The First Comparative Literature History in Turkish: Tarih-i Edebi-i Alem


SOYDAŞ H.

TURK DILI VE EDEBIYATI DERGISI-JOURNAL OF TURKISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE, sa.2, ss.323-348, 2023 (ESCI) identifier

Özet

The pursuits in the fields of culture and art from the 18th century gained the identity of a literary modernization movement in the late 19th century. During this period, which is known as the Turkish literature of the innovation period, intensive translation activity attracted attention. Mehmed Ali Ayni was one of the well-known names in this period. He came to the forefront with his translations. Histoire des Litteratures Comparees: des Origines au XXe Siecle, translated by Mehmed Ali Ayni from Frederic Loliee under the title Tarih-i Edebi-i alem, is the first history of comparative literature to be translated into Turkish on the axis of the aforementioned historical paradigm. In this study, the censorship and attempts to confiscate the work during the publication process will be explained in its historical context. Subsequently, the translation method of the text is emphasized. Mehmed Ali Ayni translated the first part of the work jointly with Mehmed Galib Bey. First, it pointed out how much the translators made while translating the work. In the content analysis section, the rationale for the work in the relevant period of Turkish literature is evaluated in its historical context.