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TENGRISM ,LORD SHIVA , CHENGHIS KHAN AND THE KHANATES OF CENTRAL ASIA
Khanates were typically nomadic Turkic, Mongol and Tatar
societies located on the Eurasian Steppe. In political terms, their status
was equivalent to kinship-based chiefdoms and feudal monarchies. The term
"Khan" typically refers to rulers in Central Asian and Mongolian
contexts. However, historically, during the medieval period, parts of Eastern
Europe came under the rule of the
Golden Horde, a Mongol Khanate. This included regions of modern-day Russia,
Ukraine, and parts of Eastern Europe. Accordingly, one may find some people
with Khan as their surname in these countries as well. Thus, Khanate was the
region ruled by a Khan, a Mongol or Turkic supreme tribal leader elevated by
the support of his warriors.
Genghis Khan was born under his real name Temujin as the son of
a Mongol tribal leader. The Mongols were nomads living in the region north of
the great Gobi desert and South of Siberia. The Mongol nomads were organised in
different clans that occasionally fought against each other. Temujin first made
himself a name by defeating the Tartars, and then by and by unified the
different tribes under his rule. In 1206, he changed his name to Genghis Khan,
meaning something like "The
Universal Leader".
The name of Genghis Khan and the women who contributed to the
rise of his empire have long been associated with barbarism in the West. ‘He
was ruthless and harsh’; that is what most of us believe .However, the
rediscovery of the ‘Secret History of the Mongols', a medieval Mongolian epic
chronicle, in 1866, and its numerous translations circulating since the
mid-20th century has led Western scholars to a total revaluation of Genghis
Khan and his rule .Genghis Khan was not only a military genius, but also a
great statesman and diplomat. Through a combination of armed force and
diplomacy, he managed to merge the complex system of alliances which existed
between diverse tribes into a powerful confederacy that swept across most of
Eurasia, starting in 1219. Prof Jack Weatherford author of the book, "The Secret History of Mongol
Queens - How The Daughters Of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire "
writes that the Mongol queens of the thirteenth century ruled the
largest empire the world has ever known. 'The daughters of the Silk
Route' turned their father’s conquests into the first truly international
empire, fostering trade, education, and religion throughout their territories
and creating an economic system that stretched from the Pacific to the
Mediterranean. Yet sometime near the end of the century, censors cut a section
about the queens from the 'Secret History of the Mongols’, and, with that one
act, the dynasty of these royals had seemingly been extinguished forever, as
'even their names were erased from the historical record' .
On Genghis Khan's death in 1227, his empire was divided into
four parts, each ruled by one of his descendants. By the mid-13th century the
Mongol empire consisted of four Khanates; the Khanate of the Western Kipchaks
(the Golden Horde); the Khanate of Persia, whose ruler was called the Il-Khan;
the Khanate of Turkistan (the White Horde of the Eastern Kipchaks), and the Khanate
of the Khakhan in East Asia. The three Khans were subject to the Khakhan (the
Great Khan), but were generally resentful in their relations with him. After
the death of Kublai Khan (1294), the grandson of Genghis khan, the
Khakhan's authority was nominal. In 1368, the Mongols were driven out of China
and by c.1500 all four Khanates had disappeared. A number of lesser Khanates
emerged; the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, the Crimea, Khiva, Bukhara, Tashkent,
Samarkand, and Kokand. These long presented a threat to the communities
surrounding them. One by one all were absorbed by Russia. The last to fall was
Kokand (1876).
Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, primarily
practiced Tengrism, a Central
Asian religion that involves Shamanistic and animistic elements, focusing on
the worship of the sky god Tengri or
his wife Umai. Many scholars
the world over hold a view that by attributes, Tengri is none other
than Shiva while Umai is Parvati or Uma .Scholars are also
of the view that Kuk-Tengri ( blue sky) and Goddess Umai
have parallels with the blue-throated Shiva or Neelkantha and Uma ( Parvati ). It is pertinent to mention
that the Tengri worshipping Huns of
the Central Asia identified Tengri with Shiva once they took control of Northern
India and integrated Hindu beliefs in their faith. We have recorded
history and numismatic evidence of Mihirkula
on this issue. Mihirkula was the second and last Alchon
Hun king of northwestern region of the Indian
subcontinent between 502 and 530 CE. He was a son of and successor
to Toramana of Huna heritage. His
father ruled the Indian part of the Hephthalite Empire. Mihirakula
ruled from his capital of Sagala (present day Sialkot). Kalhana
also makes mention of this in his Rajatarangini.
The concept of Dyaus Pitr
(Sky Father) in Hinduism is very similar to the concept of Tengri even though at present, Dyaus
Pitr doesn't have much relevance in Hinduism. In Tengrism, worship of sky and
also Khan Tengri Mountain is essential.
Khan Tengri Mountain is located on the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border and 7 km west of the China border in the
remote heart of the Central Tian Shan. The mountain peak is about 23000 feet
above sea level. Khan Tengri’s name means “Ruler of the Skies” in Turkic as the
mountain was worshipped as a god .The Pyramid shaped Khan Tengri Mountain was
held sacred by Genghis Khan as well. Like Hindus consider mount Kailash as sacred, Mongolians believing
Tengrism, considered Khan Tengri Mountain very sacred and believe it to be
the abode of the blue sky god Tengri. Apart from blue sky, Tengrism also
treats Fire, Water, Sun, Moon, Stars, Air, Clouds, Wind, Storm, Thunder Lightning, Rain
and Rainbow as deities. There is a concept of fertile "Mother
Earth" in Tengrism. This all comes very close to Vedic Hinduism. Before
the arrival of Islam, most of the Turkic peoples were followers of Tengrism,
sharing the cult of the sky god Tengri, although there were also adherents of
Manichaeism, Nestorian Christianity, and Buddhism.
Kushans had a deep religious and cultural influence in
almost entire Central Asia. Even after the end of the Kushan Empire, this influence survived
for many centuries. A trident like object was considered sacred even in the
Khanates. There is an old Thangka painting done on silk cloth
held by Hopp Ferenc Museum
,Budapest ( Hungary ) showing Dayicin Tngri ( also known as Daichsun Tngri or Dayisud
Tngri) ,the warrior deity or war god of protective function in Tengrism
and Shamanism( known to Mongolians) with a Tilaka on his forehead and a symbolic trident (
Trishula ) of Shiva. One of Tengri’s forms is Dayicin Tngri, the red god of
war. During campaigns, soldiers would offer sacrifices to Dayicin Tngri in
order to have his favour in battle. This god is one among the Mongolian
pantheon of 99 Tngri. This painting was done in Mongolia during early 19th century.
It bears strong influence of Lamaism" (Tibetan Buddhism). It is said that
the 5th Dalai Lama composed invocations to this deity .Mongolians believe that
it was Dayicin Tngri who ordered from Heaven and earth to make Temujin (Genghis
Khan) the lord of the Mongolian nation and ruler of the world. This
painting has been uploaded on internet by Prof
Isabelle Charleux. Another Thangka painting worshipped in Sasa
monastery, Mongolia shows Genghis Khan as Dharmapala, a ferocious
protective Buddhist deity .The inscription on the painting reads: "Yeke mergen Cinggis Qaγan" ('Great
sage Genghis Khan') in Mongolian. Another painting uploaded by Prof
Isabelle Charleux shows Genghis Khan riding a white horse holding a flag
with Swastika symbol. Dr Lokesh. Chandra, eminent scholar writes this:-
‘Apart from our literary and Ayurvedic texts, Mongolians
fascination with Indian culture dates back to the very foundation of the
empire. The proof of which is Lord Shiva's Trishul that is depicted in the
scepter of Emperor Genghis Khan, the founder of Mongol empire. This symbol
could have been borrowed from Kanishka's Kushan dynasty when they were in
Central Asia. Religion gave the nomadic Mongols a sense of stability.
Monasteries were built and the transition began from nomadic to settled life
with development and buildings."
Despite his personal beliefs, Genghis Khan was known for his
policy of religious tolerance, allowing various religions such as Buddhism,
Islam, Christianity, and others to flourish within his empire. Kublai Khan, the grandson of Chenghis
Khan and the founder of the Yuan dynasty in China, primarily practiced
Buddhism. He promoted Buddhism throughout his reign, even making it the state
religion.
Mongolians are generally very proud of Genghis Khan and his
legacy. He is regarded as the founding father of the Mongol Empire and one of
the most influential historical figures in Mongolian culture and history. He is
their national identity, the airport is named after him and the largest
statue of a horse and rider in the world is of him. Under his leadership, the
Mongol Empire experienced a golden age of military conquest, technological
advancement, and cultural exchange. This period of Mongol dominance is seen as
a high point in Mongolian national identity and power. Genghis Khan's military
conquests, political reforms, and cultural influence are seen as major sources
of Mongolian pride and identity. The Mongolians are fairly critical of what
they believe is an overly negative image of their national hero in the
Western literature, films, and other outlets. In the Mongolian folk religion,
Genghis Khan is considered one of the embodiments, if not the main embodiment,
of the Tengri spirit. The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in Ordos City, in Inner
Mongolia, is an important center of this worship tradition.
( Avtar Mota)
Sources
(1)Books and writings of eminent scholar Prof Lokesh
Chandra
(2) Write-ups of Prof Isabelle Charleux.. French National Centre
For Scientific Research.
(3) Book "Secret History of the Mongols" translated into
English by Christopher P Atwood.
(4) Book "The Secret History of Mongol Queens - How
The Daughters Of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire " by Prof Jack
Weatherford.
(5) Writings of Prof Baatr Kitinov , Associate Professor, Institute
of Oriental Studies, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.
