The Deobandi Movement and the Reproduction of Political-Security Power in Pakistan

Abstract

This article examines the role of the Deobandi movement in the reproduction of political-security power in Pakistan by moving beyond reductionist interpretations. The central question is through which institutional, discursive, and network-based mechanisms the Deobandi movement participates in processes of power reproduction. The theoretical framework is grounded in the concept of “power reproduction” and is formulated through the integration of historical institutionalism, symbolic capital theory, and discursive approaches to power. The research adopts a qualitative methodology based on historical-institutional analysis and discourse analysis, encompassing religious-political texts, educational literature, and the discourses of religious and political elites. The findings indicate that the network of religious seminaries, the authority of the ulama, and religious symbolic capital have provided an institutional infrastructure for social and political influence. In dynamic interaction with the state and security institutions, these elements have contributed to the production of legitimacy, the framing of threats, and social mobilization, without being reducible to mere instruments of the state. The internal heterogeneity of the movement further suggests that its connections with politics and jihadism are less inherent than they are products of specific historical and geopolitical contexts. The article concludes that security in Pakistan is not a purely material phenomenon but rather a social and discursive construct shaped through the interaction between the state and religious networks. Therefore, analyses of politics and security in Pakistan remain incomplete without considering the structural role of religious actors. By conceptualizing religion as a source of meaning, legitimacy, and mobilization, this study contributes to the literature on political Islam and security studies in postcolonial societies.