About the “Boburnoma”

According to the textbook, the “Boburnoma” is a work of literary and historical importance: it gathers the mountains, rivers, climate, population and social-political situation of medieval Asia and the experiences of many people. The work covers about 50 years of events from Andijan, Samarkand, Khujand and Herat to Kabul and Agra, but events of 1508–1520, 1525 and 1530 are not reflected in it. Bobur at first called his work “Vaqoyi’” (“Events”); after the samples of prose from the time of Yusuf Khos Hajib and Rabghuzi and the prose that Navoiy raised higher, the “Boburnoma” became a distinctive discovery in Uzbek prose. Events are told precisely, concisely and in keeping with life’s truth; the author pays great attention to nature, to descriptions of places and people. Bobur assesses rulers such as Amir Temur, Ulugh Beg, Husayn Boyqaro and Shaybani Khan, as well as poets, painters and musicians, including Navoiy, Behzod and Jami. Truthfulness, courage, love of justice, kindness and strictness appear in Bobur’s character; he tried not to hide even his own mistakes.