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The era ofthe reign ofQueen Tamar is truly considered as the "GoldenAge" ofGeorgian culture. Itwas
in that period when a number ofgreat scientific, historical and literary works were created, including the
crown ofGeorgian poetry, Shota Rustaveli's immortal epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin.
Shota Rustaveli, the author ofthe Georgian national epic, The Knight in the Panther's Skin, was a
contemporaryofGeorgia's Great Queen Tamar, and as is seen from the poem, he was a man ofnoble birth
and a trusted person at her court.
Very little is known about the life of Shota Rustaveli. According to a suggestion, the author ofThe
Knight in the Panther 's Skin was born inc.1162-1166. There is a legend that after the death ofQueen
Tamar, in the 1 1 20s, the old poet went to Jerusalem, where he died in the Georgian Monasteryofthe Holy
Cross. Shota Rustaveli's name is included in one ofthe documents ofthe Georgian Monastery at Jerusalem
and a fresco ofhis image with an inscription is preserved on one ofthe pillars ofthe same monastery.
It is evidenced from the poem that its author was a highly educated man who spoke several foreign
languages and had an intimate knowledge ofthe ancient and oriental literature and philosophy.
The Georgian scholars suggest that the masterpiece ofworld poetry, Shota Rustaveli's epic poem The
Knight in the Panther's Skin, was created in the time ofQueen Tamar and her husbandDavid Soslan, c.
1189-1207.
It was the image of Queen Tamar that inspired Shota Rustaveli to write the poem, and the author
dedicated his remarkable literary creation to Tamar. This is clearly mentioned by Rustaveli in the epilogue
ofthepoem.
The epic abundantiyevidences that the author ofthis brilhant literarywork is a great humanist ofmedieval
world. Shota Rustaveh was among the first who surpassed the ideology estabhshed in his epoch. Through
poetry, he glorified loftyhuman feelings - love and friendship, religious tolerance. He sangofthe friendship
ofthe peoples, equahty ofrights and respect to a woman in society.
Shota Rustaveli inhis epic poern describes the etemal struggle ofgood against the powers ofevil. In this
struggle, as is emphasized by the poem's author, the victory over evil, the triumph of love cannot be
achieved without friendly fîdelity and valor.
Despite ShotaRustaveli's love and devotion tohisnative countryandpeople, nationalnarrow-rnindedness
and religious fanaticism is ahen to the author ofThe Knight in the Panther's Skin. The poem is a perfect
model ofexpressing sohdaritybetween the nations. The characters are representatives ofdifferentnations,
religions and social status groups. However, this does not prevent them from showing unbiased friendship
and strong loyaltyto each other. The plot ofRustaveli's poem is set in a wide space including the countries
known to us, such as India, Arabia, Persia, China, as well as the fictionaîized lands - Mulghazanzar
(Pridon's kingdom), Gulansharo (merchants' kingdom) and others.
ShotaRustaveli's epic poemis an immortal hymn in which the author glorifies andpraises valor, heroism,
gallantry and fidelity.
One ofthe chiefthemes ofThe Knight in the Panther's Skin is possession ofequal rights between man
andwoman, upholding ofwoman's honour.
By portraying the femaîe characters -Tinatin and Nestan-Darejan, Rustaveli in his poem comes out
against lawlessness ofwomen enrooted in the eastern countries ofmedieval world. In this case, the author
describes the reality ofGeorgia. King George D3, who had no male heir, enthroned his daughter, Tamar.
The masterpiece ofGeorgian poetry Shota Rustaverh 's The Knight in the Panther's Skin, containing Ûie
ideas common to allhumanity, has exceeded the bounds ofGeorgia and is included in the treasuryofworld
literature. The fact that the poem has been translated into many languages proves its universal recognition
and significance in world fiction.
Now one more translationranks in the collection ofthe Georgiannational epic in foreign languages. The
Knight in the Panther's Skin has been translated into one ofthe oldest languages ofthe world, Kurdish.
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