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Arabs in Kemalist Turkish Historiography

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 46; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00263206.2010.504553

1743-7881

Ahmet Serdar Aktürk,

Islamic Studies and History

Abstract Depictions of Arabs and Islam in the Turkish historiography of the 1930s clearly indicate the secular and nationalist character of the new Turkish republic. However, if one looks at the official publications from the 1930s and 1940s, not only the textbooks, the image of Arabs and Islam does not appear simple and coherent. This article reviews the image of Arabs and Islam in Kemalist Turkish historiography and demonstrates the diverse and sometimes conflicting depictions with reference to the various official texts. Notes I would like to thank Dr. Joel Gordon, University of Arkansas, for his thoughtful review of the early draft of this article. 1. S. Çağaptay, 'Reconfiguring the Turkish Nation in the 1930s', Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Vol.8, No.2 (Summer 2002), pp.67–82 and 'Race, Assimilation and Kemalism: Turkish Nationalism and the Minorities in the 1930s', Middle Eastern Studies, Vol.40, No.3 (May 2004), pp.86–101. 2. E.-J. Zürcher, 'The Vocabulary of Muslim Nationalism', International Journal of the Sociology of Science, Vol.137 (1999), pp.81–92. 3. Ş. Mardin, 'Religion in Modern Turkey', International Social Science Journal, Vol.29 (1977), p.287; Ş. Mardin, 'Turkey, Islam, and Westernization', in C. Caldarola (ed.), Religion and Societies: Asia and the Middle East (Berlin: Mouton, 1982), and N. Mert, 'Cumhuriyet Türkiyesi'nde Laiklik'[Secularism in Republican Turkey], in A. İnsel (ed.), Modern Türkiye'de Siyasi Düşünce; Kemalizm, Vol. 2 (Istanbul: İletişim, 2001), pp.197–209. 4. M. Tunçay, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti'nde Tek Parti Yönetiminin Kurulması, 1923–1931[Foundation of Mono-Party Government in the Turkish Republic, 1923–1931] (Ankara: Yurt Yayınları, 1981). 5. Graham E. Fuller calls this a 'national amnesia' about Turkey's Islamic and Ottoman past: G.E. Fuller, The New Turkish Republic: Turkey as a Pivotal State in the Muslim World (Washington DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2008), p.17. 6. Y. Taşkın, 'Kemalist Kültür Politikaları Açısından Türk Tarih ve Dil Kurumları'[Turkish Historical and Language Institutes in Terms of Kemalist Cultural Policies], in İnsel (ed.), Modern Türkiye'de Siyasi Düşünce; Kemalizm, pp.419–24. 7. 'The cephalic index, developed by Anders Retzius (1796–1860), is the ratio of the length to the width of the skull. When the ratio falls below 75 the skull is called dolichocephalic, or long-headed, when it is between 75 and 80, it is mesocephalic, or medium headed, when it exceeds 80 it is brachycephalic, or broad-headed. These three categories are also indicators of different levels of mental superiority. Based on the size and the shape of the skull, brachycephalic is the most superior.' N. Maksudyan, 'The Turkish Review of Anthropology and the Racist Face of Turkish Nationalism', Cultural Dynamics, Vol.17, No.3 (Nov. 2005), p.317. 8. B. Ersanlı, İktidar ve Tarih: Türkiye'de 'Resmî Tarih' Tezinin Oluşumu (1929–1937)[Power and History: The Formation of the 'Official History' Thesis (1929–1937)] (Istanbul: İletişim, 2003), pp.103–38; H. Poulton, Top Hat, Grey Wolf and Crescent; Turkish Nationalism and the Turkish Republic (New York: New York University Press, 1997), pp.101–14; and E. Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), Türk Tarih Tezinden Türk İslam Sentezine[From Turkish History Thesis to Turk-Islam Synthesis in History Textbooks (1931–1993)] (Istanbul: Tarih Vakfı Yurt Yayınları, 1998), pp.15–53. 9. Ersanlı, İktidar ve Tarih, pp.103–38, Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), pp.15–53, and Poulton, Top Hat, Grey Wolf and Crescent, pp.101–14. 10. Ersanlı, İktidar ve Tarih, pp.103–38; Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), pp.15–53. 11. M. Ergin, 'Cultural Encounters in the Social Sciences and Humanities: Western Émigré Scholars in Turkey', History of the Human Sciences, Vol.22, No.1 (Feb. 2009), pp.105–30; Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), pp.32–5. 12. Ersanlı, İktidar ve Tarih, pp.139–229; Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), pp.15–53. 13. G. Lewis, The Turkish Language Reform: A Catastrophic Success (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999); Y. Çolak, 'Language Policy and Official Ideology in Early Republican Turkey', Middle Eastern Studies, Vol.40, No.6 (Nov. 2004), pp.67–91; U. Heyd, Language Reform in Modern Turkey (Jerusalem: Israel Oriental Society, 1954). 14. E. Copeaux, Espace et Temps de la Nation Turque: Analyse d'Une Historiographie Nationaliste, 1931–1993 (Paris: CNRS, 1997). I have used a Turkish translation of Copeaux's book: Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), pp.201–42. 15. Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), p.9. 16. Ibid., pp.201–7. 17. Tarih II: Ortazamanlar (Istanbul: Devlet Matbaası, 1931), p.80. 18. Italics in the quotations are used in the original texts in order to emphasize the words italicized. 19. Ortamektep İçin Tarih II (Istanbul: Devlet Matbaası, 1936), p.51. 20. Tarih II, p.80. 21. Türk Tarihinin Ana Hatları (Istanbul: Devlet Matbaası, 1930), p.547. 22. Ibid., p.548. 23. Tarih II, p.84. 24. Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), p.206. 25. M. Katırcıoğlu, 'Sami Felsefenin Irkçı Vasfı[The Racist Characteristic of Semite Philosophy]', Ülkü, Vol.7 (June 1936), p.268. 26. Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), pp.204–5. 27. Tarih II, p.80. 28. İ.H. İzmirli, 'Şark Kaynaklarına Göre Müslümanlıktan Evvel Türk Kültürünün Arap Yarımadasında İzleri'[The Footprints of Turkish Culture in the Arabian Peninsula Before the Coming of Islam According to the Eastern Sources], in İkinci Türk Tarih Kongresi (Istanbul: Kenan Matbaası, 1943), p.281. İzmirli believes that these well-known Arab tribes of Medina (al-Aws and al-Khazraj) originated in Mesopotamia prior to their migration to Yemen and later to Medina. He argues that there were cultural elements that the Turkish historians saw rooted in 'Turkish culture' and the names of the tribes were derived from Turkish roots. 29. Tarih II, pp.90–91. 30. Copeaux, Tarih Kitaplarında (1931–1993), pp.210–13. 31. İ.H. İzmirli. 'Peygamber ve Türkler [The Prophet and the Turks]: The First Part', in İkinci Türk Tarih Kongresi, p.1013. 32. İzmirli, 'Şark Kaynaklarına Göre Müslümanlıktan', p.281. 33. S.M. Arsel. 'Beşeriyet Tarihinde Devlet ve Hukuk Mefhumu ve Müesseselerinin İnkişafında Türk Irkının Rolü'[The Role of the Turkish Race in the Development of the Concepts and Institutions of Law and State in Human History], in İkinci Türk Tarih Kongresi, p.1075. 34. Tarih II, p.141. 35. Ibid., p.124. 36. Ibid., pp.141–7. 37. Ibid., pp.143–6. 38. Ibid., pp.131. 39. Ibid., pp.133–4. 40. Ibid., p.136. 41. Ibid., pp.141–8. 42. Ibid., p.149. 43. Ibid., p.151. 44. Ibid., pp.155. 45. E. Akurgal, 'İslamiyet Devrinde Türk Sanatı[Turkish Art During the Islamic Period]: Part I', Ülkü, Vol.12, No.67 (Sept. 1938), pp.47–8. 46. A.R. Seyfi, 'Türklerin Medeniyete Hizmetleri'[The Service of the Turks to Civilization], Ülkü, Vol.I (March 1933), p.120. 47. Copeaux, p.225. 48. Ş. Günaltay, 'İslam Medeniyetinde Türklerin Yeri'[The Position of the Turks in Islamic Civilization], in Birinci Türk Tarih Kongresi: Konferans ve Müzakere Zabıtları (Ankara: TC Maarif Vekaleti, 1932), pp.289–90. 49. Akurgal, 'İslamiyet Devrinde Türk Sanatı, Part I', pp.45–6; E. Akurgal, 'İslamiyet Devrinde Türk Sanatı, Part II', Ülkü, Vol.12, No.68 (Oct. 1938), p.135. 50. C. Davut, 'Arıcılık'[Apiculture], Ülkü, Vol.I (May 1933), pp.334, 336. 51. A.S. Ünver, 'İslam Tababetinde Türk Hekimlerinin Mevkii ve İbni Sina'nın Türklüğü'[The Position of Turkish Physicians in Islamic Medicine and the Turkishness of Ibn Sina (Avicenna)], TTK Belleten, Vol.I, No.I (Dec. 1937), pp.271–2. 52. Seyfi, 'Türklerin Medeniyete Hizmetleri', pp.122–3. 53. A. Şinasi, 'Ahmet Haşim'Ülkü, Vol.I (June 1933), pp.377, 387. 54. Türk Tarihinin Ana Hatları, p.502. 55. Ibid., p.505. 56. Ş. Günaltay, 'İslam Dünyasının İnhitatı Sebebi Selçuk İstilasımıdır?'[Was the Seljukid Incursion the reason Behind the Decline of the Islamic World?], in İkinci Türk Tarih Kongresi, p.350. 57. Ibid., p.366. 58. Tarih II, p.248. 59. Tarih III: Yeni ve Yakın Zamanlar (Istanbul: Devlet Matbaası, 1933), pp.46–7. 60. The book uses Mehmet, the Turkish form of his Arabic name, Muhammad. 61. Ibid., pp.208–9. 62. Ibid., p.303. 63. Tarih II, p.118. 64. Tarih IV: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (Istanbul: Devlet Matbaası, 1931), p.156. 65. Ibid. 66. Ibid., pp.156–7. 67. Tarih III, p.309. 68. Tarih IV, pp.156–8. 69. Tarih III, p.309. 70. Tarih IV, p.239. 71. Miladi means to be based on the birth of Christ. 72. Tarih I, p.9. 73. Tarih IV, p.240. 74. Ortamektep İçin Tarih I (Istanbul: Devlet Basımevi, 1938), p.33. 75. Tarih I, p.46. 76. Türk Tarihinin Ana Hatları-Methal Kısmı (Istanbul: Devlet Matbaası, 1931), pp.39–40. 77. Tarih IV, pp.250–51. 78. Ibid. 79. Ibid. 80. In fact it is also claimed that the Latin alphabet was Turkish in origin: 'The new alphabet, though from a source called Latin, is neither the English alphabet nor the Italian, the German alphabet, or any alphabet. With its characteristics, this is by itself a Turkish alphabet and since it was set up by avoiding the defects and the errors that were not able to be corrected in other alphabets despite their long time experiences; it was the best evolved of all world alphabets.'Tarih IV, p.258. 81. Türk Dil Kurumu Üçüncü Türk Dil Kurultayı, 1936: Tezler, Müzakere Zabıtları (Istanbul: Devlet Basımevi, 1937), pp.12–13 82. T. Kowalski, 'Türk Dilinin Komşu Millet Dilleri Üzerindeki Tesiri'[The Influence of Turkish over the Neighbouring Nations' Languages], Ülkü, Vol.IV (Oct. 1934), p.104. 83. N.H. Onat, 'Türkçe'den Arap Diline Geçmis Din ve Kültür Kelimelerinden: 1-Secde Kelimesi ve Arapça Sözlerin Ana Kaynağı'[From Among the Religious and Cultural Vocabularies that Passed into Arabic from Turkish: 1. Secde and the Turkish Source of Arabic Words], TDK Türk Dili Belleten, Serial III, No.4–5 (Nov. 1945), pp.293–4. 84. N.H. Onat, Arapça'nın Türk Diliyle Kuruluşu[The Foundation of the Arabic Language by the Turkish Language] (Istanbul: Maarif Matbaası, 1944), p.9. 85. Ibid., pp.13–14. 86. Ibid., pp.13–51. 87. Tarih II, p.86. 88. On the other hand, those linguists who tend to find the Arabic etymological origin of the words used in Turkish are criticized. I. Necmi Dilmen's statements are an example of that attitude: 'Our linguists who are in love with Arabic show the word sevda is the feminine form of the Arabic word 'esved', which means 'black', and they assert that since a part of the heart is called 'sevdaülkalb', this word means 'love'. However, the Turkish verbal noun sev (to love) is apparent': İ.N. Dilmen, 'Güneş-Dil Teorisinin Ana Kanunları ve Analiz Yolları'[The main laws of the Sun Language theory and the ways of its analysis], Ülkü, Vol.7 (April 1936), p.94. The meaning of the word is explained in an Ottoman Turkish–English Dictionary thus: 'Sevda (): 1. Black 2. The black core supposed to exist in the heart 3. The spleen, black bile of the ancients': Sir J.W. Redhouse, A Turkish and English Lexicon (Beirut: Librairie du Liban, 1996, Constantinople, 1860, Printed for the American Mission, by A.H. Boyajian). 89. Onat, 'Türkçe'den Arap Diline Geçmis Din ve Kültür Kelimelerinden: 1', p.331. 90. N.H. Onat, Onat, 'Türkçe'den Arap Diline Geçmis Din ve Kültür Kelimelerinden: 2-Vatan Kelimesi ve Onunla İlgili Sözler'[From Among the Religious and Cultural Vocabularies that Passed to Arabic from Turkish: 1. Vatan and the Words Related to It], TDK Türk Dili Belleten, Vol.3, No.4–5 (Nov. 1945), p.498. 91. N.H. Onat, 'Tıp ve Tabib Kelimeleri Üzerine'[On the Words Tıp and Tabib], TDK Türk Dili Belleten, Vol.3, No.8–9 (April–Dec. 1946), p.84. 92. N.H. Onat, 'Dilde Ülkümüz ve Bugünkü Yolumuz'[Our Linguistic Ideal and Our Current Way], TDK Türk Dili Belleten, Vol.3, No.6–7 (March 1946), pp.615–16.