Journal of Applied Science Studies - Ozean Publications

Ozean Journal of Applied Sciences 1(1), 2008
process of reshaping the government and change. That room gave an end to the monopoly of Fener Rum in
translation. Translation Room became a real school in time and gained importance after it became a unit in
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Starting from Abdul-Aziz’s period, it was a circle in which a new world
perspective developed and a new politic idea was shaped. That circle had a great effect on uniting
westernization idea and political struggle idea while causing ‘new’ to cover the whole thinking and artistic
life. Simple language and novel rules were introduced by this circle. Two important names of Tanzimat
Age, Ali and Fuat Pashas were members of this Translation Room. Münif Pasha , Ahmet Vefik Pasha,
Ethem Pertev Pasha, Saffet Pasha, Şinasi, Agah Efendi, Namık Kemal, Sadullah Pasha , Kani Paşazade
Rifat, Macit Pasha, the owner of Mirat news, Refik are some of the names who found identity in
Translation Room (Özon 1941: 8) and they directed the ideological life of the period. Said Bey called this
group as “opposition party of Babıali”. Translation Room was the first place to meet French literature
thinking as it was the gate for the shift from Classical Literature to Tanzimat Literature.
We should consider Translation Room, New army in European Style, Medical School for army, and
Military School for officers as a whole step for modernization (Tacan1999: 129-130). After Mahmud II
developed engineering schools he completed the modernization efforts’ ring by introducing journalism to
the Turkish society. He needed to inform the public about the reforms. Newspapers played an important
role in modernity project for ottoman Emperor’s shift to a nation-state. They over-took such a mission at
the beginning and nearly all of the journalists were officers of the state. Journals and the journalists shaped
the culture, literature and politic life of that period. Most of the journalists such as Münif Pasha, Şinasi,
Namık Kemal, Ziya Pasha, and Ali Suavi were also men of culture and literature.
Tanzimat age literature started with the reflections of social movements and arose upon modern
foundations and on an expanding social base (Kaplan 1971: 1). The change and renovation expanded
rapidly in every aspect of daily life. As a result a new literature became a must. While novels, theatres,
dramas and poems were introducing European life style to the Turkish people, it was bringing up an
intellectual generation which has new politic, economic, cultural and social views. Literature was strictly
loyal to the elements of Tanzimat. Men’s of Literature sole target was modernity. From that perspective we
can conclude that Tanzimat literature has got a complete social character (Akyüz 1979: 12-14).
During the Serveti Fünun Age, the literature became personal because of the hard political conditions. Men
of Serveti Fünun literature had been educated in western style and had known west very well. So they
didn’t have any difficulty in remembering the social function of the literature after Meşrutiyet II. Fikret
created utopias that will rescue not only the nation but also the whole humanity. Finally, Turkish Republic
was about to get its shape over the base prepared by National Literature Movement.
CONCLUSION
After we have summarized the developments in literature parallel to the metamorphoses experienced
started in the first years of 18 th century there appears a question like this: Why the literature of
Administrative reforms of 1839 (Tanzimat) that was build on the institutional reforms of Mahmud II, that is
seen as the second enlightenment age (İnalcık 2005: 190) had ushered a new era while the effect of
literature that had become clear in Nedim’s personality did not get deep in the Tulip Age, which is seen as
an awakening era that is said to be the first enlightenment age in Ottoman history Many things can be
said about this topic; both literatures and periods can be compared at length. But what must be mentioned
presumably will be the difference between the social conditions of the two periods. The Tulip Age truly has
the signs of awakening. It is doubtless that the senior management of the period is sincere and sentient
about the goings-on in the west. However, movement had been a limited activity that was partaken only by
senior management – a minor group of the senior management. Adopted modernity facts were not able to
be empowered by institutional structures, more importantly, they were not able expand to substructure.
Apart from the provinces, even the dwellers Istanbul have also seen themselves outside the circle when the
support they gave to the rebellion considered. In this condition, the hedonist literature that came out in the
palace, when the conditions that helped it emerge, pined away rapidly, diminished for a long time and
dimmed. It must be admitted that the transformation to a modern perception, first of all, is a problem of
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