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Abstract

The article analyzes press materials that emerged under the conditions of the colonial policy of the Russian Empire in the Turkestan region as an independent complex of sources. In particular, it examines publications from the official newspapers “Turkestanskie Vedomosti” and “Turkiston Viloyatining Gazeti,” as well as the Jadid press such as “Samarkand,” “Taraqqiy,” “Oyina,” and “Zarafshon.” Their thematic priorities, ideological and political orientation, specific features of presenting historical material, and the degree to which they reflected the socio-political reality are considered.

Special attention is given to the source-study characteristics of periodical press: the level of informativeness, the degree of reliability, and the influence of subjective assessments and ideological factors. The official press, as a rule, conveyed the position of the imperial administration, interpreting the conquest of Turkestan and the establishment of colonial rule as a manifestation of a “civilizing mission.” In this context, the era of the khanates was often portrayed as a period of socio-political backwardness and internal contradictions.

In contrast to the official publications, the Jadid press was oriented toward reinterpreting national history, turning to the local historiographical tradition, and restoring historical memory. In the publications of representatives of the national intelligentsia such as Mahmudkhoja Behbudi, Sadriddin Ayni, B. Soliev, and M. Saidjonov, one can observe a стремление to present a more objective account of the history of Turkestan based on local written sources.

In particular, in the analysis of the history of the late Middle Ages, such works as “Mehmonnomayi Bukhara”, “Zafarnama”, “Firdavs ul-ikbal”, and ”Uzbekcha Fargona tarixi” were actively used. This indicates an attempt to rely on authentic sources of regional historiography.

In addition, publications by authors such as S. Abdulgaffarov, Mulla Mukhammad Olim, and others played a significant role in covering the history of the khanates up to the mid-19th century. By comparing the colonial period with the era of the khanates, they offered their own assessments of socio-political processes. This allows their articles to be considered not only as sources of factual information, but also as important documents reflecting the characteristics of public consciousness and historical thinking of the period under study.

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Abstract

The movement of Jadidism became one of the most important in the life of the Turkestan society in the early 20th century. This movement was not merely a cultural and educational phenomenon, but also a great socio-political process which influenced the modernization of society, the formation of the public thought, and creation of national intelligentsia greatly. The Jadidism movement developed within the framework of the colonial policy and was directed on the renewal of cultural, educational, and social life.

This report aims to demonstrate the role of key representatives of the Jadid movement through a personographical approach, which enables a deeper understanding of the movement's nature by exposing it through the actions of specific historical figures. The biographies of Jadidism representatives show that individual educators proved to be a significant driving force behind cultural and social transformations. These figures not only presented new ideas but also worked on their practical application: establishing new types of schools, creating teaching materials, founding a national press, and conducting wide-ranging educational work among the people.

Among the most known leaders of the Jadid movement was Abdullah Avloni — a brilliant educator, public figure, author, and publicist. Avloni believed education was the key to social progress and sought to implement new teaching methods revolving around critical thinking, secular knowledge, and national identity. His most significant work, TurkiyGulistonYohud Akhlok ("Turkish Paradise or Morality"), was dedicated to moral education and the upbringing of youth. His textbooks Birinchi muallim (First Teacher) and Ikincimuallim (Second Teacher), designed for new-method schools, also made an important contribution to educational practice, intertwining traditional moral values with contemporary pedagogical ideas.

Avloni also contributed to the formation of nation theater, through which he managed to attract attention towards the problems of education, morality, and social advancement. He played his role as well in the development of the national press since it was to him a crucial instrument of enlightenment and spread of progressive ideas.

Thus, the personagraphical approach allows us to view the history of Jadidism not merely as a set of ideas, but as the result of the activities of specific individuals. Biography becomes an important tool for understanding the social, cultural, and intellectual changes in Turkestan society, and studying figures such as Avloni offers a deeper understanding of the region's modernization and the formation of its national intelligentsia.

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The article analyzes the characteristics of literature in different historical periods and examines the influence of political systems on the development of literature. In particular, it provides a brief overview of several illustrative phenomena. During the period of the Khwarazm Ma'mun Academy, when the exact and natural sciences experienced significant development, such works as Urjūza fī al-ṭibb by Ibn Sina and Saydana fī al-ṭibb by Abu Rayhan al-Biruni were composed in Arabic and Persian and were presented in a poetic form, which facilitated their memorization. During the Karakhanid period, special emphasis was placed on translations into the Turkic language. A notable example is the translation of Nizami’s poem Khosrow and Shirin into Turkic by Qutb Khwarazmi (14th century). In the course of this translation, information originally dedicated to Azerbaijani rulers was replaced by laudatory praises (madḥ) addressed to the rulers of the Karakhanid dynasty, which indicates a deliberate adaptation of the text to the political and cultural environment of the respective period, etc.

The article also provides information about the literary environment established by the ruler of the Kokand Khanate, the poet Amir Umar Khan, as well as his spouse – Queen and poet Mohlaroyim Nodira, who is considered the founder of the tradition of Turkic-language poetesses. Additionally, it discusses the activities of the poet and mentor Jahon Otin Uvaysi (1779–1845), who taught literature and the art of poetry to court women and girls, including the female residents of the harem, thereby making a significant contribution to the formation and development of the female poetic tradition within the Kokand literary milieu.

Particular attention is paid to the analysis of various interpretations of information concerning the creativity and literary heritage of Jahon Otin Uvaysi presented in studies from the Soviet period and the period of independence. The article examines the reasons for the transformation of scholarly assessments and the changes in the interpretation of these materials, as well as their consequences. It is demonstrated that such interpretative shifts may significantly influence perceptions of the author’s personality, worldview, and attitude toward certain historical processes, and ultimately affect the understanding of the essence of her creative legacy, sometimes leading to distorted representations.

In this regard, the article emphasizes the particular importance of the objective and scientifically grounded application of the principles of source studies and textual criticism in the study of literary heritage.

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The legacy of the great Turkic thinker and classical poet Alisher Navoi occupies a central place in the history of Turkic literature. His works contributed not only to the development of Chagatai literary tradition but also to the formation of the broader literary and cultural consciousness of the Turkic world. By demonstrating the artistic potential of the Turkic language, Navoi elevated it to the level of a major language of classical poetry. As a result, his heritage exerted a significant influence on many Turkic literary traditions, including the Azerbaijani literary environment.

Interest in Navoi’s works in Azerbaijan became particularly visible from the nineteenth century onward. Azerbaijani poets influenced by classical Eastern poetic traditions, alongside the heritage of Nizami Ganjavi and Fuzuli, also drew inspiration from Navoi’s poetics and continued his aesthetic and philosophical principles. The literary milieu of Karabakh played an important role in preserving these traditions. The works of poets such as Asi Karabagi and Mirza Hasan Karabagi demonstrate clear elements of classical ghazal poetics and reflect the influence of Navoi’s style and themes.

In the twentieth century, the study of Navoi’s heritage in Azerbaijan developed into a more systematic scholarly field. Prominent literary scholars, including Hamid Arasli, Mammad Arif Dadashzade, and Bakir Nabiyev, examined the role of Navoi in the development of Turkic literary thought and analyzed his connections with Azerbaijani classical literature.

A particularly important stage in Azerbaijani Navoi studies is associated with the research of the scholar Jannat Nagiyeva (1927–2010). Her studies marked a new phase in the systematic investigation of Navoi’s heritage in Azerbaijan. Applying philological, textual, and comparative literary approaches, Nagiyeva analyzed Navoi’s works and their influence on Azerbaijani literature. Her major studies—The Baku Manuscripts of Alisher Navoi (1986), Navoi and Azerbaijani Literature (15th–19th Centuries) (1990), and Navoi in Azerbaijan (2001)—made significant contributions to the study of manuscripts, literary influence, and the historiography of Navoi research in Azerbaijan. She also participated in the preparation of the Navoi Encyclopedic Dictionary and examined the presence of Azerbaijani classical works in Navoi’s library, demonstrating historical literary connections between Azerbaijan and Central Asia.

This paper analyzes the development of Navoi studies in Azerbaijan and argues that the scholarly activity of Jannat Nagiyeva represents a distinct stage in this process. Her research significantly advanced the systematic study of Navoi’s heritage and contributed to a deeper understanding of Navoi as a shared literary and cultural legacy of the Turkic world.