Abstract:

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the cultural life of Central Asia, particularly in the Khanate of Khiva, witnessed the rise of an enlightenment movement and the influence of modernist ideas. Sayyid Islām Khwāja (1872-1913), a prominent figure in this movement, played a significant role in laying the foundations of facets of modern statehood in the Khanate and promoting its development. His participation in several official visits to the capital of the Russian Empire, St. Petersburg, along with his familiarity with elements of modern state exemplified by the empire, influenced his ideas of enlightenment and reform. On his direct initiative, modern social institutions were created in the Khanate, with financing planned from the Khanate's treasury. Despite his progressive outlook, Sayyid Islām Khwāja invested his own considerable sums in the construction of a madrasa, a traditional institution of higher education, rather than modern infrastructural facilities. He also established large charitable funds in support of this educational institution. How can one explain the pursuit of traditional religious activities by a man who had a modern worldview and was the initiator of a number of modern cultural projects?

This paper examines the cultural initiative stemming from the intersection of political modernism and religious aspirations championed by Sayyid Islām Khwāja. It explores how his religious inclinations influenced the establishment of the madrasa, part of the architectural ensemble of Ichan-Kal’a in the city of Khiva, showcasing his ultimate preference. Furthermore, this study aims to reconstruct the historical activity of Sayyid Islām Khwāja’s madrasa, with particular emphasis on the construction process, the allocation and utilization of waqf property, the staffing of the institution, the educational curriculum, and the types of textbooks employed within the madrasa. The primary sources of this study are the waqfnāma, notarized in 1906 in the form of a long scroll, as well as other comcominant waqf documents.