Socio-Political and Literary Reflections of Historical Processes in Syria from the Ottoman Empire to the Present Day

Abstract

Syria’s cultural and literary transformation is closely related to ideological conflicts, modernization and nationalist movements in the Middle East. It is a known fact that literature is used as a tool to shape new generations in a society and to transmit cultural heritage. Literature has been used as an important tool in the spread of Western culture in the Middle East. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the recognition of the importance of literature in education increased interest in literature in regions such as Syria and Egypt. In Syria, literature that conveys Western values, especially children’s literature, developed rapidly from the mid-19th century and many writers began to produce works in this field. When we look at the history of Syria, we see that the historical and political processes that the country has gone through have affected the country’s literature. For example, the literature that began to develop in the last period of the Ottoman Empire has the characteristics of literature with the theme of Arab nationalism, which is based more on imitation of Western literature in terms of form and content and is loyal to its own culture. In the period from the 1920s to the 1960s, no literature adorned with themes of Arab nationalism against the mandate emerged. During this period, themes of Arab nationalism adorned with national and spiritual values ​​were intensively processed in literature. It is observed that during the Baath regime that came to power after 1971, socialist and secular themes reflecting the ideology of the Baath regime came to the fore in literary works. It is also seen that this differentiation led to ideological divisions among the writers of the period. The aim of this study is to examine the political, cultural and literary transformation that Syria has experienced in historical processes, and to draw attention to the role of literature, especially shaped by Western influence, in these changes. In addition, it is to analyze the ideological and thematic transformations in Syrian literature within the framework of historical and political contexts. Historical analysis and literary analysis methods were used in the study. By making references to the writers and works of the period, the reflections of political and cultural changes on these texts were evaluated.