Kh. Faizhanov’s Historical Heritage

Abstract

The article, which continues the cycle of works timed to the 200th anniversary of Khusain Faizkhanov (1823-1866), considers the evo lution of methods of historical research of the scientist. It shows the stag es of Kh. Faizkhanov’s formation as a historian and reveals the factors of transformation of his views and approaches. The fi rst experience of prepa ration of independent research work was received by Kh. Faizkhanov ap proximately in 1859–1860 when he was writing the general history of the population of the Middle Volga Region. Under the infl uence of his own fur ther discoveries in source study and in-depth research methods, Kh. Faiz khanov, probably, started preparing special scientifi c works on the history of Volga Bulgaria, Kazan, and Kasimov Khanates in 1862. The fi rst of them is considered lost, the other two were not fi nished but were found in the form of manuscripts, the analysis of which made it possible to claim that they were defi nitely included in the later work of Sh. Marjani “Mustafād al- ʼaḫbār fī aḥvāl Ḳazān va Bulg̣ār”. The contradictions within the work of Sh. Marjani itself lead to the idea that Kh. Faizkhanov’s work on Volga Bulgar ia suff ered the same fate.