The role of religious scholars and stones in the construction of knowledge in the Balkaiti region in the 19th and 19th centuries

Abstract

The study, titled "The Role of Religious Scholars and Hujras in the Intellectual Development of the Balakayati Region in the 18th and 19th Centuries," represents an academic effort to document and analyze the educational history and the influence of scholars in this area. Since the 18th and 19th centuries are regarded as a pivotal era of scientific and intellectual growth in Balakayati, the primary objective of this study is to highlight the strategic role of the Hujra as the sole scientific institution responsible for establishing an intellectual foundation and fostering a scholarly environment before the emergence of formal education.

         The study adopts a historical approach (descriptive-analytical), analyzing the curricula and the role of prominent scientific families such as )Ibn Adam, Sheikh Watman, Roste, Galali, Walze, and Wasan). The results indicate that the Hujras were not merely places of worship but functioned as systematic institutions with a balanced curriculum (encompassing both rational and traditional sciences). They effectively filled the void left by the absence of a formal state education system, a process managed through family-based institutionalization.

        Ultimately, the study concludes that the Hujras of Balakayati, beyond their scientific function, played a strategic role in preserving national identity and Kurdish cognitive construction. In this context, the Kurdish language served as a medium of understanding, thereby preventing cultural assimilation.