Milli Tarihin Yeniden İnşa Sürecinde Sabitler ve Değişkenler: Bağımsızlık Öncesi ve Sonrası Azerbaycan Tarihçiliğinde Osmanlı İmajı (Tarih Ders Kitapları Çerçevesinde)
Constants and Variables in the Reconstruction Process of National History: Mutual Analysis of Ottoman Image in pre and post-independence Period of Azerbaijan History (within the framework of history textbooks)
Yazar: Azizova, Elnura
Dergi: Hitit Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, Vol. 18 No. 36, 2019
Anahtar kelimeler: Turkish History,National Historiography,History Textbooks,Ottomans,Turkey ; Türk Tarihi,Milli Tarih Yazıcılığı,Tarih Ders Kitapları,Osmanlı,Türkiye

Tarih yazıcılığının gelişimini önemli ölçüde etkileyenalanlardan biri olarak millî tarih yazıcılığı ulusların siyasal, sosyal vekültürel hayatının önemli olaylarının kayda alınmasının ötesinde, özellikle soniki yüzyılda siyasal varoluşun ve kültürel kimlik oluşturmanın en etkin aracıolmuştur. Azerbaycan’da milli tarih yazıcılığı son yüzyılda ideolojik, politikve kültürel değerleri bir-birinden farklı Azerbaycan Demokratik Cumhuriyeti(1918-1920), Azerbaycan Sovyet Sosyalist Respublikası (1920-1991) ve AzerbaycanRespublikası (1991- ) dönemlerini yaşamıştır. Azerbaycan’ın 71 senelik sovyetve 25 yıllık bağımsızlık dönemi araştırmanın dönemsel sınırlarınıoluşturacaktır.Bütün uluslar gibi Azerbaycan Türkleri’nin de tarihidiğer uluslarla askeri, politik, ekonomik, sosyal ve kültürel etkileşime bağlıolarak gelişmiştir. Bu bağlamda Azerbaycan’ın millî tarih yazıcılığı açısındanTürkiye, diğer devletlerle kıyaslanamayacak kadar önemli tarihi figür olmuştur.Selçuklu ve Türkiye Cumhuriyeti gibi öncesi ve sonrası da önem arzetmeklebirlikte, Osmanlı döneminde Türkiye, Azerbaycan tarihinin bizzat içinde rolalmıştır. Araştırmanın başlıca amacı Azerbaycan tarihçiliğinde Osmanlı imajınıntespit edilerek millî tarih yazıcılığında dönemlerarası süreklilik vedeğişikliğin karşılıklı analiz edilmesidir.Gerek sovyet, gerekse bağımsızlık dönemi Azerbaycan’daokullarda Eğitim Bakanlığı’nca tek tip ve zorunlu olarak okutulan tarih derskitapları araştırmanın başlıca kaynaklarını oluşturacaktır. Azerbaycantarihçiliğinin bağımsızlık öncesi ve sonrası dönemlerinde Osmanlı algısı, bazensiyasi ve derslik yazarlarının kimliği gibi bireysel faktörlere bağlı olarakkendi içinde homojenlik arzetmediği için her dönemin kendi içindekideğişikliğin iz sürümü de sovyet ve post-sovyet dönemlerin farklı senelerindeyayınlanmış ders kitaplarından tespit edilecektir. Ders kitaplarının yanısıra,Azerbaycan tarihçiliğinin her iki dönemle ilgili belli-başlı eserlerindenbütünlüğün sağlanması ve karşılaştırma amacıyla yararlanılacaktır.

Being one ofthe most influential areas having great influence on the development ofhistoriography, especially in the last two centuries, national history writinghas been the most effective means of creating political and cultural identitybeyond recording of the vital events of the political, social and cultural lifeof the nations. During the last century national historiography in Azerbaijanhas experienced ideologically, politically and culturally three differentstages of its history: Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920), AzerbaijanSoviet Socialist Republic (1920-1991) and Azerbaijan Republic (1991-). 71 yearsof Soviet and 28 years of the post-soviet period are the periodic limits ofthis research.Similarly toother nations, history of Azerbaijani Turks has been developed through themilitary, political, economic, social and cultural interaction with other nations.In this context, in terms of national historiography of Azerbaijan, Turkey wasone of historically important figures that cannot be compared with otherstates. Taking into account its earlier and later stages as Seljuks and theRepublic of Turkey, the Ottoman Empire took part within the history ofAzerbaijan. The main purpose of this investigation is to determine theperception of the Ottomans in Azerbaijani historiography and to analyze thecontinuity and changes between these two periods of the nationalhistoriography. The relevant data from the history textbooks which were, andstill are standard and compulsory by the Ministry of Education in schools ofAzerbaijan in both the soviet and post-soviet periods will be evaluatedqualitatively by applying content analysis method.Key Words: Turkish History, National Historiography, History Textbooks, Ottomans,Turkey, AzerbaijanSummaryDuring theSoviet period, the Ottoman Empire was introduced as “occupying state” forAzerbaijan according to the policy of Soviet historiography. This image of theOttomans has changed throughout the rereading process of the history afterAzerbaijan gained its independency and the approaches that led to significantchanges in the Ottoman perception were put forward.In the Sovietperiod history textbooks, the Ottoman Empire is mentioned as a foreigner who occupiedthe territory of Azerbaijan. The Ottomans, who occupied large lands in Europe,Asia and Africa, is the most fearful dream of Azerbaijan in the region,especially during the 16-17th centuries. The Ottoman-Safavids relations, whichworsened in the Battle of Chaldiran, provided a good excuse for the occupation,and the Ottomans carried out invasion marches on the territory of Azerbaijan.During these marches the Ottomans murdered and enslaved tens of thousands ofpeople, oppressed and persecuted Shiites and Christians, bankrupted the peoplebecause of heavy taxes, took to Turkey many scholars and craftsmen. As aresult, the Ottomans became the most damaging state from which Azerbaijansuffered in political, economic and cultural terms.Although theOttoman image in the history textbooks of the post-independence period overlapswith the Soviet period in some respects, it is often attempted to create a moremoderate Ottoman perception throughout different approaches. TheOttoman-Safavid relations remain one of the most sensitive subjects of nationalhistoriography. The main reason of the Ottomans opposition against the Safavidsis shown as excessive sectarian bigotry. The political intervention of medievalwestern diplomacy is also underlined in this dispute between the two majorTurkish states. Thus, unlike in Soviet period historiography, the Ottomans arerelieved of being unilaterally guilty of the event, and it is claimed that thereal “other” is medieval western diplomacy, which seeks to prevent thedevelopment of the two Turkish-Muslim empires and exploits the sectariandifference. The Ottoman marches to Azerbaijan between the 16-18th centuries areseen as occupation in the historiography of the post-independence period, butit is emphasized that humanitarian behavior was applied in the tax policyagainst the Azerbaijani people by giving sources from the Ottoman registers. Itis also emphasized that the Janissaries, with whom the Ottoman state could notcope, oppressed the people in different ways.The perceptionof Turkey for the last century both in the Soviet and post-Soviet periodtextbooks is also important in terms of reflecting on the current image ofTurkey. According to the Soviet period textbooks, similar to the Germany’spolicy on the Caucasus during the World War II, the Republic of Turkey also wascontinuing its occupation policy against Azerbaijan. It is also implied that,this policy of the Republic of Turkey was similar to the mission of itspredecessor, the Ottoman Empire, which reoccupied Azerbaijan during the WorldWar I. In addition, it is underlined that the Republic of Turkey conducted itspolicy under the influence of the West, especially the United States, after itbecame a member of the NATO. On thecontrary, the Ottomans is mentioned as “the brother Ottoman State” in post-independenceperiod textbooks and its important services during the establishment period ofthe Caucasus Army of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918 is emphasized.Both the facts that the Ottoman Empire was the first to recognize theAzerbaijan Democratic Republic and the Republic of Turkey was the first torecognize the Azerbaijan Republic in 1991, are presented to highlight the roleof Turkey as the first ally of Azerbaijan in the region. Turkey also ispresented as the closest supporter of Azerbaijan in the region about its mostimportant national cases such as the regaining of Karabakh and solving theArmenian issue. Beyond its current powerful position in international politics,as well as its emerging economy which makes Turkey the first ally to Azerbaijanamong neighboring countries, it is brother country to Azerbaijan in accordancewith “one nation two states” statement.In conclusion,although many approaches in Azerbaijan historiography about the Ottomanperception have been radically changed, some of them have been continued in themain subjects of national historiography such as the territorial integrity anddefense of the homeland. One of the major deficiencies of the historiography ofboth periods reflected in the textbooks is that it provides insignificantinformation on cultural interaction between Azerbaijan and Turkey. Thisproblem, which is a natural consequence of the fact that national historiographyis still explained through more political-military history issues, is in factan obstacle for the whole picture to be seen in bilateral relations.