Muslim Madhhabs in Tbilisi

The dissertation „Muslim Madhhabs in Tbilisi (8th -18 cc.)“ represents the first endeavor to conduct a comprehensive study on the existence of Sunni and Shia Madhhabs in Tbilisi.
The history of emergence of Muslim community and the spread of Islam in Tbilisi is studied in stages in the thesis work; There are analyzed the ideological and political reasons for the introduction and establishment of law- theological schools – Madhhabs, created in Islam, in Tbilisi; It was ascertained which Madhhab should have existed in a certain period in Tbilisi and the dominant Madhhab was identified among them; We determined the cause-affect relationship accounting for the introduction or the attempt of founding Muslim law schools in
Tbilisi;
The thesis work reviews and presents the various viewpoints about David Agmashenebeli’s religious policy as well as the study conducted about the essential peculiarity of Sufism spread in Tbilisi; The thesis also focuses on studying Jalal ad-Din’s and TamerLane’s attempt to introduce the specific Sunni Madhhab in Tbilisi and its essence; The dynamics of the conversion of population of Tbilisi to Islam is studied on the basis of the data of a book of Sijilats of Shari’ah Court and Islamic records.
The research on segments of Georgian-Persian diplomacy reflecting the Islamic impact upon Georgian recordkeeping holds a proper place in the work. Against the background of the so called „Fence-straddling policy“ the thesis work reviews the diplomatic and religious aspects of the reign of King Rostom in Kartli. In addition, Nadir Shah’s religious reforms in Shia Islam are outlined and the attitude of Shiite community of Tbilisi towards the mentioned fact is revealed in the work.
The dissertation suggests the study of the history of Georgians’ ideological confrontation with Isalm and reveals the stages of development of Georgian Islamic studies.