Muṣṭafā-qāḍī from Germenchuk and the “Theology of Ġazawat” in Chechnya (1820–1840s)

The article attempts to trace the biographical path of Muṣṭafā, a Muslim judge (qāḍī) in the Chechen village of Germenchuk, based on fragmentary data. Muṣṭafā appeared in Russian sources as a sup­porter of Gazavat (and “fanatical” one), but eventually become a supporter of loyalty to Russia. Special attention is given to the regional aspect, specifically the eastern regions of Chechen settle­ment and Germenchuk, which was located on the routes connecting the Chechen lands with Dages­tani rural communities and territories. An important theme is the problem of the Muslim religion among the Chechens, which, on the one hand, acted as an ideological factor in the formation of the armed confrontation between the highlanders of the North Caucasus and Russia, and, on the other hand, a number of Muslim scholars in the Caucasus opposed the Ġazawat. Muṣṭafā-qāḍī became an example of a change in the Chechens’ attitudes and a shift from resistance to a loyal position in their relations with Russia. The article concludes that Muṣṭafā-qāḍī was relatively well-supported by his fellow Chechens due to the specific social structure of the Chechen society.