Boşnak Milli Kimliğinin İnşasında Bošnjak Gazetesinin Rolü: 1891-1901

Abstract

After many centuries ruling the Balkan territories, the Osman Empire started losing their power and Bosnia and Herzegovina faced major changes. During the Ottoman rule, Bosniaks accepted Islam as their new religion and formed their own Muslim identity. Although much of the population was Muslim in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Orthodox and Catholic religions were also practiced. After the Austro-Hungarian empire conquered the country in 1878, each one of these identities still continued to exist. In the 19th century, national movements in the Balkans caused tension as people started fighting to preserve their identities. Namely, Bosniaks who lived under Ottoman dominance for a long time, fell under Austro-Hungarian rule and were ruled by Christians for the next 40 years. During this period, Bosniaks who were shaped by Islam had tried to preserve their national identity in many ways. One of the most important ways that this was accomplished was through media. In this thesis, the Bošnjak Newspaper, which was published between 1891 and 1910, were examined. The articles which were published in the period of 1891-1901 on the Bošnjak journal, a supporter of the Austro-Hungarian administration, has been examined and role of the Newspaper in the construction of the Bosniak national identity has been reviewed.