Abstract:

Ahmet Midhat Efendi is one of the most important intellectuals during the Tanzimat Period. Through all his work during the second half of 19th century, he struggled to enlighten a society with poor literacy rates--a quest that did not only find its expression in novels and short stories, but also in his countless newspapers and magazines articles, or through his contributions as managing editor or editor-in-chief. Examining the newspapers and magazines edited by Ahmet Midhat Efendi between 1868 and 1876, this article aims to draw the portrait of an editor whose passion and dedication to writing never yielded to the censures and exiles of his period. Ahmet Midhat Efendi started his journalism career in Bedir and wrote for Devir, two newspapers which have been forced to closure later on. Not capitulating to those closures, he printed his first magazine Dağarcık. However, this magazine has been censored as well, causing Ahmet Midhat Efendi’s exile for three years. Not giving up on his writing work despite exile conditions, Ahmet Midhat Efendi started publishing his second magazine Kırkanbar in Rhodes. After the end of his exile years, he released İttihâd, Osmanlı and long lasting Tercüman-ı Hakikat, leaving behind an excellent treasure for researchers. In order to demonstrate better Ahmet Midhat Efendi’s immense knowledge in newspapers and magazines as well as create a guide for researchers on the issue as well as create a guide for researchers on the issue, I have prepared an index of Bedir, Dağarcık and Kırkanbar. This indexing work proved that Ahmet Midhat Efendi publishednot only news stories regarding political and social issues in the national and international agenda, but also articles and translations about literature, philosophy, anthropology and medicine. In addition to that, Ahmet Midhat Efendi’s exile sentences due to his writings reveal the dimensions of censorship during his era.

Keywords: