In the Beginning was Tengri, Part 2: The Conversation of the Gods
Cross-regional and Blogosphere, Culture and History6 Comments
Alexander Nevsky standing near Mongol shaman in the Golden Horde. Painting by Henryk Siemiradzki. Click on the image to read another blogger's view on Tengriism.
Editor’s note: H.B. Paksoy (D. Phil., Oxford University) continues his discussion of Tengriism, an ancient Central Asian religion. In this second post of a series, he examines the ancient clash of belief systems in Central Asia.
When Gods speak, the earth trembles. It is thus little wonder that their conversation has taken the form of titanic dramas between religions.
All belief systems compete among themselves via human agents. One of the premier battlefields for this drama has long been Eurasia, from whose vast landmass all the major belief systems have emanated.
Wars of ideas always get a lot of attention. Cross-pollination of ideas, however, have not been adequately examined. Even less so in the case of Tengri, a belief system flourishing in Eurasia from time immemorial, and thus a witness to these epic conversations.
Resiliency and adaptability
How does one measure the influence of a belief system on the world: by the wars waged in its name? Number of adherents? Deeds of rulers in its name? The number of other belief systems it subsumes? Or, the way it regulates societies?
When competing belief systems made their appearance in Eurasia, Tengriism was already there. It did not fight the emergent systems with weapons, for it already had deep roots. Whichever belief system was layered upon it, spiritual or political, Tengriist beliefs and practices continued unabated; not necessarily as a mosaic or amalgam, but as a bedrock.
This was the case even at the height of rather repressive regimes over time. Even the Soviet dissidents from the region identified themselves with Tengri—in whatever language—in addition to everything else: “Tengriist, Communist, Atheist” was the self-description of a prominent spokesperson of a movement in the 1970s and 1980s.
Tengriism did not lose its identity when surrounded by various forms of Buddhism. This may be because both shared similar objectives (e.g. peace, self betterment)—to a point. Tengriism, however, proved much more practical and pragmatic in its practices while also proving equally spiritual.
The hidden face of Tengri
When Islam arrived, in the company of invading armies, the ensuing fight was not about the belief system but about the distribution of wealth. Tengriism not only stood its ground, but also began transforming, indeed, Tengrifying clerical Islam.
The Tengrification of Islam is an important point that should be emphasized. Between Eastern Europe and Asia, over time, Tengriism gave birth to a series of new Islamic polities that were more Tengri than Abraham or Mohammed in essential character. Of course, the political tug of war surrounding these communities prevented the open articulation of even the name Tengri. Instead, Tengriism persisted in the form of local court registers, permitted under the designation of “local custom”.
The Tengriist legal tradition, now in Islamic trappings, was a living, breathing form of Tengriism, and to the credit of the juridical systems of the time, courts allowed these beliefs to be the ultimate arbiter of proper behavior, hence underpinning justice. Later, when Islamized polities and groups began moving West, into Europe, the Islam they brought with them was this Tengrified version, still exerting influence through oral tradition, literature, and law.
Tengri in Brussels?
A final comment: one of the fascinating dimensions of Tengriism is its influence on other cultures and loci. For example, traces can well be found in Southeastern Europe, carried first in oral traditions and later literature. These interactions of belief systems, well beyond their points of origins, wearing totally new clothes, but retaining the initial heart, will have ramifications we are yet to discover.
Thus, arguably, with the opening of the European Union to the former communist bloc — the southeastern corner of which was previously the Islamic bloc on the Continent — Tengriism in its camouflaged and morphed form continues to migrate deeper into Europe, toward the West. This possibility merits careful study for the inquisitive doctoral student.
In conclusion, Tengri has proven adept at the art of conversation, so much so that the other Gods haven’t ever realized it. I invite you to leave a comment below to discuss or debate whether Tengriism has truly been the impellent force in many a polity since their first entry into human endeavor. May we acquire wisdom.
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“When Islam arrived, in the company of invading armies”
H.B., was the spread of Islam in Central Asia/Southern Eurasia ONLY a matter of invading armies (the Arabs, Gaznevids, Shaybanids …) or don’t you underestimate the role of Sufi orders and the influence of certain urban centres (Balkh, Bukhara-i-Sharif …) in the process?
“Tengriism gave birth to a series of new Islamic polities that were more Tengri than Abraham or Mohammed in essential character.”
Would you also put, say, the Ilkhanate in Persia and the Golden Horde, both founded or ruled by islamised Mongol dynasties, therein? Because I have the impression that in these and other cases, rather the opposite happened.
For the rest, I’d be curious to know your views about the chances of Tengrism today. OK, it migth have been the dominant belief system in Eurasia at one time but can it compete today with dyanmic wolrd religions like Islam and Protestantism, or become anything more than an esoteric cult like Celtic-Germanic neo-paganism in Europe for example?
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Kara Yang Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
@Turgai Sangar, Sufism is a later thing in Islam which is generally not accepted by the main body of Islamists. In Iran, fo instance, the Islamic government (that states its ideological center in Qom and in Iraq) is against Sufism. To majority of outsiders, it is unknown that, Sufism rejects lots of things in Islam. That’s exactly why Sufism were “brought up” (not born) and supported in Iran and Iranian-populated centers of Central Asia, simply because they were against the Islamic invaders, but couldn’t make any objection: if they did, they would be killed.
This is about your first question. But I would like to see from another point of view: although it has passed like 1400 years since Islam took over and invaded (something that Prof. Paksoy correctly puts it: “for wealth”. Allah in Kuran repeatedly states “kill non-beilevers, unless they pay jizyah (money and tax, forced to non-believers)”, why elements of our old culture as well as our old Tengriist STILL remain in our carpets, in even our traditions? Iran has lost its culture (one of the reasons young generation hates Islam), there’s NOTHING called Iranian culture today, it’s all about Islam. But in Central Asia, Iranian Turkmen Sahra as well as Muslim Turkic societies of Russia, we have still kept our old culture (part of which is Tengriist, and is conveyed in, for instance, Turkmen cultures or Turkmen traditoins)?
Regarding your second question: the Ilkhanid question and their chose of Shia Islam (that is 100 % political) is a long story. I mean it’s too dificult to explain in a comment-box, but to your attention, WHOLE Khorasan were against Ilkhanids after they setup Shia Islam (a political sect). One of the most famous movements in the whole Islamic history of Iran is “Sar-be-Daran” that fought against Ilkhanids.
For the last part, I agree with your comment in another article here in New Eurasia, that Tengriism today depends largely on the development of Islam in the region. But again, it’s all about media, schools, universities and even political figures exporting and supporting Islam to/in the region. Anyway, people’s selection DOES NOT mean that it’s “correct”. Isn’t it democracy?
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Kara Yang Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
@Turgai Sangar, Maybe I should explain about Sufism and Iranians’ being against Islamic invaders – even from the time of Ferdowsi (he himself was a big critic of Islamic invaders). But again, it’s difficult to talk about all this in a comment box.
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