A Concept Analysis of otherness and carnivalism in the Manuscript of “ Seyf ol-Moluk and Badi’ ol-Jamal” from Bakhtin’s theory

Document Type : Original/Research/Regular Article

Authors

1 M.A. student in art research, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Graphic Department, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

3 Lecturer of Art Research Department, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

10.22051/jtpva.2024.41111.1444

Abstract

Introduction: the manuscript of the story of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badi' ol-Jamâl from the One Thousand and One Nights collection belongs to the 10th century AH and the Gurkani School of Painting during Jahangir's reign in India. It is written in Persian in Nastaliq script. The story of Seyf ol-Molûk is about a prince who falls in love with the fairy face Badi' ol-Jamâl. He sets out on a journey to find her and finally gets his wish after suffering much hardship. The migration of artists from the Safavid court to India on the invitation of Gurkani rulers entailed the transfer of many Iranian artistic ideas to the Gurkani School of Painting and the Gurkani kings spread the civilization which bore distinct signs of Iranian artistic skills in India. The traditions of illustration and its artistic values continued to persevere at the heart of the Islamic civilization and artists created admirable works and new experiences. A feature of the Indo-Islamic style is its soft and distinct colors visualizing the people depicted in the scene, while adding depth and perspective by drawing the high horizon line of the landscape. The illustrations in this old version are a fusion of Iranian, Indian, Chinese, and European artistic traditions. Despite these influences, however, the paintings of this period have a distinct Indian spirit. Problem statement: attention to realism arising from European influences is also a special feature of the Gurkani School of Painting displayed in the illustrations of the manuscript of the story of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badi' ol-Jamâl and the documented samples are witness to the study of the lifestyle of people in the Gurkani era. Based on this, characterization and simulation of the human experience is a feature of the Gurkani School of Painting. The 20th century literary theorist, Mikhail Bakhtin, believed that the human experience and how it is perceived by others plays a key role. Bakhtin's philosophical and ontological point of departure relies on the relationship between the self and the other as well as concepts such as dialogue, finding its way into social orientations. The present narrative also focuses on human beings and individual values, trying to connect humans to their environment. Conflict and interaction between characters as independent people and their dealings with others are considered modern concepts of dialogism. Words in relation to other words also form the subtext. Therefore, the liberal approach based on the individual is discarded. What is important to Bakhtin is the type of relationship between people and all the interactions of real life, including art. He bases all the components of his philosophy on the concept of communication and dialogue. The concept of otherness and outside views on cognition is considered one of the most prominent areas of Bakhtin's dialogism in philosophy. Art and life in the time-space chronotope are elements that respond to the human lived experience. Both are forms of representation which can only be understood in dialogue. Hence, awareness of the truth becomes possible with the help of others, objectified in the reciprocal relationship between the individual and society, and carnivalism in opposition to official fêtes is celebrated as a temporary liberation from the established order with the aim of destroying the ruling authority. Based on a special model of the spectacle, the carnival also borders between art and life. By presenting the concept of medieval carnivals in line with the theory of the grotesque, Bakhtin brings a liberating experience to human beings in the transition from one form to another, indicating an ease of artistic imagination and joyful liberation from conventional limitations. The grotesque in the arts and literature is also considered a push-and-pull, change, or major confusion. Goals: this research aimed to analyze the concept of otherness and carnivalism in the manuscript of the story of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badi' ol-Jamâl based on Bakhtin’s thought. Question: The main question of the present research is how to analyze the relationship between the self, other, and carnivalism in the text and illustrations of the manuscript of the story of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badi' ol-Jamâl based on Bakhtin’s thought, and how to investigate the expression of its similarities and differences in the narration of the story and type of illustrations in this version? Research Methodology: this is a descriptive research with an analytical approach. Data was collected in libraries by note-taking and image reading. The qualitative data analysis method was used. Results: The findings of the research show that the relationship between the self and the other can be discussed in a reciprocal connection between form and content in the manuscript of the story of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badi' ol-Jamâl. Therefore, dialogism between the narrative elements and illustrations of this ancient version is objectified with the presence of others and reveals a specific position. Describing a different aspect of Seyf ol-Molûk’s life as a prince who sets out on a journey in search of his beloved Badi' ol-Jamâl turns the monologic discourse into a polyphony in the context of carnivalism. The most important function of the carnival spirit is breaking down borders and disregarding the hierarchy of power. Among its features, one can name the mask, celebration, multiplicity of characters, and confrontation between life and death. The diversity of characters has expanded the carnival world in the work and set the stage for a deep and lasting connection in the illustrations and narration of the story. Power has been mocked and people have been focused on in the carnival spirit. The illustrations of the story of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badi' ol-Jamâl in the One Thousand and One Nights collection are a measure of culture and analysis of confrontational dialogue between people and abominable creatures who are colorful at the same time, accompanied with the dual sensation of the positive and negative. The figure of a div with human and animal characteristics displaying grotesque features is central to the narration and its characterization. Another point in Seyf ol-Molûk attaining individual consciousness as a powerful prince is the principle that only another person can make it possible to attain consciousness. Therefore, the absence of a monologic discourse and hearing the voice of the other character outlines the significance of the relationship between the self and other, and putting forward the idea of carnivalism leads to the displacement and reversal of the existing affairs in the narration and characterization of the manuscript of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badi' ol-Jamâl. This, in turn, reverses all values. The illustrations depict the stories of reality and the supernatural, love and marriage, power and punishment, and wealth and poverty; and by plotting one story after the other, it leans towards the displacement and reversal of affairs. At the same time, creating different qualities of carnivalism such as dual characters displays festive elements and rebellious traits in the narration of the story. The defamiliarization value of the illustrations is in the use of elements of carnivalism for the body of characters, focusing on the human form and attributes. The exhilaration seen in the animal forms combined with human characteristics can be a sign of renewal, which is in agreement with Bakhtin's theory of the grotesque. This is why conditions for the structure of the dialogue reveal a facet of death and rebirth in the spirit of carnival.

Keywords

Main Subjects


  • Adams, J., Luther and Wilson, Y. (2016). The Grotesque in Art and literature: Theological Reflections. (Translated by A. Rasti). Tehran: Ghatreh.
  • Ahmadi, B. (2003). The Temt -Stucture and Temtual Interpretation.Tehran:  Markaz Publication.
  • Ansari, M. (2005). Dialogic Democracy. Tehran: Markaz Publication.
  • Atabay, B. (1977). An Explanation about the Thousand and One Nights. Yaghma Magazine. 340. 607-609.
  • Azimi, H., Olia, M. (2015). The Relation of Text and the Other in Bakhtin's Thought. Kimiya-ye-Honar. Winter. 13. 7-16.
  • Bakhtin, M. (2020). Aspiration vers la conversation, le rire et la liberté. Tehran: Charkh Publication.
  • Bakhtin, M. M. (1984). Rabelais and His World. (Translated by H. Iswolsky). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Bakhtin, M. M. (1986). Speech genre and Other Essays. (Translated by A. Ver W, McGee). US: University of Texas Press.
  • Bakhtin, M. M. (1990). Art and Answerability: Early Philosophical Essays by M. M. Bakhtin. (Edited by M. Holquist and V. Liapunov). University of Texas Press.
  • Bakhtin, M. M. (1999). Problems of Dosѵtoevsky’s Poetics. (Translated by C. Emerson). Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Bakhtine, M. (1975). la passion du dialogue, du rire, de la liberte. (Translated by M. Pouyandeh. Tehran: Cheshmeh.
  • Bergson, H. (1911). Matter and Memory. (Translated by N. Margaret Paul and W, Scott Palmer). London: George Allen and Unwin. 5.
  • Berrong, R. (1986). Rabelais and Bakhtin: Popular Culture in Gargantua and Pantagruel. Lincoln-London: University of Nebraska Press.
  • Cavenaugh, G. L. (2004). Flesh and Spirt Onstage: Chronotope of Performance in Medieval English Theater. Dissertation. Louisiana State University. The Departman of Communication Studies.
  • Childe, G. (2016). What Happened in History. (Translated by A. Behmanesh). Tehran: University of Tehran Publication.
  • Clark, K. & Holquist, M. (1986). Mikhail Bakhtin, Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press.
  • Dentith, S. (2005). Bakhtinian Thought: An Introductory Reader. New York: Routledge.
  • Ducrot, O. (1984). Le Dire Et le Dit. Paris: Minuit. E-codices Website, Cologny, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cod. Bodmer 550: “The story of Seyf ol-Molûk and Badî`ol-Jamâl". Retrieved 2013, Oct. 7, from http://www.e-codices.ch/en/list/one/fmb/cb-0550
  • Gardiner, M. E. (2002). Critiques of Everday life. (Translated by Y. Abazari). Tehran: Arghanoon. Summer. 20. 33-66.
  • Gholipoor Bolasi, Z. (2018).  Carnivalism in the Thousand and One Nights. Master's Thesis. Supervisor: Ali Safaei Sangri, Guilan University, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences.
  • Grigor, T. (2014). Contemporary Iranian Art: From the Street to the Studio. London: Reaction Books.
  • Haynes, J, D. (2008). A Companion to Art Theory. (Edited by: Paul Smith and Carolyn Wilde). (Chapter 23). Bakhtin and the Visual Arts. Blackwell Publishing.
  • Hirschkop, K. (1998). Bakhtin Myths, or, why we All Need Alibi, The South Atlantic Quarterly. Summer-Fall. 97. Issue3/4.
  • Holquist, M. (2002). Dialogism: Bakhtin and His World. London: Routledge.
  • Khaniki, H. (2013). In the Middle of Dialogue: A Study of Discourse Transformations at the End of the Twentieth Century.Tehran: Hermes Publication.
  • Knowles, R. (2014). Shakespeare and carnival: after Bakhtin. (Translated by R. Pourazar). Tehran: Hermes.
  • Linell, P. (2008). Essential of Dialogism, Sweden: Department of Communication Studies Linkoping University.
  • Macnaghten, W. H. (1839-1842). The Alif Laila. The Thousand Nights and One Night. Arabic Edition. London: Calcutta.
  • Mahjoub, M. J.  (2008). Persian Folk Literature, Collection of Articles on Iranian Myths and Customs. Tehran: Cheshmeh publication.
  • Makaryk, I. R.  (2005). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory: Approaches, Scholars, Terms. (Translated by M. Mohajer and M. Nabavi). Tehran: Agah Publication.
  • Markova, I. N. A. (2020). Chronotopes, Journal of Culture & Psychology. March. 1. 117-138.
  • Moammer, Z. (2016). Factors of Rise and Fall of the Influence of Iranian Painting on the Gurkani Painting School of India. Subcontinent Publication. 6. 128-113.
  • Monzavi, A. (1963). A Comprehensive Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in Pakistan.  Islamabad: Iran-Pakistan Institute of Persian Studies.
  • Morson, G. S. & Emerson, C. (1990). Mikhail Bakhtin: Creation of a Prosaics. Publisher: ‎ Stanford University Press; (1st Ed.). ‎ 552 pages.
  • Namvar Motlagh, B. (2015). An Introduction to Intertextuality, Tehran: Sokhan.
  • Nazari, F. (2011). Pictorial Description of the Thousand and One Nights Book (Discussion of Haroun Rashid and J. Barmak, By the Saniol-Molk). Negare Journal. Spring. 17. 5-13.
  • Pinsky, L. E. (1961). Realism of the Renaissance. Moscow: Goslitizdat.
  • Randhawa, M. S. (1981). A Review of Studies in Pahari Painting. in parakash, satya, cultural contours of india, Śrivastava, Vijai Shankar (eds.). New  Dehli: Abhinav Publications..
  • Rivkin, J. & Ryan, M. (2004). Literary Theory, An Anthology. Blackwell Publishing Itd.
  • Ruck, N. (2009). Some Historical Dimensions of the ‘Dialogical Body: From Bakhtin’s Dialogical Grotesque Body to the Monological Body of Modernity.
  • Sattari, J. (1989). Shahrzad’s Charm. Tehran: Toos Publication.
  • Tajbar, N. (2011). Theory of Humor Based on Prominent Texts of Persian Humor. Tehran: Mehrvista.
  • Tasooji Tabrizi, A. (2011). One thousand and One Nights (Alf layla wa-layla). (4th Ed.). Tehran: Hermes Publication.
  • Thomson, Ph. (2005). The Grotesque in Literature. (Translated by Gh. Emami). Shiraz: Navid Publication.
  • Todorov, T. (1986). Mikhail Bakhtin. The Dialogical Principle. (Translated by W. Godzich). Manchester University Press.
  • Verma, S. (2012). Ordinary Life in Mughal India the Evidence from Painting. New Dehli: Aryan Book International.
  • Voloshinov, V. N. (1976). Discourse in Life and Discourse in Art (Concerning Sociological Poetics). in Freudian ism: A Marxist Critique. 93-116.
  • Zappen, J. P. (2004). The Rebirth of Dialogue Bakhtin Socrates, and the Rhetorical Tradition. New York: State University of New York Press.
  • Zarezadeh, Fahimeh;Shadghazvini, Parisa  (2009). A study of literary and Pictorial Common Symbols in A Thousand and One Nights (Shahrzad, the Storyteller; Sani-ol-Molk, the Painter). Honar – Ha – Ye – Ziba (Honar-Ha-Ye-Tajassomi), November. 39. 63-55.