Choʻlpon

Who was Choʻlpon?

Abdulhamid Sulaymon oʻgʻli, most commonly known by his penname Choʻlpon, was an Uzbek poet, playwright, novelist, and literary translator. Choʻlpon was one of Central Asia's most popular poets during the first half of the 20th century and was the first person to translate William Shakespeare’s plays into the Uzbek language.

The word "Choʻlpon" means a "morning star" in Uzbek. Choʻlpon's three collections of poems, namely, Uygʻonish, Buloqlar, and Tong sirlari were published during his lifetime. Cholpon's novel Kecha va kunduz is one of the most highly acclaimed novels in the Uzbek literature. Choʻlpon also wrote a number of plays and many short stories.

Choʻlpon's works had a big impact on the works of Uzbek writers. Unlike his predecessors, Choʻlpon did not write mystic works. On the contrary, he was one of the first Uzbek authors to write realistic works. Choʻlpon also used clear and straightforward language in his works. He appealed to Uzbek national identity in his works.