Modernist trends in the publications of the "Maarif" Journal during the post‑tanzimat period of the Ottoman Empire

Identificator

EDN: JJBDDU ; УДК: 930(496.1)

Authors

Nafikov Ilsur Zakirzyanovich, PhD in Historical Sciences, associated professor of the Department of Altay, Turkic and Central Asia Researches, Kazan (Volga region) Federal University. Russia, Kazan. ORCID: 0000‑0001‑9016‑7944. E‑mail: IZNafikov@kpfu.ru

Journal

HERALD OF HUMANITARIAN EDUCATION №1 (41), 2026

Section

HISTORIOGRAPHY

Pages

115-121

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the weekly scientific‑literary journal "Maarif" ("Enlightenment"), published in the Ottoman Empire from 1891 to 1896, as a representative case study of the adaptation of modernization discourse to the conditions of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's authoritarian regime. During an era of severe censorship that eliminated the possibility of direct political debate, "Maarif" adopted the strategic motto "Everything is discussed, except politics." This framework allowed the journal not only to avoid repression but also to become an active agent of a "quiet" sociocultural modernization. The aim of the research is to identify the discursive strategies through which the publication disseminated progressive ideas, bypassing the ideological barriers of the Hamidian era. The research focuses on three key aspects. First, it examines "Maarif's" position within the context of the Ottoman press and its adaptation to a repressive media landscape. Second, it analyzes the journal's popular science discourse, which, through sections on new inventions and scientific achievements, constructed a rationalistic worldview and cultivated critical thinking among its readership. Third, it offers a detailed examination of the contributions of educator Ayşe Sıdıka, whose innovative articles on child‑rearing, based on Pestalozzian principles, not only promoted new pedagogical paradigms but also justified the crucial role of women's education for national progress, representing an early example of Ottoman proto‑feminism. The conclusion states that, while formally apolitical, "Maarif" played a pivotal role in transforming public consciousness by promoting scientific rationalism, the secularization of knowledge, and new social ideals, thereby laying the intellectual groundwork for future transformations in the late Ottoman Empire.

Keywords

Maarif journal Ottoman Empire Tanzimat modernization enlightenment science popularization pedagogy Ayşe Sıdıka censorship periodical press

Recieved

11.11.2025

Published

03.06.2026

References

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