Policy of the Kuban region authorities in the ethno-confessional sphere: experience of regulating the activities of the Muslim cleric (1880s)

Abstract

The article examines the historical experience of regulation of the issues of spiritual authorities of Muslim communities in 1880s by the authorities of the Kuban region, as well as appointment of aul mullahs, increasing the role of qadis in mountain verbal courts. The issue of spiritual governance of Muslim communities is important for understanding the process of Russian civil governance formation in the North Caucasus, which was associated with overcoming both the biased attitude of officials towards the Caucasian peoples and fears, for example, of the Adyghs (Circassians) of losing their ethnic identity and connection with the Muslim the world. Such a negative state of the Circassian population of the Kuban region manifested itself in their permanent desire to move to Turkey for permanent residence. And in the context of examining the Russian-Caucasian relations, it is relevant to study such a positive experience in regulating the issues of spiritual governance of the Muslim communities of the North Caucasus. In the article the author followed scientific principles in conducting the research and used a wide range of references on the history of the Adyghs (Circassians), which also included a large amount of archival material, suggesting a comprehensive coverage of historical facts on the issue. The author's adherence to the principle of historicism made it possible to examine the activities of the civil authorities of the Kuban region in dynamics from actual events in specific historical conditions to reasoning about their causes and consequences. The author concludes that the Russian authorities raised the issue of improving the organization of the activities of the Muslim clergy, while trying not to create an overloaded bureaucratic apparatus. The Muslim clergy in the districts of the Kuban region that needed control spiritual power, obtained it in the person of qadi of the district Gorsky verbal courts.