Perception of the activities and image of Ismail Gasprinsky by the Tatar intelligentsia of the early 20th century

Salakhova E.K.

292-301 p.


doi.org: https://doi.org/10.22378/he.2025-10-2.292-301
EDN: https://elibrary.ru/KULXNJ


Abstract. The activities of Ismail Gasprinsky including his ideas and practical steps (publication of the Tarjuman newspaper, the beginning of the Muslim school system reorganization) aimed at reforming the education system was a completely new phenomenon in the Turkic-Tatar community. The public reaction to his plans for large-scale reforms was mixed. At first, society treated them with great caution. However, the positive results demonstrated by the shakirds of the new method madrassas and mektebes gradually changed the attitude of society towards the new method and more and more supporters began to think about introducing a new approach to teaching children. The mugallims of Tatar madrassas, who had extensive experience in teaching children using traditional methods, began to look closely at the new educational approach of Ysuly Sautiya. The transition to a new sound method of teaching in Tatar society happened quite quickly and painlessly, the benefits were obvious even to those who doubted it. However, some of Gasprinsky’s ideas, for example, about the common Turkic language, did not find support and approval in Tatar society. The purpose of the publication is to reveal the perception by the Tatar intelligentsia of I. Gasprinsky’s practical activities, ideas and plans at the beginning of the 20th century. The sources for the study were materials from the Tatar periodical press of the early 20th century, individual articles and memoirs of two representatives of the Tatar intelligentsia R. Fakhrutdin and G. Iskhaki. The used materials are written in the Old Tatar language in Arabic script. Therefore, they are inaccessible to a wide range of readers. This study expands the possibilities for reconstructing intellectual discussions in the Turkic-Tatar society of the early 20th century related to the personality of I. Gasprinsky.


Keywords: Ismail Gasprinsky, Tatar intelligentsia, “Tarjuman”, “Vakyt”, “Idel”, school reform

For citation: Salakhova E.K. (2025) Perception of the activities and image of Ismail Gasprinsky by the Tatar intelligentsia of the early 20th century. Istoricheskaya etnologiya [Historical Ethnology]. Vol. 10. No. 2: 292–301. https://doi.org/10.22378/he.2025-10-2.292-301 (In Russ.)


REFERENCES

Fatikh Kärimi: scientific and biographic collection (2006). Kazan: Rukhiyat Publ. (In Tat.)
Hainutdin Akhmarov: historical and documentary collection (2001). Kazan: Jyen Publ. (In Tat.)
Gaspinskiy Ismail: historical and documentary collection (2006). Kazan: Jyen Publ. (In Tat.)
Gaynanov R.R., Mardanov R.F., Shakurov F.N. (2000) Tatar periodical press of the early 20th century: Bibliographic index. Kazan: Milli Kitap Publ. (In Tat.)
Mortazina L. (2018) “The first scholar among our Russian Muslims” (the newspaper “Vakyt” about Ismail Gasprinsky). Krymskoe istoricheskoe obozrenie [Crimean historical review]. No 2: 52–59. (In Russ.)
 

About the author: Elmira K. Salakhova, Cand. Sc. (History), Senior Research Fellow at the Department of New History, Marjani Institute of History of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences (7 Baturin St., Kazan 420014, Russian Federation); https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6513-2915; e-mail: ilsalah@mail.ru


Received 13.01.2024 Revised 22.03.2025   Accepted for publication 15.04.2025

Published Online 02.06.2025