11-09-2003, 12:12 AM
The pre-Buddhist religion of Mongolia, the one followed by the early Uralo-Altaic peoples right from the times of the first Hun Kha'Khan Motun Tegin, has been shrouded in mist. Buddhism made two contacts with Mongolia, both via the Tibetans. The first instance was during the reign of Khan Kublai and lasted for about 75 years. Subsequently in the 17th century there was a secon influx via the yellow hat Lamas. The Mongols created the post of the Dalai Lama that persists to this date. The Tibetan influence of course did carry some Indian influence along with it. However, if we carefully analyze the old Mongolian we see that the Indo-Iranian influence on the steppe goes beyond the Buddhist contact.Examination of Buryat, Oirat and Chingizid material
reveals these features. Only three great scholars of Mongolian history have ever analyzed this issue: 1)Krystyna Chabros 2)Walther Heissig and 3)Lokesh Chandra. After looking into their works a synthetic view of the old Turko-Mongol religion can be obtained. I note below some features of this in the direction of the Indo-Iranian connection:
One set of influences can be traced to the late Iranian period:
The Supreme deities of the Northern regions are called Qormusda and Adar. These are derivatives of Ahura Mazda and his son Atar. One of the deities of the southern regions is Chagchi, the god of time. who is described as a white old man riding a Lion. This matches well with the late Iranian deity Zurvan and perhaps entered the Mongol world from the Iranian colonists in central Asia rather than the steppe Iranians.
Heissig records a fragment of a chant printed prior to 1500 that goes as:
"The highest of the 99 gods is Moengke Tengri; The the 33 gods are led
by Qormusta Khan Tengri."
The number 33 also appears clearly Indo-Iranian and the above chant suggests a syncretic development where the original Altaic deity Moengke Tengri is invoked along with the Iranian Qormusta. Another chant states "Burqan (Buddha) struck the first light but it was Qormusta who made the first fire". Thus the fire cult is also associated with Qormusta. The Western visitors to the court of the Chingizid Mongols records their worship of the fires suggesting that it was acquired well before expansion of the Mongol regime.
The fire worship amidsts the Mongols, with libations of ghee, has many parallels to the I-Ir fire worship. Important fire rituals are performed at the end of the year, spring equinox and summer solstice like the mahAvrata rite. Further the marriage cermonies were also fire
rituals with a chant asking for good children and brides. However, the fire was mainly invoked as a female deity Ghalakhan Eke. The Mongols make a fire offering similar to the svAhA offered by the Indo-Aryans. One such hymn to the supreme tengri of heaven is recored as being used when the banner of Chingiz Kha'khan was planted when he was ordained supreme Khan of Turko-Mongol tribes:
"Above is my eternal Koeke Moengke Tengri,
Below is my mother Earth,
Through the prior decision of Koeke Moengke Tengri arose fire,
From him was the cattle born. (Fire offering)
Tengri Echige, sacrificing I pray to you,
you who protect my body,
who takes illness and sorrow away from me,
who keep far from me the danger of the sword. (Fire offering)
Tengri Echige, sacrificing I pray to you,
you who defeat brigands and bandits,
those who act covetously,
you who keep far from me the danger of the deity of death. (Fire offering)"
A distant echo of the ancient common Eurasiatic culture shared by the Indo-Europeans and Uralo-Altaics with the later layer of the fire offering from an Indo-Iranian source becomes apparent.
The Mongols also worship sets of gods arranged analogous to Indian deity hierarchies:
doerben jobkis un tengri: Gods of the 4 directions
nayiman kijaghar-un tengri:Gods of the 8 directions
with Maqagala Darqan guejir tengri (mahAkAla) in the center.
mahAkala is also called *Mal-un tengri- the cattle god (as pashupati). This suggests a possible syncretization of an original ancient rudra-like deity with the later Indian import mahAkAla (via Tibet). Maqagala is also associated with two later Indian imports bisnu tengri
and Bisman (viShNu and kubera respectively).
The influence of the Indian Indra is also clearly noticeable. As lamaism spread he was clearly identified with a much older deity Khan Atagha Tengri, not traceable thus far amidst any of the Turkic branches (other than perhaps the early Uighurs). It may suggest an early acquisition from Indo-Iranians from an Indra like deity. A fragment chanted by a Buriat shaman has been preserved (note the ancestral similarity to Indra):
"We worship Khan Atagha Tengri,
your thundering voice is heard close to the abyss,
unifier of thoughts of the Mongols,
With a gigantic, great body, with a thunderbolt,
Ruler over the many clouds, with a thousand eyes,
My Atagha Tengri supreme over all,
May you grant me the blessing and good fortune of your protection."
(*Hindi word mAl?)
Beyond this the form of tAntrism known as mahachInachara also evolved in central Asia in the Mongol empire of the Qara Khitai. A pandita from kAshmir called sAmantashrI is supposed to have gone to Mongolia around 1180 AD and founded the great school of tantrism centered around mahAkAla. This was absorbed by the Buddhists and became the mainstay of Tantric Buddhism such kAlachakra tantra performed by the Dalai Lama.
reveals these features. Only three great scholars of Mongolian history have ever analyzed this issue: 1)Krystyna Chabros 2)Walther Heissig and 3)Lokesh Chandra. After looking into their works a synthetic view of the old Turko-Mongol religion can be obtained. I note below some features of this in the direction of the Indo-Iranian connection:
One set of influences can be traced to the late Iranian period:
The Supreme deities of the Northern regions are called Qormusda and Adar. These are derivatives of Ahura Mazda and his son Atar. One of the deities of the southern regions is Chagchi, the god of time. who is described as a white old man riding a Lion. This matches well with the late Iranian deity Zurvan and perhaps entered the Mongol world from the Iranian colonists in central Asia rather than the steppe Iranians.
Heissig records a fragment of a chant printed prior to 1500 that goes as:
"The highest of the 99 gods is Moengke Tengri; The the 33 gods are led
by Qormusta Khan Tengri."
The number 33 also appears clearly Indo-Iranian and the above chant suggests a syncretic development where the original Altaic deity Moengke Tengri is invoked along with the Iranian Qormusta. Another chant states "Burqan (Buddha) struck the first light but it was Qormusta who made the first fire". Thus the fire cult is also associated with Qormusta. The Western visitors to the court of the Chingizid Mongols records their worship of the fires suggesting that it was acquired well before expansion of the Mongol regime.
The fire worship amidsts the Mongols, with libations of ghee, has many parallels to the I-Ir fire worship. Important fire rituals are performed at the end of the year, spring equinox and summer solstice like the mahAvrata rite. Further the marriage cermonies were also fire
rituals with a chant asking for good children and brides. However, the fire was mainly invoked as a female deity Ghalakhan Eke. The Mongols make a fire offering similar to the svAhA offered by the Indo-Aryans. One such hymn to the supreme tengri of heaven is recored as being used when the banner of Chingiz Kha'khan was planted when he was ordained supreme Khan of Turko-Mongol tribes:
"Above is my eternal Koeke Moengke Tengri,
Below is my mother Earth,
Through the prior decision of Koeke Moengke Tengri arose fire,
From him was the cattle born. (Fire offering)
Tengri Echige, sacrificing I pray to you,
you who protect my body,
who takes illness and sorrow away from me,
who keep far from me the danger of the sword. (Fire offering)
Tengri Echige, sacrificing I pray to you,
you who defeat brigands and bandits,
those who act covetously,
you who keep far from me the danger of the deity of death. (Fire offering)"
A distant echo of the ancient common Eurasiatic culture shared by the Indo-Europeans and Uralo-Altaics with the later layer of the fire offering from an Indo-Iranian source becomes apparent.
The Mongols also worship sets of gods arranged analogous to Indian deity hierarchies:
doerben jobkis un tengri: Gods of the 4 directions
nayiman kijaghar-un tengri:Gods of the 8 directions
with Maqagala Darqan guejir tengri (mahAkAla) in the center.
mahAkala is also called *Mal-un tengri- the cattle god (as pashupati). This suggests a possible syncretization of an original ancient rudra-like deity with the later Indian import mahAkAla (via Tibet). Maqagala is also associated with two later Indian imports bisnu tengri
and Bisman (viShNu and kubera respectively).
The influence of the Indian Indra is also clearly noticeable. As lamaism spread he was clearly identified with a much older deity Khan Atagha Tengri, not traceable thus far amidst any of the Turkic branches (other than perhaps the early Uighurs). It may suggest an early acquisition from Indo-Iranians from an Indra like deity. A fragment chanted by a Buriat shaman has been preserved (note the ancestral similarity to Indra):
"We worship Khan Atagha Tengri,
your thundering voice is heard close to the abyss,
unifier of thoughts of the Mongols,
With a gigantic, great body, with a thunderbolt,
Ruler over the many clouds, with a thousand eyes,
My Atagha Tengri supreme over all,
May you grant me the blessing and good fortune of your protection."
(*Hindi word mAl?)
Beyond this the form of tAntrism known as mahachInachara also evolved in central Asia in the Mongol empire of the Qara Khitai. A pandita from kAshmir called sAmantashrI is supposed to have gone to Mongolia around 1180 AD and founded the great school of tantrism centered around mahAkAla. This was absorbed by the Buddhists and became the mainstay of Tantric Buddhism such kAlachakra tantra performed by the Dalai Lama.