Who is Madali Ishan?

Military Prosecutor of the Turkestan Military District Court, Major General Dolinsky on Madali Ishan

Madali Ishan was a representative of the working class. He was born in 1853 in the village of Min-Tyube in the Margilan district.

The military prosecutor of the Turkestan Military District Court, Major General Dolinsky, who interrogated Madali Ishan and sentenced him to death by hanging in his report dated August 21, 1898, wrote: "His father (Madali Ishan's—K.U.) Muhammad Sabyr was a poor man, owning only 5 tanaps of land and engaged in spinning yarn. This craft was passed on to his son (Madali Ishan—K.U.), who did not abandon the spinning and became an Ishan, which is why he earned the nickname Ishan-Spinner (Iiyikchi or Dukchi Ishan). From a young age, he worked as a laborer and mud brick maker (dubalkanachy) for a large feudal lord, the Ishan of Paitok, Sultan Khan Tyuri, under whose influence Madali gradually fell. Later, Madali became a murid, i.e., a follower, and then a half (assistant-governor) of the aforementioned Ishan. In 1882, after the death of Ishan Sultan Khan Tyuri—the leading Muslim spiritual figure—Madali became his successor. He then became the Ishan of the religious order in Central Asia, Muhammad Baga'eddin "Nakya'i-bendu," who was considered a saint. In 1887, Madali Ishan made a pilgrimage to Mecca, which contributed to a sharp increase in his religious fanaticism. This Ishan "engaged in healing (folk medicine—K.U.), and many sick people flocked to him. The number of his murids, i.e., followers, also increased. He presented himself as a saint and the head of the Muslim clergy in the region. His influence over the believers grew. In an attempt to attract as many people as possible to his side, Madali Ishan did not shy away from deception, tricks, or machinations. At the same time, he widely took into account the ignorance, backwardness, and religious sentiments of the indigenous population. In an effort to win sympathy and popularity among the local residents, Madali planted and nurtured saplings on a small desert hill located near the village of Min-Tyube along the roadside. These saplings were watered with water personally brought by Madali Ishan in a bucket. After a few years, they turned into lush decorative trees, under the shade of which travelers would stop and rest gratefully, sharing their experiences with others. "Apparently," it is stated in the archival document, "this is where the fame of the Ishan began, creating for him a reputation initially as a pious man and later as a saint. All this contributed to the growth of Madali Ishan's religious influence among the believers and their acceptance of him as a 'saint.' This Ishan, as a high spiritual figure and 'saint,' received offerings from all who came to him. He was gifted with rams, horses, food, grain, clothes, and money. He had dozens and hundreds of believers. Soon he became one of the richest people in the Margilan district and gathered around him murids, i.e., like-minded individuals in the religion of Islam. Now Madali Ishan had 40 shakirds—followers and up to 30 service personnel. In his extensive estate, he often gathered believers, the number of whom often reached several hundred, and sometimes even a thousand people. Typically, Madali Ishan organized feasts for them. His followers actively supported the "glory" of their spiritual father, spreading legends about the "miracles" he performed, and about the prophecies of Madali, which allegedly came true.

Heterogeneous social composition of the uprising of the peoples of Central Asia in May 1898.