Islam in Lithuania : revival at the expense of survival?

Abstract

The history of Islam in Lithuania dates back to the 14 th century, when the first migrants – political refugees – from the Golden Horde (and later, the Crimean Khanate) came to the then Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). Soon they were joined by new arrivals, consisting chiefly of mercenaries hired by Lithuanian grand dukes, more refugees and prisoners of war who, once freed, chose to stay. The immigrants, the majority of whom were recently Islamized Turkic speakers (Tatars), eventually set­ tled in the western parts of the Duchy, south and east of the capital Vilnius. Despite or because of the fact that Muslims have been only a tiny minority of the citizenry of the GDL, they enjoyed almost all rights and freedoms that their Christian fellow citizens did. Upon settlement, Lithuanian Tatar (as they came to be collectively referred to) elite were granted the nobility rank and given tracts of land to be used as fief that later went into their personal possession. Even more, Muslims in the GDL (and later, post­1569, in the Republic of Two Nations – Rzeczpospolita) were never forced to abandon their faith either through coerced conversion or because of artifi­ cially created obstacles in practicing their religion (such as bans, prohibitions, segre­ gationist decrees, etc.). In the GDL/Rzeczpospolita, Muslims throughout the centuries were allowed to publicly observe all Islamic duties and rituals.[...]