ESTONIAN ACADEMY
PUBLISHERS
eesti teaduste
akadeemia kirjastus
PUBLISHED
SINCE 1997
 
TRAMES cover
TRAMES. A Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
ISSN 1736-7514 (Electronic)
ISSN 1406-0922 (Print)
Impact Factor (2022): 0.2
THE FIRE CULT AND ISLAM IN THE KAZAKH SYSTEM OF BELIEFS; pp. 151–160
PDF | https://doi.org/10.3176/tr.2017.2.04

Authors
Zhanna Tastaeva, Alfiya Baibulsinova, Lazzat Serikova, Agila Nurgaliyeva
Abstract

In this paper, we consider various viewpoints on the extent to which the Islamic religion and pre-Islamic beliefs influenced Kazakh society. It describes the traditional religious practices of the Kazakh-nomads, including non-Moslem elements, such as the Fire Cult. Moreover, the paper assesses the impact of Zoroastrianism on this ritual. It demonstrates that the nomadic Kazakhs were less affected by alien ideologies because of their mode of life. During the whole period under consideration, Kazakh religiousness was distinguished by its vivid syncretism that involves the combination of traditional creeds and the Moslem faith. The analysis refers to the period when the Kazakh territories were the part of the Russian Empire. The authors rely on the historical concept of Arnold Toynbee, especially on his formula ‘call-and-answer’. We were also guided by the ideas of Edward Shils and Anthony Giddens about the role of traditions.

References

Baipakov, K. M. and A. N. Podushkin (1989) Pamjatniki zemledelčesko-skotovodčeskoj kulturyi Kazahstana. Almaty: Nauka

Baipakov, K. M., G. A. Kapekova, D. A. Voyakin, and A. N. Maryashev (2011) Treasure of Ancient and Medieval Taraz and Zhambyl Region, 373–375. Taraz: Archaeological Expertise LLP.

Bronevsky, S. B. (1830) Zapiski general-majora o kirgiz-kajsakax Srednej Ordy. Otečestvennye zapiski 134, 168–173.

DeWesse, D. A. (1994) Islamization and native religion in the Golden Horde. Philadelphia: The Pennsylvania University Press.

Fredericks, N. E (1869) Turkestan i ego reforma. Vestnik Evropyi 5–6, 690–697.

Gaines, A. K. (1874) Očerk Turkestana. Step i kočevniki. St. Petersburg: tip. M. M. Sjasjuleviča.

Georgi, I. G. (1799) Opisanie vsex v Rossijskom gosudarstve obitayusčix narodov. St. Petersburg: Izdanie I. Glazunova.

Giddens, A. (1994) Living in a post-traditional society: reflexive modernization: politics, tradition, and aesthetics in the modern social order. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Gumilev, L. N. (1993) Drevnie tjurki. Moskva: Nauka.

Davletova, Sh. K. (2011) “Eco-spirituality in ancient beliefs of central Asian nomads”. Proceedings of The Fifth International Conference of The Asian Philosophical Association, 197–205. Fukuoka and Tokyo, Japan.

Herman, F. I. (1822) “O kirgiztsax”. Vestnik Evropyj 22, 217.

Kappeler, A. (2001) The Russian Empire: a multiethnic history. Harlow: Routledge.

Lapidus, I. A. (1988) History of Islamic societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Levshin, A. I. (1832) Opisanie kirgiz-kazachih ili kirgiz-kaysatskih ord i stepey. St. Petersburg: V. tip. Karla Kraiia.

Light, N. (2007) Participation and analysis in studying religion in central Asia. Mazar worship in Kyrgyzstan: rituals and practitioners in Talas, 476–497. Bishkek: Aigine Cultural Research Center.

Nurgalieva, A. M. (2011) “Konfessional’nalya politika pravitel’stva Rossiyskoj imperii v Kazakx­stane: vybor meždu islamom i xristianstvom”. Vestnik ZKGU Uralsk 3, 14–21.

Nurgalieva, A. M. (2012) “The role of geo-cultural factors in the formation of the particular Kazakh cultural invariant”. Vestnik ZKGU Uralsk 3, 280–3.

Nurtazina, N. D. (2000) Islam v istorii srednevekovogo Kazakxstana (istoriko-kulturologičeskoe issledovanie). Almaty: Al-Farabi universitet.

Olcott, Martha (1995) The Kazakhs. Stanford, California: Hoover Institution Press.

Papas, A. (2005) Soufisme et politique entre Chine, Tibet et Turkestan: Étude sur les Khwajas Naqshbandis du Turkestan oriental. Paris: Libraire d'Amérique et d'Orient.

Privatsky, B. (2001) Muslim Turkistan: Kazak religion and collective memory. Richmond, Virginia: Curzon Press.

Radlov, V. V. (1980) Iz Sibiri. Moskva: GRVL.

Shils, E. (2006) Tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Sotnikov, A. (1872) “Neskolko slov o vozmožnosti učreždenija missii mečdu kirgizami Srednej ordy”. Orthodox Observer 1, 771–790.

Sultangalieva, A. (1999) “Evolyutsija islama v Kazakxstane”. Tsentral’naja Azija i Kavkaz 4, 31–40.

Toynbee, A. (2000) Postiženie istorii. Moskva: Rolf.

Valikhanov, C. (1985) “Sledy šamanstva u kirgizov”. Collections 4, 48–70. Alma-Ata: Ch. Editorial CSE.

Werth, P. W. (2005) “Ot ‘soprotivlenija’ k ‘podryvnoy dejatel’nosti”. In P. Werth, P. S. Kabytov, and A. I. Miller, eds. Rossiyskaja imperija v zarubežnoj istoriografii. Raboty poslednix let: Antologija, 48–82. Moskva: Novoe izdatelstvo.

Yesim, G. (2006) Kazakhskaja filosofija. Almaty: Al-Farabi universitet.

Zhanibekov, U. S. (2007) Obyčai i vremja. Astana: Altyn kitap

Back to Issue