progressive views, who himself did lecturing on astronomy and mathematics in madrasah. Thus, Al-Kashi (or al-Kashani), who was contemporary of Ulugh Beg, wrote: "He (i. e. Ulugh Beg. - T. R.) gives lectures on "Leaflet of Nasir-ad-Din" and "Shah's present" so well, that it shouldn't do any addition" [2, 57].
Introduction of secular science into the madrasah educational package promoted the broadening ofthe student's world outlook, overcoming their narrowly religion views, which were widespread among the medieval society. The circumstance, that a man was able to define the stars trajectory motion, to calculate lunar and solar eclipses and so on, didn't go to Procrustean
bed of the stereotype religion views of that epoch provoking a negative reaction of the clergyman.
Scientists of that epoch tried to argue a necessity of studying stars so as to reduce the negative reaction of their contemporaries. Once a scientist Ibn-Yu-nus in the introduction of his astronomic computus, wrote: "The study of the heavenly bodies isn't alien toreligion. This study let know the prayer time, the time of rising dawn (daybreak) <...>. This study is necessary to turn to Kaaba during the prayer <.> to find the direction without losing one's way" [1, 59].
As Al-Kashi said, Ulugh Beg attended lessons in Samarkand madrasah several times a week, taking part in debates (disputes) on the scientific questions and problems. Al-Kashi himselfwrote about it: "From time to time between His Majesty (i. e. Ulugh Beg. - T. R.)and students there were such debates in different spheres of knowledge that it was impossible to describe. He even gave an order and commanded not come to the common consent untilthe scientific question would be completely solved, and didn't create an illusion that everything was absolutely clear. And if somebody agreed because of his respect to His Majesty, he was dissatisfied, saying: "Don't expose me in my ignorance"" [3, 37].
The words ofAl-Kashi denote of great intelligence, wide world outlook and genial capability of Ulugh Beg, as only a real talented man can be self-critical to understand that his knowledge isn't infinite (boundless). And only a really talented man can be generously tolerant to perceive and take into consideration the other man opinion, even if it varies with his own.
Babur in his famous "Babur-name" devoted some pages to Ulugh Beg building-construction in Samarkand, still existedin the time of Babur himself: "From Mirza Ulugh Beg buildings there were a madrasah and khanaka inside the citadel. The khanaka dome - a very high dome; there are not very many such high domes in all over the world" [3, 7].
These words say that in the time of Ulugh Beg there was high development of mathematics, for construction of such monumental building as madrasah
and khanaka with a large cupola, demanded serious and exact mathematicalcalculations. And it was impossible to do it without deep knowledge of mathematics and geometry. Therefore it is possible to say that in Ulugh Beg's time mathematics had a practical direction, connected with the necessity of astronomicalcalculations and solution of some ap-pliedarchitectural tasks.
The idea of the construction Observatory, which took possession of Ulugh Beg thoughts and consciousness (mind), as Al-Kashi said, discussed a lot with enthusiasm during the scientific meetings. Herewith Ulugh Beg not only took part at these storm debates of the Observatory construction, but he also studied carefully all the details and all the specification of the suggestedarchitecturalplan. And when the construction of the Observatory was over, it began to work in full intensity. As a result of its activity there became a famous "Zidj Gurgany", i. e. Astronomicaltables ofUlugh Beg, measurement accuracy of which were so surprised that the students were taught by them in European countries.
Babur wrote about the unique construction of Ulugh Beg: "Another high erection of Ulugh Begmirza is the Observatory at the foot of the barrow Kukhak, where the tool (equipment) for stars table compilation is placed. There are three storeys. Ulugh Beg mirzahas written Gurgany tables at this Observatory, now used in all over the world. The other tables are used seldom. Before there had been used "Ilkhan tables", by Khodja Nasiry Tusy (i. e. Nasir ad-Din At-Tusy. - T. R.) in the time of Khulagukhan in Maraga. Khulagukhan is also named Ilkhan" [1].
Such scientist-thinkers as Ulugh Beg did the utmost oftheir power, to shoulder a heavy burden on themselves so as to pull a man's thought out of the narrow-mindedness and to direct it into the Boundless Cosmic space. For Cosmic Boundless not only calls to investigate its immense celestial distance and spaciousness, but also helps to understand, that terrestrialmankind isn't lonely in the Universe. There came the comprehension of the unity of all the Boundless Cosmos, as well as understanding the deep ignorance of narrow-thinking representatives of the religious worship, ready to curse (imprecate), kill, torture to death and burn down in fires those scientists and thinkers, who possessed broad world outlook, and were able to apprehend surrounding-world without dogmatism and prejudice.
In other words, the science martyrs, i. e. remarkable scientists and thinkers among whom, there also was our Ulugh Beg, brought people the real pearl of knowledge light, freeing their consciousness (mind) and spirits from the darkignorance. What is more, the scientists not only sacrifice themselves and their personal welfare for the sake of Common Good, but often in returnreceived incomprehension, insults and even violent death from the hands of their contemporaries, who were not able either to understand or give a meaning as well as assess their progressand accomplish scientificexploit. And only posterities, to whom we, living in XXI century, comprise in, remember with deep gratitude Ulugh Beg's contribution to world science and culture, memories of which have continued to this day not only in the cultural heritage of Mirza, but also in our hearts.
References:
1. Aquotationfrom: Юсупова Д. Ю. Письмо Гийас ад-Дина Каши к своему отцу из Самарканда в Кашан.
2. Aquotationfrom: Кары-Ниязов Т. Н. Астрономическая школа Улугбека. - М. - Л.: Издательство Академии Наук, - 1950.
3. Захириддин Мухаммад Бабур. Бабур-наме // Перевод М. Салье. - Ташкент: Главная редакция издательско-полиграфической акционерной компании "Шарк", - 2008.
