ABSTRACT
The waqf documents preserved in almost all the parts of the Muslim world
contain rich information on the past social life of Muslim communities. These
documents have attracted a wide range of specialists engaged in historical
research into every aspect of the Islamic world, including the history of
Muslim Central Asia. Aware of the documents’ importance as historical
sources, several specialists in this area devoted themselves to studying waqf
deeds drawn up at various times in the region. Rich and specific information
drawn from the contents of these documents appears to have been well
analyzed by scholars, mainly from socio-historical or socio-economic
historical viewpoints.1 However, researchers have paid much less attention to
both the external appearance and internal structure of the documents2 even
though the form of a document sometimes gives information as valuable as that
provided by the contents.