Baku literary and cultural environment in the second half of the 19th century, at the beginning of the 20th century

Abstract

The political upheavals happened in Azerbaijan in the first half of the 19th century, administrative separation of the territory of Azerbaijan and the development of a market economy in the second half of 19th century manifested themselves in the economic and cultural spheres, innovations appeared in the Azerbaijani literature, advancement opened its doors to Azerbaijani culture and literature in all aspects. The pressures and upheavals of many years, sudden changes, first conflicts of national life, love of fetterless freedom, commotions and revolutionary struggles, political, social, philosophical language and style of poem in Azerbaijani poetry required brand new quality in the second half of the 19th century, at the beginning of the 20th century.

These were historical and cultural factors for the creation of a literary environment and this stimulated to the emergence of the press in Azerbaijan. The “Akinchi” (“Əkinçi”) newspaper founded by Hasan bey Zerdabi in 1875 gathered progressive intellectuals such as Akhund Ahmed Huseynzade, Seyid Azim Shirvani, Tevaid, Necef bey Vezirov, Esgeragha Gorani, Mehbus Derbendi, Hasan Elgedari, Mahammad Taghi Elizade, Mohsun Badukubeyi, Capitan Sultanov, Hasan Qara and others, around it and began its publication. But there were injustices against Muslims and for this reason, the newspaper’s activity were suspended within two years of operation. From the end of the 19th century, enlightened people first established the press organs in Russian, and then, since 1906 they created the press organs such as “Ittifag”, “Tereggi”, “Seda”, “Sedayi-haqq”, “Teze hayat”, “Hummet”, ”Kaspi”, “Fuyuzat”, “Yeni Fuyuzat”, “Ari”, “Babayi-Amir”, “Tuti”, “Mezeli”, “Kelniyyet”, “Shelale”, “Irshad”, “Ittifag” “Zenbur”, “Igbal”, “Hayat”, “Tekamul” and others.