THE WAQF LANDS IN TURKESTAN DURING THE COLONIZATION OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE ( IN 1865-1881 ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE SYRDARYA REGION)

The article examines the state of the waqf lands in the Turkestan general-governorate, created during the colonization of the Russian Empire, using the example of the Syrdarya region. The study mainly used primary archival sources, materials from the office of the Governor-General of the region, and scientific works on this topic. We analyzed the reasons for the establishment of the waqf lands in the area and their significance, as well as the fact that these lands became abandoned as a result of the colonial policy of the tsarist authorities. The General government in Turkestan was created in 1867 based on the Syrdarya and Semirechensk regions. The Syrdarya region included such ancient cities as Tashkent, Turkestan, and Shymkent. Waqf lands have existed in these parts since time immemorial. After the Russian invasion, these cities became the first objects of political experiments of the tsarist administration. In the early stages of local self-government, the Russian government generally adhered to a policy of non-interference concerning waqfs and the Islamic religion in the region. But with the arrival of the first governor-general von Kaufmann in Turkestan, a colonial policy concerning the lands began. Some of the land owned by the waqfs was transferred to the state account, while others were left unattended. With the cessation of income from waqf lands, mosques, madrassas, and other sacred places Muslims were deprived of their financial resources. This situation harmed the socio-economic life of the peasants who worked on these waqf lands. We investigated this issue based on the principle of historicism. In the study, we used quantitative, systematic, content analysis, and problem-chronological methods of microhistory