The portrait of Shigabutdin Mardjani is presented in the display case dedicated to enlightenment and Jadidism philosophical movement. It was a significant milestone in the social life of Russian Muslims of Russia in the 19th century.
Shigabutdin Mardjani is one of the most famous Tatar historians, philosophers and educators. He is called the ‘father of the Tatar nation’. It is his ideas that are deemed to have laid the foundation for Jadidism. It is after him that the oldest mosque in Kazan – Mosque al-Mardjani built in 1766-1770 – is called. It is the historical center of Tatar Muslim spirituality in Tatarstan. Shigabutdin served as an imam there in 1850-1889.
The story of Shigabutdin’s life started in 1818. He was born in Yabynchi Village in the Republic of Tatarstan.
Shigabutdin Mardjani is one of the most famous Tatar historians, philosophers and educators. He is called the ‘father of the Tatar nation’. It is his ideas that are deemed to have laid the foundation for Jadidism. It is after him that the oldest mosque in Kazan – Mosque al-Mardjani built in 1766-1770 – is called. It is the historical center of Tatar Muslim spirituality in Tatarstan. Shigabutdin served as an imam there in 1850-1889.
The story of Shigabutdin’s life started in 1818. He was born in Yabynchi Village in the Republic of Tatarstan.
After completing his studies, he started teaching at a madrasah at the age of seventeen. Already at that young age he did not like a lot of things about school education, particularly, the Persian textbook. He made his own rules and taught according to them. At the age of twenty, he decided to continue his education and went to Bukhara, and later to Samarkand. His education took about 11 years.
In 1848, Mardjani returned to his homeland and started his educational activities. During his long life he wrote over 30 works, mainly in Arabic. Some of his works have not yet been found, their content is unknown. The rest of them are similar in essence. Shigabutdin Mardjani advocated the idea of national identity of the Tatar people, its self-awareness. He emphasized the need for secular education, and especially the ownership of the heritage of the past.
The most famous work of the educator is entitled “A Treasure Trove of Information about the Affairs of Kazan and Bulgaria”. It was one of the first books on the national history of the Tatars ever written.
Shigabutdin Mardjani had many opponents, conservative imams accused him of apostasy. It was they who prevented Mardjani from becoming the chairman of Orenburg Mohammedan Spiritual Assembly in 1865.
Shigabutdin Mardjani is undeniably the first person in the world who had the courage to call himself a Tatar, and not “just” a Muslim, as was the case before him.
The author of the portrait is artist Nadya Fakhrutdinova, a member of the Artists’ Union of Tatarstan. She lives and works in Kazan.
In 1848, Mardjani returned to his homeland and started his educational activities. During his long life he wrote over 30 works, mainly in Arabic. Some of his works have not yet been found, their content is unknown. The rest of them are similar in essence. Shigabutdin Mardjani advocated the idea of national identity of the Tatar people, its self-awareness. He emphasized the need for secular education, and especially the ownership of the heritage of the past.
The most famous work of the educator is entitled “A Treasure Trove of Information about the Affairs of Kazan and Bulgaria”. It was one of the first books on the national history of the Tatars ever written.
Shigabutdin Mardjani had many opponents, conservative imams accused him of apostasy. It was they who prevented Mardjani from becoming the chairman of Orenburg Mohammedan Spiritual Assembly in 1865.
Shigabutdin Mardjani is undeniably the first person in the world who had the courage to call himself a Tatar, and not “just” a Muslim, as was the case before him.
The author of the portrait is artist Nadya Fakhrutdinova, a member of the Artists’ Union of Tatarstan. She lives and works in Kazan.
