Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, where representatives of different faiths and cultures live in peace and harmony. Turning to ancient manuscripts, can be discovered that a unique civilizational model on the banks of the Volga already existed in the second third of the 15th century. On the ruins of the Golden Horde, a Muslim state emerged, which became the heir to the traditions of the Bulgar ulus - the Kazan Khanate. Its striking feature for the Middle Ages was religious tolerance.
The state system of the khanate was based on Islam of the Hanafi madhhab, which organically combined local customs with Muslim law. Sharia formed the legal system, and the clergy, especially the descendants of the Prophet ﷺ - the Sayyids, played a key role in the governance of the khanate. The Supreme Sayyid not only headed the state council, but also enjoyed unprecedented authority, as evidenced by the diplomat of the Holy Roman Empire Sigismund von Herberstein in his "Notes on Muscovite Affairs" (Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentaries).
As historian Bulat Khamidullin notes in his work “The Functioning of Islam in the Kazan Khanate,” Muslims constituted no less than half of the population, which numbered about 500 thousand people. Along with the dominant position of Islam, various faiths peacefully coexisted in the state. The Armenian Church operated in Kazan, and about half of the population — the Mari, Mordvins, Chuvashes, and Udmurts — preserved their traditional beliefs, freely professing pagan cults.
The spread of Islam among pagan peoples occurred primarily through cultural exchange and trade relations, rather than by force. Sufi sheikhs played a special role in promoting mutual respect and tolerance. Tatar legends have preserved evidence of the influence of the Yasaviyya Sufi brotherhood, whose practices were harmoniously intertwined with the canons of Islamic art. The works of Kazan poets, and above all Kul Sharif, are permeated with Sufi symbolism and mystical images. The name of the last supreme seyid, who died with his students during the defense of the city in 1552, is today immortalized in the name of one of the main attractions of Kazan.
The Tatar nobility, like the rulers, professed Islam. This is evidenced by a chronicle plot characteristic of the diplomatic culture of the Kazan Khanate - an oath on the Holy Quran. The poet and diplomat-translator Muhammadyar wrote a lot about the history of Islam, about the lives of prophets and caliphs. The Tatars often made a pilgrimage to Mecca. For example, it is known about the trip to Arabia of the Kazan and Crimean Khan Nur-Sultan, her relatives, and confidants, about which she personally reported in a letter to the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III.
The diversity of cultures and beliefs gradually united the society, but in the middle of the 16th century this natural course of history was disrupted by war. Nevertheless, unity was maintained by a rich tradition of Islamic enlightenment, a common educational system and a wide layer of scholars. The khanate flourished in office work (as evidenced by diplomatic correspondence), jurisprudence, historiography, literature, decorative art and architecture. In his "Notes", Baron von Herberstein wrote that "these Tatars surpass many other peoples in education."
The cultural life of the Kazan Khanate was unusually rich. The unique state managed to harmoniously combine Islamic identity with the traditions of religious tolerance inherited from the Golden Horde, and also absorbed elements of the Crimean, Nogai and Central Asian cultures. This synthesis not only strengthened society, but also created a unique environment for dialogue of traditions. The Kazan Khanate became a vivid example of how Islamic civilization can organically develop in the conditions of cultural and religious diversity.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"