Ethnic History of Central Asia: Buddhist Turks

Print Page | Close Window

Buddhist Turks

Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: Ethnic History of Central Asia
Forum Discription: Discussions about the ethnic origins of Central Asian peoples. All topics related to ethnicity should go here.
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13453
Printed Date: 24-Apr-2024 at 10:26
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.56a - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Buddhist Turks

Posted By: Bulldog
Subject: Buddhist Turks
Date Posted: 20-Jul-2006 at 07:26

I was recently told by a historian that the first time Turks led a sedentary life was when they adopted Buddhism. They then applied what they learned from sedentary life into Nomadic life and some became semi-nomadic. Apparently, Turks always longed and had an attachment to Nomadic life and its freedom so could never abandon it fully. Even today though mostly sedentry they migrate around and some have seasonal migrations. Like they go to the Yayla-Plateu's in Summer and to the warmer land in the Winter.

Any info about Buddhist Turks? I can't find anything about them, which Turks embraced Buddhism, did they build Temples? where were they situated, etc etc

-------------
�What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.�
Albert Pine

Replies:

Posted By: xi_tujue
Date Posted: 20-Jul-2006 at 07:44

the only budist turks are the sari uygur(yellow uigur ,yugur) and the tuvas

-------------
I rather be a nomadic barbarian than a sedentary savage

Posted By: Feramez
Date Posted: 20-Jul-2006 at 11:19

Originally posted by xi_tujue

the only budist turks are the sari uygur(yellow uigur ,yugur) and the tuvas

True, but not their entire populations. For the Sari Uygurs, most are Lamanists, most of Tuvas are, I think, Shamans.

-------------
For Turks, the homeland isn't Turkey, nor yet Turkistan. Their country is a vast, eternal land: Turan!
-Ziya Gokalp-
http://groups.myspace.com/TurkWorld - T�RK D�NYASI Forum, join today.

Posted By: Bulldog
Date Posted: 20-Jul-2006 at 19:21

I was referring to history, was there any Buddhist Turkic states, what records of this the mix with Buddhism is there, in what areas did this occur.

I once read that in Northern Afganistan and East into China there was a flourishing Turkic Buddhist civillisation but there is so little information about this sometimes I wonder if it actually did exist.

-------------
�What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.�
Albert Pine

Posted By: Feramez
Date Posted: 20-Jul-2006 at 19:52

Originally posted by Bulldog

I was referring to history, was there any Buddhist Turkic states, what records of this the mix with Buddhism is there, in what areas did this occur.

I once read that in Northern Afganistan and East into China there was a flourishing Turkic Buddhist civillisation but there is so little information about this sometimes I wonder if it actually did exist.

I never heard about this.

Posted By: Suevari
Date Posted: 21-Jul-2006 at 07:11

I also heard about large Turkic Buddhist kingdoms.
Make sure you're not confusing them with those Turks who built the Taj Mahal though - they were Muslims obsessed with speaking Persian.

-------------

Posted By: Bulldog
Date Posted: 21-Jul-2006 at 07:15

Some of the main architects of the Taj Mahal were Turks from the area and also trained by Koja Mimar Sinan.

The Mughals started off with the great Babur very Turk in character but later they used Persian as languages between Courts and also Urdu was really promoted but among themselves the top Mughals spoke Turkish to each other.

-------------
�What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.�
Albert Pine

Posted By: Suevari
Date Posted: 21-Jul-2006 at 07:18

But generally it was seen as the 'common speech' andnever used for poetry and official stuff - same with the Ottomans.

Just for the record, Taj means crown in Persian and Mahal means region in Arabic - an example of how Turks used other languages.

-------------

Posted By: barbar
Date Posted: 22-Jul-2006 at 09:51

Uyghur Idiqut kingdom and Kengsu Uyghur kingdom after the collapse of Uyghur empire were mainly Buddists. Uyghur eli now has many Buddistic relics (thousand caves etc) from those period. Even before that, two cities in Uyghur region, Kusen (Kucha) and Udun (Hoten) became the main Buddist culture centers, which spread all related cultures to China, korea and Japan etc.

-------------
Either make a history or become a history.