11.04.2017-17.04.2017 • No: 111
THE INFLUENCE OF JADIDISM ON THE KAZAKH ENLIGHTENMENT
The main feature of the historical develop- lectual elite of the late 19th and early 20th sought to arouse people's interest in ment of the Russian Empire in the late 19th centuries. Active supporters of introduction of knowledge and to keep them awake for the and early 20th century as a multinational state a new methodology in education (usul-i jadid) events that were taking place around them. was that the bulk of Muslims of the Russian were Abai Kunanbaev, Alikhan Bukeikhanov, Leading Kazakh intellectuals understood that Empire were Turkic-speaking people. The Akhmet Baitursynov, Myrzhakip Dulatov, for the political enlightenment, it is necessary idea of the "unity in faith" was closely inter- Shakarim Kudaiberdiev and Gumar Karashev. to awaken desire for knowledge, and to over- twined with the set of ideas including com- For example, Gumar Karashev (1876-1921) in come illiteracy. In the national newspapers mon features of the Turkic people and their his publications wrote that "not a single nation and magazines such as "Qazaq", "Qazaqstan", common history. Since Turkic-Muslim people has mastered science and art while carrying and "Aiqap", they urged people to acquire of the Empire did not have equal economic the nomad style of life on horses and camels. knowledge and opened the way to the civiliza- and political rights, it became necessary to On the contrary, in historical perspective, tion and Kazakh nation-building. protect their national interests via consolida- knowledge and art were acquired only after With regard to the intellectuals and educators, tion. settling down, the construction of madrasas who conceptually defined the tasks of enlight- This was embodied in the ideology of Jadid- and schools and bringing discipline and order enment of the Kazakh people in the context of ism aimed to raise the cultural-educational to social life." the Jadidism ideology, it is necessary to name level of the Turkic-Muslim people in order to The Jadidism movement contributed to the the great enlightener and philosopher Abai engage them into the civilized world. The fact that the elements of European education Kunanbaev (1845-1904). Abai's acquaintance socio-economic and socio-political transfor- have been gradually introduced in the confes- with the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Ne- mations that took place in the Russian society sional schools. This led to the fact that by krasov, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Saltykov- during the 19th century formed the back- 1907 in the Semirechensk region, while 222 Shchedrin, Dostoyevsky, Chernyshevsky, ground of the Jadidism ideology. Jadidism as students educated from 15 Russian-native Spencer's "Experiences", Lewis's "Positive a new ideological trend of the early 20th schools, 6076 students had education in 243 Philosophy" and Draper's "History of the century triggered the consolidation of the Muslim mekteps. This situation was of great Intellectual Development of Europe" allowed Turkic-Muslim people of the Russian Empire, concern to the tsarist government. The gov- him both to act as a cultural reformer that becoming a cause of their social mobilization, ernment strongly opposed activities of provided rapprochement with Russian and development of communications, as well as mekteps, believing that the new methodologi- European culture, and to preach ideas of en- the integration of society into a single geopo- cal schools were harmful for the official au- lightenment on the basis of enlightened liberal litical space. In this sense, the Jadidist move- thorities because of spreading materials pub- Islam, which is one of the foundations of the ment can be regarded as an attempt to make lished in Orenburg, Ufa, and Kazan in Kazakh changes in the traditional ways of life both language with content harmful for the colonial Arab-Muslim philosophy. through modernizing languages and reforming power. Many Kazakh poets of the early 20th century education. Thus, in one of the reports of the archive of were inspired by Abai's call for enlighten- The foundations of Jadidism were laid by the the Police Department of the Governorate- ment. Thus, the Kazakh poet Andibaev ("My Tatar enlighteners as far back as the years General of Turkestan (1914), one can read Youth", 1907) writes: "If we were to strive by between 1800-1840. For instance, in the first that the booklet of Myrzhakip Dulatov (1885- the covenant of the Prophet Mohammed to the half of the 19th century, the outstanding Tatar 1935), "Oyan Qazaq", which was printed by skills and knowledge, then our leader would enlighteners Ghabdennasir Qursawi (1776- the printing house of the newspaper "Vakt" in be Kazakh, the lands would not deteriorate, 1812) and Shihabuddin Marjani (1818-1889) Orenburg, "calls on the Kazakh people to the number of cattle would not decrease and were the reformers of scholastic education in expel Russians and form a Kazakh State". no one would dare to touch our land." But Bukhara and Samarkand madrasas. Ibrahim However, actually, "Oyan Qazaq" of Dulatov "can we break out of their teeth not by force, Khalfin (1773-1823), Khussain Fayezkhanov called compatriots to a new life, learning good but only by knowledge?". Another poet Mush- (1821-1866) and Ismail Gasprinski (1851- things from other nations, and standing up for tak ("The Swallow", 1911) asked himself a 1914) called for the reforms in the sphere of science and education. Another work that we rhetorical question: "Will the Kazakhs, due to education among the Muslim people of the can mention is the collection of fables "Masa" knowledge, be able to see again and counter Russian Empire. Among the Kazakh intellec- by Akhmet Baitursynov (1873-1937), that the enemy?", answers: "If the people are tuals, we should mention Chokan Valikhanov, was about the strains that people faced and educated, no enemy will counter them"; "No- Salyk Babadjanov, Musa Chormanov and about the level of ignorance in the society. body can win a person who is armed with Ibrai Altynsarin, who considered further de- The book was about for knowledge, science knowledge and performs good deeds." velopment of the Kazakh people only in en- and culture. "Tur Qazaq" by Alikhan Therefore, Jadidism had a great influence on lightenment and education. Bukeikhanov (1866-1937) also called on the the Kazakh enlightenment of the 19th and Early Jadidism became a milestone of under- people to take an active position by acquiring early 20th centuries. In many ways, this can standing and finding ways of further nation knowledge and culture. be an example for modern Kazakh society, development of the Kazakh society. In fact, Covering the activity of the Kazakh enlight- which is currently facing a historic choice on the education reform had become a core is- eners supporting Jadidism, it should be noted the path of its further development. sues. The spread of ideas of Jadidism in Ka- that the Kazakh intellectuals of the early 20th zakhstan was supported by the Kazakh intel- century through their educational activities Written by Erkin Baydarov, Eurasian Research Institute, Kazakhstan