BETWEEN FAITH AND STRATEGY: ISLAM IN THE NATIONALIST DISCOURSES OF AKHMET BAITURSYNOV AND ALIKHAN BOKEIKHANOV

Abstract

This study examines the strategic usage of religious identity within nationalist discourse in early 20th-century Kazakh nation-building. The main analyses would be based on the writings of Akhmet Baitursynov and Alikhan Bokeikhanov. Using qualitative analysis of the Qazaq newspaper series issued within 1913–1914 period, the research demonstrates how Islam functioned not merely as a spiritual tradition but as both a moral foundation and a political resource for resisting Russian colonial rule. While Baitursynov emphasized Islamic education and values as essential to preserving Kazakh identity, Bokeikhanov advocated a more secular and ethnocentric vision rooted in Pan-Turkic agency. Despite their differing approaches, both figures recognized the unifying power of religion and print media in shaping an “imagined community,” drawing on theoretical frameworks from Benedict Anderson, Anthony Smith, and postcolonial studies. The findings challenge the binary of secular versus religious nationalism, revealing a nuanced, strategic negotiation of identity under imperial domination. This case contributes to broader discussions on how colonized Muslim intellectuals used faith both as resistance and reform in the pursuit of cultural autonomy.