A Local Face of Revolution: The Confrontation of the Dagestani ‘Ulamā’ over Najm al-Dīn Gotsinsky’s Imamate and the Russian Revolutions of 1917

This article investigates debates between religious leaders in Dagestan during the Russian Revolution on the state-building project of imamate. Analysing the attempt of a group of religious leaders led by Najm al-Dīn Gotsinsky to reestablish the Dagestani imamate, the article situates that struggle within the broader context of the Russian Revolution, where the Whiles and the Reds were fighting for the power. As is demonstrated, debates over the imamate hindered any possible consolidation of the Dagestani religious leadership against the Bolsheviks and even, in some cases, pushed them to cooperate with the Bolsheviks, facilitating the latter's victory in Dagestan.