Sa’dulla To‘ra – Information on the Biography of Sa’diy

Abstract

The life and poetic activity of the famous Khorezm poet of the late 19th - early 20th century Sa'dulla To'ra Sa’diy are considered in this article. Although Sa'diy was an important figure in the Khiva literary circle, here I argue that much of his work goes unexamined. Sa'diy, who served the patronage of Feruz, was a leading figure in the classical Uzbek literature and had enormously impacted theUzbek ghazals and masnavis, mixing Turkic and Persian poetry. There are mentions of Sa'diy's life and work in sources such as Tazkirayi Shuaro, and Majmuayi Si Shuaro-yi Payravi Feruzshohiy, yet a complete biography and research on his poetic legacy still has significant gaps. The methodology draws a comprehensive review of existing literary and biographical sources that shed light on Sa'diy intellectual maturity and the cultural and social environment of his time. Sa'di's poems have contained profound philosophical, moral, and romantic contexts, as portrayed in the full text; and his poems coincide with the general literary context of his age. The finding relates to the notion that although Sa’diy's writings follow the track of some of his role models, it still can be meaningful and full of intellect, and emotional content. The significance of this research, thus, is in the preservation, transcription and thorough analysis of his works, clarifying Sa'diy's role in the formation of the Uzbek literature and ultimately, his place in the history of literature in Central Asia. More works have to be done to understand what this writer meant and the unexplored dimensions of his work.