Munis Khorezmi, Shir-Mukhammed Avazbiiogly

Born 1778 in Khwarazm; died 1829 in Khiva. Uzbek poet and historian.

Of noble birth, Munis Khorezmi received a good education and became a calligrapher and an expert on music. He inherited from his father the court post of mirab, “the distributor of water.”

Munis Khorezmi’s works include ghazals, which were consolidated in a divan (9,500 two-line bayts); the historical chronicle of Khwarazm Paradisiacal Garden of Happiness, which covers events up to 1812; and Treatise on Literacy. His chronicle was kept up until 1872 by his nephew and pupil, the poet Agakhi. This work contains a wealth of factual material.