The problem of Tatar national identity at the beginning of the 20th century through the prism of a woman’s view

Abstract

The turn of the 19th – 20th centuries in the Tatar society is characterized by a time of comprehending the past and defining tasks for the future development of Tatar identity. At this time, a discussion about self-designation of the people is unfolding on the pages of periodicals; Tatar intellectuals share their vision of the concepts of “nation” and “national”. Along with the male part of the Tatar society, Tatar women join in the discussion of important issues. The author of the article sets the following goal: to analyse the position of Tatar women regarding national issues and their activities in defending their own views. The novelty of the study is that it is the forst attempt to consider the issue of the national identity of the Tatars and the prospects for the Tatar nation’s development through the prism of a woman’s perspective. It is of much importance since women are directly related to the upbringing of the younger generation, which determines the nature of the development of the national community. The study revealed that Tatar women of the early 20th century actively entered into debate about the name of the Tatar people and acted as a defender of the Tatar ethnonym. They participated in the formation of a strategy for the development of the Tatars’ national identity. Priority tasks facing the Tatars, in their opinion, include the preservation of the physical health of the people. After that spiritual development can be discussed. Tatar women call religion and the Tatar language the basis of the nation. The development strategy of the nation, according to the vision of Tatar women, should be based on education and enlightenment. Tatar women of the early 20th century took upon themselves the responsibility to realise activities for educating the younger generation, wrote books on the topic, and were actively involved in organising women's education. The author cites sources from the Tatar periodical press of the early 20th century, which reflect Tatar women’s point of view of on the problem of the identity of the Tatar people.