29/12/08- MEDIEVAL CENTRAL ASIA: SUFIS, SAINTS & NOMADS

Central Asia, Inner Asia, Central Eurasia
Khurasan, Transoxiana, Yeti-Su

Karluk tribe : Karakhanid Dynasty (mid-10th c. – 1202)
-Yeti-Su, Transoxiana
-Balasaghun, Kashgar, Samarkand, Bukhara

OGHUZ:

-migrated west in late 8th c.
-early 10th c. settled north of Samanid territories (around Aral Sea)
-985: Seljuk (an Oghuz army general) breaks away from Oghuz leadership
-late 10th c.: Oghuz conversions to Islam (“Turkmen”)

Great Seljuk Dynasty 1040-1194

Conversion to Islam by Turkic people in Central Asia:

-Influence of leadership on nomadic population
-conversion of “200,000 tents” in 960s following conversion of Karakhanid ruler Satuk Bughra Khan
Influence of Sufism (mystical Islam / tasawwuf)
-emphasis on personal visionary spiritual experience
-guidance of a spiritual master
-organization into orders (tarika)
-aim to gain experience-based knowledge of God
Yasawi order of Sufism
-after Shaykh Ahmad Yasawi, d. 1166
-supported by the Karakhanids

Kutadgu Bilig by Yusuf Khass Hajib of Balasaghun, 1069:
-long narrative poem (over 6600 lines)
-Introduces traditional Turkic and ancient Iranian concepts within the framework of mirror-for-princes

-Objective: to describe an ideal kingdom with just ruler, competent statesmen and happy subjects

Dialogue of 4 main characters as symbols of key concepts:

Kün Toghdı (“Rising Sun”) – King (justice)

Ay Toldı (“Full Moon”) – Minister (fortune)

Sons of Ay Toldı:

Ögdülmish (“Praised”) – Advisor (government)

Oghdurmısh (“Awakened”) – mystic (religion)