Eski Uygur Türkçesi Metinleri Üzerinden Budizm ve Maniheizm’in Savaşa Bakışı

Abstract

Turkish people have adopted many different religions from the era this tribe had known until now. Consequently, they cultivated many cultural environments. After the collapse of the Kokturk Empire, the belief of Kok-Tanrı started to weaken between the Uyghurs, who were the new inheritors of the Turkish Empire, and Manichaeism and Buddhism spread across the region. The Uyghurs discovered Buddhism while they were in the Otuken region. The kagan of Uyghur State in Otuken accepted Buddhism as a state religion. After the migration to Khocho and Turfan, the belief in Manichaeism got weaker, and the Uyghur people adopted Buddhism. As a result of beginning to settle life and construct towns and temples, the people adapted to the cultural structure of Manichaeism and Buddhism. A major translation activity began to teach the new members the rules of these religions. Many works had been translated into Old Uyghur Turkish from Chinese, Tibetan, Toharian, Sogdian, and Sanskrit. These works written in Old Uyghur Turkish were found İn Turfan, Khocho, Hami, and Tun-Huang cave-Kansu. Both Manichaeism and Buddhism have the same principle of not killing anyone or anything, so they came out against war. In Buddhist and Manichaeist literature, it was said that to make war came with heavy penalties. In our study, brief information will be given about the states established by the old Uyghurs. Basic principles of Buddhism and Manichaeism and the acquaintance of Uyghurs with these religions will be explained, then the style of raising war, warriors, and killing will be expressed. To do this, sample texts will be examined.