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Horizons of Jadidism in the Turkic States Century: Looking from the Past to the Future in the Face of Neo-Colonial Challenges

The symposium, titled “Horizons of Jadidism in the Turkic States Century: Looking from the Past to the Future in the Face of Neo-Colonial Challenges,” will be organized on an international scale to provide a comprehensive platform for scholarly discussions on Jadidism.

Jadidism, which emerged in the nineteenth century, represents an intellectual and socio-political movement that took shape within the Turkic world under the influence of the Enlightenment and the colonial order. At its core, it embodied a reaction against colonialism, a phenomenon that persisted throughout all stages of Jadidist thought. In its early phases, this reaction primarily manifested in the cultural and civilizational sphere, with a strong emphasis on education. Influenced by liberal and socialist movements, this intellectual endeavor was guided by the slogan "Unity in Language, Idea, and Work," coined by Gaspıralı İsmail Bey.

The concept of Usûl-i Jadîd was first developed by Tatar intellectuals in Kazan and Crimea, later spreading among Russian Muslims in Azerbaijan and Turkestan due to its emphasis on religious, linguistic, and cultural unity. Initially introduced by Abdünnasîr Kursavî through his “old-new” debate in Kazan, Jadidism was further developed by leading figures such as Shihabeddin Mercânî, Musa Carullah Bigi, Rızâeddin B. Fahreddin, Ziyâeddin Kemâlî, Muhammed Necip Tünterî, Âlimcan Barûdi, Abdürreşid İbrahim, Abdullah Bûbî, Kerim Tinşur, Hâdî Maksudi, Sadri Maksudi, and Yusuf Akçura.In Azerbaijan, shaped by the Tbilisi intellectual milieu, key thinkers such as Abbaskulu Bakukhanli and Hasan Bey Zerdâbî played a pivotal role in advancing these ideas, which significantly influenced the development of numerous scholars. This intellectual environment fostered the rise of prominent figures, including Ali Bey Hüseyinzâde, Ahmet Âğaoğlu, Ali Merdan Topçubaşı, Jalil Mehmetkuluzâde, and Ömer Faik Numanzâde, who left an enduring impact on the religious, cultural, political, and economic landscape of the early twentieth century. Similarly, in Turkestan, Jadidism gained widespread traction after 1905, led by influential intellectuals such as Munevver Kârî Abdürreşid, Ahmed Dâniş, Hoca Mahmud Behbudi, İşan Hoca Hanî and Osman Kocaoğlu. 

Theoretical and Political Evolution of Jadidism

During the nineteenth century, the intellectual foundation of Jadidism was built upon an epistemological principle of doubt. However, by the twentieth century, this intellectual framework underwent a profound transformation, evolving into a political force with diverse manifestations. Jadidism, once rooted in cultural and educational reform, gradually assumed a political dimension, influencing socio-cultural structures and serving as a guiding ideology for the Russian Turks in their struggle for independence.

Jadidism thus represents a movement of reform, revival, and renewal that emerged within the Caucasus and Kazan regions under Tsarist rule, eventually spreading across the Turkic world. While shaped by differing political contexts and religious-philosophical currents, its overarching ideological goals were encapsulated in the formula of “Turkification-Islamization-Modernization”—a prescriptive framework that defined Turkish identity and sought to remedy the absence of a cohesive national ideal.

This ideological evolution saw a shift from the notion of a "liberated ummah" to that of a "liberated homeland." While Ottoman intellectuals had debated this transition prior to the establishment of the Turkish Republic, its practical implementation gained momentum post-Republic. For Turkish communities in Russia, Turkestan, and Azerbaijan, this transformation occurred much later. The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the ensuing repressive policies against Muslim Turkish intellectuals severely disrupted this ideological trajectory.

Despite this interruption, Jadidism persisted in various modified forms. Socialist Jadidists such as Ayaz Ishakî and Sultan Galiyev (Mir Said Sultan Alioğlu) continued to uphold its principles, as did intellectuals operating outside the Soviet Union. However, it was not until the 1990s, following the independence of the Turkic Republics, that Jadidism was systematically revisited and reintegrated into contemporary discourse.

Contemporary Approaches to Jadidism

Current academic perspectives on Jadidism can be categorized into two primary approaches.

1. The Historical-Academic Approach: This perspective examines Jadidist thinkers and their contributions as a historical phenomenon. While this approach considers the religious, cultural, political, and economic impact of the movement, it often fails to address its contemporary relevance.

2. The Political-Ideological Approach: This interpretation seeks to draw direct parallels between Jadidist thought and modern political discourse. However, it risks anachronism by detaching Jadidist ideas from their original historical and socio-political contexts.

Objectives of the Symposium

The primary goal of this symposium is to bridge these two approaches by integrating historical scholarship with contemporary analysis, thereby exploring the political, cultural, and economic relevance of Jadidist thought in shaping the future of the Turkic world.

To achieve this, the symposium will follow a dual-pronged approach:

1. Theoretical Foundations and Conceptual Content

   • Examining the intellectual roots of Jadidism.

   • Evaluating the epistemological and ideological principles that shaped its evolution.

2. Practical Implications

   • Assessing the political, social, and cultural applications of Jadidist thought.

   • Analyzing how the movement can inform current and future policy frameworks.

A critical methodological error often observed in contemporary Jadidism studies is the direct transplantation of early twentieth-century discourse into modern discussions without accounting for historical transformation.

The emergence of Jadidism coincided with the Russian Empire’s intensification of occupation, exploitation, and assimilation policies. While the 1905 February Revolution momentarily altered this landscape, the movement's ideological tenets subsequently adapted to align with the shifting neo-colonial order.

At this juncture, concepts such as “Turkification” and “Islamization” require a thorough examination. A comprehensive review of Jadidist press and publications reveals not only critical socio-political analysis but also proposed solutions for the challenges faced by Turkish-Islamic societies.

The 1917 October Revolution serves as a crucial reference point for understanding Jadidist ideological evolution. The diverse ideological spectrum of Jadidist thinkers—from liberal nationalists such as Ali Bey Hüseyinzâde and Yusuf Akçura; revolutionary nationalist ideas of Zeki Velide Togan  to socialist revolutionaries like Sultan Galiyev—demonstrates the movement’s adaptability in responding to contemporary challenges.

In the Turkish Century, if Jadidism is to be revitalized as a guiding intellectual framework, its fundamental concepts—tradition, innovation, Turkishness, Islamism, modernization, nationhood, statehood, and religion—must be reinterpreted in light of both historical and contemporary realities.