Mirzo Ulugbek – a ruler who aimed his gaze towards the stars.

The history of Uzbekistan is rich with the names of great thinkers and scholars who have left an indelible mark through the ages. They lived in different times, but their knowledge, progressive, and humanistic views contributed to the advancement of science and culture. Among the constellation of encyclopedic scholars, a special place is occupied by Mirzo Ulugbek – a scientist-astronomer, mathematician, historian, connoisseur of music, poetry, statesman, who made a huge contribution to the development of world science and human civilization.

Mirzo Ulugbek (Muhammad Taragay) was born on March 22, 1394, in Sultania (Iranian Azerbaijan) during one of Amir Timur's campaigns in Iraq and Azerbaijan. He was the eldest son of Shahrukh and the grandson of the great Amir Timur on his father's side, and on his mother's side, the grandson of the influential Kipchak Amir Ghiyath ad-Din-Tarkhan. The name Muhammad Taragay, given at birth, was replaced by the nickname Ulugbek ("Great Bek") in his childhood.

Very little information about Mirzo Ulugbek's childhood years is found in written sources of the 14th-15th centuries. Ulugbek, from his early years, accompanied Amir Timur on his military campaigns alongside his tutor Saray Mulk-Khanum, attended important meetings, and receptions of foreign envoys. It is worth noting Amir Timur's special involvement in the upbringing, education, shaping his grandson's interests, and acquiring knowledge. Sahibkiran sensed in him an extraordinary mind and aptitude for learning. Ulugbek remained at his grandfather's court surrounded by the best teachers until his grandfather's death.

After Amir Timur's death in February 1405, there was a struggle for the throne in Mawarannahr for several years, in which Sahibkiran's younger son Shahrukh emerged victorious, and the vast state was divided into two large regions – Mawarannahr and Khorasan. By the end of the first decade of the 15th century, almost all of Amir Timur's legacy was concentrated in the hands of Shahrukh. In 1409, he appointed his son as the ruler of Mawarannahr and remained in Khorasan, which he had governed during his father's lifetime.

Mirzo Ulugbek became the ruler at the age of 15 under the guardianship of Shah-Malik. His independent reign began in 1411, and for forty years, until 1449, there was political and economic stability in Mawarannahr, and Samarkand turned into a center of education, science, and culture.

Mirzo Ulugbek paid great attention to education. By his order, madrasahs were built: in 1417 in Bukhara, in 1420 in Samarkand, in 1433 in Gizhduvan, where alongside religious sciences, students received knowledge in mathematics, geometry, astronomy, medicine, and other disciplines. These madrasahs have survived to this day.

The most advanced educational institution was the Samarkand madrasah located on the Registan Square. According to researchers' estimates, it is one of the best monumental structures of the Middle Ages. Mavlana Muhammad Khawafi, a dervish, a commoner with deep scientific knowledge, was appointed as the first muḥaḍḍith.

Famous scholars of their time, associates of Mirzo Ulugbek, such as Qazi-Zadeh Rumi, Ghiyath al-Din Jamshid, Husayn Birjandi, and Ali Kushchi, taught at the madrasah.

According to written sources, Mirzo Ulugbek sometimes lectured students himself on mathematics and astronomy.

Emphasizing the importance of sanitary and hygienic conditions, Mirzo Ulugbek ordered the construction of a bathhouse and a barber shop near the madrasah. Trees were planted around the madrasah so that students could study and relax in the shade during hot summer days.

Alisher Navoi in his work "Khayr al-Abrar" wrote that young people came to Samarkand hoping for the support that Mirzo Ulugbek provided to those who wanted to study. Even boys from poor families could receive education in the madrasah. He ordered scholarships and clothing to be provided to such students.

The Samarkand madrasah gained fame far beyond Mawarannahr. It is known that it trained not only mosque servants but also state officials, scholars, and teachers for maktab schools and madrasahs. This contributed to the advancement of science and culture.

The main difference of the Samarkand madrasah of Mirzo Ulugbek from other similar institutions in Mawarannahr was the teaching methods applied. Mirzo Ulugbek carried out a reform in the madrasah. Students were not required to blindly obey or memorize texts. A schedule was established mandatory for both students and teachers. Attendance of classes was recorded.

One of the points of Mirzo Ulugbek's reform was the inclusion of madrasah maintenance expenses in the state budget.

For astronomical observations, Mirzo Ulugbek built an observatory in Samarkand. As the renowned academic Galina Pugachenkova wrote, "The forty-year reign of Ulugbek was a time of brilliant flourishing of secular culture in Mawarannahr, especially the development of exact and natural sciences, mathematics, and astronomy, which this extraordinary scientist, unparalleled in the history of the East, passionately pursued."

The main result of Mirzo Ulugbek's scientific activity, which brought him worldwide fame, was the "Zij-i Jadid-i Guragani" ("New Guragan Astronomical Tables" or "New Guragan Zij"). The work is valuable because it was compiled as a result of practical observations long before the invention of the telescope.

It is well known that similar catalog tables were compiled before Mirzo Ulugbek, but by the beginning of the 15th century, there was a need in science for more accurate and detailed tables. Ulugbek's "Zij" met all the requirements of that time. The work consists of four books. The first is dedicated to the chronology and calendars of the Chinese, ancient Turks, Persians, Greeks, and Arabs. The second covers spherical astronomy and mathematical geography, presenting mathematical and geographical tables. The third discusses the movement of planets and stellar astronomy, with tables of planetary motions and a star catalog describing the coordinates of 1,018 fixed stars. The fourth book is dedicated to astrology.

Mirzo Ulugbek's contributions as a medieval scholar and ruler of Mawarannahr were recognized and highly esteemed worldwide. He was and remains a great scholar of his era. The research results of the Samarkand astronomical school have taken a worthy place in the treasury of world science.