THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL ARCHIVES IN THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL IDEOLOGY(BASED ON MATERIALS FROM THE M. FIZULI INSTITUTE OF MANUSCRIPTS)

Abstract

The article examines the impact of historiographical gaps on the study of the formation and evolution of ideas related to national awakening. In our view, one of the primary causes of these gaps is the insufficient engagement of researchers with sources, particularly with their integral component—private archival materials—and their limited use in scholarly inquiry. This issue is especially significant for the study of the Azerbaijani national liberation movement, which emerged following the loss of political independence in the 19th century. Addressing this deficiency is essential to avoid subjectivity and to ensure a more comprehensive and multidimensional analysis of the ideas of national awakening formed in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The article focuses on the process of national awakening that arose as a consequence of the division of Azerbaijani territories among imperial powers in the 19th century and the subsequent loss of political sovereignty. During this period, the Azerbaijani people engaged in a determined struggle not only for political freedom but also for the preservation of their language, religion, culture, and historical identity. As a result of this struggle, national ideology and national consciousness were formed, and the enlightenment movement expanded significantly.
Ideology is conceptualized as a historical process evolving from mythological thinking to modern national consciousness. Particular attention is given to the activities of prominent intellectual figures of the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Abbasgulu agha Bakikhanov, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Hasan bey Zardabi, Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, and others, who are presented as the principal pillars of the national awakening.
The article also emphasizes the significance of private archival sources. Although the history of the Azerbaijani national liberation movement has been studied from various perspectives over the past 35 years, the lack of systematic reference to personal archival materials of 19th–20th century thinkers and leading figures of the national movement preserved at the Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli of ANAS renders further investigation of this issue highly relevant. A substantial portion of the archival materials cited in this study is introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time.