Abstract:

Well-known and beloved in a vast geography spanning the Balkans and Central Asia under a variety of related names, Nasreddin Hoca is a figure featured prominently as a humorous protagonist of hundreds of short stories and anecdotes. His various iterations, particularly among the Turkic peoples, have long been regarded as important figures of national folklore and cultural heritage. Interestingly, a brief look at much of the contemporary-era academic and media publications on the character reveals a multitude of descriptive terms applied in relation to him across countries, decades and languages, including Turkish/Turkic, Islamic/Muslim, Eastern/Oriental, to name but the most common. These terms can be said of being reflective of the existing perceptions of Nasreddin across much of Eurasia, particularly with regards to the origins of his archetype, national affiliation, and even the moral assessment of the content of his anecdotes. Moreover, the terms in question may also influence how such perceptions are to be shaped further in the near future.

The present paper deals with the academic discourse on the image of Nasreddin Hoca as a figure of folklore and cultural heritage, with a particular focus on Turkey (Pertev Naili Boratav), Azerbaijan (Vilayət Quliyev) and Kazakhstan (Muhtar Äwezov). It is attempted to apply the concept of "Islamicate", coined by historian Marshall Hodgson, to the secondary literature published on Nasreddin Hoca and his various iterations in Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Western publications, and argue the merits and faults of applying this term and concept as an alternative to the established terminology.