The Role of the Press and Enlightenment in the Awakening of National Consciousness in Northern Azerbaijan in 1900–1905

Abstract

This article analyzes the transition from a religious-ethnic community mindset to a secular national consciousness in Northern Azerbaijan during the early 20th century (1900–1905). In response to Tsarist Russia's russification and administrative pressures, the national intelligentsia prioritized intellectual resistance and enlightenment. The introduction of "usul-i jadid" (new method) schools and the establishment of the Baku Muslim Girls' School—the first secular girls' school in the East, funded by H.Z. Taghiyev—marked crucial milestones in education. The publication of the "Sharq-i Rus" newspaper, edited by Mohammad agha Shahtakhtinski, led the rebirth of the national press by advocating for the native language, national identity, and secularism. Ultimately, the alliance between the national bourgeoisie and the intelligentsia provided financial independence, laying the ideological foundation for political organization and the eventual declaration of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918. (144 words)