The Spread of Buddhism

the spread of buddhism in serindia 107

1. The Türks (Chinese Tujue ) founded two empires: the
   First Empire with its Eastern or Mongolian (552–628) and Western
   (566–766) branches, and the Second Empire, reigning over Mongolia
   (680–744).


2. The Uighurs founded an Empire in Mongolia (763–844). After its
   collapse, three  eeing clans founded three kingdoms: in Aqsu–Kucha
   (844–933 or 1020?) under the Yalaqar house, in Turfan (857–1450)
   under the Ädiz family, and in Gansu (863–ca. 1050) under the Boqut
   clan.

4.1. Buddhism among the Türks

The Chinese accounts report unambiguously an interest for Buddhism

among the  rst Eastern Türk Khans (qaans).^155 Already the Ruanruan,

who preceded the Türks as the ruling confederation in Mongolia, and

who had strong ties with the Türks, seem to have been reached by

Buddhist missions.^156

As a sign of friendship with the  rst Eastern Türk Khan, Muhan

( ) Khan, the Northern Zhou dynasty (557–581), a short-lived

dynasty—with many non-Chinese elements—that reigned over the north

of China, built between 557 and 560 in Chang’an a northern Chinese-

style Buddhist temple for the thousands of Türks living in Chang’an.^157

Muhan’s brother, Tatpar Khan, invited the Gandhran monk J nagupta

from Chang’an in 574. The Khan also built a monastery and asked

for stras, among which were Mahyna stras, a Nirvastra and the

Sarvstivdavinaya.^158 For Tatpar Khan, the king of the Northern Qi

, another short-lived dynasty (550–577) in the north of China,

let a Nirvastra be translated into the language of the Tujue in 574

AD.^159 Later, the Eastern Türk Khan warmly welcomed the Buddhist

pilgrims Prabhkhamitra in 626^160 and Xuanzang in 630.^161

The Second Türk Empire is reputed to have been hostile to any

foreign religion, mostly because of the rejection of all foreign in uences

(^155) von Gabain 1954, pp. 136–165; Liu Mau-Tsai 1958, pp. 36–38, 43, 461.
(^156) The elder uncle of the last Ruanruan Khan and himself for a short time anti-
Khan (522–523), for instance, was named Poluomen or *Brhman. For further examples,
see Kollautz & Miyakawa 1970, vol. 1, pp. 77–81, 131. 157
Cf. Liu Mau-tsai 1958, vol. 1, pp. 39ff.
(^158) Suishu , vol. 6, scroll 84, p. 1864 (tr. Liu Mau-Tsai 1958, vol. 1, p. 43).
(^159) Bei Qishu (History of the Northern Qi), vol. 1, scroll 20, p. 267.
(^160) Chavannes 1903, p. 301.
(^161) T.2053.50.227a27–c2 (tr. Li 1995, pp. 42–44).
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