Report : Tazeen Akhtar / Photos : Raja Ghulam Fareed
Language is the main source of connecting people in the communities and countries. Alive nations keep their culture, history and traditions alive in which language is main and central because culture, history and traditions are depicted in the language. Republic of Uzbekistan is celebrating 35th Anniversary of State Language and 630th anniversary of the birth of the Great Statesman and Scholar – Mirzo Ulughbek.
A ceremony was held at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Islamabad in the same connection. Another importance of this event was that the new Ambassador Mr. Alisher Tukhtaev had first interaction with the friends of Uzbekistan in Islamabad who included gov officials, academia and journalists. With relevance to the Language, the main personality who graced the event was, Mr Saleem Mazhar, Chairman Urdu Language Promotion Authority of Gov of Pakistan.
Renown expert on Uzbekistan, Mr. Khalid Temur Akram mastered the event while Ambassador, Chairman Urdu Authority and the guests spoke on commonalities between Uzbek and Urdu language.
Mr. Saleem Mazhar spoke highly about the language of Uzbekistan and about the level love, respect and nearness, the people of both countries feel for one another. He assured his full cooperation to promote as well as translate the work done in Uzbek language into Urdu in Pakistan. He recalled his visits to Uzbekistan and cherished the sweet memories of interactions with the Uzbek academia and intellectuals in Tashkent and Samarkand.
Ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev in his keynote address welcomed the guests and shared that 35 years ago on October 21, 1989, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the State Language was adopted, granting the Uzbek Language official status.This event holds great significance for our culture and identity, as language is an inseparable part of our national spirit, traditions and self-awareness.
“The Uzbek language has always been more than just a means of communication. It is a living heritage of our ancestors, reflecting deep wisdom, history as well as customs. Through language, values are passed down that connect generations and strengthen our society. Each proverb, each line of poetry, and each folk song is a treasure preserved by our language, Ambassador emphasized.
He added , “For centuries, the Uzbek language has served as a cultural bridge, uniting various ethnic groups and peoples who have lived on this land. It has fostered the development of literature, art and science, making our contributions to global culture invaluable.
The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan places special emphasis on strengthening and promoting the Uzbek language, both domestically and internationally. Numerous initiatives have been implemented to develop education in the Uzbek language, support young writers and create opportunities for preserving linguistic heritage.”
Ambassador said, “The law adopted 35 years ago which laid the foundation for the status of the Uzbek language, and much has been done since then to popularize it. Thanks to the efforts of our Government and civil society organizations, the Uzbek language has become an integral part of all aspects of our life – from education to the media.”
Here it is worth mentioning that the Uzbek language continues to thrive, and even abroad, including in Pakistan, favorable conditions are being created for learning it. The Dictionaries are being published and various modern IT programs are being developed.
Mr. Alisher noted, “As a result of strengthening the bonds of friendship between our nations, with roots that go back thousands of years, our languages have also enriched each other. A testament to this is the Uzbek-Urdu Dictionary of Mushtarak (Common)Words, compiled by the Uzbek scholar Ansoriddin Ibrohim. There are more than 4,000 similar words in Uzbek and Urdu languages, which foster understanding between our brotherly peoples.”
The Uzbek Language Learning Center was established in 2005 at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad. Ms. Saniya Iskanova, a representative of this Center attended the ceremony at the Embassy.
For Mirzo Ulughbek, the Ambassador shared his scientific legacy and role in the history and spiritual life of the Uzbek People. Mirzo Ulughbek was a great Uzbek scholar, thinker and statesman whose name is forever inscribed in the history of civilizations of the World and science.
“He was not only a great ruler of the Timurid Dynasty but also an outstanding scholar whose achievements had a profound impact on the development of astronomy, mathematics as well as education. His greatest achievement was the establishment in the early 15th century of one of the most famous observatories in the world – the Samarkand Observatory, Ambassador expressed his views for Mirzo Ulughbek.
The Observatory became a center of scientific research, where Mirzo Ulughbek and his research-students made groundbreaking discoveries. Among these was the renowned astronomical catalog “Ziji Jadid-e Kuragoni” which accurately described the positions of 1,018 stars.
This work not only amazed his contemporaries but remained a benchmark for scholars from various countries for centuries. Mirzo Ulughbek showed that science knows no boundaries, and his works inspired subsequent generations of astronomers.
However, his contributions were not limited to science. Mirzo Ulughbek was a true educator who understood the importance of knowledge for society. In his famous madrasa in Samarkand, he gathered the best scholars of the time, fostering the development of science, education, and culture in the region. Under his guidance, Samarkand became one of the largest intellectual centers of the world.
“Mirzo Ulughbek laid the foundations of the scientific method, based on observation and precise calculations, which became a crucial step in the advancement of modern science. His discoveries, made more than five centuries ago, remain relevant today, highlighting the genius of this great man, Ambassador paid homage to the scholar of his time.
His life is a shining example of how a passion for knowledge and science can change not only one’s own era but also influence the future of all humanity. Mirzo Ulughbek left an indelible mark on world science and culture. His name has become a symbol of the quest for truth and knowledge.
“We are proud that Mirzo Ulughbek is an integral part of our historical and cultural heritage, and his scientific achievements continue to inspire scholars worldwide today, including renowned Pakistani astronomers like Muhammad Shahid Qureshi, Maulana Muhammad Musa Bazi Rouhani, Sami Khan Solanki, and others, Ambassador concluded.
Friends of Uzbekistan including the journalists also shared their views on the topics. This scribe, the Editor of “Pakistan in the World” magazine shed light on some subjects that are already known to majority of Pakistanis like the names of the main cities of Uzbekistan. He also mentioned the common words in both languages.
He suggested to highlight the famous love story of Sohni Mahinwal in which Mahinwal was an Uzbek trader , real name Mirza Saeed Bek who traveled to Sub Continent of India during Aurangzeb Alamgir’s rule. He said that more Uzbekistanis live in Pakistan than in Uzbekistan, refering to the communities, Mirza, Moghal, Bek (Baig) Tirmizi and Bokhari etc.
With regards to language, The poets, intellectuals, authors of Uzbek background have matchless work on Urdu language. Mirza Asad Ullah Ghalib is the most read and refered poet in Pak India sub continent. His ancestors came from Uzbekistan to United India when Aurangzeb Alamgir was ruling here. Aurangzeb’s daughter Zaib un Nisaa was also a very good poetess.
The participants pledged to work together with the Embassy of Uzbekistan to promote information and strengthen the bonds on both sides using the commonalities of culture and history on both sides.
Sohni Mahinwal
A love story that reveals a special relation between the two nations. He said that Pakistan, especially Punjab has many historical love stories that are known in India as well. Both countries’ film industries have produced many films on these love stories. Sohni (Beautiful) and Mahiwal (Buffalo Herder) is one of these stories. Mahiwal was Mirza Izzat Bek (Baig) from Bokhara. In the 18th century , Izzat Bek came to India as a trader and stayed near Gujrat (present Punjab, Pakistan).
Report : Tazeen Akhtar / Photos : Raja Ghulam Fareed
