Abstract
This study examines the Jadidist movement as a fundamental sociocultural and religious- reformist phenomenon that redefined the intellectual, spiritual, and educational landscape of the Turkic-Muslim populations within the Russian Empire and Central Asia. Moving beyond traditional historical narratives, this article analyzes Jadidism through the lens of sociological theories of modernization, cultural identity, and transnational intellectual exchange, placing special emphasis on its Islamic reformist core. By integrating Western secular pedagogical models with indigenous Islamic renewal discourse, Jadidists attempted to navigate the delicate tension between religious tradition and modern demands. The research investigates the institutional development of "Usul-i Jadid" schools, the role of reformist print media in shaping a new "public sphere," and the revival of ijtihad (rational interpretation) as a driver of collective consciousness. Furthermore, it addresses the intersection of Jadidism with broader Pan-Islamic and Pan-Turkic aspirations, and its eventual politicization as a response to imperial constraints and socialist radicalization. The findings suggest that the religious- philosophical and educational legacy of Jadidism remains a pivotal ideological framework for contemporary nation-building, spiritual identity, and cultural diplomacy in post-Soviet Turkic states.
Recommended Citation
Akıncı, Meltem and Nyshanbay, Zhanerke
(2026)
"Reconciling Faith and Modernity: The Sociocultural Dynamics of Jadidism as an Islamic Reformist Movement in the Russian Empire,"
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 46
:
Iss.
10
, Article 12.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2897
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol46/iss10/12
Included in
Asian History Commons, Cultural History Commons, History of Religion Commons, Islamic Studies Commons