Bukhara, located in southern Uzbekistan, is said to be the hometown of Nasser al-Din Avanti.
Afanasiy was my idol in my youth.
I haven’t heard that he has read many books, but he is extremely intelligent, even the most knowledgeable scholars in the court cannot compare to him.
He didn’t seem to have any martial arts skills, but he dared to fight with the rich, local officials and kings, and used his wisdom to make fun of them, help the poor, and punish evil and promote good.
What I envied the most was that he would ride around on a donkey all day, singing little songs, feeling free and at ease, wherever he went…
Of course, Afanti’s stories are also humorous. Wit, humor, and righteousness are probably Afanti’s trademarks.
I’ve only seen this in cartoons, movies, and storybooks. Interestingly, I never considered Avanti to be a real person. He’s more like a mythical or fairytale figure, like Sun Wukong, Nezha, or the Frog Prince.
So, when I first read the book written by the former Soviet writer SolovievThe Biography of Nasser al-Din AvantiI was a little shocked when I read it! Of course, I don’t believe that this fictional biography is true. But if you think about it, and think about the possibility of it, wouldn’t you be surprised?
Afanti may really exist!
My previous impression was that even if Afanti existed, he would be from Xinjiang, right? However, the book states that his birthplace was Bukhara (located in present-day southern Uzbekistan, the country’s third-largest city), and his grave is in Kanibadam. He traveled from Xinjiang, China in the east to Turkey in the west, exploring the Muslim cultural regions of Central and West Asia.
As for the time when this Afanti lived, according to the research of translator Qiu Xiaolun, judging from the background of the events involved in the story, it was around the 19th or 18th century or earlier, and judging from the cultural background shown in the story, it can be traced back to the 9th century AD or earlier.
So, to put it simply, Afanti must be an “ancient man”.
http://www.hongniba.com.cn/bbs/resman.aspx?action=download&uri=@@__5/2747/object/0
Bronze statue of Avanti in Bukhara
Such a lovely character, any nation would be happy to recruit him as a member, and would also collect all the most intelligent and humorous stories (no matter which dynasty) under his name.
However, there is one thing that we often overlook. No matter where Afanti’s hometown is, he is a Muslim from head to toe, a hero of the Islamic world. Afanti’s stories are full of the customs and practices of the Islamic world in Central Asia and West Asia, and also reflect the values and humanistic ideals of Muslims. I think this is probably because of readingThe Biography of Nasser al-Din AvantiThe biggest gain for me.
We never noticed this when we were young, and even if we knew it, we might not understand it. Among those stories labeled “Afanti stories”, many were actually made up by Han people — even the Han people were happy to recruit him into the group, and even attributed some non-Muslim cultural aspects to him. On the other hand, it also shows that despite different religious beliefs, the humanistic foundation is actually very similar.
This biography of Afanti is very different from the various Afanti stories I have read before. It strives to make readers believe that Afanti really existed.
Since Afanti is a real person, he must be a mortal. Mortals have emotions and desires, and their abilities are limited; mortals always make mistakes and face setbacks… All of this is reflected in this biography of Afanti.
For example, at the beginning of the story, Afanti is a rather romantic lone ranger, frequently sneaking into the harems of kings and local officials and engaging in affairs of pleasure. Returning to his homeland of Bukhara, he met Guljian, the beautiful daughter of Niyaz, a pot-maker, and fell in love with her wholeheartedly, eventually marrying her. To avoid persecution from the ruler, the Emir (equivalent to a king), he and his wife traveled extensively, bearing two sons along the way before finally settling in Khorgant under an assumed name. Even after marriage, even this resourceful Afanti was fortunately henpecked. Whenever he ventured out on a mission, he had to resort to all possible means to negotiate with his wife to achieve his goals—for example, sending his wife and children out of the house and then completing ten days’ worth of household chores in one day before their return. Imagine the challenges of being a knight-errant!
The Biography of Nasser al-Din AvantiIt is a super long novel. It took me more than a week to finish it the first time. It is divided into two parts:
The first part mainly tells the story of Afanti’s dealings with Emir of Bukhara. This part is very lively and a bit complicated, but very interesting and also quite thrilling. Afanti is imprisoned and almost loses his life.
The second part mainly tells the story of how Afanti cleverly and single-handedly took back the ownership of the reservoir from a local bully and benefited the local people.
The second part is longer, and the story unfolds at a leisurely pace, yet with a wonderfully paced feel. While superficially less intense than the first, the problems involved are more challenging and realistic, creating a somewhat witty mystery. Furthermore, the second part incorporates a number of reflections on religion and ethics, a somewhat metaphysical element that seamlessly integrates the story, avoiding boredom and providing a wealth of insights. I preferred the second part.
The most unique aspect of Part Two is the chapter that arrives at the end, Chapter 33 (of Part Two’s 39 chapters total). The author, midway through the main story, suddenly drops the subject, whetting the reader’s interest while delving into Afanti’s life story and childhood. This storytelling technique is reminiscent of storytelling, though the question is why the protagonist’s childhood story is relegated so late in the story.
I think it’s mainly because Afanti’s childhood story isn’t particularly relevant to the two main stories here, but it’s also very fascinating. The author had been wanting to tell it for a long time, but couldn’t find the right place. Finally, as the story was almost over, it felt too late to tell it, so he rushed to do it. Also, if readers don’t know much about Afanti, telling his childhood story first might not give them a strong feeling, so the author held back.
In short, the inclusion of this story about Afanti’s life and childhood surprised me at first, but gradually I became very fond of it and read it many times without realizing it. I even asked an editor friend at the publishing house for the text and am posting it here to share with everyone.
That chapter is very long, about 20,000 words. If it were all posted together, I guess few people would be able to finish reading it.I split it into three parts:
〖Part 1: Afanti’s Life〗 This part has a very strong flavor of folk tales, a little bit of legendary color, and is also very touching.
〖Part 2 The Mysterious Libra〗
The first part of this section reads very much like a folk tale, depicting the young Afanti’s witty responses to adult merchants. However, later, with the appearance of the ferocious, ugly old gypsy woman, the story becomes increasingly like a coming-of-age novel. A wealth of psychological description is included here. After teasing and pranking the old woman with the other children, the kind and sensitive young Afanti is deeply traumatized. A mysterious scale deep within him tests his soul, leaving him feeling deeply distressed. He begins to reflect and repent, even re-examining the mentality of the Bukhara masses with the perspective of a philosopher, yet still childlike. He personifies this public mentality as a “Bukhara giant,” and seriously considers how to deal with this terrifying giant.
I think this is probably the question that Afanasiy, the hero who represents the highest wisdom of Muslim folk, has been pondering throughout his life.
If your opponent is vicious and evil, such as a cruel enemy, a brutal ruler, a greedy rich man, etc., you only need to use cleverness and courage to defeat them, punish evil and promote good, and eradicate all evil.
But what if your opponents are the people around you? They are kind-hearted by nature, but under the cruel pressure of life, they have become selfish, cowardly, and ignorant. Together, they may become a mob, ignorantly and unknowingly bullying the weaker, or even becoming accomplices of tyrants and villains… What would you do then?
Young Avanti’s “rivals” lived alongside him, even the very people who gave birth to and raised him. They were originally so kind and lovable, but now, combined, they became the “Bukhara Giants”! As young Avanti grew up, he traveled extensively, encountering these giants everywhere. Let’s see how Avanti dealt with them.
〖Part 3: Challenging the Bukhara GiantThis part is a very fascinating story of wisdom. The young Afanasiy, who has insight into human nature, successfully helped the old Gypsies woman by taking advantage of human weaknesses, and also taught the Bukhara people a lesson and made them laugh.
This is a typical Afanti story of wisdom. What makes it different from the Afanti stories we have read before is that it adds humanistic care in addition to its cleverness, making it feel more real, touching, and inspiring meditation.
If you think about it carefully, the most indispensable thing in Afanti’s wise stories is the childishness. They seem simple, even a little absurd, but they go straight to the core. The onlookers applaud and laugh, and the victims are at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
The childish Afanasiy is my eternal idol.
