“BOBURNOMA” — A HISTORICAL, LITERARY, AND HISTORIOGRAPHICAL SOURCE

Abstract

The article is devoted to a multifaceted analysis of the “Baburnama” — the autobiographical memoirs of Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur (1483–1530), written in Chagatai (Old Uzbek) language. The work is examined as an outstanding historical source reflecting political events, military campaigns, and socio-cultural life in Central Asia, Afghanistan, and India from the late 15th to the early 16th century; as a unique literary monument featuring elements of confessional prose and poetic insertions; and as valuable source material for linguistic, onomastic, and ethnographic studies. Particular attention is paid to the frankness of the narrative, the cultural synthesis of the Timurid era, and issues related to the translation of the text.