On the Issue of Clergy among the Ancient Turks of Central Asia [K voprosu o sushchestvovanii sluzhitelei kul’ta u drevnikh tiurkov Tsentral’noi Azii]

Tishin, Vladimir V.; Seregin, Nikolai

doi:10.7868/S50000392-4-1

RAS History & PhilologyЭтнографическое обозрение Ethno review

ISSN (Print) 0869-5415

ISSN (Online) 3034-6274

On the Issue of Clergy among the Ancient Turks of Central Asia [K voprosu o sushchestvovanii sluzhitelei kul’ta u drevnikh tiurkov Tsentral’noi Azii]

PII

S0869-54150000392-4-1

DOI

10.7868/S50000392-4-1

Publication type

Article

Status

Published

Authors

Vladimir V. Tishin

Nikolai Seregin

Volume/ Edition

Volume / Issue 3

Pages

76-96

Abstract

The article examines a wide range of historical data on ministers of religion among the ancient Turks of Central Asia, and is drawn on the comprehensive analysis of both written and archaeological sources. Even though there are a variety of evidences and records on spellcasters, soothsayers, diviners, healers, and sorcerers affecting the weather among the ancient Turks of the 6th-9th centuries, it is not possible to say for certain whether that information is related to different categories of the population or a particular social group that specialized in performing sacred acts. Thus, scholars have no sufficient grounds to assert that there existed a defined social group of clergy among the ancient Turks. It is quite possible that sacred acts among the nomads were commonly carried out by heads of tribes or elders who were repeatedly mentioned in written sources. This combination of power and certain sacred functions was typical of supreme rulers among the ancient Turks of Central Asia.

Keywords

Central Asia, ancient Turks, ministers of religion, clergy, shamanism, written sources, archaeological materials, social group

Date of publication

12.12.2025

Year of publication

2025

Number of purchasers

Views

735

References

GOST	Seregin N., Tishin V. On the Issue of Clergy among the Ancient Turks of Central Asia [K voprosu o sushchestvovanii sluzhitelei kul’ta u drevnikh tiurkov Tsentral’noi Azii] // Ethno review. – 2017. – Issue 3 C. 76-96 . DOI: 10.7868/S50000392-4-1
MLA	Seregin, Nikolai, Tishin, Vladimir V "On the Issue of Clergy among the Ancient Turks of Central Asia [K voprosu o sushchestvovanii sluzhitelei kul’ta u drevnikh tiurkov Tsentral’noi Azii]." Ethno review. 3 (2017).:76-96. DOI: 10.7868/S50000392-4-1
APA	Seregin N., Tishin V. (2017). On the Issue of Clergy among the Ancient Turks of Central Asia [K voprosu o sushchestvovanii sluzhitelei kul’ta u drevnikh tiurkov Tsentral’noi Azii]. Ethno review. no. 3, pp.76-96 DOI: 10.7868/S50000392-4-1

RAS History & PhilologyЭтнографическое обозрение Ethno review

On the Issue of Clergy among the Ancient Turks of Central Asia [K voprosu o sushchestvovanii sluzhitelei kul’ta u drevnikh tiurkov Tsentral’noi Azii]

You can

References

Индексирование

RAS History & PhilologyЭтнографическое обозрение Ethno review

On the Issue of Clergy among the Ancient Turks of Central Asia [K voprosu o sushchestvovanii sluzhitelei kul’ta u drevnikh tiurkov Tsentral’noi Azii]

You can

References

Индексирование

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