User:Bakasuprman/Ghazi
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Ghazi Mullah (Russian: Кази-Мулла, Kazi-Mulla, 1795 - 1832) was an Avarian Islamic scholar who was the first Imam of Dagestan (from 1829 to 1832). He was a staunch ally of Imam Shamil.[1] He promoted Sharia, spiritual purification, and facilitated a "jihad" against the invading Russians. He was also one of the prime supporters of "Muridism", a strict obedience to Koranic laws used by imams to increase religio-patriotic fervor in the Caucasus[2].
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[edit] Early life
He was a close friend of Imam Shamil during his childhood in Dagestan. They both studied the Koran together and both disliked the loose customs of the mountain people that contradicted the laws in Koran[3]. His mentor was Mullah Mohammed Yaraghi, a Sufi scholar that brought Mullah into the ulema.[4]
[edit] Preaching
He preached that Jihad would not occur until the Caucasians followed Sharia completely rather than following a mixture of Islamic laws and adat (customary traditions). By 1829, Mullah began proselytizing and claiming that obeying Sharia, giving zakat, prayer, and hajj would not be accepted by Allah if the Russians were still present in the area. He even went on to claim that marriages would become void and children bastards if the Russians were still in the Caucasus.[4]
[edit] Military operations
Later that year he was proclaimed imam in Ghimry, where he formally made the call for a holy war[4].In 1830, Ghazi Mullah unsuccessfully tried to capture the Avar capital of Khunzakh. In 1831, he attacked Northern Dagestan, and met with success there.[5] By 1832 however, the Russians had repulsed Mullah's assaultand when they took Ghimry, according to legend, they found
| “ | Ghazi Mullah dead but seated, legs folded on his prayer carpet, one hand on his beard, and the other pointing toward the sky[4] | ” |
[edit] References
- The Russian empire: historical and descriptive.John Geddie. Oxford University, 1882
- Caucasus Mountain Men and Holy Wars. Nicholas Griffin. Thomas Dunne Books, 2003. ISBN 0-312-39853-1
- The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict Between Islam and Christianity. Akbar, M.J. Routledge, 2003. ISBN 0-415-32814-4
