The image of babur in the epic ‘shaybani khan’: historical truth and artistic interpretation

The epic Shaybani Khan, composed by the poet Po‘lkan, is a classical example of the Uzbek historical epic tradition, focusing on the figures of King and poet Babur Mirza and Shaybani Khan. In this narrative, Babur’s negative portrayal is analyzed in comparison with historical reality, highlighting the political and ideological context of the epic, the positive depiction of Shaybani Khan, and the authentic historical portrait of Babur. The study also examines the challenges of interpreting historical figures in oral literature.