The History of The Main Waqf Administration in Uzbekistan: Organizational Activity and Transformation of Waqf Property Management in the 1920s

Abstract

The article examines the history of the Main Waqf Administration (Glavnoe Vakufnoe Upravlenie) in Uzbekistan during the 1920s, focusing on its establishment, organizational structure, functions, and role in managing waqf properties under the early Soviet regime. The study analyzes the complex relationship between traditional Islamic institutions and the Soviet state during a period of profound political, economic, and social transformation. Drawing upon historical-comparative, chronological, and institutional approaches, the research investigates the policies adopted by the Soviet authorities toward waqf property and religious educational institutions. The findings demonstrate that the Main Waqf Administration initially functioned as an intermediary institution aimed at regulating waqf assets while maintaining limited support for Islamic educational and charitable activities. However, by the late 1920s, increasing Soviet centralization and anti-religious campaigns significantly reduced its autonomy and transformed its functions.