Volume 4, issue 5, 2025
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THE DEPICTION OF THE ERA OF OPPRESSION IN ASQAR MAHKAM’S POETRY
Gulshoda Baxtiyorova
Student of Urgench State University
Abstract:
This article presents a literary and ideological analysis of the poetic lines written by
Asqar Mahkam that reflect the period of totalitarian rule.
Keywords:
Asqar Mahkam, poetry, colonial period, people, Jadid enlightenment, lyrical hero,
rhyme, the principle of historicism.
When analyzing a literary work, several critical principles are employed. One of them is the
principle of historicism. This principle focuses on the accurate depiction of a certain historical
era within a literary text. Regardless of the form, the spirit of the time during which a work was
written is always present, to a greater or lesser extent. It reflects the lives of people and society
during specific years. When examining the works of any writer or poet, the context of the era
they lived in cannot be ignored. The talented poet Asqar Mahkam’s poems possess these features.
In his works written in the late 20th century, he vividly depicts the hardships endured by the
people during the totalitarian regime and the bitter reality of human lives at that time.
In his poems such as “Afsus” (“Alas”), “Zeb berdilar…” (“They Adorned…”), “Bu loy
devor ostida…” (“Under This Mud Wall…”), “Mashriq” (“The East”), and “Chirigan shox-
shabba tomini…” (“The Rotten Twigs on the Roof…”), the policies of the colonial period, the
suffering of the people, and the cruelty of Soviet officials are presented.
We are the ones who honored traitors,
We are the ones who turned our brave into the unvalued…
What other nation sends its women
Into the fields to work like cattle?
This poetic fragment is taken from Asqar Mahkam’s poem *Afsus*. The poet speaks of the
tragic and sorrowful condition of our people during Tsarist Russia. Some Uzbeks flattered and
served Russian officials. After the annexation of the three khanates, a resettlement policy was
implemented, which brought Russians to Turkestan. They were given the most fertile lands and
homes. Meanwhile, local people were left to perform menial labor, engaged in agricultural tasks
without rest. They produced tons of cotton, even in the bitter cold of winter. People of all ages,
from seven to seventy, were forced to work in the fields.
In this context, it is appropriate to recall a scene from Sharof Boshbekov’s comedy “Temir
xotin”(“Iron Woman”), in which the character Alomat says to Qo‘chqor:
“You beat your chest claiming to be a cotton grower, yet you can’t even find cotton in your
bedding! Look at your clothes-everything the light industry rejects ends up on people like you.
What is this? Who wears a nylon dress in this heat?”
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These lines are a direct criticism of the situation endured by the Uzbek people. In the first line of
Mahkam’s poetic excerpt, this same issue is emphasized-how people honored the oppressive
officials and gave them places of honor while they themselves remained marginalized. The
second line accuses society of dishonoring its bravest members-those who, like Cho‘lpon,
Abdulla Avloniy, Abdulla Qodiriy, Abdurauf Fitrat, Mahmudxo‘ja Behbudiy, Hamza
Hakimzoda Niyoziy, Is’hoqxon Ibrat, and Munavvarqori Abdurashidxonov, strove to awaken
national consciousness but were persecuted under colonial oppression due to betrayal by their
own countrymen.
Such courageous and educated figures were devalued by their fellow nationals. During
wartime, when men were sent to the frontlines, women and children were left to toil endlessly in
the fields. Similar scenes are found in O‘tkir Hoshimov’s novel “Between Two Doors” (Ikki
eshik orasi). Structurally, the poem contains absolute rhyme with the words “xoinlarini”
(“traitors”) and “xotinlarini” (“women”), with the consonant “n” as the rhyme letter. The rhythm
follows a 6+5=11 syllabic pattern, and the repetition of “bizmiz u” (“we are the ones who…”) at
the beginning of the first two lines increases the emotional impact.
…Such national murderers
Know neither the homeland, nor us…
Their countless slaves
Let them live like pharaohs…
Even if the Uzbek perishes,
They have villas in Europe…
In this excerpt, the poet writes about "national murderers"—those who live in luxurious
mansions under constant medical care. They are ignorant of the hunger and nakedness of
ordinary people's children, of the sunburnt women and scorched men working in the fields. They
are indifferent to the people's pain and know nothing of patriotism, national pride, or the fate of
the nation. They have entourages to serve them and live like pharaohs. Even if the Uzbek people
disappear, it means nothing to them—they have wealth and European villas. Artistically, the
poem is masterfully composed. Though not obviously rhymed, the poetic flow is maintained
through the harmonious use of grammatical suffixes: “bizlarni”, “bari”, “villalari”, “qullarining”,
and “ularning”.
The East no longer existed,
The great mosques had been destroyed.
At every step one saw the path
Of the “leaders” who devoured Asia…
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This excerpt from Mahkam’s poem “Mashriq” (“The East”) recalls the dark days faced by the
nation during totalitarianism. The first line states that the East-symbolizing the spiritual and
cultural identity of the region-had ceased to exist. Due to the Russian invasion and forced
Russification, Eastern traditions, values, and religious beliefs were trampled. Mosques were
demolished. National holidays were banned. Uzbeks were forced to adopt the Russian way of life.
Not only did colonizers seize land and resources, but they also destroyed national identity,
traditions, religion, and language. Lenin and Stalin-the so-called “leaders”-were at the helm of
this ideological and cultural destruction. They “devoured” Asia, both materially and spiritually.
The poem follows a rhythmic meter of 4+5 syllables, enhancing its emotional intensity. The
rhyming of “butkul” (“completely”) with “yo‘l” (“path”), and “jomelar” (“mosques”) with
“dohiylar” (“leaders”) ensures phonetic harmony.
You think this people will not wash their pain with blood,
That they won’t take a life in exchange for a life!..
You think this people is a treasure chest of gold for you,
White cotton, warm bread, hired laborers.
In “The Letter of Eshon Bo‘rixon of Hoqand to General Iskobil”, the lyrical hero addresses the
Russian general, symbolically named “jonorol Iskobil” (a satirical rendering of General
Skobelev’s name). The poem portrays the fierce determination of the Uzbek people-those who
would wash their pain with blood, who would give their lives for the homeland. The repeated
phrase “you think” underscores the challenge to colonial arrogance and ignorance, warning that
the nation will not remain passive under oppression. Uzbeks are not treasures to be plundered,
nor slaves to be exploited-they are a resilient and proud people. Structurally, the first two lines
rhyme with “qon” (“blood”) and “jon” (“life”), while the suffix “-dir” in the last two lines
contributes to the poem’s rhythm. The repetition of “jon” adds to the intensity.
Whatever period is depicted in Asqar Mahkam’s poetry, his central criterion is truthfulness-he
calls black black and white white. He not only portrays the past but urges readers to love and
defend their homeland, even at the cost of life. His patriotic, Jadid-inspired poems call upon us to
understand the true value of freedom and independence.
References:
1. Asqar Mahkam. Bu ishq edi. Tashkent, 2017.
2. Boshbekov Sh. Temir xotin. Tashkent, 2016.
3. Hoshimov O‘. Ikki eshik orasi. Tashkent, 2015.
4. Qosimov B. et al. Milliy uyg‘onish davri o‘zbek adabiyoti. Tashkent, 2004.
5. ziyo.uz internet site
