Responding to atheist state policy and practicing religion

The Ismailis of Soviet Badakhshan

Bibliographic Data

ID11450326
AuthorsSultonbek Aksakolov (0000-0002-2568-7748, University of Central Asia, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume43
Issue3
Pages366-382
Publication date2024-07-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCentral Asian Survey (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0263-4937 • E-ISSN: 1465-3354
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02634937.2024.2314704
OpenAlexW4392287059
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited21

This paper explores the implementation of Soviet religious policy among the Ismaili Muslim population of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) of Soviet Tajikistan. By means of oral interviews and the analysis of archival sources from the province, this paper reveals the challenges and complexities faced by local commissioners and Communist Party officials when executing centralized Soviet religious policy. In this process, the local commissioners (upolnomochennye) had to stress the religious community’s compliance with Soviet legislation and were expected to provide accounts of decreasing religiosity among the Ismailis, and even their having ceased to practise their religious rituals. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Ismaili religious dignitary (khalifas) did not remain passive recipients or agents of Soviet religious policy but tried to modify their actions to conduct religious rituals within the limited but legal space for religious activities

Communism · Legislation · Political science · Politics · Population · Religiosity · Sociology · State (computer science · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Islamic Studies and History · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Public Administration

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