Imperialism through Islamic Networks 23In one awkward exchange in 1824, an Islamic judge (kadi) representing the
Dargin community (one of the largest ethnic groups in the North Caucasus)
complained about the hajj ban, and Ermolov conceded that he had no right to
“prohibit the performance of religious duties,” and thus no authority to forbid
Muslims from making the hajj. He urged the kadi to see the ban as a measure
intended to protect Russian subjects from Ottoman abuses along their routes,
“of which there are many sad examples,” and he assured him that the routes
would “soon be reopened.”^18
Faced with growing Muslim demand for access to Mecca, Ermolov declared
the hajj ban “inconvenient,” and abandoned it. Following a pattern set by colo-
nial officials managing the hajj in other parts of the world—and surely influ-
enced by knowledge of these colonial practices, about which Russia was
gathering information through its foreign consulates—Ermolov went from
restricting to regulating the hajj.^19 In January 1826 he introduced new rules and
procedures for granting Muslims passports to Mecca. He instructed tsarist offi-
cials throughout the Caucasus to monitor applicants for travel documents, and
give permission only to “well-intentioned Muslims.” Ermolov acknowledged
that intentions were easier to determine among elites, whose allegiances were
generally known to the Russian authorities. The “simple folk,” with more mys-
terious loyalties, would need a letter of recommendation from their local dis-
trict in order to get a transit pass for Tiflis. Once in Tiflis, Muslims were
supposed to report directly to Ermolov, who would record their names in a
logbook and issue them a foreign passport.^20
By getting Muslims to apply to Russian authorities for passports to Mecca,
Ermolov reasoned, officials would be able to determine “how many are going
on the hajj . . . and how much money they are taking with them, as this journey
typically costs a lot.”^21 The ethos and intentions of Ermolov’s new rules for the
hajj fit the larger project he is credited with as commander in chief of the Cau-
casus: the creation of a centralized, rational Russian government administra-
tion, by understanding local social hierarchies, categorizing populations, and
identifying important locals to co-opt into the administration. His decision
should also be seen as an urgent security measure. Introduced against the back-
drop of Muslim rebellions across the North Caucasus, and renewed war with
Persia, when Muslim khanates in the South Caucasus were also revolting
against Russian rule, Ermolov’s abandonment of the hajj ban was surely an
attempt to quell dissent and reassure Muslims of Russia’s toleration of Islam.^22
The 1840s would bring another change in Russian policy toward the hajj.
In that decade Russian officials in the Caucasus would begin to sponsor it.