FAMILY ARCHIVES AND THE STUDY OF SAYYID FAMILIES IN CENTRAL ASIA
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47526/3007-6366.6480Keywords:
sacred lineages; sayyid-sharifology; Central Asia; family archives; nasabnama; waqf deed.Abstract
This study investigates the historical formation, evolution, and socio-political significance of sacred lineages in Central Asia, with particular emphasis on sayyid households from the early Islamic period through the nineteenth century. It traces the movement of sayyids from the Hijaz to Iran, Khorasan, and eventually Central Asia, highlighting the dual forces that shaped these migrations: political pressures exerted on the Prophet’s descendants under the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, and voluntary mobility driven by the social, economic, and spiritual privileges extended to them in eastern regions. Building on established scholarship, the study delineates two broad chronological phases in the establishment of sayyid households, pre-Mongol and post-Mongol, each marked by distinct patterns of settlement, integration, and institutional development.
Within this historical framework, the article analyzes the emergence of influential sayyid dynasties, their interaction with local rulers, and their participation in governance, religious scholarship, and Sufi networks. These comparisons contribute to broader discussions in the growing academic field of sayyid-sharifology.
A central contribution of the work is its focus on the documentary culture of sacred households. The article examines the formation and functions of family archives – genealogies, yarliqs, waqf deeds, petitions, and related materials – which served not only as records of lineage but also as instruments of legal authority, property management, and social legitimacy. By exploring how these documents were preserved, interpreted, and deployed, the study demonstrates their crucial role in sustaining hereditary spiritual authority and securing economic foundations for sacred lineages. Ultimately, this research illuminates the lasting imprint of sayyid households on the political, religious, and cultural history of Central Asia.
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