The influence of Muhammad Sharif Gulkhani's "Zarbulmasal" on Tajik literature, exemplified through one masnavi

This article analyses the historical, cultural and artistic connections between Uzbek and Tajik literature, illustrating their mutual influence through Muhammad Sharif Gulkhani’s Zarbulmasal. Drawing on scholarly evidence, the author argues that Persian-Tajik literature—particularly classical figures such as Jomi, Sa'di and Hafiz—exerted a profound influence on the formation of Uzbek literature. In Zarbulmasal, Gulkhani satirically exposes the vices of folk life—social injustice, ignorance, hypocrisy and tyranny. The masnavi verses, notably the images of the donkey and the farmer, foreground human virtues such as diligence and honesty. The study examines the work’s artistic features, symbolic system and didactic content, revealing a harmony between Persian-Tajik literary traditions and Uzbek oral folk art. Overall, the article makes a valuable scholarly contribution to our understanding of the historical foundations of Uzbek–Tajik literary relations.