Ismail Gasprinsky, whose life and work are an example for many, is an outstanding Crimean enlightener, writer, publisher and public figure. In this article, we will outline a brief biography of this famous person. We will also talk about the role played by Ismail Gasprinsky in the history of Crimea.
Origin, childhood
Ismail was born in March 1851. This event took place in the village of Avdzhikoy, located near Bakhchisarai. His father was a warrant officer named Mustafa. Ismail Gasprinsky received his primary education at home, after which he studied at a rural school-mekteba (Muslim educational institution). After that, he graduated from the Simferopol male gymnasium, then was enrolled in the Voronezh Cadet Corps.
In the period from 1864 to 1867, Ismail Bey Gasprinsky studied at the Moscow Military Gymnasium. He was able to enter such a prestigious institution because his father was in the public service. In addition, Mustafa Gasprinsky belonged to the genus of Crimean murzas, which at that time were equated with the Russian nobility.
Important acquaintances, the formation of ideology
Ismail in Moscow made friends with the son of Mikhail Katkov, the publisher of the Moscow Gazette and the famous Slavophile. Gasprinsky lived in his family for some time. However, he soon returned to his homeland. Ismail began to teach in Bakhchisarai (in Zangirli madrassah) in 1867. After 3 years, he went to Paris, where he attended lectures at the Sorbonne, and also worked as a translator and was secretary of I.S. Turgenev, a famous Russian writer.
After this, Gasprinsky lived in Istanbul for about a year. From there, he wrote correspondence for Russian newspapers. Abroad, Ismail took ideas and knowledge, which he later creatively interpreted. They crystallized into a viable ideology, eventually turning Gasprinsky into an outstanding reformer.
Service
Returning to the Crimea, Ismail served as a teacher for some time. However, in February 1879, he became the mayor of the city of Bakhchisarai. Gasprinsky stayed in this position until March 1884.
Essay Gasprinsky, his ideas
In 1881, Ismail wrote an essay entitled "Russian Islam. Thoughts, notes and observations of a Muslim." This work has become a kind of intellectual manifesto, and not only for Gasprinsky. In this paper, the author is asked by the so-called "damned questions" of life. What relations should be between Russians and Tatars? What should be Russian Muslims (Tatars) in relation to Russian? What is the goal of the Russian government in relation to the Tatars, and is it generally striving? All these questions interested Gasprinsky.
Ismail bitterly notes the lack of a coherent policy that would be inspired by the idea of the spread of Russian civilization towards Muslims. Gasprinsky writes that this brought many bitter fruits both for Russian Muslims and for the whole country. The author states that Russian Islam does not feel, does not recognize the interests of the Russian state. He does not understand his ideas, aspirations, unknown to his joy and grief. In addition, ignorance of the Russian language isolates Russian Islam from Russian literature and thought, as well as from universal human culture. Gasprinsky notes that it vegetates in prejudice and old concepts, that it is divorced from the rest of humanity. The reason for many troubles, according to Ismail, is the lack of a well-thought-out, consistent policy in relation to a foreign and non-religious population.
Summarizing the thoughts set forth in his essay, Gasprinsky notes that ignorance, from which distrust arises, impedes the rapprochement between Russian Muslims and the Russian state. What is the author’s way out of this situation? Gasprinsky believes that elementary teaching of various sciences in Tatar should be introduced into the course of Muslim madrassas. Due to this, knowledge will penetrate into the Muslim environment without harm to the state. This, in turn, will raise the mental level of the clergy and representatives of the middle class. So many prejudices can be dispelled. Another measure proposed by Gasprinsky is the creation of favorable conditions for the publication of printed materials in the Tatar language.
Jadidism
Ismail, being a true Muslim, puts forward the creation of a reformed community of Muslim peoples in the forefront. Jadidist reform is becoming an effective answer to the questions that worried the enlightener. It was thanks to Ismail that it became widespread among Muslims living in Russia.
Jadidism proposed an education reform program. Its main areas included:
- reforming the education of Muslims, bringing it in line with the European level;
- the formation of a common Turkic literary language for all peoples;
- creation of philanthropic, civil societies;
- increased civic activism, a change in the position of Muslim women;
- Strengthening existing ties between the various Turkic-Muslim peoples living in Russia.
Newspaper Terjiman
Gasprinsky, following the noble principles declared by him, began to engage in active educational activities. For example, in April 1883, he began to publish in Bakhchisarai a newspaper called "Terdzhiman" ("Translator"). For many years, it became the only Turkic newspaper published in Russia. In Terjiman, information was published regarding the most pressing topics. The newspaper was published both in Crimean Tatar and in Russian.
At first, the publication was a weekly, but subsequently came out three times a week, and every day. "Terdzhiman" lasted until the death of Gasprinsky, which occurred in 1914, as well as another 4 years after it. During these years, the editor of the newspaper was his son Refat.
Other newspapers and magazines published by Gasprinsky
Another newspaper published by Ismail Gasprinsky is the Millet (The Nation) weekly. He also published the women's magazine Alemi Niswan (The World of Women). Shefika Gasprinskaya, the daughter of Ismail, was the editor of this magazine. But this is not all publications founded by Gasprinsky. He published a children's magazine in the Crimean language "Alemi Subyan" ("World of Children"). Also worth mentioning is a humorous publication called "Ha ha ha!", Which was founded by Ismail Gasprinsky. His biography, as you see, is marked by the release of a number of magazines and newspapers.
Creating a common Turkic language
Ismail sought to unite the Turkic peoples living in Russia on the basis of the creation of a common Turkic literary language. Gasprinsky considered the language of the existence of common Turkic solidarity. Ismail tried first of all to carry out language reform. He believed that “unity in the language” would not work out by itself, since for all the common vocabulary and typological similarity, the languages of the Turkic peoples varied significantly. An important step towards the rapprochement of all these peoples was the development of a kind of Turkic Esperanto. This language was created on the basis of the Crimean Tatar (its modernized version).
Education Reform
The education system, according to Gasprinsky, was also an important area that needed decisive reform. Ismail has developed a special method of schooling. It was first tested at the Bakhchisaray school in 1884. The main advantage of this method was the meaningful study of objects, rather than the mechanical memorization of obscure texts. In addition, native languages were actively used in the learning process, but this did not exclude the study of Russian, Arabic and European languages.
Thanks to the schools that used the Gasprinsky method, a new generation of Crimean Tatar intellectuals appeared in the first 15 years of the 20th century. They were educated in European, but did not lose their Muslim identity.
Recognition, congresses of Muslims of Russia
In 1903, the 20th anniversary of the Terjiman newspaper turned into a kind of nationwide forum. On it, Gasprinsky was recognized as the "father of the nation of Russian Muslims." The first Muslim congresses became the realization of his idea of Turkic-Islamic solidarity.
Ismail Gasprinsky in 1905 became chairman of the first congress of Muslims of Russia. This congress laid the foundation for the unification of all Russian Tatars. The second congress was held in January 1906 in St. Petersburg. Ismail Gasprinsky was also the chairman. At this event, it was decided to form the Union of Muslims of Russia. In August 1906, a third congress gathered near Nizhny Novgorod. It was decided to transform the created Union of Muslims (Ittifak al-Muslimin) into a special political party. Her program was based on the ideology of pan-Turkism.
Ismail Gasprinsky: verses and prose
I. Gasprinsky is known not only as a public figure, but also as a talented writer. He has written a number of remarkable works of art. Gasprinsky’s novels and novels (Arslan-kyiz, Molla Abbas, One Hundred Years Later) were published in the Terjiman newspaper.
And as a poet I. Gasprinsky is known. His poems about Crimea today are known to many Crimeans. Nevertheless, the poetic legacy of this author is small. His poems (about Crimea - “Crimea” and others) are not as famous as the results of his public and writing activities.