Microsoft Word mitatcelikpaladokto doc

 
 
 
140 
 
Caucasus however, he emphasized, none of these elements were sufficient to 
establish a social and unified identity. Then, in order to verify his argumentation he 
scrutinized all these components one by one. 
First of all, he stated that religious bonds and faith were not sufficient 
components to coalesce the members of a nation. Moreover, he believed that 
religion had never managed to form a social bond in the North Caucasus, or at least 
in certain parts. Osetia, Abkhazia and Georgia were inhabited mainly the Christian 
populations and beyond that Islam, because of the Arab influence was not 
concordant to the native customs and daily life in the other parts of the region. 
The customs that implicitly have nationalistic contents, he believed, left a 
mark among the North Caucasians. Except some primitive ones like tribalism, 
these customs concluded the stages of evolution for stating a nation in the North 
Caucasus. Therefore, the author emphasized that, from the perspective of customs 
and civilization, if the life of the North Caucasians had progressed naturally they 
would have reached a level, beyond that which British had achieved.
369
 
From the point of a race, the author stated that the North Caucasians had the 
‘superiority of race and blood’, but they were rather unconscious in their patriotic 
feelings. The lack of common enlightenment unfortunately disabled the North 
Caucasians to convert this love of country or patriotism to a conscious and 
organized struggle. 
Thus, at last, he was concerned with the reasons for the absence of a 
common enlightenment among the North Caucasians. The primary reason, which 
impeded the creation of a common enlightenment, was the lack of a common 

---

 
 
 
141 
 
written language. From this point of view, he shifted the focus of argument to the 
language issue and from then on the Mountaineers in exile, in order to solve the 
problem of creating a nation focused on the common language problem. 
 
4- Common Language: 
The lack of a lingua franca among the North Caucasian peoples has always 
been perceived as the root cause of almost all the problems of the region, mainly 
the inability to sustain a union. Arslan published the first analysis, ‘Kafkasya 
Dilleri’ (Caucasian Languages) on this language issue in Gortsy Kavkaza.
370
 It was 
the first detailed article that was written beyond the usual polemical intentions. In 
this article, Arslan tried to expose several possibilities related to the language 
problem for removing the obstacles, facing the North Caucasian union. He 
emphasized that, according to linguistic studies of that time having different 
languages was not an impediment to the North Caucasians’ becoming a united 
nation. Like common historical destiny and common political and economic 
situation, linguistic relations could allow the achievement of a union. The only 
requirement for to support this case to carry out this way was detailed studies of the 
linguistic pattern of the North Caucasus and to compare with the studies of 
linguists, such as Guldenstent, Pallas, F. Erkert, F. Müller, Dirr and Marr. To 
accomplish this aim, Arslan analyzed and discussed the arguments of linguists of 
his time and classified their works and at end he reached the conclusion that: 
                                                                                                                                        
369
 Abat, “Esaret,” 21-2. 
370
 Arslan, January-February 1933. “Kafkasya Dilleri,” Gortsy Kavkaza, (Warsaw), 35/36: 30-32. 
Hereafter “Dil”. 

---

 
 
 
142 
 
“People who are not benevolent to the Caucasus, were always passionately 
interested in asserting the multi-national and multi-lingual structure of the 
Caucasus. Even Russian researchers and writers, forgetting Russia’s multi-
national and multi-lingual structure, do not hesitate to defend this 
interpretation devotedly. If methods of superficial research, demagogy and 
the distortion of the facts would be given up and only the scientific and 
objective research methods applied, it would be clear that linguistic 
relations, like the historical destiny would enable the unification of the 
Caucasian nations.”
371
 
 
Abat’s article triggered long lasting and more polemic discussions among 
the North Caucasians on the language issue. From the aspect of speaking 
languages, Abat appraised the North Caucasus, as one of the most eccentric regions 
of the world. The number of languages that were spoken in the North Caucasus was 
more than usual, but significance of this, he said should not be exaggerated. With 
the help of other commonalties peoples of the North Caucasus can easily 
compensate every kind of shortcomings. 
 
“Among the North Caucasians, despite the existence of different languages, 
from the perspective of common features like race, patriotism, customs and 
traditions, style of life and clothing, religious beliefs and etc, there is 
tremendous and strong harmony.”
 372
 
 
Therefore, the first and the most important, but not most painful point for 
which the North Caucasian intellectuals had to work, should be the language issue. 
They have to find ways to arrange a common North Caucasian language, a lingua 
franca. This was a must for improving mutual cultural understanding and creating a 
unified, one and single nation. 
                                                 
371
 Arslan, “Dil,” 31. 
372
 Abat, “Esaret,” 23. 

---