The Influence of 1904-1905 Russo

Modern Türklük
Araştırmaları Dergisi
Cilt 4, Sayı 4 (Aralık 2007)
Mak. #54, ss. 21-27
Telif Hakkı©Ankara Üniversitesi
Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi
Çağdaş Türk Lehçeleri ve Edebiyatları Bölümü
The Influence of 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese
War on the Social History of Karachai
People of the Caucasus
Ufuk Tavkul
Ankara Üniversitesi –Dil ve Tarih‐Coğrafya Fakültesi ÖZET
Rus-Japon savaşının sonuçları yalnızca Rusya ve Japonya ile ilgili siyasi ve tarihi
araştırmaları değil, Rusya İmparatorluğu’nun bazı küçük halklarının sosyal tarihlerini de
ilgilendirmektedir. Bu savaş yüzünden Rusya’nın hâkimiyeti altındaki bir bölge olan
Kafkasya’nın bazı halkları ata yurtlarından göç etmek zorunda kalmışlardı. Öyle ki,
kendilerine büyük bir ıstırap veren bu savaşla ilgili duygularını destanlara yansıtmışlardı.
Bu makalede Rus-Japon savaşının Karaçay halkının kaderini nasıl etkilediği konusu
incelenmektedir.
ANAHTAR SÖZCÜKLER
Rus-Japon Savaşı, Kafkasya, Karaçay, Sosyal Tarih
ABSTRACT
The consequence of Russo-Japanese War does not only interest the political and
historical researches on Russia and Japan but also concerns the social history of some
small peoples of Russian Empire. Because of this war some of the peoples of the
Caucasus which was a region under the rule of Russia had to migrate from their
fatherland. Even they have reflected their sense about this war which has grieved
them deeply in epic poems. In this paper how the Russo-Japan War has influenced
the destiny of Karachai people has been studied.
KEY WORDS
Russo-Japanese War, Caucasus, Karachai, Social History
Russo‐Japanese War which has occured in 1904‐1905 years is a historical reality, that 22 Modern Türklük Araştırmaları Dergisi
Cilt 4 . Sayı 4 . Aralık 2007
has not only affected the political and economic structure of Russian and Japanese people, but has heavily influenced the social structure of some ethnic groups who have had been living in the Caucasus region of Russian Empire. One of those people is Karachai, a Turkic tribe who has been living in the central Caucasus for many thousand years. The ancestors of Karachai people such as Scythians, Huns, Bulgars, Khazars, Alans and Kipchaks have been effectual on ethnic and socio‐cultural structure of them (Miziyev 1991: 120). Karachai‐Balkar language is accepted as a branch of North‐West (Kipchak) Turkic Languages (Poppe 1965: 41). Until the end of nineteenth century Karachai people were living on the northern foothills of the main Caucasus range and around the mountain Elbrus which was their fatherland that has been left as heritage to them from their ancestors. After the bloody Russian‐Caucasian war which has continued for two and a half centuries, the tired Karachai people were looking for peaceful days. But the Russian government was preparing new plans for all the peoples of Russia which would bring only sadness to them. The expansion of Russia into Near East had been prevented by Congress of Berlin signed in 1878. Thereupon, the Russian government began to build the Trans‐Siberian railroad in 1891 in order to expand the border of Russia up to the Sea of Japan and to strengthen the Russian penetration in China. That railroad would connect Petersburg with Vladivostok and another line would reach to Port Arthur from Manchuria. Russia completed the great part of this railroad in 1904 and got an important power against China and Japan. After Sino‐Japan war in 1894‐1895 China ceded the strategic port of Port Arthur to Japan. However, in 1895 Russia, Germany and France had forced Japan to relinquish Port Arthur. The Russian government who planned to join this region to Russia occupied the port of Port Arthur thus Russia reached to the Sea of China. Japan had made an alliance with United Kingdom in 1902 in order to stop expansion of Russia. After failing to negotiate an agreement with Russia, Japan severed diplomatic relations on February1904 and attacked the Russian Navy at Port Arthur. Russia had lost Port Arthur in 3 October 1905 and the war had ended in victory for Japan (Kurat 1993: 371). In that war Russia compulsorily gathered up soldiers from the peoples of the Caucasus for the purpose of reinforcing her army. In spite of propaganda and money which the Russian government has promised to pay to the soldiers who would join to Russian army, the peoples of the Caucasus such as Karachai, Balkar, Chechen and Dagestan were unwilling to participate to this war that was not theirsi. Then the Russian government turned the military service to compulsory service which was ordered by Tsar Nikolai II from Petersburg. In February 1904 General Prince G.S. Golitsyn formed two companies from the young men of the Caucasus named as 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War and Karachai People
Ufuk Tavkul
Dagestan and Terskii‐Kuban companies. Chechen, Kumyk and Avar soldiers were taking part in Dagestan company while Karachai‐Balkar soldiers were in Terskii‐
Kuban company. The Karachai young men who were forced to fight against Japan army died in Russo‐Japan war far away from the Caucasus (illustration 1, illustration 2, illustration 3). In Karachai oral literature there are some variants of an epic poem concerning Russo‐Japanese War which has a deep influence on the collective memory of this Caucasian people. First, I’ll give the original text in Karachai Turkic and its translation in English: Karachai Turkic Biz tebredik Qaračaydan, Iapon qazavatxa satïlïb. Iapon qazavatïnda tebredi, Üsübüzge qara tobla atïlïb. Qïralïbïz qara qañña batïlïb. Biz minalmaybïz Port‐Artur tavlaġa. Bašïbïz qalġandï bu gavur Iaponda ĵavlaġa. Qazavatxa tebresek, barabïz atlarïbïznï tïyalmay. Qaračaynï biyleri, baylarï bizni qalay satdïla, Ala betlerine uyalmay. Kün tiygendi Iapon tavlada buzlaġa. Xaparïbïznï aytmaġïz, Bek ĵïlarla, Qaračayda qïzlaġa. Biz qazavatxa kirgen kün, Aylanabïz it kibik. Qazavat etmegen künübüz, Tatlï körünedi süt kibik. Čačïla ketdik Qïtay tavġa, Tögeregibizge qaray. Qaračay tavladan körmedik. Biz örledik alaġa, Qaračay tavlanï tansïqlab. Köble öldüle Iapon oqla čančaqlab. 23
24 Modern Türklük Araştırmaları Dergisi
Cilt 4 . Sayı 4 . Aralık 2007
Bolalmaybïz bu gâvur ĵurtlanï suvlarïndan ičerge. Kürešebiz bir‐biribizge kebin bičerge. Süymey edik ĵašlïqda bu uzaq ĵerde ölürge. Qaračayġa uzaq tüšgenbiz, bolalmaybïz kelirge. Qaračay bayla, biyle, bizni qazavatxa berdile, Boynubuzda borč bolmay. Bayla turalla Qaračayda, Bizni üčün bir da qïynalmay. Bir bölek ĵïlnï ĵašlïqda, Qaračay ellede ĵašadïq. Kele kelib Iapon belgide, İt etleni ašadïq. Qaračayda qïzla alay ĵïlayla: ‐Bu suv Yapoñña bara ese, Bašïbïznï suvġa atayïq. Asker ĵašladan kelgen pismolanï, Qoynubuzġa salïb ĵatayïq. Ĵïltïraydï Iapon tavnu tašlarï , Qïrïlalla Qaračaynï aqïl‐balïq bolmaġan ĵašlarï. Qalġan askerle kibik, Iapon bizni quvalmayd. Oq tiygendi Qarakötlanï Mïrzay ĵarlïnï belinden. Ol kün xayïr čïkmay qalġandï qablan kibik kölünden. Qarakötlanı Mïrzay baradï, Askerleden alġa ayïrïlïb. Qïlïč uradï ĵaš Mïrzay, Iapon askerlege qayïrïlïb. Allay ĵigit analaġa köb tuvmaydï, Qarakötlanï batïr Mïrzay, Oqdan közün ĵummaydï. (Gochiyaeva 1969: 65‐66.pp.) *** 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War and Karachai People
Translation We started off from Karachai, Compelled for the Japan War. In the Japan War heavy artillery fire, Started coming on us. As our state (Russia) being buried in black blood. We can not climb to the mountains of Port Arthur. We have been surrounded in this cruel Japan by the enemies. When we set out for battle, we can not prevent our horses. How the princes and the nobles of Karachai compelled us, Not being ashamed for their honour. The sun has shined on the glaciers of the mountains of Japan. Don’t tell our story, The girls in Karachai, because they will cry. The day when we join the battle, We are wandering like a dog. The day which we don’t join the battle, It looks us as sweet as milk. We were scattered and went to Kitai (China) mountain, As looking around. We could not see the mountains of Karachai. We climbed to them, Missing the mountains of Karachai. Many soldiers died by piercing Japanese bullets. We can not drink the water of this cruel country. We are trying to shroud each other. We did not desire to die in this distant place while we were young. We are far from Karachai, we can not come back. The nobles and princes of Karachai drove us to the war, As it was not our duty. The nobles are staying in Karachai, Without being worried for us. Ufuk Tavkul
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For a couple of years when we were young, We lived in Karachai villages. As we came to Japan country, We ate dog meat. The girls in Karachai cry like this: ‐If this river goes to Japan, Then let’s throw us to the river. The letters which came from the soldier boys, Let’s put them in our bosom and go to bed. The stones on mountains of Japan are shining. The young boys of Karachai whom are not adults yet are dying. Like the other soldiers, The Japans can not pursue us. The unlucky Mirzay Karaketov has been shot from his waist. There was no help in that day from his courage which was like a tiger. Mirzay Karaketov is going out forwards, As being separated from the soldiers further. The young Mirzay is striking his sword, While he is attacking Japanese soldiers. Not so much hero like him was born to mothers. Mırzay Karaketov, the brave, Do not shut his eyes to the bullets. *** After Russo‐Japan war, the Karachai people understood that the pressure of Russians would be more irresistible and unbearable so it would be a better preference to migrate from the Caucasus to Ottoman Empire. In 1905 the elders of Karachai people decided to migrate and in November 1905 a part of Karachai people migrated from the Caucasus and came to Istanbul by ships which have sailed on Black Sea. Now grandchildren of those Karachai emigrants are living in several parts of Turkey and most of them don’t know that one of the reasons of this migration was Russo‐
Japanese war. This epic poem and the migration of Karachai people from the Caucasus is a good sample for the overlooked results of Russo‐Japanese war. Not only Karachai people but all the peoples of Russian Empire had suffered from this war and had kept 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War and Karachai People
Ufuk Tavkul
the memories that are the most painful part of their social history. Bibliography
MİZİYEV İ.M. (1991) Očerki Istorii i Kultury Balkarii i Karačaia XIII‐XVIII vv. Nalčik: Nart. KURAT A.N. (1993) Rusya Tarihi‐Başlangıçtan 1917’ye Kadar.‐Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu. GOCHİYAEVA S.A. (1969) Karačay Halk Ĵïrla. Moskva: Izdatelstvo Nauka. POPPE N. (1965) Introduction to Altaic Linguistics. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz. Illustrations
Illustration 1: Karachai people from Teberdi village who have joined Russo‐Japanese war. Illustration 2: General Mirzakul Kïrïmšavhal who have joined Russo‐Japanese war. Illustration 3: Kanšavbiy Kelemet who have joined Russo‐Japanese war. Ufuk Tavkul
Doç.Dr., Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Çağdaş Türk Lehçeleri ve
Edebiyatları Bölümü, Kuzey-batı (Kıpçak) Türk Lehçeleri ve Edebiyatları AD öğretim
üyesi.
Adres: Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Çağdaş Türk Lehçeleri ve
Edebiyatları Bölümü, Kuzey-batı (Kıpçak) Türk Lehçeleri ve Edebiyatları AD– 06100
Sıhhiye ANKARA / TÜRKİYE
E-posta: [email protected]
Yazı bilgisi :
Alındığı tarih: 10 Eylül 2007
Yayına kabul edildiği tarih: 13 Kasım 2007
E-yayın tarihi: 3 Ocak 2008
Çıktı sayfa sayısı: 7
Kaynak sayısı: 4
i An informant whom I had conversed with in 1981 in Turkey had confirmed this fact. Aminat Chagar, a Karachai woman connected to Salpagarov family of Karachai people who has been born in 1890 in the Caucasus has remembered that Russian officers have compulsorily gathered the young men of her village for the Japan war in 1904. She has migrated to Turkey in November 1905 with her all family and she has always remembered that one of the most impressive reasons of this migration has been the Japan war. 27