Azerbaijan in the 20th Century: Between Islam and Secularism 3600-TU-A20C-OG

The lecture covers a wide range of topics related to the political, social, cultural, and ideological transformations in Azerbaijan during the 19th and 20th centuries. The course addresses the following issues:

Basic information about the country – an overview of Azerbaijan's society, religion, culture, language, philosophy, and literature.
The Russian conquest and its consequences – identity issues in a divided country, the clash between modernism and traditional Shia Islam.
The development of Azerbaijani intelligentsia – the significant role of Mirza Fatali Akhundov in shaping national identity.
The birth of Azerbaijani press – the importance of the magazine Molla Nasreddin.
Major ideological currents – an analysis of Pan-Islamism, Pan-Turkism, Turkism, and Azerbaijani nationalism.
The emergence of the Azerbaijani national movement – the origins of the first organizations and political parties.
Intellectual debates at the beginning of the 20th century – language, identity, and women's rights in the context of national modernization.
The Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (1918–1920) – the proclamation, functioning, and challenges of the young state.
Azerbaijani political emigration – the activities of organizations in exile and the development of national ideas abroad.
The Sovietization of Azerbaijan – the cultural revolution and the shaping of a new model of citizenship.
Language policy in Soviet Azerbaijan – linguistic changes in the context of three alphabets.
The portrayal of women in Socialist Realism – the role and representation of women in Soviet culture.
The transformation of traditions – from traditional rituals to a hybrid culture.
Practicing traditions in the USSR – ways of adapting traditional customs within the Soviet system.
Polish-Azerbaijani relations – the development of ties at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The lecture combines historical analysis with social and cultural themes, incorporating excerpts from literature, art, and music to provide a comprehensive understanding of Azerbaijan's multidimensional transformations during the era of modernity.

Type of course

general courses
elective courses

Mode

Self-reading
Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

The objective of the course is to introduce students to the key socio-ideological transformations that occurred in Azerbaijan during the 20th century, particularly in the context of its complex history. The course focuses on analyzing social, political, and cultural transformation processes that shaped Azerbaijan at the intersection of Islamic traditions and the modern, secular state model. During the course, students will: Develop skills in analyzing historical processes – understanding the socio-political changes in Azerbaijan at the beginning of the 20th century, including the significance of revolutions, national liberation movements, and modernization reforms. Learn about the key aspects of Azerbaijan's Sovietization – gaining knowledge about the impact of communist ideology on the state structures, culture, and daily life of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era. Analyze the interplay between Islam and secularism – understanding how these two forces influenced national identity, politics, and society in Azerbaijan in the 20th century. The classes will be conducted based on historical sources, academic literature, and analysis of visual and documentary materials, providing students with a multidimensional understanding of the discussed topics.

Course coordinators

Shahla Kazimova

Learning outcomes

Knowledge
The student has extensive and in-depth knowledge of the structures and social relations, as well as the socio-political processes that occurred in Azerbaijan at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. (K_W10)
The student understands the nature of socio-ideological transformations in Azerbaijan in the 20th century and the mechanisms driving these changes. (K_W03, K_W11)
The student possesses knowledge of the views and their evolution among Azerbaijani intellectuals, as well as an in-depth understanding of the Sovietization of the country and the related socio-cultural processes. (K_W03)
The student has detailed knowledge of the state of research on selected issues concerning Azerbaijan in Poland and worldwide. (K_W05)
Skills
The student is able to search for, analyze, evaluate, select, and utilize information regarding various cultural, social, and political issues in Azerbaijan (e.g., cultural specificity, the identity of Azerbaijani intelligentsia, the origins of ideological movements), using various sources and forming critical judgments based on them. (K_U01)
The student can apply concepts from the field of Azerbaijani history to analyze and interpret social and political phenomena, as well as differences among countries in the region. (K_U06)
The student is capable of analyzing the most significant phenomena in Azerbaijan's history, socio-political situation, and cultural context. (K_U11)
Social Competences
The student recognizes the practical applications of the knowledge acquired during the lecture and understands the need for further education in this field. (K_K01)
The lecture inspires the student to reflect on cultural diversity, fostering political, religious, and ethnic tolerance. (K_K03, K_K05)
The course prepares the student to participate in scientific and political conferences on Eastern issues and enables them to choose a future career path related to the region—in national or local administration, international institutions, diplomacy, mass media, as well as research and expert centers collaborating with Azerbaijan. (K_K04, K_K06)

Assessment criteria

The oral examination covers the material discussed during the lectures.
It consists of three open-ended questions designed to assess the student’s knowledge and understanding of the key topics covered in the course.

Assessment Criteria:

Maximum score: 6 points.
For each question:
2 points – full, accurate, and detailed response, covering all key aspects of the topic.
1 point – incomplete response that highlights the main elements of the topic or demonstrates basic understanding.
0 points – no response or entirely incorrect response.
Grading Scale:

3 points – satisfactory (dst)
4 points – good (db)
5 points – very good (db+)
6 points – excellent (bdb)
Passing Requirements:

The exam is considered passed if the student achieves at least 3 points.
The final grade is determined by the total score from the three questions:
3 points – minimum passing grade (dst).
4 points – demonstrates good understanding of the topics (db).
5 points – high level of topic knowledge (db+).
6 points – complete understanding and comprehensive answers (bdb).

Bibliography

Azierbajdzhanskaia Riespublika. Dokumienty i matierialy. 1918-1920 gg, oprac., wstęp Dzhamil Guliev, Баку 1998.

Baberowski, Jörg, Vrag est' viezdie: Stalinizm na Kavkaze, przekł. V. T. Altukhova, Moskva 2010.

Balayev, Aydin, Azierbajdzhanskoie natsional’noie diemokratichieskoie dvizhieniie v 1917-1918 гг., Baku 1998.

- Mamed Emin Rasulzade (1884-1955), Moskva 2009.

- Mamed Emin Rasulzade. Na chuzhykh bieriegakh 1922–1943, Moskwa 2013.

Bennigsen, Alexandre, Wimbush, S. Enders, Muslim National Communism in the Soviet Union. A Revolutionary Strategy for the Colonial World, Chicago 1979.

Bennigsen, Alexandre, Lemercier-Quelquejay C., Les mouvements nationaux chez les musulmans de Russie : Le Soultangalievisme au Tatarstan, Paris 1964.

Bennigsen, Alexandre Broxup, Marie, The Islamic Threat to the Soviet State, New York 1983.

Borisova E., (red.), Ekho Sovietskogo Azerbaidzhana. Kovior, vyshyvka, plakat. Katalog vystavki, Moskva 2020.

Chodubski Andrzej, Polacy w Azerbejdżanie, Toruń 2004.

Heyat Farideh., Azeri women in transition. Women in Soviet and post-Soviet Azerbaijan, London/New York 2002.

Maj, Ireneusz Piotr, Działalność Instytutu Wschodniego w Warszawie 1926-1939, Warszawa 2007.

Mamoulia, Georges, The struggle for the independence of the Caucasus: M. E. Resulzade and the Georgians in the promethean movement (1926-1936), „Pro Georgia. Journal of the Kartvelological studies”, t.20, Warszawa 2010, s. 97-111.

Kazimova, Shahla. "Progressive Thoughts in "Molla Nasreddin" Magazine (Initial Period - 1906-1907)." in Oriental studies and arts : contributions dedicated to Professor Tadeusz Majda on His 85th birthday, edited by Agata Bareja-Starzyńska, Kamila Barbara stanek, Marzena Godzińska, Anna Akbike Sulimowicz, Magdalena Szpindler and Joanna Bojarska - Cieślik, 139-149. Warsaw: Wyadwnictwo Akademickie Dialog, 2015.

Kazimova, Sh ., Independence by Muslim communists: "Narimanovshchina", the downfall of national communists in Azerbaijan, “Warsaw East European Revier", IX/2019, Warsaw: Studium Europy Wschodniej, Uniwersytet Warszawski, pp.155-165

Kazimova, Sh ., The Lost Legacy. The little known heritage of Azerbaijani emigration literature in Poland on the example of Mehemmed Emin Resulzade's works, "Rocznik Orientalistyczny" 2018, LXXI, z. 2, pp. 97-104

Kazimova, Sh ., The emancipation policy during the Soviet period in Azerbaijan, "Warsaw East European Revier", VIII/2018, Warsaw: Studium Europy Wschodniej, Uniwersytet Warszawski, pp. 229-236

Mamulia, Georgij, Bor’ba za svobodu i niezavisimost’ Kavkaza (1921-1945), Tbilisi 2012.

Mamulia, Georgij, Abutalibov, Ramiz, Strana ogniej v bor’bie za svobodu i niezavisimost’. Politichieskaia istoriia azierbajdzhanskoj emigratsii 1920-1945 gg., Baku 2014.

Mostashari, Firouzeh, On the religious frontier. Tsarist Russia and Islam in the Caucasus, London 2006.

Özcan, Azmi, Pan-Islamism: Indian Muslims, the Ottomans and Britain (1877-1924), Leiden 1997.

Pipes, Richard, The Formation of The Soviet Union. Communism and Nationalism 1917-1923, Cambridge 1970.

Ressul-zade, M. E. Azerbejdżan w walce o niepodległość, Warszawa 1938.

Slocum, John W., Who, and When, Where the Inorodtsy? The Evolution of the Category of “Aliens” in Imperial Russia, “The Russian Review”, nr 57, kwiecień 1998, s. 173-190.

Suny, Ronald Grigor, The Baku Commune, 1917-1918. Class and Nationality in The Russian Revolution, Princeton 1972.

Świętochowski, Tadeusz, Azerbejdżan i Rosja. Kolonializm, islam i narodowość w podzielonym kraju, Warszawa 1998.

- Azerbejdżan, Warszawa 2006.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3600-TU-A20C-OG in USOSweb