Tatar Maarif Hayatının Öncüsü: Gılman Kerimi (1841-1902)

Abstract

The European style of innovation and reform movements among the Idil-Ural Turks has evolved with the influence of reform movements in the whole Turkish world. Jadidist movement, firstly started to be applied in schools as a form of modern teaching methods which were called “usul-i cedit” and adopted in the public. In the following years, it has shown itself in almost all areas of social life such as education, press, theatre, story and novel. Gilman Kerimi is the most important name in Tatar educational life. In order to better understand the method of usul-i cedit, Gilman Kerimi went to Bakhchysarai in Samara province and met with Ismail Gaspirali in person. This meeting paved the way for important developments not only for Gilman Kerimi but also for the family and Turkish world. Upon returning to his village after meeting with Ismail Gaspirali, Gilman Kerimi started to change his previous teaching method that he had already applied in 136 villages where he worked as an imam and mullah, and he partially succeeded. In this study, it is aimed to introduce Gilman Kerimi, father of Fatih Kerimi, who is accepted as the founder of modern Tatar literature. For this purpose, the biography named “Merhum Gilman Ahund” written by Fatih Kerimi on the death of his father is used here. In this way, this study has provided opportunity to reach a large amount of information about Gilman Kerimi who was presented with a few short sentences in Turkish publications and wasn’t known to Turkish people much before as there has not been an independent study in Turkey about Gilman Kerimi who was one of the most important actors of Jadidist movement in Idil- Ural tribe.