RELIGIOUS LEGACY AND POLITICAL CONFLICTS: SUFI KHOJAS IN EAST TURKESTAN

East Turkestan has experienced an important historical period, especially during the Yarkend Khanate. This khanate controlled the region known as East Turkestan, which is now known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, and included important cities such as Kashgar, Yarkend and Khoten. Yarkend Khanate also became a center of Islamic culture and sciences, equipped with madrasas, mosques and libraries. During this period, the Yarkend Khanate established close relations with other Turkic-Muslim states in the region, forming political and military alliances and thus strengthening its presence. However, from time to time, it also had to contend with external threats such as the Mongol tribes and the Chinese Empire. This turbulent period played an important role in shaping the historical and cultural heritage of East Turkestan. In addition to this historical richness and cultural diversity, the religious leaders of East Turkestan have also left a deep impact on the region. Mahdûm-ı Azam Hoca Ahmed al-Qāsānī was a Sufi leader who rose to prominence in 16th century East Turkestan as the leader of the Qāsānīyya branch of the Naqshbandī order. In this role, he had a profound impact on regional religious and political structures, shaping social and economic life through his religious teachings and cultural innovations, and at the same time, he succeeded in making fundamental changes in the religious and social fabric of the region. The Qāsānīya sect spread over a wide geography thanks to Khoja’s large family structure and loyal followers. Kāsānī’s thirteen sons and four wives paved the way for the sect’s influence to be felt within the family and regionally. This spread was reinforced by the assumption of various religious and political roles through Mahdûm-ı Azam and his children. In particular, figures such as Hodja Ishaq reinforced the spiritual greatness and leadership of the order, leaving a profound impact on social and cultural structures. The death of Mahdûm-ı Azam triggered a struggle for power over the inheritance and led to a fierce rivalry, especially between his two sons from different mothers. This rivalry shaped regional religious and social structures, creating a divide between the factions known as the Community of the Hodjas of Akdagli and the Community of the Hodjas of Karadagli. The frictions in the Yarkend Khanate had a profound impact on the social structure. The struggle for power between the leaders of the two communities led to rivalries over political and religious leadership, further dividing social and religious groups. This process damaged the overall stability of the region with inter-communal conflicts and significantly affected the social and political balance of the Yarkend Khanate. Rivalries and conflicts had a significant impact on the last periods of the khanate and led the region towards an unstable period. These internal conflicts left the region open to the intervention of the Jungars and later China, which led to the end of the Yarkend Khanate.
 Key Words: Sufi, Khojas, East Turkestan, Yarkand Khanate, Akdaghli, Karadaghli.