The Ontological Sources of Political Stability and Economy: Mahalla Mediation in the Rural Communities of Southern Tajikistan

Abstract

For the sake of a modest contribution to Crossroads Studies, this article argues that state and society in Tajikistan is embedded into personal (kinship, patron-client, etc.) networks of people. These networks structure social interactions by crosscutting institutional and spatial boundaries and frameworks. Notably, the networks are not stable per se especially in the aftermath of the post-Soviet and post-Civil War transformations of Tajik society. Rather, the case study of mahalla shows that the elites and their local mediators mobilize the material and immaterial resources of local people, religious and state institutions, and international donors to enforce these contested networks. Especially due to the state elites’ limited material and military power, therefore, there is a reliance on local mediators, including family elders and religious notables, who shape the mahalla’s committee. The concept of ‘ontological security’ explains how mahalla mediation is an effective strategy to frequently mention about chaos, uncertainty and insecurity.