Nizami and Navai: The Poetic Response as an Original Work

This article examines the decisive role of Nizami Ganjavi in the formation and development of Eastern epic poetry and the literary activities of the leading representatives of the “Khamsa” tradition that emerged under his influence. The study comparatively analyzes the works of these poets and Nizami’s masnavis in terms of plot structure, thematic content, ideological orientation, and artistic-aesthetic value. Particular emphasis is placed on the “Khamsa” of the distinguished Uzbek poet Alisher Navai. Through comparative textual analysis, it is demonstrated that although Navai was inspired by Nizami, he produced original poetic compositions that reflect the socio-political realities and intellectual climate of his own period. One of the central focal points of the article is the comparison between Nizami Ganjavi’s masnavi Khosrow and Shirin and Alisher Navai’s masnavi Shirin and Farhad. These two works differ not only in terms of narrative structure, compositional design, and characterization, but also in their modes of representing the social order of their respective periods and their interpretation of historical experience. The study also addresses the contributions of poets such as Amir Khosrow Dehlavi, Jami, and Hatifi to the “Khamsa” tradition and, where necessary, incorporates their works into the comparative framework.