Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly
Encyclopedia
The Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly was an state-controlled religious administration in Imperial Russia that had jurisdiction over certain aspects of Islamic activity in Siberia
, the Volga-Ural region
, and parts of Central Asia
, including the Kazakh steppe
. It was established in 1788 by order of Russian Empress Catherine II.
of the Russian Orthodox Church
. He met several times with Catherine II in St. Petersberg, and began to see himself as an important political figure in the Volga-Ural region. This worried local Russian administrators, who requested and received permission from Prince Alexander Bezborodko
to severely limit Khusainov's influence and keep him under their control. Local authorities then decreed "his [the mufti's] duty is to administer strictly religious matters, and not tot touch secular ones, except when the administrations sees fit to use use him for these".
According to an 1802 decree the mufti could not make any decisions without the consent of his deputies, however this was rarely followed by Khusainov. He first mufti was constantly dogged with lawsuits and complaints concerning bribery, swindling, and failure to follow salah. Though Emperor Alexander I
send a letter supporting Khusainov, and in effect granting him legal immunity, charges over Khusainov's abuse of power continued for the duration of his time as mufti.
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, the Volga-Ural region
Idel-Ural
Idel-Ural is a historical region in Eastern Europe, in what is today Russia. The name literally means Volga-Urals in the Tatar language. The frequently used Russian variant is Volgo-Uralye...
, and parts of Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, including the Kazakh steppe
Kazakh Steppe
The Kazakh Steppe or Kirghiz Steppe ecoregion, of the Palearctic Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Biome, is a vast region of open grassland in northern Kazakhstan and adjacent portions of Russia, extending to the east of the Pontic steppe and to the west of the Emin Valley steppe,...
. It was established in 1788 by order of Russian Empress Catherine II.
History
The Kazakhs were removed from the assembly's jurisdiction in the 1860s as part of a policy to decrease the exposure of the Kazakhs to Tartar influence.Structure
The head position in the assembly was the Muftiate. Underneath the mufti were 5 or 6 qazis.Muftiate
The role of the mufti was established in the assembly's founding documents of 1788, however neither his social status or the scope of his powers were made clear. The first mufti, Mukhamedzhan Khusainov, immediately began to push for more power, demanding the same status as the MetropolitanMetropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
. He met several times with Catherine II in St. Petersberg, and began to see himself as an important political figure in the Volga-Ural region. This worried local Russian administrators, who requested and received permission from Prince Alexander Bezborodko
Alexander Bezborodko
Prince Alexander Andreyevich Bezborodko was the Grand Chancellor of Russia and chief architect of Catherine the Great's foreign policy after the death of Nikita Panin.-Ukrainian origins:...
to severely limit Khusainov's influence and keep him under their control. Local authorities then decreed "his [the mufti's] duty is to administer strictly religious matters, and not tot touch secular ones, except when the administrations sees fit to use use him for these".
According to an 1802 decree the mufti could not make any decisions without the consent of his deputies, however this was rarely followed by Khusainov. He first mufti was constantly dogged with lawsuits and complaints concerning bribery, swindling, and failure to follow salah. Though Emperor Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
send a letter supporting Khusainov, and in effect granting him legal immunity, charges over Khusainov's abuse of power continued for the duration of his time as mufti.
| Assembly Muftis | |
|---|---|
| Date | Name |
| September 22, 1788 - July 17, 1824 | Mukhammed-zhan Khusainov |
| September 30, 1825 - January 31, 1840 | Gabdessalyam Gabdrakhimov |
| June 10, 1840 - August 4, 1862 | Gabdulvakhid Suleymanov |
| April 28, 1865 - January 2, 1885 | Salimgarey Tevkelev |
| January 2, 1886 - August 15, 1915 | Mukhammed-yar Sultanov |
| July 28, 1915 - March 22, 1917 | Mukhammed-Safa Bayazitov |
See also
- Islam in Central AsiaIslam in Central AsiaIslam is the most widely practiced religion in Central Asia. The Hanafi school of thought is the most popular.-Medieval:The Battle of Talas in 751 between the Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty for control of Central Asia was the turning point initiating mass conversion into Islam in...
- Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and KazakhstanSpiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and KazakhstanThe Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan , abbreviated as SADUM was the official governing body for Islamic activities in the five Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union. Under strict state control, SADUM was charged with training clergy and publishing...