Russia's Confessional Policy in Kazakhstan in the 18th - Early 20th Centuries

The monograph analyses the peculiarities of the Russian government's religious policy and the system of managing spiritual affairs in the Kazakh steppe during the period in question. It shows that archival documents together with contemporary publications help to form a complete picture of the peculiarities of state-confessional policy. The Islamic factor in the protest movements against Russian expansion in Kazakhstan in the 18th-19th centuries is also considered. It is proven that there were no large-scale manifestations of religious opposition as a reaction to imperial rule (such as riots or armed uprisings) in the Kazakh steppe although there were repeated attempts to raise the Kazakhs against Russian rule under the slogans of ghazawat. Forms of 'peaceful resistance' to the government's confessional policy are described. The book is intended for scholars doctoral students students and anyone interested in the history of Islam in Kazakhstan.