Brill's Inner Asian Library
1 primary work • 2 total works
Book 26
In Bukhara and the Muslims of Russia Allen Frank examines the relationship of Tatars and Bashkirs with the city of Bukhara during the Russian Imperial era. For Muslims in Russia Bukhara's prestige was manifested in genealogies, fashion, and in the elevated legal status of Bukharan communities in Russia. The historical relationship of Russia's Muslim communities with Bukhara was founded above all on Bukhara's reputation as a holy city of Islam, an abode of great Sufis, and a center of Islamic scholarship. The emergence of Islamic reformism critiquing Bukhara's sacred status, led by Tatar scholars who were trained in Bukhara, created a number of paradoxes. The symbol of Bukhara became an important feature in theological and political debates among Russia's Muslims.
Kazakh Muslims in the Red Army is the first study of the WWII experience of Soviet Kazakhs. Based on indigenous-language sources, it focuses on the wartime experiences of Kazakh conscripts and the home front as expressed in correspondence. The study emphasizes how Kazakh social structure, religion, and patriotism were expressed and mobilized during the war years.
By focusing on indigenous forms of private correspondence, the book presents an alternative to previous studies focusing on narratives and documentation derived from the Soviet state. It offers an entirely new basis for examining the wartime experiences of Soviet citizens and Soviet Muslims.
By focusing on indigenous forms of private correspondence, the book presents an alternative to previous studies focusing on narratives and documentation derived from the Soviet state. It offers an entirely new basis for examining the wartime experiences of Soviet citizens and Soviet Muslims.