The religion and nationality phenomena in Ayaz Ishakî’s novel “Bay Uġılı”

Ayaz Ishaki is one of the most important founding figures of contemporary Tatar language and literature. Ishaki was born on February 23, 1878 in the village of Yawshirme in the Chistay province of Kazan. He was educated firstly by his father, then he continued his education in Chistay and at Madrasah of Kyul Buyi in the Kazan. He studied at Tatar Teacher School and learned Russian language there. Afterwards, he began to create precious works during this period. He produced many newspapers and magazines throughout his life. He wrote about fifty works such as novels, stories and dramas. He died in Ankara on July 22, 1954. As a writer, politician and journalist he had a tendency to Socializm for a while, but the developments did not seem to be what he wanted, then he changed his way over time. The newspaper titled Tercüman, which he read in his youth, laid the foundations of his nationalist and libertarian ideas. Ayaz İshaki, in his book Bay Uġılı (Son of the Rich Family), discusses the rich Tatar families and their viewpoints of life. The novel consists of events that occur around Kerim who is the child of an ignorant but wealthy family. The ignorance of his family, his scholar Fehri's fraud, the fact that the old-minded people around him transform the concept of religion into a means of exploitation, and bad conditions of Tatar society are the issues discussed in the novel. Ishaki, in this novel, tried to address what should and should not be done to prevent the Tatars from disappearing. In this study, Ishaki's novel Bay Uġılı was discussed. The religious and nationality phenomena of the novel was examined.