SYNCRETIZATION OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION AND LOCAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS: THE CASE OF CENTRAL ASIA (8TH–10TH CENTURIES)
Keywords:
Islam; Central Asia; syncretism; local beliefs; Mawarannahr; Zoroastrianism; Tengrism; Buddhism; Sufism; Hanafi school; Islamization; 8th–10th centuries.Abstract
This article examines how Islamic civilization blended with indigenous religious beliefs in Central Asia during the 8th–10th centuries, using the example of Mawarannahr (Transoxiana). Adopting an IMRAD structure, the study draws on historical chronicles and modern research to analyze the stages of Islamization, resistance, and accommodation of pre-Islamic traditions. The findings highlight a gradual syncretic process: local Zoroastrian, Buddhist, and shamanistic practices were adapted into the Islamic framework through flexible Hanafi jurisprudence and Sufi missionary efforts, resulting in a distinctive Central Asian Islamic culture.Downloads
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