Incorporation of Islamic Institutions into Political Structure of the Golden Horde and post-Golden Horde States »

The article is dedicated to basic directions and mechanisms of incorporation of Islamic administrative and legal institutions into the Jochid Ulus. As this state included regions with well developed Islamic traditions, individual manifestations of influence of Islam on political and legal realities...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Roman Pochekaev
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: State Institution «Sh.Marjani Institute of History of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences» 2016-01-01
Series:Zolotoordynskoe Obozrenie
Subjects:
Online Access:http://goldhorde.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/%D0%97%D0%9E-1-2016-115-127.pdf
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Summary:The article is dedicated to basic directions and mechanisms of incorporation of Islamic administrative and legal institutions into the Jochid Ulus. As this state included regions with well developed Islamic traditions, individual manifestations of influence of Islam on political and legal realities of the Golden Horde took place since the first stage of existing of this state. However, only after official conversion of the Jochid ulus to Islam during the reign of Uzbek Khan (in the 1320s) Islamic political and juridical institutions became an integral part of state and legal structure of the Golden Horde. Their role substantially increased in the time of crisis of imperial state and legal system after disintegration of the Mongol Empire and then of its successors, the Chinggisid states. Influence of Islamic institutions on political and legal relations of the Golden Horde and post-Golden Horde states became apparent in different aspects. At first, it was participation of representatives of Islamic administration in executive power including tax collection: such functions of them are confirmed by yarliks of khans of the Golden Horde, as well as of the Crimean and Kazan khanates. Secondly, Islamic judges, the qadis were integrated into court system of the Golden Horde and later, within the post-Golden Horde states, they even ousted imperial judges, the jarguchis. Third, powerful representatives of Islamic clergy became participants of qurultays, where the khans were elected, and the ceremony of enthronement was supplemented by the oath of a new khan on Koran under their influence. At last, Islamic clergymen participated actively in diplomatic activity of the post-Golden Horde states and acted as mediators between rivals who pretended for the throne in the Jochid states. No doubts, the rise of influence of Islam and Islamic clergy in political and legal life of the later Golden Horde and post-Golden Horde states could be explained, from one side, by the crisis of the Mongol state and legal system. Besides that, some of the post-Golden Horde states arose on territories with well-developed urban (i.e. Islamic) culture, and their representatives, who were well-educated and had indisputable authority over local population, not only acquired the political influence in the Jochid states but also got an opportunity to integrate Islamic institutions into the state and legal system of these states.
ISSN:2308-152X
2313-6197