Tengriism (or Tengerism, Tengrianism[2]) is a Central Asian religion that incorporates elements of shamanism, animism, totemism and ancestor worship. Despite still being active in some minorities, it was, in old times, the major belief of Turkic peoples (such as the Huns, Xiongnu and Bulgars) Hungarians and Mongols.[3] It focuses around the sky deity Tengri (or Tangra, Tangri, Tanrı etc.) and reverence for the sky in general. Majority of Tengrists today live in Northern and Central Asia such as Khakassia and Tuva. "Khukh" and "Tengri" literally mean "blue" and "sky" in Mongolian and modern Mongolians still pray to "Munkh Khukh Tengri" ("Eternal Blue Sky"). Therefore Mongolia is sometimes poetically referred to by Mongolians as the "Land of Eternal Blue Sky" ("Munkh Khukh Tengriin Oron" in Mongolian).
In modern Turkey Tengriism is known as the Gök Tanrı ("Sky God") religion,[4] Turkish "Gök" (sky) and "Tanrı" (God) corresponding to the Mongolian khukh (blue) and Tengri (sky), respectively.
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In Tengriism, the meaning of life is seen as living in harmony with the surrounding world. Tengriist believers view their existence as sustained by the eternal blue Sky, Tengri, the fertile Mother-Earth, spirit Eje, and a ruler who is regarded as the holy spirit of the Sky. Heaven, Earth, the spirits of nature and the ancestors provide every need and protect all humans. By living an upright and respectful life, a human being will keep his world in balance and maximize his personal power Wind Horse.
In Europe, Tengrism was the religion of the Huns and of the early Bulgars who brought it to the region. It is said that the Huns of the Northern Caucasus believed in two gods. One is called Tangri han, that is Tengri Khan, who is thought to be identical to the Persian Aspandiat, and for whom horses were sacrificed, and the other is called Kuar, whose victims are struck down by lightning.[6]
It is still actively practised in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Sakha, Buryatia, Tuva, Mongolia and Turkey in parallel with Tibetan Buddhism and Burkhanism.[7]
A number of Kyrgyz politicians are actively pushing Tengrism, to fill the ideological void. Dastan Sarygulov, currently secretary of state and formerly chair of the Kyrgyz state gold mining company, has established Tengir Ordo (Army of Tengri) which is a civic group that seeks to promote the values and traditions of the Tengrism.[8]
There is a Tengrist society in Bishkek, which officially claims almost 500,000 followers and an international scientific center of Tengrist studies. Both institutions are run by Dastan Sarygulov, the main theorist of Tengrism in Kyrgyzstan and a member of the Parliament.
Publications committed to the subject of Tengrism are more and more frequently published in scientific journals of human sciences in Kyrgyzstan as well as in Kazakhstan. The partisans of this movement endeavor to influence the political circles, and have in fact succeeded in spreading their concepts into the governing bodies. Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev and even more frequently former Kyrgyz president Askar Akayev have several times mentioned that Tengrism as the national and “natural” religion of the Turkic peoples.
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