The Manuscript Literature as a Permanent Element of the Cultural Heritage and Determinant of the Identity of the Tatar Community in Poland

Abstract—The paper discusses the writings of the Tatars of the Great Duchy of Lithuania in the context of its meaning as a solid element of the cultural heritage and the carrier of the identity of the Tatar society in territory of the Republic of Poland. The Author discusses the Tatar literary output including its genesis and development which are inseparably connected with the history of the Tatar settlement in the territory of the Great Duchy of Lithuania, the characteristic features which had given it a one of a kind character, as well as classification of the works belonging to this culture on the basis of the criteria of the form and content which allows us to specify several kinds of manuscripts. The Author indicates not only the literary value of the Tatar writings, but also their great meaning as a source material for scientific research of various character: philological, historical, ethnographical, cultural and religion studies, but also the great role they play as a basic binder allowing the Tatar society to maintain the ethnical difference and cultural identity which-in the light of a multilayered assimilation in the Christian surroundings-was mostly identified by their denomination, Islam.

Index Terms—The Tatars of the great duchy of Lithuania, cultural heritage of the Tatars, the manuscript literature of the Tatars.

M. Kubarek is with the Nicolas Copernicus University in Torun, Department of Arabic Language and Culture, Poland (e-mail: magdakubarek@poczta.onet.pl).

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Cite: Magdalena Lewicka, "The Manuscript Literature as a Permanent Element of the Cultural Heritage and Determinant of the Identity of the Tatar Community in Poland," International Journal of Culture and History vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 117-121, 2016.