Periodicals on the Transformation of Turkic Muslim Women in the South Caucasus in Imperial Russia

Abstract

The press was a major vehicle for examining the role of women in traditionally Muslim Azerbaijani society. The principal objective of this article is to examine periodicals that address the transformation of Turkic-Muslim women in the South Caucasus between the years 1875 and 1917. During the aforementioned period, a number of media outlets were established by Azerbaijani intellectuals with the intention of enlightening society. By the beginning of the 20th century, a group of male writers had published several articles in these press organs with the objective of attracting women to education. Furthermore, at the beginning of the 20th century, a number of prominent women began to advocate for their rights as a result of a robust cultural awakening. The establishment of the first women's newspaper represented a significant milestone in the history of women's media in Azerbaijan. Until the fall of Russia, a considerable corpus of significant publications had emerged in Azerbaijan. Despite the existence of media outlets that adopt a radical stance, the prevailing message was that of an educated mother. This assumption was widely held and reflected the belief that only a mother with a good education could raise a child with a similar level of learning, which would, in turn, result in the salvation of society.