Buddhism among the Turks of Central Asia

Book Details

• Publisher: ADITYA PRAKASHAN Indological Publishers & Booksellers

• Language: English

• Edition: 2009

• ISBN-13: 9788177420876

• ISBN-10: 8177420879

• Subject: History, Buddhism

About the Book
This book presents a detailed history of the Turks in Central Asia, covering the rise and fall of their empires from the first Turkic Empire along the Orkhon River (546-658 AD) to the second Empire (678-747 AD) and the subsequent Uigur States in regions like Kocho, Bisbalyq, East Turkestan, and Kansu. It explores the origins and evolution of the Uigur language and how oral traditions gave birth to the written Uigur literature, focusing on the cultural and linguistic developments that marked this period.

Central to this work is the Golden Light Sutra (Suvarna-prabhasa-sutra), which holds a prominent place in Uigur literature. The book delves into the Sutra's rich source of dharanis—incantations of great relevance for linguistics—and examines the interrelations of different versions of the Sutra in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese.

The third chapter explores explorations in Xinjiang, surveying the remnants of civilizations of the Central Asian peoples, shedding light on the rich cultural history of the region.

This work is essential for scholars interested in the linguistic, historical, and religious aspects of Central Asia, particularly the interconnections between Uigur literature, Buddhism, and the Turkic empires.