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).
