The Will of the Panda: The Different Religions and Spiritual Beliefs of Central Asia

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 462.

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One defining characteristic of almost all ancient peoples and cultures is their beliefs in a greater power or being. Whether it be some cosmic entity that ties us all together or the spirit of their ancestors watching over them, the idea of what we now call religion or spiritualism is universal. Through Pre-History and into the modern era the people who have inhabited Central Asia (for the purposes of this paper the countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have been considered to constitute Central Asia) have had a colorful array of beliefs and religious practices impacted and morphed by invading armies, visiting missionaries, and local heritages. Some of the various beliefs include Tengrism, Zoroastrianism, Shamanism, and Islam. The aim of this research paper is to briefly discuss the origins and basic concepts of a few important religious persuasions and supernatural beliefs that have swept through Central Asia and still remain a large part of Central Asian culture.

Before looking back in time to the religious beliefs of pre-historic and ancient Central Asia, an overview of the regions beliefs today might be pertinent. In Kazakhstan, with the largest land area of any of the Central Asian nations (2,724,900 square kilometers) and the second highest population (17.9 million people) [1]after Uzbekistan, 47% of the population is Muslim, 44% Russian Orthodox, and 9% follow other religious beliefs or are atheist. The other Central Asian Republics have significantly higher percentages of followers of Islam, their religious breakdowns are as follows: Uzbekistan (88% Islam, 9% Eastern Orthodox, 3% Other), Kyrgyzstan (75% Islam, 20% Russian Orthodox, 5% Other), Tajikistan (90% Islam, 10% Other), Turkmenistan (89% Islam, Eastern Orthodox 9%, 2% Other). [2] As is clearly visible from the above data, the majority of the present day population of Central Asia is Muslim, with a significant minority being Christian.

The spread of Islam in this region can be considered by some standards a somewhat recent occurrence. After the Birth of Islam in the early 7^th century A.D., the religion, which is currently the fastest growing religion on earth[3], spread like wildfire through the Arab world. By the late 7^th century, the Umayyad Empire had begun its foray into Central Asia, and in 751 A.D. with the defeat of the Tang Dynasty's forces at the Battle of Talas[4] by the Abbasid Empire, the Arab army expelled Chinese influence from the region. By the early 9^th century Abbasid control of Central Asia was firmly established, and ideas and beliefs from the Arab world began to flow in earnest into the Central Asian steppe and Islam became the predominant religion and would remain so to the modern day and presumably into the foreseeable future.[5]

As Muslims, the followers of Islam in Central Asia adhere to five main tenants.

1.Iman = Faith: The belief in one G-d only, Allah, and that Mohammed was his prophet.

2. Salah = Prayer: The devout Muslim is required to pray 5 times a day.

3. Zakah = Required Charity: One-Fortieth of a Muslims capital must be given to charity every year, more is encouraged but not required.

4. Sawm = Fasting: Every year during the month of Ramadan no food, drink, or sexual relations are allowed between dawn and sundown.

5. Hajj = Pilgrimage: At least once in a Muslims lifetime they are required to travel to Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia, if they are physically and financially able.[6]

While the majority of the current population of Central Asia considers themselves Muslim, due to the many religious ideas that their ancestors held and that have been brought to the area by multiple means, many people of the area still hold beliefs and customs from outside of Islam.

To understand what some of these beliefs are, it is time to take a step back, into the prehistoric lives of the nomadic people who lived in Central Asia. While not much is known of the religious and spiritual beliefs of the prehistoric people who lived in Central Asia, some information can be gleaned from the petroglyphs found all around the area. For example, the archaeological site of Tamgaly, located roughly 120 kilometers Northwest of Almaty, Kazakhstan, is home to over 5000 petroglyphs dating as far back as 2500 B.C. [7] While the images at the site range from hunting scenes with animals to sexually explicit, the sun-head g-ds that can be found in multiple places around the site lead experts to believe the people of the time held certain spiritual beliefs relating to the Sun!

Another religious belief that was somewhat prominent in parts of Central Asia, most notably Uzbekistan, was Zoroastrianism. Founded by Zoroaster as early as the 2^nd millennium B.C., the religion enters written history in the mid 5^th century B.C. in Herodotus's The Histories[8]. Zoroastrianism is based on the idea that there are two forces, Spenta Mainyu the Holy Spirit (force of good) and Angra Mainyu the Destructive Spirit (the force of evil). There is also Ahura Mazda, the overarching deity and source of all life. In addition to these g-ds, there are the seven realms of nature and the deities that watch over them, they are as follows:

1. Ahura Mazda = the Wise Lord who is present everywhere.

2. Vohu Manah = Good Mind, associated with animal kingdom.

3. Asha Vahishta = Highest Truth, associated with the cosmos and fire.

4. Khshathra Vairya = Desirable Dominion, associated with the sky and minerals.

5. Spenta Armaiti = Holy Devotion, associated with benevolence and the earth.

6. Haurvatat = Wholeness, associated with well-being and water.

7. Ameretat = Immortality, associated with everlasting bliss and the plant kingdom.[9]

When Islam swept into Central Asia, much of the ancient religions such as Zoroastrianism were stamped out, however some bits of the culture still remain, as seen in the people of the area's reverence for fire, which was very important to the Zoroastrians.

While the current population of Central Asia identifies as predominantly Muslim by religious affiliation, their hereditary background is very different than the Arabs that introduced the religion to the area. According to genetic tests done in the early 2000's, approximately 8 percent of males living in the area of the former Mongol Empire are directly descended from Genghis Khan himself![10] While the fact that Genghis Khan has around 16 million living male decedents is extremely impressive, it is also very informative. He alone has millions of progeny, how many current Central Asians are therefore descended from his massive Golden Horde that swept through and controlled the area for over one hundred years? The answer is, most of them. For instance, the Uzbek ethnicity (the largest in Central Asia) is thought to be named after the Mongol Khan who led the Golden Horde to its height of power, Öz Beg Khan (pronounced Uzbek, descended from Genghis Khan).[11]

Being descended from the Mongols of the Far East, the people of Central Asia still hold on to some of the beliefs and traditions that the Golden Horde brought with them across the steppe. One of the major spiritual traditions that was brought to Central Asia by the Mongols was Shamanism. Shamanism is a rather fluid belief system, varying from place to place and being present in different forms around the world. The form that was brought to Central Asia began amongst the peoples of Northern Asia and originated in hunter-gatherers. Shamanism revolves around the idea that certain individuals can communicate with the spirit world and therefore gain special powers such as being able to heal the sick and predict the future. Animism is often affiliated with Shamanism, or the belief that there are spirit animals that have the power to interfere, either positively or negatively, in human affairs.[12]

Tengrism is the modern term for the belief in shamanism, animism, totems, and other such spiritual practices that were prevalent in Central Asia during the reign of the Mongols and Turks. While Tengrism as a sole form of religion is not very widespread, Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, does have an “international scientific centre of Tengrist studies” and a growing population of Tengrist people. [13] In addition, many Central Asian peoples still hold Shamanistic (Tengristic) traditions, for example, praying to their ancestors spirits for good fortune, and being cautious not to upset the holy spirits of the mountains and lakes, even though they are Muslim or Christian. The Shamanistic traditions are more of a heritage for many Central Asians.

Central Asia has had a long history of being invaded by foreign armies, each bringing their own ideologies and beliefs. Alexander the Great, the Persians, the Arabs, and the Mongols all conquered the area in antiquity. That tradition does not end in the 19^th and 20^th century; the Russians came next. By the late 1800's Russia controlled large portions of Kazakhstan and the Central Asian steppe, and Russian Orthodox Christians began resettling in the area.[14] With the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Central Asia fell under the dominion of the Soviet Union, and remained under their control, in the form of various autonomous Soviet Republics, until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Even though the Soviet Union did its best to stamp out religions and instill atheism in the people of Central Asia, the people of the steppe are a very spiritual group, and many of their beliefs managed to survive the Soviet crackdown, in one way or another. For example, in Uzbekistan, instead of using oral prayers after meals, Uzbeks often use special hand gestures to signify the gratitude that would have been encompassed in prayer. Islam is still a major religion in the area, and reemerging faiths such as Tengrism are once again taking hold and flourishing. With a mix of Shamanism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, and many other faiths, the current beliefs of Central Asia are a melting pot of past and present ones, all seeking to appease the spirits and deities­­­ of the world and cosmos to keep the people of the steppe safe.

Top Secret Addendum:

­­­

While the preceding part of this paper deals with the larger, more overtly historically influential religions and beliefs that have existed in Central Asia over the past few millennia, this addendum deals with two supremely powerful forces of the region (and the world, and the universe), one which has always fought for all that is divine and beautiful in the world, and the other which seeks to destroy that which the first has sworn to protect. The force for justice and righteousness, a lumbering and bodacious fluff-ball of black and white velvety fur, is, of course, the Parking Panda. Whenever one finds oneself driving down a packed city street, all parking spots apparently taken, and then, as if it were some celestial power splitting the red sea –POOF– a spot appears in front of you. Coincidence? Fate? Or pure luck perhaps? No, my dear fellow, the Parking Panda has graced you with his power yet again!

The world would be a truly splendiferous place if the saintly Parking Panda was free to daintily assist all those in need of parking, but alas, it was never to be. There is another force in our world, more horrid, bloodcurdling and fear inducing than even the most Abominable of Snowmen and Headless of Horsemen. To even write the name of this creature of pure evil would be to ask, no, beg for the untold sufferings and torments that the monster revels in inflicting. Instead, if it is further enlightenment you seek, I would direct you in the direction of the esteemed Professor Michael Frachetti, expert on the history and lore of the Parking Panda and the C@#$&@* C&*@#$%. He is also the leader of our cult. [15]

Works Cited:

Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Holy Qur'ān: Text, Translation and Commentary. Brentwood, MD: Amana, 1983. Print.

Balzer, Marjorie Mandelstam. Shamanic Worlds: Rituals and Lore of Siberia and Central Asia. Armonk, NY: North Castle, 1997. Print.

"Battle of Talas River." About.com Asian History. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://asianhistory.about.com/od/centralasia/a/BattleofTalas.htm>.

Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism. Leiden: Brill, 1975. Print.

DeWeese, Devin A. Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde: Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam in Historical and Epic Tradition. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State UP, 1994. Print.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Uzbek (people)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/621020/Uzbek>.

Eliade, Mircea. "Shamanism (religion)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/538200/shamanism>.

Grousset, René. The Empire of the Steppes; a History of Central Asia. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1970. Print.

Hareir, Idris El, and Ravane Mbaye. The Spread of Islam throughout the World. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Howard, Michael. "Secrets of Siberian Shamanism." New Dawn Magazine 16 May 2013: n. pag. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://www.newdawnmagazine.com/articles/secrets-of-siberian-shamanism>.

"Kazakhstan." Kazakhstan. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.kazakhstanembassy.be/kazakhstan>.

Mehdi, and Chris Tyler-Smith. "The Genetic Legacy of the Mongols." The American Journal of Human Genetics 72.3 (2003): 717-21. Web.

"Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly." - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1145/>.

Spencer, Robert. Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions about the World's Fastest Growing Faith. San Francisco: Encounter, 2002. Print.

Sultanova, Razia. From Shamanism to Sufism: Women, Islam and Culture in Central Asia. London: I B. Tauris, 2011. Print.

"World Religions." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855613.html>.

"Zoroastrianism: History, Beliefs, and Practices." The Theosophical Society in America. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.theosophical.org/publications/1231>.

Zerjal, Tatiana, Yali Xue, Giorgio Bertorelle, R. Spencer Wells, Weidong Bao, Suling Zhu, Raheel Qamar, Qasim Ayub, Aisha Mohyuddin, Songbin Fu, Pu Li, Nadira Yuldasheva, Ruslan Ruzibakiev, Jiujin Xu, Qunfang Shu, Ruofu Du, Huanming Yang, Matthew E. Hurles, Elizabeth Robinson, Tudevdagva Gerelsaikhan, Bumbein Dashnyam, S. Qasim

[1] Kazakhstan, http://www.kazakhstanembassy.be/kazakhstan

[2] World Religions, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855613.html

[3] Islam Unveiled, Robert Spencer

[4] Battle of Talas, About.com

[5] Spread of Islam Throughout the World, Idris El Hareir and Ravane Mbaye

[6] The Holy Qur'ān: Text, Translation and Commentary, Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[7] Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly, webpage

[8] A History of Zoroastrianism , Mary Boyce

[9] "Zoroastrianism: History, Beliefs, and Practices."

[10] “The Genetic Legacy of the Mongols”, The American Journal of Human Genetics

[11] “Uzbek (people)”, Encyclopedia Britannica

[12] “Shamanism”, Eliade, Mircea

[13] “Secrets of Siberian Shamanism”, Michael Howard

[14] The Empire of the Steppes; a History of Central Asia, René Grousset

[15] Cultural Learnings from the Great Land of Kazakhstan