The Religious Foundations and the System of Governance in the Community of Transoxiana before the Occupation of the Region by the Russians

The Transoxiana area in the northeastern part of Khorasan was part of the realm of the Islamic world, which its inhabitants gradually embraced Islam in the first century AH. Subsequently, religious approaches influenced most of the political developments in the region so that politicians and religious service providers considered themselves responsible for religious practices. In the thirteenth century, political structures titled as Khan Neshin used to rule on this land and they used to strive to control the political and religious affairs at the same time. Another part of the community’s religious functions was under the control of the clerical class. This article seeks to investigate the type of religious governance practiced by the Khans of the Transoxiana region before being occupied by the Russians. Accordingly, the main question of the forthcoming article is “What was the religious situation of the political and demographic structures of Transoxiana before the invasion of Russia?” The results of the research show that all elements of power and formal structures followed the implementation of religious teachings in the executive mechanisms of the society. Additionally, religious leaders who did not have official position, as a complementary force, tried to preserve and maintain the religious traditions of the community.