"This biographical dictionary, based on a Turkic manuscript compiled in 1912, is essential for all those interested in the Islamic history of Central Asia under Russian and Chinese rule. Covering the period from 1770-1912, it brings to life the muslim communities of Sufis and scholars of the eastern Kazakh steppe. Its extensive biographical information provides fresh insights into the intellectual, political, and religious life of a region for which indigenous Islamic sources are virtually unknown." "With a historical and textological introduction, full English translation, extensive notes, and an Arabic-script Turkic text."--Jacket