A distinguished writer, journalist and worker in the social field, Ghayaz Is’haqi (in Turkey ISHAKI IDILLI) was one of the most dynamic and untiring leading personalities of the national liberation movement of the Tatar people. Born on February 23, 1878 into the family of a mullah in the village of Yavshirma (in present Tataristan), he received his formal education at the medreses of Chistay (Chistopol’) and Kazan and, in 1898, in the Kazan Teachers’ Institute. As a student Ghayaz Ishaqi was an active participant in the revolutionary movement. In 1905 he became one of the founders of a secret political group, the “Tangchylar”. The “Tangchylar” derived their name from that of the newspaper “Tang” (The Dawn), later changed to “Tang Yoldyzy” (The Morning Star). The actual editor-in-chief of these newspapers was Ghayaz Is’haqi. Both “Tang” and “Tang Yoldyzy” were socialist papers supporting the overthrow of the Czarist government in Russia by way of revolution. Thus, the “Tangchylar” based their activities on the program principles of the Russian S.R. (Socialist Revolutionary Party).
Heading the Tatar Radical Nationalist Group, Ghayaz Ishaqi participated in the 1. Congress of the Moslems of All-Russia which was held in Nizhninovgorod in 1905 (before the revolution). In his speech Ghayaz Ishaqi opposed liberalism and the “Ittifaq” (Union of all Moslems of Russia), as well as the program of the liberals which had much in common with that of the Russian Kadets2, the Russian Constitutional Democratic Party.
He demanded that the “Ittifaq” be accepted only as a cultural union of the Moslems of Russia.
(1) This information has with little changes been taken from T. Davletshin, Sovetskiy Tataristan (Soviet Tataristan), Munich and London 1974, pp. 67-67.
(2) Kadets, a group supporting a constitutional monarchy. “Ittifaq” – a group of Moslems supporting (with the Kadets) a constitutional monarchy.
Because of his activities in the revolutionary movements Ghayaz Is’haqi spent several years in prison and in exile in Arkhangelsk and the Vologda provinces. After his return from exile he founded in 1913 in Petrograd the newspaper “IL” (The Country) for which he received material assistance from some Tatars. In 1914 this newspaper began to appear in Moscow. Later in his activities Ghayaz Is’haqi turned away from the socialist ideology and political radicalism. His newspaper “IL” too developped into a national organ free from socialist ideas. The newspapers “IL” and “Süz” (The Word) continued to appear with interruptions3 until April 11, 1918, when they were closed by the Soviet government.
Having been a brilliant journalist, Ghayaz Is’haqi was also a gifted writer and dramatist. Besides his journalistic and political activities he wrote in the years from 1897 to 1918 29 literary works of high quality. It goes without saying that these works have been removed from circulation in the Soviet Union and are being kept secret from its people.
After the downfall of the Czarits regime Ghayaz Is’haqi actively joined the national freedom movements of the Moslems of Russia. He was one of the organizers of the 1. Congress of the Moslems of All-Russia held in Moscow in May 1917 and of the 2. Moslem Congress held in Kazan in July 1917. He put the union of the Turkic peoples above everything else and developped his political views also in that direction. He was a staunch supporter of the national and cultural autonomy of the Moslem peoples in Russia and a deputy and representative of the Moslems of Moscow in the National Assembly of the Moslems of inner Russia and Siberia which had been established in Ufa.
Ghayaz Is’haqi was elected Minister of Foreign Affairs of the National Cultural Autonomous Government of the Turco-Tatars of Inner Russia and Siberia. After the Bolsheviks established themselves in Russia he had to leave in that capacity in order to participate as a Representative in the European Peace Conference. To carry out this duty he travelled to Europe via the Far East, making a stop-over in Japan. After the Bolshevik take-over in Russia Ghayaz Is-
haqi did not return there, but remained in Europe as an emigré, living in Paris, Berlin, Warsaw and in Turkey. During this time he continued to be politically very active. In 1928 he published the monthly “Milli Yul” (The National Path), changing its name in 1930 to “Yanga Milli Yul” (The New National Path) and continuing it until 1939. In 1935 he founded in Mukden the newspaper “Milli Bayraq” (The National Flag) as the national organ of the Turco-Tatars who were living in the Far East. 1931 he participated in the Moslem Congress in Jerusalem at which he represented his own country’s Moslems. Ghayaz Is’haqi died on July 22, 1954 and, in accordance with his will, was buried in Istanbul.
(3) These newspapers were closed down several times by the Czarist regime, because they were considered harmful.