| In Quest for God and Freedom: Sufi Responses to the Russian Advance in the North Caucasus Contributor(s): Zelkina, Anna (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0814796958 ISBN-13: 9780814796955 Publisher: New York University Press OUR PRICE: $88.11 Product Type: Hardcover Published: October 2000 Annotation: After the first war in Chechnya in 1994 and related flareups in Daghestan, the world suddenly discovered within Russia the existence of "exotic," freedom-loving but also "warlike" Muslim peoples intent on liberating themselves from the domination of a distant Russian government. In In Quest for God and Freedom, Anna Zelkina delves into a past that remains alive in the minds of the peoples of these regions, a past that is crucial to understanding current events. She examines the formative period of the first half of the nineteenth century, during which the Chechens and Daghestanis joined forces under the banner of Islam and shari'a to resist Russian attempts to conquer them, an all-too familiar scenario in light of recent events. Zelkina focuses on the Sufi brotherhoods, mainly the Naqshbandiyya, under whose charge the resistance was conducted. She reveals the immense impact of this Muslim mystical order upon the social, religious, and political life of the peoples of Chechnya and Daghestan during this crucial period. In the process, she sheds light on the Islamization of the North Caucasus and on the leading role the Sufi brotherhoods still play in Chechen and Daghestani public life today. In Quest for God and Freedom is must reading for anyone wishing to understand the current crisis in the Caucasus. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Islam - Sufi - History | Russia & The Former Soviet Union - History | Eastern Europe - General |
| Dewey: 947.52 |
| LCCN: 00031874 |
| Physical Information: 0.81" H x 6" W x 9" (1.26 lbs) 256 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Eastern Europe - Cultural Region - Russia |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: After the first war in Chechnya in 1994 and related flareups in Daghestan, the world suddenly discovered within Russia the existence of exotic, freedom-loving but also warlike Muslim peoples intent on liberating themselves from the domination of a distant Russian government. In In Quest for God and Freedom, Anna Zelkina delves into a past that remains alive in the minds of the peoples of these regions, a past that is crucial to understanding current events. She examines the formative period of the first half of the nineteenth century, during which the Chechens and Daghestanis joined forces under the banner of Islam and shari'a to resist Russian attempts to conquer them, an all-too familiar scenario in light of recent events. Zelkina focuses on the Sufi brotherhoods, mainly the Naqshbandiyya, under whose charge the resistance was conducted. She reveals the immense impact of this Muslim mystical order upon the social, religious, and political life of the peoples of Chechnya and Daghestan during this crucial period. In the process, she sheds light on the Islamization of the North Caucasus and on the leading role the Sufi brotherhoods still play in Chechen and Daghestani public life today. In Quest for God and Freedom is must reading for anyone wishing to understand the current crisis in the Caucasus. |
Contributor Bio(s): Zelkina, Anna: - Anna Zelkina is Lecturer in Central Asian Islam at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. |