ISLAMIST MOVEMENT IN THE KAZAKH STEPPE: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS IN GLOBAL CONTEXT
Kushenova G.I. Auanasova A.M. Drozd R.
2025Ecozone, OAIMDD
European Journal of Science and Theology
2025#21Issue 263 - 78 pp.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Islamist movement manifested at various levels, shaped by local contexts and global political dynamics. The unique lifestyle, ethnic composition, and cultural characteristics of the Kazakh people prevented the establishment of a centralized form of Islamism; instead, it persisted in diverse manifestations, often in conjunction with Jadidism, Turkism, and national liberation movements. This movement served as a catalyst for a new developmental trajectory in the early 20th century, facilitating the emergence of Kazakh youth as a political elite. Although the influence of Islamism within the national liberation movement was inconsistent, it bolstered the political elite’s position against colonial powers and stimulated the formation of a national identity, though it did not develop into a comprehensive political program. The policies of Russification and Christianization implemented by the Russian Empire fostered the convergence of Islamism and national movements. These policies intensified the local population’s commitment to preserving their spiritual and cultural identity while enhancing the Kazakhs’ connections to the broader Muslim world. The Ottoman Empire emerged as a central hub for the movement. Its status as a Caliphate, alongside its religious educational institutions, pilgrimage traditions, and other cultural elements, significantly influenced the Islamic world. Nevertheless, it ultimately proposed only a concept of transnational Muslim unity aimed at resisting Western colonialism. A notable characteristic of the movement within the context of colonial and imperial politics was the aspiration to forge a powerful united front against colonial oppression and Western domination. However, this ambition yielded two divergent outcomes: it paved the way for the establishment of national autonomies in the territories colonized by the Russian Empire, while the Ottoman Empire, which adopted this ideology, found itself in crisis due to the surge of national liberation movements.
A Historical Analysis , Islamism , Islamist movement , Kazakh steppe , Ottoman Empire
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L. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Institute of History of the State, Astana, Kazakhstan
Institute of History, Pomeranian University in Slupsk, Poland
L. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Institute of History of the State
Institute of History
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