Manifestations of Religious Influences in Turkic Culture and Manuscript Sources: The Cases of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism

Research Article

Abstract

This section offers a comprehensive examination of the influence of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism on the worldview of the ancient Turks. Drawing on written sources, archaeological materials and comparative historical analysis, the study identifies relic features of Zoroastrianism in Central Asia, including among Turkic tribes. The interconnection of Zoroastrian concepts with the cults of fire, water and earth, the sacralization of animals (especially the cults of the bull and the camel), funerary practices and purification rituals is demonstrated. The affinity between Avestan mythological imagery and traditional Turkic beliefs is emphasized, as well as the fact that Zoroastrianism in this region functioned not as a rigid dogmatic system but in close interaction with local religious practices. In addition, the article analyses the emergence of the Manichaean religion, its core doctrinal principles, cosmology and ethical system, and the routes of its dissemination via the Silk Road. The adoption of Manichaeism as the state religion of the Uyghur Khaganate (8th–11th centuries) is regarded as a unique phenomenon in the cultural history of the Turks. Special attention is paid to the impact of the Manichaean written tradition, book culture, visual arts and religious syncretism. The study concludes that although Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism did not become dominant religions in the Turkic cultural sphere, they nevertheless left a profound imprint on the spiritual life, cultural memory and symbolic systems of the Turkic peoples.