Paper abstract:

The role of women in daily life of Central Asian, especially Khorezmian society in the Late Modern period, and their participation in socio-economic and cultural relations remains one of the least studied and often misinterpreted topics of scholarship. There are certainly enough reasons for such a lacuna in historiography and misperception in many existing literatures. In particular, the historical works and manuscripts produced in Central Asia, of course, do not commonly depict or even contain general information about the social and economic positions of women in society. Because this topic is far from the goals of these historical sources and, most importantly, the day-to-day activity of women in society heavily influenced by Islamic culture, which has been regarded as rigid taboo and often viewed reality behind the scenes. However, the existence of qāḍī documents that illustrate counter side of the phenomena, thus make us to rethink the gender history of the region. In particular, some traces of women’s involvement in the share of inheritance, in the act of benevolence and property relations in the 19th – early 20th centuries can be observed in notarial acts from Khorezm, which have survived to the present day.

The aim of this paper is to examine the activities of female elites in religious endowment (waqf) economy of cultural and religious establishments such as madrasas, mosques, tombs, premises of Koran reciters (qārīkhānas) on the basis of notarial deeds. Moreover, I shall also focus on the bulk of rental agreements and sale transactions that reflect the involvement of royal ladies in these practices as lessor and purchaser (or seller) accordingly.

The paper is based on waqf deeds and other types of notarial documents, which are held in the National Archive of Uzbekistan under the inventory numbers I-125 – ‘The Archive of the Khans of Khiva’ and I-323 – ‘The Collection of Waqf Deeds’. There are more than 100 lease and sale documents of female elites in the inventory number I-125, whereas ‘The Collection of Waqf Deeds’ comprises more than 50 waqf deeds that deal with the activity of women in various positions. Hitherto, these archival sources have not been introduced by researchers into the scientific circulation and they have been leaving untouched. Therefore, this type of primary source is quite important for the study of gender relations in Central Asia.

Paper abstract:

Jamilya, a young pious woman around 30, received her religious education at the local Islamic institute (Mahmoud Kashgari Barskani Oriental University Mahmoud Kashgari Barskani University) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Jamilya belongs to the category of invisible but intimate Islamic activists. Through social media (Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok), she offers courses on self-care, self-mastery and other means to many pious women, which have contributed to the emergence of new forms of religious collectives of Muslim women in Kyrgyzstan. Jamilya is member of religious non-governmental organisations, Islamic institutions and humanitarian aid and funding assocation. Contrary to the discussion that the sources of humanitarian aid or NGOs come from Turkey, Saudi Arabia or Iran, Jamilya and her colleagues generate funding locally from business people and in some cases migrants in Russia. Based on this woman, the presentation will be accompanied by a short ethnographic documentary film about the activities of pious women in Kyrgyzstan, especially in the context of the pandemic.

It is no surprise then that when borders closed and lockdowns came into place in the wake of Covid-19, this part of the world was struck particularly hard. During the pandemic, volunteers from Kyrgyzstan as well as from other Central Asian countries were frequently in the news. However, my informants indicated that they understood the importance of religious communities especially in the times of COVID-19, when there was no support from local government and they had to rely on themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic actually strengthened various religious networks and movements. For example, the local female religious community helped pregnant women with food, paid or negotiated with apartment owners for tenants to pay less or nothing, and food was distributed to all who were housebound. Many religious community female leaders worked on a volunteer basis. Thanks to the strict written record of the names of the female group members held by religious female leaders and Whatsapp connection, it was possible to reach almost everyone. My presentation contributes to a new discourse on Islamic civil society, NGOs and the perspectives of such Islamic organisations in Central Asia, but my presentation provides a women's perspective, by giving voices to women themselves and sharing their own experiences. Secondly, I will contribute by showing an ethnographic documentary, and provoke discussion about new sources of funding that are generated locally rather than being transported from other Ismalic countries, and about new contested ideas about Islam that are generated locally.

Paper abstract:

Analyses of former Socialist countries’ security apparatuses have remained under-explored in both security studies and Central Eurasian area studies. Tapping into this intersection, the paper unpacks the history of Soviet-era state security, its post-Soviet continuation and present-day manifestations. Focussing on state security services in the Russian Federation and Kyrgyz Republic, it offers a case study on (post-)Soviet contexts characterised by centre-periphery relations and is based on relevant English and Russian-language literature while also drawing on available archival and public discourse material.

The first section examines the building up of the Soviet national security architecture and its specific structures and practices, with a particular focus on the role of security services in enforcing loyalty towards the Party and its Central Committee in Moscow. Section two analyses developments after 1991, elucidating the divergence between the relative consolidation of the Russian FSB and its political influence vis-à-vis varying degrees of reform and instrumentalization of the Kyrgyz Republic’s GKNB. The third section situates these and other post-Soviet trajectories alongside Eurasian security apparatuses and their Western counterparts to delineate the ‘authoritarian security’ that is seen to characterize various political regimes in Eurasia. The conclusion indicates further necessary steps in the agenda towards an unpacking of the ethos, imaginaries and cultures of state security in Eurasia and their geographically, culturally and otherwise specific nature.