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ETHNO-SYMBOLISM and GOVERNMENT DISCOURSE in AZERBAIJAN by BRIAN GILSON Bachelor of Science in Cartography East Central Universi

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ETHNO-SYMBOLISM and GOVERNMENT DISCOURSE in AZERBAIJAN by BRIAN GILSON Bachelor of Science in Cartography East Central Universi ETHNO-SYMBOLISM AND GOVERNMENT DISCOURSE IN AZERBAIJAN By BRIAN GILSON Bachelor of Science in Cartography East Central University Ada, OK 2013 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE May, 2016 ETHNO-SYMBOLISM AND GOVERNMENT DISCOURSE IN AZERBAIJAN Thesis Approved: Dr. Reuel Hanks Thesis Adviser Dr. Dale Lightfoot Dr. Joel Jenswold (IS) ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Shelly, with love. -B iii Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Name: BRIAN GILSON Date of Degree: MAY, 2016 Title of Study: ETHNO-SYMBOLISM AND GOVERNMENT DISCOURSE IN AZERBAIJAN Major Field: GEOGRAPHY Abstract: Symbolism utilized by the government of Azerbaijan encodes values, attitudes, and myths that are an inheritance from the past. Understanding of the codes and symbolism utilized can potentially provide insight into contemporary decision- making by Azerbaijan. Governmental discourses of national identity are interrogated for historical and contemporary meaning. Six symbolic resources are explored using methods of discourse analysis through a lens of ethno-symbolism. The official seal of Azerbaijan, the national flag, the national anthem, the official seal of the Baku 2015 European Games, a Soviet-era tourist map, and the romance novel Ali and Nino are analyzed for the historical and contemporary identity claims that are encoded within. In particular, the representations of national identity that are contained, as well as the claims, relationships, and allegiances that are being communicated are explored to illuminate the complex interactions of history, territory, ethnicity, and culture that constitute national identity. A cultural history is constructed from an analysis of the chosen symbols that serves to inform both historic and contemporary Azerbaijani identity. Despite intense transformational forces, Azerbaijani national identity draws on values, attitudes, and myths that have been a continuous feature of the ethno-territorial identity of the Azerbaijani Turks. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE .............................................................................................. 11 Primordialism .................................................................................................................... 12 Modernism ........................................................................................................................ 13 Ethno-Symbolism .............................................................................................................. 17 John Armstrong ........................................................................................................... 18 Anthony Smith ............................................................................................................ 20 John Hutchinson ......................................................................................................... 31 Azerbaijan ......................................................................................................................... 34 III. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 37 Ethno-Symbolism .............................................................................................................. 38 Discourse Analysis ............................................................................................................ 41 A Unified Approach .......................................................................................................... 45 IV. FINDINGS ......................................................................................................................... 47 From New Nation to New Man Ali and Nino................................................................................................................ 50 Soviet Tourist Map ..................................................................................................... 59 Independence and Beyond Constitutionally Recognized Symbols National Flag ................................................................................................. 70 National Anthem ............................................................................................ 75 State Seal ....................................................................................................... 77 Baku 2015 ................................................................................................................... 80 Flame .............................................................................................................. 82 Simurgh ........................................................................................................... 86 Wave ................................................................................................................ 87 Carpet .............................................................................................................. 89 Pomegranate .................................................................................................... 90 Synthesis ............................................................................................................................ 92 V. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 94 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 100 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Azerbaijan SSR Tourist Map ..............................................................................59 2 Medieval Era Mausoleums .................................................................................64 3 Ateshga Fire Temple ...........................................................................................66 4 Religious Carvings ..............................................................................................67 5 Nizami Ganjavi Statue ........................................................................................67 6 National Flag .......................................................................................................70 7 National Anthem .................................................................................................75 8 State Seal .............................................................................................................77 9 Baku 2015 European Games Logo .....................................................................80 vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION “Dede Korkut came and told stories and declaimed; he composed and strung together this tale of the Oghuz. Where now are the valiant princes of whom I have told, Those who said ‘The world is mine’? Doom has taken them, earth has hidden them. Who inherits this transient world, The world to which men come, from which they go, The world whose latter end is death?” -The Book of Dede Korkut1 The current world order is being challenged by disparate and competing pressures.2 On one hand, the globalizing pressures of supra-national organizations like the UN have had a powerful influence on global politics, and the idea of state sovereignty is often viewed as subordinate to the needs of the global (or regional, as in the EU) community. On the other hand, factionalizing forces of nationalism, tribalism, and religious extremism are growing and represent their own globalizing trend. Moreover, the status of the US as a global hegemon is being increasingly challenged as Russia has aggressively sought to assert itself as the prime hegemonic influence in its own sphere of influence. 1 Lewis, G. 1974. Translation. The Book of Dede Korkut. Penguin Books. London. 188-189 2 Kissinger, H. 2015. World Order. Penguin Books. NY. 1-10. 1 Frontiers and borderlands afford opportunities to view some of these contests at their fronts, and to view subtle movements and shifts that may be harbingers of broader change. Azerbaijan constitutes just such a borderland, and may be a bellwether that provides an opportunity to see shifts in great power politics occur at a micro-level in the political discourse of the Azerbaijani government. Azerbaijan is a small country located in the South Caucasus. Situated between the Caspian and Black seas, the Caucasus lie at what has historically been the intersection of empires and ideologies. As borderland between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as between Islam and Christianity, the region represents layers of borders. The Arab name for the region was djabal al-alsun, meaning “mountain of languages.” This is a reflection of the fact that the region boasts the “greatest density of distinct languages anywhere on earth.”1 Within the region, Azerbaijan has a history that is tied to that regional identity of borderland, but is also unique in many ways. Variously contained within and ruled by the Ottoman, Persian, and Russian empires, Azerbaijan declared independence in 1918. The short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was brought under Soviet rule in 1920. Since independence in 1991, competing visions of national and supra-national identity have persisted.2 The ancient history of Azerbaijan is as complex as it
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