Comparative Aspects of National History and Artistic Imagination in the Development of the Turkish Historical Novel
Abstract
Historical novels have played an important role in Turkish literature by connecting historical reality with literary creativity. Rather than simply retelling historical events, they offer new ways of understanding the past through narrative, characters, and cultural memory. This study examines the relationship between national history and artistic imagination in the development of the Turkish historical novel from a comparative perspective. It focuses on selected novels by Namık Kemal, Kemal Tahir, Tarık Buğra, Mustafa Necati Sepetçioğlu, Atsız, and İskender Pala. Using a qualitative comparative approach, the study analyses how these writers interpret history, construct historical characters, and reflect national identity through literary narrative. The findings show that although the selected authors differ in style and historical interpretation, they all view history as a living part of cultural identity rather than a collection of past events. Their novels reveal that artistic imagination strengthens historical understanding by highlighting the human, cultural, and emotional aspects of history without moving away from historical reality. The study also demonstrates that the Turkish historical novel has gradually developed into an important medium for preserving collective memory and encouraging new interpretations of the national past. These findings contribute to comparative literary studies by offering a deeper understanding of the relationship between history, literature, and cultural identity