The Institution of Sharia Courts in Soviet Kabarda as an Element of State-Islamic Relations in the 1917–1930s
https://doi.org/10.22311/2074-1529-2025-21-4-117-137
Abstract
The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the institution of Sharia courts in Kabarda from 1917 to the 1930s as an element of Soviet national and religious policy in the North Caucasus. The study is based on a wide range of archival sources, including documents from local and central authorities, court transcripts, and statistical materials. The research identifies the main stages of the evolution of state-Islamic relations: from the initial pragmatic recognition of Sharia courts during the Civil War to their systematic restriction and complete elimination by the end of the 1920s. Special attention is given to the analysis of contradictions in Soviet legal policy, which combined tactical concessions with a strategic focus on unifying the legal space. The study shows that, despite the formal liquidation of Sharia courts, Islamic legal culture retained its influence at an informal level. It is concluded that the process of transformation of Sharia judicial proceedings reflected the general logic of Soviet state-building, characterized by a consistent tightening of religious policy and the targeted eradication of religious legal practices by the early 1930s.
Keywords
Sharia courts,
Soviet legal policy,
state-Islamic relations,
Kabarda,
legal pluralism,
secularization,
North Caucasus
УДК: 297
About the Author
A. S. Sizhazhev
North Caucasus Islamic University named after Imam Abu Hanifa;
Pyatigorsk State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Alim S. SIZHAZHEV, Senior lecturer; Postgraduate student
8, Kalyuzhny St., 360016, Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
9, Kalinin Ave., 357532, Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Krai
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Review
For citations:
Sizhazhev A.S. The Institution of Sharia Courts in Soviet Kabarda as an Element of State-Islamic Relations in the 1917–1930s. Islam in the modern world. 2025;21(4):117-137. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22311/2074-1529-2025-21-4-117-137
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