Article Aspects of the Islamic Engagement of a Kyrgyz Tribal Chieftain in Russian Central Asia1

16 Article Aspects of the Islamic Engagement of a Kyrgyz Tribal Chieftain in Russian Central Asia1 Tetsu Akiyama Junior Researcher, Organization for Islamic Area Studies, Waseda University I. Introduction wholeheartedly adopt a pluralist policy, in fact there were negative reasons for doing so, including the Central Eurasia is a vast arid zone that spans the placing of limitations on Russian governing prowess inner region of the Eurasian continent. From ancient and assimilative power. Central Asia is a particularly times to the early modern period the main actors in its conspicuous example of such a phenomenon. While history were nomadic peoples; tribes that had taken the the Russian Empire may have intended to Russify initiative and prevailed over the surrounding sedentary the local populations of Central Asia, it failed to 3 people. However, from the 18th century, the nomads of make substantive progress towards this goal. This is Central Eurasia were absorbed into empires, such as evidenced by the fact that throughout the period of the Russia Empire. Russian rule, the subject populations of Central Asia When we examine the historiography of Central had the legal status of inorodtsy (“aliens”). Indeed, a Eurasian nomads, it becomes clear that great emphasis significant gulf lay between Russian settlers and locals has been placed on the pre-modern period; however, in in terms of religion, culture, and language. this article, modern events that occurred in the region Against this backdrop of partial and incomplete will be considered. In regard to the modern history of integration, one must consider the people who operated the nomads who lived under the rule of the Russian between the Russian Empire and local communities. Empire, the framework of “oppression and resistance” The role of “collaborators” during imperial rule has played a prominent role, as this describes the binomial already been the subject of much attention in historical confrontation between the nomads and the empire. research on Western imperial expansion in Asia and 4 Of course, there is no doubt that in modern Central Africa. Recent findings in relation to the history of Eurasia various rebellions occurred, and local nomads the Russian Empire have shed some light on those who were willing participants. played similarly collaborative roles under Russian rule. However, the relationship between the Russian These local collaborators can be broadly divided empire and nomads was not always antagonistic. into two groups. The first were the modern educated In historical research of the Russian Empire, which class, the so-called “intellectuals”, and the second has flourished since the collapse of the Soviet Union, were the traditional local elites. Of the two, the 5 it has been argued that Russian rule had a pluralist former has been researched most, although there has character. While Russian authorities did attempt to been a sudden increase in interest in the latter. It is an patronise Russian Orthodox Christianity and the unmistakable fact that Russian imperial rule would not Russian language, they also, on the whole, pursued have been possible had it not been for the collaboration 2 co-existence with local cultures and religions. of such local elites. Research from this standpoint is However, their motivation for pursuing this strategy making great strides; research on the settled areas of 6 is somewhat ambiguous; there does not appear to have Central Asia is making the most progress, but there been many positive reasons for the Russian Empire to have also been interesting findings concerning the Aspects of the Islamic Engagement of a Kyrgyz Tribal Chieftain in Russian Central Asia ｜ Akiyama 17 7 situation among nomads, particularly the Kazakhs. seen from his dates of birth and death, Shabdan lived However, research that attempts to conduct a more during the military expansion of the Russian Empire positive analysis of local traditional elites, such as the into Central Asia. During his lifetime, Shabdan was nomads of Central Asia during the period of Russian famous as a prominent collaborator with the Russian imperial rule, remains inadequate. Empire. Indeed, he participated in the empire’s military In view of this inadequacy, this article will focus campaigns in Central Asia, including the conquest of 8 on the chieftains of the Kyrgyz nomads, who inhabited the Khanate of Khokand and, as a result, was granted the highland areas of the Tian Shan Mountains. During the military title of Voiskovoi Starshina (Lieutenant the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the intellectuals Colonel) in 1883. among the Kazakhs and the Uzbeks gradually Unusually for nomads, who generally leave few asserted themselves as the leaders of their respective written texts, there is a relatively large number of people. By comparison, the appearance of similar historical materials on Shabdan, many of which are 9 Kyrgyz intellectuals occurred much later. Until the official documents composed by the Russian colonial early 20th century, chieftains of the tribes—known as military authorities. While these materials reflect the 10 manaps —continued to maintain a strong presence as policy of the Russian Empire toward Shabdan, they also the substantive leaders of Kyrgyz society. include rich, significant information that enables us to 11 In my last articles , I examined the conditions understand his activities under Russian rule beyond the that enabled manaps to thrive under direct Russian rule dichotomy between himself and Russia. Indeed, while by investigating the quality of Russian governance. he held Russian military status, he also remained aware From the beginning of Russia’s conquest of Central of the traditional values of Central Eurasian nomads 12 13 Asia, Russian colonial military authorities consistently and emphasized his authority as a baatyr (hero) considered manaps to be impediments to colonial rule. throughout his life. However, they found themselves unable to undermine In addition to his nomadic heritage, we must their power and so, conversely, manaps proved useful not forget his connection with Islam. Although recent in supplementing the weaknesses in Russian rule. studies on the social history of Russian Central Asia However, this does not mean that Russian military have shed light on the spread of Islam in the sedentary authorities were pro-actively recruiting, protecting, or nurturing manaps as collaborators. Rather, they were in largely “passively dependent” on manaps in that they were more or less obliged to accommodate them. Consequently, the manaps were incompletely integrated into the Russian Empire. While evidence has revealed the proximity of manaps and Russian military authorities, a closer examination shows a deep gulf between the two groups. For Russian military authorities, manaps remained “close, yet far”. Building on my previous investigation into the policy of the Russian Empire toward the manaps, this article aims to examine the activities and attitudes of manaps under the Russian rule. In order to achieve the Fig.1 Shabdan with his family (in the early 20th century) aim of this article, focus will be placed on one particular (Tsentral’nyi Gosudarstvennyi Arkhiv Kinofotofonodokumentov Kyrgyzskoi manap, Shabdan Jantay uulu (1840–1912). As can be Respubliki [TsGA KFFD KR], no.0-29766) 18 Journal of Islamic Area Studies Vol.9 14 region, thus far investigation on the dissemination II. Shabdan as a Murid 15 of Islam among nomads has been insufficient. Of course, there is no doubt that, in comparison with The Kyrgyz embraced Islam in the 16 th century. sedentary people, the spread of Islam among nomads It is well known that they clearly identified themselves was relatively small; however, the Islamic revival that as Muslim because they engaged in a long series of originated with the Tatars of the Volga-Ural region confrontations with non-Muslims, including the 17 during the latter half of the 19th century reached not Qalmaq. On the other hand, in reality, the form of only the sedentary peoples of Central Asia, but also the Islam they adhered to was unique as it was influenced nomads, including the Kyrgyz. by pre-Islamic characteristics, including local customs 18 In fact, among the Kyrgyz of Semirech’e, and shamanism. In regard to this point, ethnographer Shabdan functioned as a representative of the new Ch. Ch. Valikhanov, a Kazakh scholar who visited Islamic movement. While he managed to emphasize his the Kyrgyz in the middle of the 19th century, stated authority as a baatyr throughout his life, as mentioned the following: “…[the Kyrgyz] identify themselves above, he was also a devout believer in Islam. According as Muslim despite the fact that they don’t know the to the ethnographical materials that were collected by doctrine of Islam. Their every ritual preserves the S. M. Abramzon in the early 1920s, Shabdan strictly character of Shamanism. […] Among them there are observed Islamic practices. He would rise before dawn few who understand the fundamental principles [of in order to take a bath and to perform morning prayers. Islam] […] or who summon the faithful five times a 19 On one occasion, a strong earthquake occurred while he day and observe a fast”. was attending a prayer service in a mosque. Although As can be expected, the unique characteristics all of the other people in the mosque immediately left, of their form of Islam influenced the tribal chieftains 16 Shabdan remained and completed his prayers. These or manaps. In this regard, Valikhanov also related the anecdotes show not only that Shabdan as an individual following account: When Kazakh chieftains asked was a devout Muslim, but also that he managed to Kyrgyz manaps the name of the prophet, “after serious 20 promote his image as a devout Muslim to the local thought, they were unable to answer”. In other society. words, they did not know the name of Muhammad. Consequently, this article will examine Shabdan’s During the mid-19th century the activities of manaps engagement with Islam, mainly during the early 20th were influenced by Shamanistic aspects.

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