The Pioneer of Tatar Educational Life: Gilman Kerimi (1841-1902)

Abstract

The European style of innovation and reform movements among theIdil-Ural Turks has evolved with the influence of reform movements inthe whole Turkish world. Jadidist movement, firstly started to be appliedin schools as a form of modern teaching methods which were called"usul-i cedit" and adopted in the public. In the following years, it hasshown 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 Kerimiwent to Bakhchysarai in Samara province and met with Ismail Gaspiraliin person. This meeting paved the way for important developments notonly for Gilman Kerimi but also for the family and Turkish world. Uponreturning to his village after meeting with Ismail Gaspirali, Gilman Kerimistarted to change his previous teaching method that he had already appliedin 136 villages where he worked as an imam and mullah, and he partiallysucceeded. In this study, it is aimed to introduce Gilman Kerimi, father ofFatih Kerimi, who is accepted as the founder of modern Tatar literature.For this purpose, the biography named "Merhum Gilman Ahund" writtenby Fatih Kerimi on the death of his father is used here. In this way, thisstudy has provided opportunity to reach a large amount of informationabout Gilman Kerimi who was presented with a few short sentences inTurkish publications and wasn't known to Turkish people much before asthere has not been an independent study in Turkey about Gilman Kerimiwho was one of the most important actors of Jadidist movement in Idil-Ural tribe.