The connected history of Late Ottoman humor: Modernization in the first satirical newspapers published in different languages and alphabets

This thesis examines humor newspapers from the second half of the 19th century Ottoman society, which witnessed the changes and transformations but have not been sufficiently considered as historical sources. While these newspapers are examined in terms of the points of contact that their proprietors and cartoonists make through humor and laughter, the focus is also on their target readership. This thesis aims to analyze cartoons published in Turkish newspapers written in Arabic alphabet, Turkish newspapers in Armenian alphabet, Armenian newspapers, and Greek newspapers in Istanbul, both linearly and thematically. These cartoons, targeting communities of different backgrounds, have been examined to identify commonalities or differences in their attitudes towards the changing worlds due to modernization. The languages and alphabets in which the newspapers were published reveal the extent and level of interactions among communities, along with the positions and connections of the proprietors, as well as the cartoonists and their cartoons. In conclusion, this study aims to contribute to the secondary literature, with a particular focus on humor newspapers written in Turkish with Arabic alphabet, and to examine discussions on the millet system in a different linguistic context in light of cultural interactions.