On Some Elements Reflecting Buddhism in Old Uyghur Law Documents
The period of Old Uyghur is undoubtedly the era when the Turks had the most intensive contact with Buddhism. During this time, the Uyghurs, who adopted Buddhism, engaged in various translation activities to learn and implement the principles of the religion. Consequently, Buddhist religious termi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Azerbaijani |
| Published: |
Uluslararası Türk Lehçe Araştırmaları Dergisi
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Uluslararası Türk Lehçe Araştırmaları Dergisi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/4276795 |
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| Summary: | The period of Old Uyghur is undoubtedly the era when the Turks had the most intensive
contact with Buddhism. During this time, the Uyghurs, who adopted Buddhism, engaged in
various translation activities to learn and implement the principles of the religion. Consequently,
Buddhist religious terminology and elements are found extensively in works belonging to the
Buddhist canon in Old Uyghur. Apart from the Buddhist canon, elements of Buddhism are also
found in legal documents, one of the non-religious works of the Uyghurs. In this study, the
elements reflecting Buddhism in the Old Uyghur law documents were identified and the
position of these elements in Buddhism was emphasized. In line with this aim, the following
elements of Buddhism in Old Uyghur law documents were identified: EUyg. abita ~ amita =
Skr. amitābha; EUyg. açari = Skr. ācārya; EUyg. bakçan = Skr. bhaktacchinnaka; EUyg.
burhan, buda = Skr. buddha; EUyg. burhan uluşı = Skr. buddhakṣetra; EUyg. bursoŋ = Skr.
saṃgha ~ saṅgha; EUyg. edgü kılınç, buyan = Skr. puṇya; EUyg. darm(a) = Skr. dharmā;
EUyg. m(a)haraç = Skr. mahārāja; EUyg. tört maharaç teŋriler = Skr. caturmahārāja; EUyg.
mantal = Skr. maṇḍala; EUyg. sadu = Skr. sādhu; EUyg. saŋik = Skr. sāṅghika; EUyg. seŋrem
= Skr. vihāra; EUyg. şazın = Skr. śāsana; EUyg. v(i)rh(a)r = Skr. vihāra; EUyg. toyın = Skr.
bhikṣu; EUyg. patir = Skr. pātra. The presence of Buddhist elements and terminology in nonreligious and original legal documents can be attributed to the following reasons: 1. The
Uyghurs’ interaction with various languages, particularly Sanskrit, following their adoption of
Buddhism; 2. The significant influence of Buddhist culture on the settled lifestyle and broader
culture of the Uyghurs; 3. The likelihood that the Uyghurs adhered to Buddhism during the
period when the legal documents were composed. |
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| ISSN: | 2587-1293 |