THE EVOLUTION OF THE ALEXANDER NARRATIVE IN UZBEK LITERARY CRITICISM

Abstract

The study of the Alexander (Iskandar) theme in Uzbek literary scholarship represents a crucial intersection between Eastern and Western literary traditions. This article examines the systematic investigation of the Alexander figure, which is rooted in the ancient Greek “Alexander Romance” Persian classical poetry (notably Nizami Ganjavi), and oral folk traditions. The research identifies four distinct stages in the evolution of this field: early 20th-century Russian Orientalist foundations, the Soviet-era focus on Alisher Navoi’s “Saddi Iskandariy” the post-independence expansion into comparative-typological studies (1991–2010), and the contemporary era characterized by specialized philological and folkloric inquiries. By analyzing the contributions of key scholars such as E.E. Bertels, A. Hayitmetov, and I. Ismoilov, this paper elucidates how the image of Alexander has transitioned from a historical figure to a multifaceted literary archetype embodying the ideal of the just ruler.