Ayaz İshaki

Ğayaz İsxaqıy aka Ayaz İshaki (Tatar: Cyrillic Гаяз Исхакый, Latin Ğayaz İsxaqıy, Russian: Гаяз Исхаки, Gayaz Iskhaki) (10 February 1878 — 22 July 1954) was a leading figure of the Tatar national movement, author, journalist, publisher and politician.

Gayaz Ishaki was born in 1878 in the village of Yaushirma near Kazan to a Mishar Tatar family. He was home-schooled by his father at an early age and was sent to study in a madrasah (religious school). He continued his education in the Russian-Tatar teachers' school (1898–1902).

Gayaz Ishaki moved to Kazan in 1904, where he became acquainted to socialists and adopted some of their views. He became involved in revolutionary activities and subsequently was arrested and sent to a prison near the city of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia in 1907.

After the February revolution of 1917 he was involved in activities aimed at achieving cultural autonomy for the Volga Tatars and other Turkic peoples of Russia. As a result of his activities, the Soviet authorities started a campaign of harassment and persecution against him and his associates. He was forced to emigrate in 1920. After settling in Germany, Gayaz Iskhaki started publishing a Tatar-language magazine "Milli Yul" ("the Way of the nation") in 1928.

In 1939 the magazine was closed and Iskhaki decided to immigrate to Turkey. After World War II he became involved in political activities. At this stage his main goal was the restoration of the Tatar nationhood lost in 1552 when the Kazan Khanate was defeated and occupied by the Moscow Principality.

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