Historiographic and theoreticalmethodological aspects of the studying of Kazakh nomadic tradition

Abstract

The Soviet period is characterized by a particularly tragic consequences for religious and Islamic studies. Islam was declared by official ideology and historiography as a religion of the rulers and upper classes, while the Kazakh nomads allegedly remained Shamanists. Heritage of Oriental classics was interpreted subjectively, scholars denied the existence of Muslim nomadic tradition. Despite the achievements of national historiography and Oriental studies in RK for the years of independence the problem of religious tradition of Kazakh nomads needs a new interpretation and liberation from the stereotypes of Soviet Maxist historiography. First, it must be recognized that self-identity of the people is the main criterion to determine people`s confession, it is important to respect assessment by the Kazakh nomads of their religious traditions. Also one can pay attention to the specifics of Hanafi mazhab, according to which the main condition of Muslim`s identity is «Iman» – the adoption and declaration of faith. A new look at domestic sources suggests the usefulness of the Kazakh Muslim tradition. Key words: Kazakhs, nomads, Islamic Tradition, self-identification, historiography, Oriental studies, falsification, stereotypes, methodology, Hanafi mazhab, sources