Enlightenment views of Turkish peoples in the context of ideas of Ismail bey Gaspirali

Abstract

The article studies the enlightenment and its formation and development of as a literary movement, and defines the role of the intellectual I.Gaspirali who is distinguished by his exceptional services, innovative spirit and activity in the history of all-Turkic literature. The enlightenment movement, which emerged in the 19th century and developed in different directions over a century, led to the emergence of a strong literary and cultural environment in the early 20th century. I.Gaspirali, who undertook the historical mission of uniting each of the Turkic-speaking peoples, divided and deprived of their rights since the beginning of the 19th century, around the common religion, aim and language stimulated to the determination, self-assertion and development of the Turkic-speaking peoples. The successive literary and cultural processes that happened in the second half of the 19th century were the greatest success of the literature of all-Turkic peoples. The article deals with the first newspaper publication in the history of literature and culture of the Turkic peoples and the press, magazine publishing, new type-modern schools, etc. created under its influence. Historical events such as trying to find solution to save the people from ignorance by uniting around the movement of “enlightenment”, the unification of the Turkic peoples around the slogan of Ismail Gaspirali – “unity in language, thought and action” and defining the eternal formula of Turkism and the facts are the basis of the article. These innovations, which entered the history of the Turkic peoples as a “Jadidism” movement, became popular in the 19th century as a cultural, socio-political movement, spread from the Crimea to the Volga, Urals, Caucasus, Central Asia and India, collected followers. Due to Gaspirali's unique services as an enlightened intellectual, Azerbaijan, Turkestan, as well as other Turkic peoples made a serious stride in the field of education and culture, and presented valuable personalities to the world of literature. In general, the article examines I.Gaspirali's contribution to the enlightenment movement in Azerbaijan and Turkestan and his contribution to the gathering of innovative intellectuals.