Hayriye-Melech Xhundj (; ; b. 1896 – d. 24 October 1963) was a
Circassian writer and teacher. She is considered one of the first Circassian female writers.
Early life
Melech was born in 1896 in the Haciosman village of
Balıkesir (Manyas) province into the noble Xhundj house of the
Circassian Ubykh tribe (a tribe expelled to Turkey during the
Circassian genocide
The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the Russian Empire's systematic mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and expulsion of 80–97% of the Circassian population, around 800,000–1,500,000 people, during and after the Russo-Circassian War ( ...
).
Melech's father Kasbolat Bey supported the Ottomans in the
Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878 by mobilizing a voluntary auxiliary unit of Circassian horsemen from the area around
Manyas
Manyas is a town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Marmara region of Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on th ...
.
Melech studied at a girls' school named
Notre Dame de Sion The Congregation of Our Lady of Sion (french: Congrégation de Notre-Dame de Sion, abbreviated by its members as N.D.S.) is composed of two Roman Catholic religious congregations founded in Paris, France. One is composed of priesthood (Catholic Chur ...
in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
. As per professor in spite of psychological and emotional issues, Melech had a strong and rebellious character.
She spoke
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
Adyghe,
Abaza, and
Ubykh.
She married another Circassian,
Yusuf İzzet Pasha, in 1919 and following his death in 1931, she married Prof. Aytek Namitok, yet another Circassian.
Career
Social work
Melech was one of the members of the
Cerkes Ittihad ve Teavün Cemiyeti (Circassian Association for Union and Mutual Aid). The group was founded on November 17, 1908. She participated in the association's social and cultural activities; collecting money for Circassian school, helping in development of Circassian alphabet in non-Arabic letters and writing for publications catering to Circassians.
She was editor-in-chief of the journal ''Diyane'' (Our Mother) published in 1920, and the author of the newspaper ''
Ghuaze'' (Guide) published between 1911-1914. She also worked for ''Adyghe'', a magazine and newspaper published in Turkish.
Literary work
During 1908 and 1909 Melech serialized at least 5 writings in the form of stories and poems, which appeared in ''Mehasin'' (an illustrated review).
Her first novel, ''Zühre-i Elem'' ("The Sorrow of the Shepherd Star"), was published in 1910. She contributed patriotic literature on the
Russo-Circassian War
The Russo-Circassian War ( ady, Урыс-адыгэ зауэ, translit=Wurıs-adığə zawə; ; 1763–1864; also known as the Russian Invasion of Circassia) was the invasion of Circassia by Russia, starting in July 17, 1763 ( O.S) with the Ru ...
that includes her 1911 writings in their association's review magazine, ''Ghuaze''. She wrote political articles such as ''Kabileler Arasında'' ("Among the Tribes").
Death and legacy
Melech died on 24 October 1963 in Istanbul and was buried at the
Karacaahmet Cemetery
The Karacaahmet Cemetery ( tr, Karacaahmet Mezarlığı) is a 700-year-old historic cemetery, located in Üsküdar, the Asian side of Istanbul. Karacaahmet cemetery is the oldest and largest in Istanbul at , and the largest burial ground in Turkey ...
.
References
Further reading
*
*{{cite book , last1=Tural , first1=Sadık , last2=Cunbur , first2=Müjgan , title=Türk dünyası edebiyatçıları ansiklopedisi , volume=5: Heto - kezik , date=2004 , publisher=Atatürk Kültür Merkezi Başkanlığı Yayınları , location=Ankara, Turkey , isbn=978-975-16-1281-6 , page=69 , language=Turkish , trans-title=Turkish World Literary Encyclopedia , chapter=Hayriye Melek Hunç
People from the Ottoman Empire of Circassian descent
1896 births
1963 deaths
20th-century Turkish writers
Turkish people of Ubykh descent
Burials at Karacaahmet Cemetery