The Ottoman State and the National Struggle Period in 20th century Azerbaijan literature

This thesis focuses on the Ottoman Empire and the National Struggle Period in 20th-century Azerbaijani literature, employing a literature review method to delve into the portrayal of the era, the cultural and historical relationships between the Ottoman Empire and Azerbaijan, the War of Independence, and the impact of the Turkism movement on Azerbaijani literature and the resulting literary works. The thesis is divided into the following sections: Preface, Introduction, Table of Contents, Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Conclusion, References, and Summary. In Chapter I, the Enlightenment movement that spread worldwide in a short period is initially discussed, along with its formation and shaping in Azerbaijani literature. The emergence of the education-oriented "maarifçilik" movement, which was a branch of Enlightenment, and its pioneers are also addressed. It is well known that during this period, Azerbaijani territories were under the occupation of the Tsarist Empire, so any changes occurring in Tsarist Russia had an impact on Azerbaijani Turks as well. The subsequent part of Chapter I focuses on the Russo-Japanese War resulting from the failure to reach an agreement in the political arena between the Russian and Japanese governments. The defeat of the Russians in this war led to the weakening of the Tsar's authority, resulting in turmoil, outbreaks of rebellion, and ultimately, the proclamation of constitutional monarchy in 1905. The relatively improved political environment in Russia after the proclamation of constitutional monarchy is also discussed, including the efforts of Russian Turks to establish a Turkish-Muslim unity through five congresses. These topics are all incorporated into the first chapter of the thesis. Chapter II examines the nationalist movement and its connection to the Turkism movement, viewed from the perspectives of both the Ottoman Empire and Tsarist Russia. This section highlights the political, cultural, and educational relationships established between the Azerbaijani Turks living in Tsarist Russia and the Ottoman Empire. In Chapter III, the thesis focuses on the Ottoman Empire's struggle for independence following its defeat in World War I and the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, which affected the region where Azerbaijani Turks lived under the dominance of Tsarist Russia. The thesis also explores the impact of the onset of the Ottoman National Struggle and its effects on Azerbaijani Turks, their presence in Azerbaijani literature and media. Furthermore, this chapter extensively examines the literary activities of Azerbaijani Turkist intellectuals who lived and witnessed the early 20th century and their support for the Ottoman National Struggle. The Conclusion section summarizes the findings and outcomes of the thesis, while the References section lists all the utilized sources in alphabetical order. Keywords: 20th century, Azerbaijani literature, Ottoman Empire, National Struggle Period, Turkism.