Murat Ali Karavelioğlu

FAMOUS TURKOLOGIST NIKOLAY FEDOROVICH KATANOV AND HIS COLLECTION AT ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY
Murat Ali Karavelioğlu•
Summary
Katanov, a leading figure in Turkology who lived between the second half of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century, has earned a well-deserved and renowned place in the scientific world for his knowledge of Russian sources, in particular, and his successful evaluation of them. His true and enduring service to Turkology is his donation to Turkey of his unique collection of approximately 4,000 invaluable books. This collection, previously preserved in the Süleymaniye Manuscripts Library but not accessible to researchers, has been available for scholars and researchers at the Istanbul University Institute of Turkic Studies for many years.
Nikolay Fedoroviç Katanov
(1862-1922)
N. F. Katanov was born on May 19, 1862, in the village of "Grapes," located 17 km from the village of Askiz on the left bank of the Abakan River, a tributary of the Yenisei. His family was of Khakassian descent. His father was Fyöder Semyenovich Katanov, and his mother was Kaçinka Katanova. Katanov's mother was an illiterate and oppressed woman, and his father was a village clerk.
Seeing the newborn's tiny white forelock, the grandmother cried out, "pora, pora!" This involuntary utterance, remembered to this day by the elders of the Khakas villages, suited the child. "Pora" in Khakas means gray. Later, the priest named him Nikolay. Nikolay also means "victor of the people" in Greek.
In 1869, the Ministry of Public Education opened a one-class Askiz school, and Katanov attended it to learn Russian. His uncle, Efim Semenovich, was Katanov's teacher. When his father died in 1874, the teacher came under his uncle's tutelage. His uncle was both a teacher and the secretary of the Askiz Steppe Duma, a group of various tribal unions. Therefore, from 1874 to 1876, he studied during the day and served as a secretary in the Duma. He studied at this school for five years. In August 1876, the orphaned Easterner Katanov set off by boat via Abakan and the Yenisei River for Krasnoyarsk. Thus, the intrepid traveler who had declared nearly one hundred and twenty-five years earlier that "the Russian land will be able to give birth to its own Platos and Newtons with its mind" embarked on the path of learning and scholarship.
Presented as the first scholar to emerge from the Abakan Turkic community, Katanov was a multifaceted scholar of Turkology. His primary subjects of study and research were the history, language and literature, folklore, ethnography, music, and other cultural matters of all Turkic peoples and tribes. He also possessed extensive knowledge of Finno-Ugric, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Iranian, and Arab cultures. Among these, he is known as a historian, linguist, ethnographer and folklorist, numismatist, curator, editor, and traveler. He was fluent in almost all European and many Eastern languages, including the extinct classical languages. He could easily read the Turkic-Orkhon inscriptions, Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian and Chinese hieroglyphs, Arabic, and ancient Aramaic-Uyghur texts.
Katanov's interest in Turkic languages ​​began when he was ten or twelve years old. During this time, Katanov became acquainted with the culture and life of foreigners and frequently listened to the speeches of Turkic tribes. In the autumn of 1876, Katanov was accepted into the Krasnoyarsk College and graduated with a gold medal. During his studies there, he met Innokentiy Karatanov, a truly cultured and knowledgeable artist, half-Russian, half-Khakas, who possessed a library of excellent books on Siberia. Karatanov gave Katanov many books about Siberia and told him many fascinating stories. These conversations with Karatanov sparked in young Katanov an interest in studying his own people. Therefore, Katanov considers Innokentiy Karatanov his first teacher.
At the age of twelve, student Katanov completed the first part of his 420-page work entitled Tatarskiy Yazık (Sagayskoe Nareçiye 1, Gramaratika, Etimologiya i Sintaksis, Krasnoyarsk 1882). However, the Academy of Sciences failed to appreciate this work. Having examined the work, Ilminskiy, a Turkologist with a missionary mission, failed to see its value and replied, "Gramatika is of no practical importance. If necessary, one can consult V. V. Radloff, who is working on this issue. He is more knowledgeable than I am in Siberian Turkic dialects." However, the work is of great value in the fields of Khakas language, history, and dialectology.
In 1881, Katanov, who became closely acquainted with the works of scientists such as Radloff, A. M. Kastron, and N. A. Kostrov, completed his own notes and published them in various publications. The archives of Tatarstan and Leningrad demonstrate the diligence and diligence of Nikolay Katanov, a gymnasium student. His notebooks in geometry, French, and German, which bear almost no teacher's corrections, his compositions in Russian literature, and his impeccable handwriting are preserved. It is also known that he tutored the children of some Krasnoyarsk residents to earn his living.
Katanov graduated from the gymnasium (high school) with a gold medal in 1884. In addition to general subjects, he learned Latin, Greek, French, and German at the gymnasium. Beginning in 1880, in other words, from his fourth-year studies at the gymnasium, he was influenced by A.K. Zavadskoy-Krasnopolsky, a history and geography teacher and a principal member of the East Siberian Section of the Geographical Society, to record Sagay texts and the customs of his own tribe.
On August 15, 1884, a "student registration of N. F. Katanov" was made at the Imperial Saint Petersburg University. The Krasnoyarsk police chief's testimony that "Katanov has no relatives who can provide him with financial assistance for his studies at the university" was also included.
In his autobiography, N. F. Katanov briefly describes his Petersburg period as follows: "I studied at the Faculty of Oriental Languages ​​between 1884 and 1888 and completed a candidate degree course. At the university, I attended lectures in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Tatar. Furthermore, I attended lectures on Russian history and Russian literature at the Faculty of History and Philology as a listener. As a student under the direction of Radloff, N. I. Veselovsky, and I. N. Berezin, I compiled compilations on the Sagay dialect and published them in scientific journals. Alongside Radloff, I also studied the new science of Turkish phonetics."
His appearance immediately attracted attention among his Russian students. With his short stature, his disproportionately long torso and short legs, he mirrored his own figure. His Mongolian face, with its prominent cheekbones and narrow black eyes, attracted considerable attention.
But in Petersburg, there was a house on Kavalergard Street near Smolny, where the poor student found warmth and decisively contributed to the development of the future scientist and Siberian researcher. Here, in Katanov's own words, "unforgettable Thursdays" awaited him at the home of the renowned journalist, socialite, and traveler N. M. Yadrintsev. Along with the student youth, distinguished figures from near and far also visited. Twenty years later, Katanov described these unforgettable days as follows: "Yadrintsev led me to the study of the history and life of the Easterners; G. N. Potanin led me to the systematic recording of works of folk art to explain borrowed lines and common motifs; and Radloff, ultimately, to the complete recording of literary works to determine the characteristics of languages ​​and various dialects. E. Y. Petri, on the other hand, led me to the first studies of European authors who wrote about the Easterners."
Katanov, who kept linguistic and ethnographic notes and a diary of his travels, compiled the finest examples of folk creativity in numerous dialects during these extensive travels, as well as comprehensive information on the Turkic-speaking peoples of Siberia and China. He meticulously studied the dialects of the Tuvans (Urankhais, Soyans, Soyats, Karagas (Togas) and the Chinese Kazakhs; the languages ​​of Kulja, Chuguchak, Urumchi, Hami, and Turfan. During this trip, from February 1891 to May 1892, Katanov compiled 120 fairy tales, 90 short stories, over 500 quatrains, 153 songs, over 600 proverbs, around 70 folk beliefs, 38 riddles, over 900 dream interpretations, and a wealth of other material.
At the university, he studied Arabic, Persian, and Turkic-Tatar languages ​​at the Faculty of Oriental Languages ​​and also took courses in Russian History and Literature at the Faculty of History and Philology. Petersburg was a center of orientalists at the time. Under the guidance of Professors N.I. Veselovsky and I.N. Berezin, Radloff, a member of the Academy, reorganized his notes on the Sagay dialects and published them in scholarly journals. Berezin tutored him in Turkic dialects. From Radloff, he learned a new branch of Oriental studies: Turkish phonetics.
After entering the faculty, Katanov took special preparatory courses in Turkology from scholars. During his university education, he studied Turkish and Tatar with Berezin, Ottoman Turkish with V. D. Smirnov, Arabic language and literature with V. R. Rozen, Persian with V. A. Jukoski, Iranian history with P. Potkanov, Eastern history with N. I. Veseloski, and Russian with M. S. Zamislav. At this faculty, Katanov learned ancient and modern Turkic languages ​​and studied historical texts and folk literature. In addition to his university courses, Katanov studied the phonetics of Turkic languages ​​privately with Radloff. Thanks to these lessons, which Radloff taught in his home, he acquired a vast knowledge of the phonetic characteristics of Turkic languages.
After graduating from the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Petersburg University in 1888, he joined the scientific research committee of the Academy of Sciences and traveled to Siberia, Mongolia, and East Turkestan until 1892, conducting research and collecting materials on the language, folklore, and lifestyle of the local Turkic tribes. At the end of 1893, he passed the exam for a Master's degree in Turkic-Tatar dialects and settled in Kazan on January 12, 1894. He was appointed Professor of Turkic-Tatar Dialects at Kazan University, teaching sixth grade. He remained in this position until his death. He first taught Turkic languages ​​and later expanded his range to include literature and history. He also taught Arabic and Persian.
The year he arrived in Kazan, he was elected a member and secretary of the university's Society of Archaeology, History, and Ethnography (Obşçestvo Arheologii, İstorii i Etnografi - OAİE) and served as its president from 1898 to 1914. He was the editor and editor-in-chief of the Society's publication, Izvestiya (News). This magazine published numerous articles, mostly critiques, reviews, and evaluations. The cultural life of the Kazan Tatars and their published works interested him deeply.
Katanov also personally met Kazan writers and wrote about their works. For example, when discussing Qayyum Nasir, he portrayed him as "a guide who tried to spread European culture among Muslims."
Katanov also played a significant role in the preparation of bibliographies on Oriental studies. He participated in studies on this subject not only in Russia but also in Western Europe, especially Germany, for example compiling lists of Russian and Islamic works for the "Orientalische Bibliographie."
But despite all his efforts and work, Nikolai Katanov was still an outsider in the "Velikorus" circle, an "inorodets," meaning someone of a different race or gender. His slanted eyes and Mongoloid features made this distinction apparent from the first encounter. Consequently, he frequently encountered the negative attitude of chauvinist professors. No place could be found for him at the still-developing Faculty of Oriental Studies at Petersburg University, established in 1854, and therefore he was forced to go to the Theological Academy in Kazan. There, too, he was not well-received. Missionaries such as Juze, Mikhailov, Koblov, and Malov attempted to discredit him, claiming, "Turkologists, graduates of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Petersburg University and the Luzarev Institute of Oriental Languages ​​in Moscow, study the history, literature, and ethnography of Asian peoples with an impartial eye and are sympathetic to them. Therefore, Katanov, having graduated from Petersburg University, could not hold a chair at the Kazan Theological Academy."
Katanov nevertheless fought hard and managed to gain a foothold in Kazan. He eagerly accepted new courses and lectures, willingly taking on various roles in social life and the press, and seeking to dispel the feeling of alienation he encountered in some circles. His unrivaled, unparalleled knowledge was so broad and profound that it silenced many of his opponents. The chauvinist professors, when it didn't suit their interests, preferred to remain silent in the face of his diligence and knowledge.
But events never failed to have their impact. No matter how learned and talented a scientist he was, no matter how innocent a Christian he was, he was still doomed to remain an outsider, an "inorodedets" within the chauvinist clique. Weakened physically by his mental turmoil, Nikolai Fedorovich Katanov suffered a stroke in the fall of 1921, and while attempting to self-medicate, he contracted pneumonia and died on March 10, 1922, before medical intervention could be completed.
Katanov has left a profound mark on the field of Oriental studies through the diverse topics and diverse studies in his works. His seminal work is "Analysis of the Tuvan Language," which brought him widespread recognition in Oriental studies. Katanov says of himself, "My profession is linguistics, and I specialize in (Turkish-Tatar) dialectology and transcription."
Katanov has authored 181 articles on Oriental studies alone. More than thirty articles have been published on him. The institute's library contains nearly 100 records on Katanov. During his lifetime, he was a member of dozens of scientific organizations and cultural groups.
Library at Istanbul University
Due to the harsh living conditions of the late Tsarist Russia, Katanov was forced to sell approximately 3,500 volumes of his 9,000-volume library. These volumes were purchased by the Ottoman government in 1914 and are currently held by the Institute of Turkic Studies at Istanbul University. A portion is also held by Kazan University. While there is no clear information regarding when and how Katanov's books arrived in Turkey, we believe they were purchased in two batches: the first in 1914 and the second in 1922. In 1914, Katanov, wishing to sell his books, first applied to the Russian Institute of Sciences. When the Institute rejected him, he proposed to the Siberian Governor-General that they be purchased for Irkutsk University and the establishment of a Faculty of Oriental Languages, but was again rejected. He then made an offer to the Governor-General of Turkestan for Tashkent University, but was again rejected. Realizing he would be unable to sell his books to official institutions, Katanov tried selling them to booksellers in Leipzig. However, booksellers were slow to act. Grand Vizier Tevfik Pasha, who was in Kazan at the time, realized their great value and purchased some of the books on behalf of the Ottoman government. One account claims that Zeki Velidi Togan was the one who tipped off the books' sale and recommended their purchase, while another claims that Gaspirali Ismail Bey was the one who bought them. Ömer Faruk Akün heard from his teacher, Nail Reşit Bey, that the books were purchased for 8,000 rubles. Ahmet Caferoğlu, however, reports that after Katanov's death, in 1922, his wife put the books up for sale, and that some of the books were purchased for 3,000 gold coins. The collection was initially kept in the Süleymaniye Library, but according to one account, it was later transferred to the newly established Institute of Turkish Studies at the request of Mehmet Fuat Köprülü and Atatürk's own order, and according to another, upon Köprülü's inquiry into the establishment of a library, again at Atatürk's directive. Based on the lack of any records, it appears that the books were merely preserved in the Süleymaniye Library, not recorded or made available for use. The collection consists of rare books and journals, mostly written in Russian and various Western languages. The key characteristic of the manuscripts from Katanov, among the first fifty books, is that they are old and written in Eastern Turkish. These works, which range in subject matter, include the Wisdoms of Ahmet Yesevi, the Tavarih-i Bulgariyye by al-Muslimi, the Kalila and Dimna Translations by Isa al-Tashkendi, and the Divans of Persian poets such as Hafez, Kashani, and Talib-i Amuli. Generally speaking, the books appear to have been printed in major European cities and many Russian provinces. We see that Katanov collected every book he could find on the languages, religions, cultures, customs, and traditions of the peoples living in a vast region stretching from East Turkestan to Finland, from Southern Siberia to the north of the Black Sea. His collections also included travel and excavation reports, city yearbooks, museum catalogs, coin catalogs, laws and regulations related to administration and education, statistics and atlases, and subjects such as law, history, and politics. Therefore, we believe that the library is a must-see for those conducting research on the ethnography, archaeology, folklore, culture, language, and religion of the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia.

Nikolay Fedorovich Katanov

Source
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