Leadership and Authority in Central Asia: The Ismaili Community in Tajikistan

203 Pages·2014·1.341 MB·English

by  Otambek Mastibekov

Leadership and Authority in Central Asia
This book explores the unfolding of world history in a remote corner of
Central Asia: the region of Badakhshan. The history of this region has
commonly been explored through the lens of the major superpowers who
competed over its territory in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including
Britain, Russia and China. Here, we are offered a comprehensive overview of
the history of the Ismaili community in Tajikistan.
Leadership and Authority in Central Asia identifi es traditional forms of
religious authority within the network of religious functionaries at a range
of levels and discusses the functions of Ismaili political leaders as they have
evolved through time. Skilfully applying an interdisciplinary approach –
drawing on historical sources, including unpublished materials and
ethnographic fi eldwork data collected through interviews – and a perceptive
analysis of political theories of leadership in communist and post-communist
societies, this book challenges the ways religious and secular categories have
been distinguished in recent scholarship.
Developing a structural explanation for the survival and evolution of
religious and political authorities of Badakhshani Ismailis in times of radical
social and political upheaval, this book will be of interest to scholars of
Muslim societies, political science and Central Asian studies.
Otambek Mastibekov received his PhD from SOAS, University of London
and currently affi liates with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations,
London. His research interests and other publications are on religion and
politics in Central Asia, ethics, morality and Islamic philosophy.
Central Asia Research Forum
Series Editor: Shirin Akiner , School of Oriental and African
Studies, University of London
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Gender, oral culture and song Azerbaijan
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Sarfraz Khan consolidation of the Turkmen regime
Luca Anceschi
Economic Development in
Kazakhstan Religion and Security in South and
The role of large enterprises and Central Asia
foreign investment Edited by K.Warikoo
Anne E. Peck
Confl ict and Peace in Eurasia
Energy, Wealth and Governance in Edited by Debidatta Aurobinda
the Caucasus and Central Asia Mahapatra
Lessons not learned
Edited by Richard Auty and Indra Social and Cultural Change in
de Soysa Central Asia
The Soviet legacy
The Politics of Knowledge in Central Edited by Sevket Akyildiz and
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Sarah Amsler Leadership and Authority in Central
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The Economics and Politics of Oil in The Ismaili community in Tajikistan
the Caspian Basin Otambek Mastibekov
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Edited by Boris Najman, Richard
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Leadership and Authority in
Central Asia
The Ismaili community in Tajikistan
Otambek Mastibekov
First published 2014
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2014 Otambek Mastibekov
The right of O tambek Mastibekov to be identifi ed as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice:P roduct or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent
to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data
Mastibekov, Otambek.
Leadership and authority in Central Asia : the Ismaili community in
Tajikistan / Otambek Mastibekov.
pages cm. – (Central Asia research forum)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Ismailites–Tajikistan–Kuhistoni Badakhshon–History. 2. Kuhistoni Badakhshon
(Tajikistan)–History. 3. Political leadership–Tajikistan–Kuhistoni Badakhshon–
History. 4. Islam and state–Tajikistan–History. I. Title.
BP195.I8M37 2014
297.8′2209586–dc23
2013039192
ISBN: 978-0-415-85596-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-72995-3 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Out of House Publishing
To the memory of my parents,
Mastibekov Nuralisho and Shoinbekova Izzatmo,
with love and respect
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Contents
List of illustrations x
Acknowledgements x ii
List of abbreviations xiv
Transliteration xv
Introduction 1
1 Historical context of Badakhshan and Ismailis 16
2 The authority of religious leaders in Badakhshan in the
pre-Soviet period 38
3 The Ismaili leaders in the period of transition from the
pre-Soviet to Soviet periods 65
4 Political leadership and the Ismailis during
the Soviet period 83
5 The Tajik civil war and the Ismailis 112
6 The modern vision of leadership of the Ismailis 127
Conclusion 149
Appendix One: The positive aspect of Soviet ideology 153
Appendix Two: Badakhshan’s development in the Soviet period 155
Glossary 160
Bibliography 162
English sources 162
Russian and Tajik-Persian sources 173
List of interviews 177
Index 182