1.4. Religiosity in Bukhara
Bukharan population was mostly orthodox Sunnite Muslim. The most
important cities of the emirate were known as the holy centers of Sunnite Islam,
especially Samarkand and Bukhara. The cities had a source of traditional religious
fame and legacy among other Muslim countries. In the nineteenth century, Islam was
so effective in Turkestan and the khanates. Especially, Bukhara was one of the
leading cities in terms of implementation of Islamic practices, for instance it was
compulsory for each man to attend the daily prayers, especially the morning prayer
of the day and Friday prayer.
36
For these reasons, the citizens of Bukhara were very
traditional and conservative in many aspects. They were open to influence of clergy
and loyal to the orders of their holy emir. In addition, Bukhara and Samarkand were
important centers about religious education in addition to being commercial and
administrative centers in the Emirate. The madrasas in these cities had been growing
mullahs and clergy for the emirate. The religiosity of these cities dated back to very
early times. Centuries ago, they were famous with their religious scholars, for
example Imam Bukhari, born in Samarkand and lived in Bukhara in the reign of
Samanids, was a famous scholar of the Hadith and his books were the most reliable
and advisable sources throughout the Islamic world. Both Bukhara and Samarkand
36
E.Bacon, Elizabeth,
Central Asians under Russian Rule: A Study in Culture Change,
(New York:
Cornell University Press, 1966), 76-77.
17
had lots of madrasas for students to take religious education; and had lots of mosques
and tombs which influenced the cultural atmosphere of the Emirate.
On the religious level, its madrasas-Miri Arab madrasa being the most
famous one-gave the city the reputation of one of Islam’s foremost centers of
learning and orthodoxy, while its Sufi shaykhs and dervishes-here the
aforementioned shrines of Baha al-Din Naqshband in Qasr-i Arifan and of Abu Bakr
in Sumitan led the roster- added their dimension of wide appeal and participation by
the masses
.
37
The holy madrasas in both Samarkand and Bukhara not only welcome
students from the citizens but also other khanates and students coming to take
education from all the Muslim countries.
The Emirate of Bukhara was mainly a Sunni Muslim State. In Sunni
theology, the people of Central Asian states were mostly adapted to Hanafi sect. The
major ethnic groups in the Emirate like Uzbeks, Tajiks and Turcoman were Sunni
Muslims. Bukhara and Samarkand were famous with the Sufi orders of Hanafi sect.
These cities were the birth places of Sufi orders and from here these philosophies
spreading to the whole world. These orders are still effective and common in Sunni
Muslim countries. There were Sufi brotherhoods, spreading to the population in the
region such as the order of Naqshibandi which was very common in Bukhara and
Samarkand, the order of Qadiriya in Fergana, Kubraviyya in Khwarazm and
Yassaviyya which was followed by the nomads
.
38
Not only Sunni groups but also there were Shiite groups like Persians coming
from Merv region of Iran due to captivity in a war. Population of Bukhara was Sunni
37
Wheeler, Geoffrey,
The Modern History of Soviet Central Asia
, (New York: Greenword Press,
1964), 178.
38
Carrere D’Encausse, Hèlene, trans
., Islam and the Russian Empire Reform and Revolution in
Central Asia
, (London: I.B.Tauris-Co Ltd, 1966), 33.
18
in majority, but there was a Shia minority that emerged after the capture of Marv city
in the eighteenth century
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |