The Influenceability of Abdul Ghani Khan from Hakim Omar Khayyam Neishaburi

Introduction

In all cultures, the process of influence and being influenced gives rise to the creation of literary works, as no work is created in isolation or without consideration of previous works. On the other hand, the issue of being influenced in all cultural fields, especially literature, is a natural matter because later poets and writers are influenced by earlier poets and writers in terms of thought, form, rhetorical techniques, language, and similar aspects. The extent of this influence depends on the type of connection the poet has with the works and the language in question. Some poets, who are only familiar with their mother tongue, create based on that same language and their literary environment, while others are also influenced in their creation of works by poets and writers of other languages. Assessing the extent of influence of poets is a difficult task because some of them borrow concepts and topics from others and reflect them in such an artistic way that the audience thinks that all the content is an original creation of that poet's mind and the signs of being influenced by others are not very apparent in their works; however, the borrowing of another group may be clear and obvious. The issue of being influenced can be seen both in one language and in multiple languages. However, in terms of influence, researchers have focused more on the creation of works in different languages, because the issue of influence within a single language is considered outside the realm of comparative literature. Literary scholars believe that examining the extent of influence and being influenced in works in different languages is the duty of comparative literature. Comparative literature indicates the transfer of the literature of one nation to the literature of another nation, examining what a literature has borrowed from the literature of other nations and what it has contributed to them. The boundary between the literature of one country and the literature of other countries lies within the domain of comparative language studies. According to some researchers, the difference in languages is a condition for conducting comparative research in the field of literature.
 

Methodology

This is theoretical research. Like other theoretical studies, it is based on library research and the examination of articles available in reputable scientific journals and websites. In the present research, using a descriptive-analytical method, the influence of Khayyam's quatrains and the Khayyam school on Ghani Khan has been examined.
 

Discussion

Ghani Khan (1914-1996), son of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, son of Bahram Khan, was born in the village of Utmanzai, Peshawar. He is one of the poets of the Pashto language, whose works show the influence of Persian speakers, especially Khayyam. He has a prominent place among the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Therefore, the poetry of this poet has always been of interest to Pashto literary scholars.
On the other hand, although Ghani Khan and Khayyam are very distant in terms of time and life, there are similarities in the poetry of both poets. Ghani Khan has verses in praise of Khayyam, and these verses reflect Khayyam's status and position in Ghani Khan's view. Furthermore, this research attempts to extensively discuss the influence of Khayyam and the Khayyam school on Ghani Khan in areas such as: seizing opportunities, the inevitability of death, enjoying life, destiny and fate, pessimism towards life and death, opposition to hypocrisy, and similar themes. Additionally, Ghani Khan has praised Khayyam’s taste and imagination and has sometimes wished for Khayyam’s taste and imagination.
The most influences of Khayyam and Khayyam’s poetry on Ghani Khan are seen in the areas of seizing opportunities, the cup and wine. Ghani Khan has reflected this in various parts of his divan and in different ways.
 
4.Conclusion
Influence and being influenced in all cultures lead to the creation of literary works; because no work has been created without attention to previous works and independently. Throughout history, tribes and nations have been connected with each other in various ways. Therefore, in the world, in all times and places, no literary work can be found that is free from influence and being influenced. The extent of influence and being influenced in the literary works of different languages is the duty of comparative literature. Ghani Khan is one of the poets of the Pashto language, who has been greatly influenced by Persian-language poets, especially Khayyam, in his poetry. He has a prominent position among the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In his poetry, Ghani Khan expresses issues such as: the insignificance of the world and the brevity of life, seizing the moment, questioning the act of creation, and similar themes, which have many similarities with Khayyam. Ghani Khan is in search of answers to questions which the answers of these questions are not easy to find; questions about nature, life, death, and similar topics.
If we say that Ghani Khan, in all his life and poetry, is influenced by Khayyam and is even his disciple, we might not be exaggerating. Furthermore, if we consider Khayyam from the 5th century and Ghani Khan from the 14th century as one soul in two bodies, anyone who is a Khayyam scholar and a Ghani scholar might not dare to disagree with this statement.
Therefore, these statements mean that the path Ghani Khan has taken is one that Khayyam had already traveled. It is evident that Ghani Khan has admitted to the old age of Khayyam and to being his disciple.
In general, if we say that the greatest influences of Khayyam and Khayyam's poetry on Ghani Khan are most seen in the areas of seizing opportunities, the cup, and wine, it can be observed that Ghani Khan has reflected this in various sections of his divan and in different ways.
Khayyam can be considered both the elder and guide of Ghani Khan, as well as his counterpart. This means that when Ghani Khan shows respect for Khayyam and mentions his name repeatedly, Khayyam is referred to as his elder. But when Ghani Khan criticizes Khayyam and sees him as weak and incapable in the face of pain, suffering, sorrow, and struggle, it can be said that he is criticizing his counterpart, viewing Khayyam as someone who is always fleeing and seeking refuge in wine and the cup.