THE HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF POLITICAL SUFISM IN CENTRAL ASIA

Abstract

The current political landscape in Central Asia reveals that Sufism has emerged as a significant political force, now playing a crucial role in both the foreign and domestic policy agendas of Kazakhstan and the broader Central Asian region. The ideological revival of Islam requires a rethinking of the accumulated historical experience. The authors sought to analyze the emergence, formation and development of Sufism in Central Asia. Simultaneously, a key emphasis was on political Sufism. The study was conducted within three territorial zones that differ in their specificity: Maverannahr, Nomadic Steppe and Eastern Turkestan. The authors sought to challenge the commonly held view of Sufism as merely an ascetic-mystical trend in Islam, arguing that this narrow perspective fails to capture the full richness and diversity of its essence. In particular, the study examines how Sufi leaders have integrated into political life, highlighting both their successful and unsuccessful attempts to seize secular power. The scientific and practical significance of the study lies in expanding the source material on various aspects of Sufism, including its formation and development within Islam, its multifaceted nature, and its political applications. Additionally, the study explores Sufism’s influence on historical processes in Kazakhstan, Eastern Turkestan, and Central Asia as a whole. The results of the study have valuable applications in both scientific and educational fields. The study is grounded in a robust theoretical and methodological framework, drawing on philosophical and historical concepts of Sufism as presented in the works of various scholars. An innovative methodological approach employed in this study was the principle of exploring the history and culture of Kazakhstan and Eastern Turkestan through extensive use of locally sourced, lesser-known materials that had previously been underutilized in historical research. This approach has facilitated a deeper understanding of Sufism’s essence, as well as the distinct goals and methods of political Sufism.

Key words: Maverannahr, Nomadic steppe, Eastern Turkestan, Islam, Hanafi, Sufism, political Sufism.