The Formation of the Divān of Badāyi‘ al-bidāya by ‘Ali Shīr Navā’ī and Its Great Importance in the History of Classical Turkic Literature

In the annals of Turkic literature, the emergence of a poet like ‘Ali Shīr Navā’ī (1441–1501) and compiling his poems, resulting in the creation of the collection known as Badāyi‘ al-bidāya, stand as a momentous event. Therefore, a compositional work like Badāyi‘ al-bidāya ordered by Navā’ī himself, had not yet been created. In the context of Turkic divānism, the tradition of including a preface commenced with the work Badāyi‘ al-bidāya. Within this divān, the juxtaposition of a profound ghazal featuring the verse “Ashraqat min 'aksi shamsi-l-ka'si anvāru-l-hudā” and the inclusion of a tarji‘band that commences with the verse “Ketür sāqī, ul may-ki, subh-i alast” contributed to the intricate structure of the divān, which comprises distinct compositional works – poems. The Badāyi‘ al-bidāya holds importance with its portrayal of the adolescence and youth themes in Navā’ī’s poetry and emerged as a result of the author’s meticulous attention to his inaugural book. Numerous scholarly investigations have been conducted on the manuscripts of the Badāyi‘ al-bidāya. Only through a comparative analysis of the newly identified manuscripts of Badāyi‘ al-bidāya alongside the previously known ones can reliable conclusions be drawn regarding the structure of this divān. This study compares Badāyi‘ al-bidāya to other concurrent divāns as an important event in the Turkic literature’s history