This book is the product of years of academic journey and historical curiosity. The religious organisation of the Muslim community in the South Caucasus under Tsarist Russia, although at first glance it appears to be only a matter of administration, actually harbours a multi-layered story of identity, faith, belonging and resistance.The archival documents, Ottoman and Russian sources, as well as local testimonies that I accessed during my doctoral research convinced me that this structure was not only an official administration, but also a site of cultural struggle. In this book, I have...