the ‘outside’ other 75
ever, in the early medieval period, at least by the tenth century, Islam
still had not achieved considerable success among the ordinary people
of the ‘Steppe Empire’.^229 Until then it was a religion of the urban
population mainly, and of the merchants of Sogdian origin especially.
However, in contrast to Khazaria, Islam entered Central Asia through
the fi lter of Persian civilization.^230
Th e Nestorians experienced considerable missionary success, espe-
cially within the borders of the Western Turkic khaganate and among
the Karluks, in the seventh-eighth century. For example, the com-
munities in the central and eastern part of Middle Asia fl ourished
in the seventh century. However, an increased infl ux of Christians is
attested in this region as early as the mid-fi ft h century when the “Syr-
ian church” separated from the Church in Constantinople aft er the
councils in Ephesus and Chalcedon.^231
Th e so-called Merv bishopric in Northern Iran had the leading role
there. It was of ancient origin, from the mid-fourth century according
to some sources, and even earlier according to others, namely as early
as the reign of shahin-shah Shapur I (242–272).^232 One of its bish-
ops, Iliya, was even named “apostle of the Turks” due to his mission-
ary eff orts,^233 since in 644 A.D. he baptized the Turkic ruler together
with his army “beyond Oxus” (i.e. in Tokharistan). In 719 A.D. many
missions went to China and from the information they provided it
becomes clear that there were lots of Nestorians in Tokharistan, a fact
(^229) For the penetration of Islam there see, Haussig 1992, 242 ff. For the resistance
against the Arabs and Islam, in general, in the region of Sogdiana as well as the simi-
lar eff orts of Turks, Sogdians, and Chinese till 750 A.D. see details in, Bichurin 1950
(Vol. 2), and Bartol’d 1968 (Vol. 5), 295–301; Karimov 2000, 81 ff .; De La Vaissière
2002, 258–288. 230
Foltz 1999, 15.
(^231) Beliaev 2000 (2nd ed.), 226.
(^232) For Christianity in general in the region of Central Asia see, Bartol’d 1964 (Vol.
2, Pt. 2); Nikitin 1984, 121–137; Nikitin 1992, 533–549; Kychanov 1978, 76–86; Bader,
Gaibov, and Koshelenko 1996, 85–94; Beliaev 2000 (2nd ed.), 226–228 with the cited
literature; Atiya 1968; Litvinsky 1996, 421–428. 233
For his life and activities see, Guidi 1903; Bader, Gaibov, and Koshelenko 1996,
- According to one of the existing versions referring to the death and funeral of the
last Sassanian shahin-shah, Yazdgerd II (d. 651 A.D.), the latter’s body was transmitted
by the Nestorians led by metropolitan Iliya to “the garden of metropolitans in Merv”,
which was situated in the local Christian monastery—see Bartol’d 1966 (Vol. 4), 186;
Istoriia at-Tabari [aṭ-Ṭabarî] 1987, 30; Beliaev 2000 (2nd ed.), 226 and n. 137.