Abstract:
This thesis explores some of the misconceptions pertaining to the Ottoman Süryânî community of the pre-World War I era, using a critique of the present-day historiography as the context for the discussion. The works of two early twentieth-century journalists, Âşûr Yûsuf from Harput and Naûm Fâik from Diyarbakır, provide the material for the study; their literary production is invaluable both because they were prolific writers and because they have been misrepresented by many as being the leaders of an Assyrian nationalist movement. This thesis will argue that neither individual can be considered as an Assyrian nationalist and, furthermore, that they were believers in the ideals of Ottomanism as it emerged during the second constitutional period starting in 1908. Moreover, both men saw the future of the Süryânî people as best secured by the continuation of the Ottoman Empire, in which they sought to secure a greater presence for their community. Conversely, there was no expression of Assyrian nationalist thought and no notion of independence from Ottoman rule. The hopes of the Süryânî lived and died with their belief in the İttihâd ve Terakkî Cemiyeti [Committee of Union and Progress]; with the rise of autocratic rule, Naûm Fâik abandoned the Ottoman Empire for a life abroad whereas Âşûr Yûsuf held on until the outbreak of war in 1914.
