Historical essay on Buddhism and Islam in West Turkistan

Alexander Berzin

Historical essay on Buddhism and Islam in West Turkistan

Parthia and Bactria

In the past, Buddhism was found in all five former Soviet
the Central Asian republics comprising the West Turkistan:
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. At first, I
century BC, Buddhism penetrated from Gandhara (Pakistan), and Afghanistan in the Kingdom
Parthia [1] and Bactria. In our days the territory of the former Kingdom of Parthia take
Turkmenistan and northeastern Iran, and the territory of the former Kingdom of Bactria
[2] - Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Northern Afghanistan.

Sogdiana

In Sogdia [3], which in our days are Central
Uzbekistan and northwestern Tajikistan, Buddhism came mainly from
Bactria. Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (HsГjan-tsang lived in the sixth century,
reported that in the capital of Sogdiana, Samarkand, there are two large
the Buddhist monastery.

Western Turkic Khaganate

In the VII century, when the Turkic people from Mongolia conquered most of
Central Asia, Buddhism spread from Sogdiana and Kashgar/Khotan,
situated in the southern part of Eastern Turkestan, in the valley of the river Talas in
South Kazakhstan and in Chu river valley in Northern Kyrgyzstan. These regions
was part of the Western Turkic khanate [4]. In the VIII century, when
Eastern Turkestan was under the control of Tibet, Tibetans occupied
also Eastern Kyrgyzstan and brought with them early Tibetan Buddhism. [5]
Although Islam came to the southern part of these Central Asian
republics in the ninth and tenth centuries, and in the Northern part in the XI, Buddhism disappeared on
the North completely. Islam has always been weak, mixed with shamanism and even with
Buddhism. The main form of Islam in this territory,
always been Sufism - nedostatecny school, with a special focus
meditation, in which a community of highly devoted practitioners
living close to the master.

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