Turkish nationalism in Azerbaijan during the Tsarist Period

The aim of the thesis is to uncover the background of the colonial and Russification policies of the Tsarist Russia, the ethnic conflicts with the Armenians and the nationalism, which is defended as the solution of the other problems, to provide a suitable ground and to gain a mass support among the Turks of Azerbaijan. Thus, this thesis sought to answer the question "What are the reasons for this success?". In addition, this thesis tried to find the answers to the basic questions of nationalism theories; such as what kind of a relationship between the nation and nationalism with which the nation was built by the elite, what kind of relationship with the nation and nationalism, the emergence of nationalism in the context of Turkish nationalism in Azerbaijan. This thesis embodies the phenomenon of nationalism in the framework of experience occurred in Azerbaijan. To determine the boundaries of the thesis, to create a conceptual basis and to provide a better understanding of the subject, in the first part of the thesis, generally interchangeable concepts such as ethnicity, nation, nation-state and nationalism are discussed, types of nationalism are mentioned, and then theories that examine when and how national and nationalism emerged then, theories on how and when national and nationalism emerged were included. In the second chapter, after giving brief information about Azerbaijan name, language, geography and history, the main dynamics which determine Turkish nationalism in Azerbaijan are determined and examined internally and externally. In this context, the specific aspects of the factors affecting the construction process, development and mass spread of nationalism which emerged as a cultural movement in Azerbaijan Turks were mentioned. In the third chapter, the individuals and organizations that have influenced the transformation of Turkish nationalism from a cultural movement to a political movement in Azerbaijan were discussed. The relations between these people and organizations as a result of the social and political events and the other political movements of the period were examined. Key Words: Ethnicity, nation, nation-state, nationalism, South Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Turks, Tsarist Russia, Cedid Movement