Muhammad Ali (1942-), writer

H. B. Paksoy, AACAR Bulletin (of the Association for the Advancement of Central Asian Research), Vol. II no. 3 (Fall 1989)

Muhammad Ali Ahmedov was born 1 March 1942 in the Beshgul village, Buz District, Andijan Province of what was then the Uzbek SSR. He graduated from the Gorkii Institute of Literature (Moscow) in 1966 and returned to Tashkent.

Muhammad Ali began writing at the age of fifteen. Since then, his published poetic works include: Feelings in Outerspace (1967, Fezadaki Hisler); Dawn (1968, Shafak); Homeland of the Forefathers (1970, Atalar Yurdu); Colorful Flowers (1973, Elvan Chichekler); The Dastans (1974, Dastanlar); Ninachi Hakkinda Ertak (1976); Ak Nur (1977); The Muse (1980, Ilham Perisi); To Love and to be Loved (1983, Sevsem Sevilsem); Gumbazdaki Nur (1985); Sen Bir Gulsen (1989); Voices of Life (1975, Golosa zhizn); Saz (Moscow, 1984); Beshgul (1986); Friendship Road (Almati 1987, Dostluk Yolu); Poems (Nukus 1990, Shiir ve poemalar).

His dastans Mashrab (1966); Gumbazdaki Nur (1967); Beshgul (1963); Muhabbat (1983) are enormously popular. His The World Remaining (1981, Baki Dunya) is concerned with the events surrounding the Dukchu Ishan movement. It appeared in Russian translation during 1984.

Muhammad Ali's latest historical novel Sarbadarlar (1992, two volumes) is set in the Fourtenth century, at the time of Timur's (d. 1405) youth.

He has also distinguished himself as an essayist on historical, cultural and economic issues. Especially his "Let us Learn our Inheritance: Get to Know Yourself" ("Oz Ozingi Anglab Et"), "Unfortunate Sea" (Nasibesiz Kalgan Dengiz), "Do not be Afraid of the Truth, History!" (Hakikattan Chekinma, Tarih!) concentrates on the fundamental issues of Central Asia. His 1992 volume Ashik bulmay, Hak diydarin kursa bulmas contain such articles and essays.

Muhammad ali also translated the old Indian epic Ramayana (1978), dastan Shahriyar (1977), Masposhsho (1985), Robert Burns (1971), and Galaktion Tabidze (1982). For the Uzbek analysis of Ramayana, he was awarded the degree of Candidate of Philological Sciences. His works have been translated into Modern Turkish, Russian, English, German, Chinese, Dari, and Ukrainian.

Muhammad Ali was Laureate of Uzbekistan Lenin Komsomol, and recipient of the Karakalpak ASSR Berdak State Prize. He is also an Uzbek Peoples Writer.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

This entry is adapted from a pamphlet issued by the Uzbek Writers Union in 1992, honoring Muhammad Ali on his Fiftieth birthday. Muhammad Ali's "Let us Learn our Inheritance: Get to Know Yourself" (cited above) was serialized in the weekly Young Leninist (Yash Leninchi) during August 1988. This essay was translated into English, with annotations, and first appeared in AACAR Bulletin (of the Association for the Advancement of Central Asian Research) Vol. II, No. 3 (Fall, 1989). It was reprinted in Cahiers d'Etudes sur la Mediterranee orientale et le monde turco-iranien (Paris) No. 11 (1991), 141-158; and included in H. B. Paksoy, Ed., Central Asia Reader: Recovery of History (New York: M. E. Sharpe, 1994).