Zeki Velidi Togan
Zeki Togan Velidi ( Bashkir: Әхмәтзәки Вәлиди, sometimes written Validi; born December 10, 1890 in Kusjanowo near Sterlitamak; † 26 July 1970, Istanbul) was a historian, turkologist and leader of the Bashkir revolutionary and liberation movement against the Soviet Union.
His birth name was Äxmätzäki Wälidi (ev ) Äxmätşa Uli ( Вәлиди ( ев ) Әхмәтзәки Әхмәтша улы ). After his emigration to Turkey his name was adapted to the Turkish language.
From 1912 to 1915 Velidi taught at a madrassa in Kazan. After that, he was from 1915 to 1917 a member of the Support Office of Muslim deputy to the Russian State Duma. In 1917 he was Mäcles to Bashkir Millät ( dt: people's parliament ) elected and organized in this function together with S. Manatov the formation of a Bashkir Shura (Parliament). He sat in front of the Bashkir Congress in Orenburg, who declared the end of 1917 taking advantage of the onset after the collapse of the Tsarist Empire turmoil of the independence of Bashkortostan Russia.
In Turkestan Velidi involved in the local anti -Soviet Basmachi movement and soon became one of its leaders. From 1920 to 1923 he was chairman of the National Union of Turkestan. 1923 emigrated Velidi occasion of the slow decline of the Basmachi in Iran. There, he managed the spectacular rediscovery of the records of the medieval scholar Ahmad ibn Fadlan and travelers.
From 1925 lived Velidi in Turkey, where he worked as a lecturer and professor at the University of Istanbul. He participated in the rewriting of Turkish history, but was due to his policy in the Tsarist Empire viewed as breakers of the Turkish people, because he distinguished between Bashkirs and Tatars.
In the period from WS 1931/32 until the winter semester 1933/34, Velidi studied as " Ahmet Zeki Validi " four semesters ( in SS 1932, he paused ) at the University of Vienna History and Oriental Studies, among others, with Alfons Dopsch. The short duration of study was the recognition of four semesters, he had graduated from the College of Education " Kasimije " in Kazan, allows. He finished his studies with a report issued at the April 25, 1935 Absolutorium before he received his doctorate "His reports on experiences of Arab embassy in the country of the Oghuz, Pečenegen, Bashkirs and Bulgarians Ibn - Fadlan 's trip reports. " On June 7, 1935 approval of his thesis been.
Later, he was from 1935 to 1937 professor at the University of Bonn from 1938 to 1939 professor at the University of Göttingen. In Nazi Germany, he was strongly influenced by racist ideas. In 1941, he returned to Turkey and stood up for the construction of a large Turkish " purebred " state that would unite all Turkic peoples.
1967 honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester, he was awarded.
Velidi participated in the creation of encyclopedia of the Turkic peoples. Published by him contributions to the culture, language and history of the Turkic peoples have been translated into many languages.