Pesantren, piety, and power: Madurese ulama and the shaping of Islamic educational institutions

Nasith, Ali ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3501-6032, Asnawan, Asnawan, Farid, Mohtazul and Hasan, Moh. Ferdi (2025) Pesantren, piety, and power: Madurese ulama and the shaping of Islamic educational institutions. TARBIYA: Journal of Education in Muslim Society, 12 (2). pp. 245-262. ISSN 2442-9848

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Abstract

Madura, East Java, provides a distinctive setting for examining how ethnic identity and religious patronage shape Islamic educational governance. In Madurese society, Kiai occupy a central position; their authority extends beyond religious instruction to leadership, curriculum balance, discipline, succession, and mosque-based education. Previous studies have discussed Kiai authority mainly as a social, cultural, or political phenomenon, but its institutionalisation within pesantren governance remains insufficiently examined. Using a sociological-ethnographic approach, this study draws on fieldwork conducted from early 2023 to late 2024 in three pesantren representing traditional-federal, modern-integrated, and classical-salafiyah governance models. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with nine students and alumni, and documentary analysis, and were analysed using Spradley’s domain-analysis framework. The study identifies three patronage-governance models: cluster, pyramid, and network. These models explain how authority over teaching, discipline, and institutional management is exercised and delegated. It also identifies patronage of interest, through which political actors use Ulama client networks, creating opportunities for support but risks for institutional autonomy. The findings highlight succession dependency, weak professional governance, and gender imbalance as key challenges for institutional sustainability.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	Islamic educational leadership; pesantren governance; Ulama patronage; religious authority; Madurese Muslim society; institutional sustainability
Subjects:	13 EDUCATION > 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy > 130205 Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum and Pedagogy (excl. Economics, Business and Management) 13 EDUCATION > 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy > 130211 Religion Curriculum and Pedagogy
Divisions:	Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teaching Training > Department of Social Science Education
Depositing User:	Ali Nasith
Date Deposited:	10 Jul 2026 15:07

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