宗教在新疆的并存与传播
新疆作为古代东西方经济文化交流的主要通道和枢纽，自古以来就是一个多种宗教并存的地区。早在伊斯兰教传入前，祆教、佛教、道教、摩尼教、景教等多种宗教，就相继沿着丝绸之路传播到新疆，与当地土生土长的原始宗教一起在各地流传。伊斯兰教传入后，新疆不仅继续维持了多种宗教并存的局面，而且又有基督教、天主教等宗教传入。
在外来宗教传入以前，新疆的古代居民信仰本地土生土长的原始宗教及由原始宗教发展而成的萨满教。至今新疆的一些少数民族都还程度不同地保留着原始宗教和萨满教的观念及遗俗。
公元前四世纪前后，产生于古代波斯的琐罗亚斯德教即中国所称之祆教（俗称拜火教）经中亚传入新疆。南北朝至隋唐时期，祆教流行于新疆各地，吐鲁番地区尤为盛行。当时的高昌政权专门设置了机构和官员来加强对祆教的管理。新疆一些信仰伊斯兰教的民族历史上曾信仰过祆教。
公元前一世纪前后，产生于印度的佛教经克什米尔传入新疆。不久，佛教就在各地统治者的大力推行下，发展成为新疆的主要宗教。佛教鼎盛时期，在塔里木盆地周缘各绿洲，佛寺林立，僧尼众多，还形成了于阗、疏勒、龟兹（音：秋词）、高昌等著名的佛教中心。新疆佛教在造像、绘画、音乐、舞蹈、寺院和石窟建筑艺术等方面，都达到了很高的水平，留下了大量珍贵的文化遗产，丰富了中国和世界文化艺术宝库。
公元五世纪左右，中国内地盛行的道教随着汉人的不断到来传入新疆。但是传播范围不广，主要盛行于汉人比较集中的吐鲁番、哈密等地。直到清代，道教才传播到全疆各地。
公元六世纪前后，摩尼教由波斯经中亚传入新疆。九世纪中叶，以摩尼教为国教的回鹘西迁新疆后，促进了摩尼教在新疆的发展。信仰摩尼教的回鹘人在吐鲁番地区建造寺院，开凿洞窟，翻译经典，绘制壁画，弘扬摩尼教教义和文化。在摩尼教传入前后，景教（基督教的早期派别聂斯脱利派）也传入了新疆，但早期传播不够广泛。到元朝（１２０６年－１３６８年）时，才因为大量回鹘人接受景教而兴盛起来。
九世纪末十世纪初，伊斯兰教经中亚传入新疆南部地区。十世纪中叶，信仰伊斯兰教的喀喇汗王朝发动了对于阗佛教王国历时四十余年的宗教战争，于十一世纪初灭亡于阗，把伊斯兰教推行到和阗地区。十四世纪中叶起，在察合台汗国（蒙古成吉思汗二子察合台在西域建立的藩属国）的强制推行下，伊斯兰教逐渐成为察合台汗国的蒙古人、维吾尔人、哈萨克人、柯尔克孜人、塔吉克人等信仰的主要宗教。十六世纪初，伊斯兰教最终取代佛教成为新疆的主要宗教。
伊斯兰教成为维吾尔等民族信仰的主要宗教后，原来主要由这些民族信仰的祆教、摩尼教、景教在新疆随之逐渐消失，但佛教、道教仍然存在。从明朝起，藏传佛教还有了重大发展，成为与伊斯兰教并列的新疆两大主要宗教。十七世纪后期，伊斯兰教白山派首领阿帕克和卓借助藏传佛教的力量，消灭了自己的政敌黑山派和卓势力，并灭亡了叶尔羌汗国（蒙古察合台汗后代于１５１４年－１６８０年间以今莎车为中心建立的地方政权），足见当时藏传佛教势力之大。大约从十八世纪起，基督教、天主教相继传入新疆，佛教、道教和萨满教也有了较大发展。这些宗教的寺院、教堂遍布天山南北，有些穆斯林甚至改信了基督教等其他宗教。
历史上，新疆的宗教虽然一直在不断演变，但自从外来宗教传入以来所形成的多种宗教并存的格局却一直保持下来。现在新疆主要有伊斯兰教、佛教（包括藏传佛教）、基督教、天主教、道教等。萨满教在一些民族中仍然有较大影响。
Diverse Religions Coexist and Spread in Xinjiang
As the main passageway and hub for economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West in ancient times, Xinjiang has always been a region where a number of religions exist side by side. Before Islam was introduced into Xinjiang, there had already been believers in Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Manichaeism and Nestorianism. These religious faiths had spread to Xinjiang along the Silk Road and thrived together with the local primitive religions. After the introduction of Islam, the coexistence of diverse religions continued to be the order of the day in Xinjiang,to be joined later by Protestantism and Catholicism.
Before the foreign religions were introduced into Xinjiang, the ancient residents there believed in native primitive religions and the Shamanism evolved therefrom. Even today, some minority peoples in Xinjiang still adhere, to different degrees, to some of the concepts and customs characteristic of these beliefs.
Around the fourth century B.C., Zoroastrianism, or Fire Worship as it was popularly called, which was born in ancient Persia, was introduced into Xinjiang through Central Asia. It became prevalent throughout Xinjiang during the period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang dynasties. It was particularly popular in the Turpan area. The Gaochang state of that time set up a special organ and appointed special officials to strengthen its control over the religion. Some ethnic groups in Xinjiang that followed Islam once also believed in Zoroastrianism.
Around the first century B.C., Buddhism, born in India, was introduced into Xinjiang through Kashmir. Soon after, it became the main religion in the region thanks to efforts made by the local rulers to promote it. At its peak, Buddhist temples mushroomed in the oases around the Tarim Basin with large numbers of monks and nuns. Yutian, Shule, Qiuci and Gaochang were all centers of Buddhism. In Xinjiang, Buddhist culture reached a very high level, leaving a precious cultural heritage of statues, paintings, music, dancing, temples and sacred grottoes, greatly enriching the cultural and art treasury of China and the whole world.
Around the fifth century, Taoism was introduced into Xinjiang from inland China by Han migrants. However, Taoism was limited mainly to the Turpan and Hami areas, where Han people were concentrated. It was not until the Qing Dynasty that Taoism became widespread throughout Xinjiang.
Around the sixth century, Manichaeism reached Xinjiang from Persia through Central Asia. In the middle of the ninth century, when the Uighur, who were believers in Manichaeism, moved westward to Xinjiang, they promoted the development of the religion in the region. They built temples, dug grottoes, translated scriptures, painted frescoes and spread the Manichaeist creed and culture in the Turpan area. Around the same time, Nestorianism, an earlier sect of Christianity, was introduced into Xinjiang, but it was not widespread in the early years. It flourished only when large numbers of the Uighur accepted it during the Yuan Dynasty （1206－1368）.
In the late ninth century and the early 10th century, Islam spread to the south of Xinjiang through Central Asia. In the middle of the 10th century, the Islamic Karahan Kingdom waged a religious war against the Buddhist kingdom of Yutian, which lasted for more than 40 years. It conquered Yutian in the early 11th century, and introduced Islam to Hotan. In the middle of the 14th century, under the coercion of the Qagatay Khanate （a vassal state created by Qagatay, the second son of Genghis Khan, in the Western Regions）, Islam gradually became the main religion for the Mongolian, Uygur, Kazak, Kirgiz and Tajik peoples in that region. In the early 16th century, Islam finally became the main religion in Xinjiang, replacing Buddhism.
After that, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and Nestorianism, the main religions of the Uygur and other ethnic groups, gradually went out of the picture in Xinjiang, but Buddhism and Taoism continued to make themselves felt there. Beginning in the Ming Dynasty, Tibetan Buddhism grew into a major religion on a par with Islam in Xinjiang. In the late 17th century, Apakhoja, chief of the Aktaglik Sect of Islam, wiped out the forces of his political foe Hoja of the Karataglik Sect, by dint of Tibetan Buddhist forces, and destroyed the Yarkant Khanate （a regional regime established by Qagatay's descendants between 1514 and 1680, with modern Shache as its center）. This shows how powerful Tibetan Buddhism was at that time. Around the 18th century, Protestantism and Catholicism spread to Xinjiang, at a time when Buddhism, Taoism and Shamanism were flourishing in the region, and temples and churches of these religious faiths could be found everywhere in Xinjiang. Some Moslems even changed their faith to Christianity or other religions.
Historically, the dominance of a particular religion has kept changing from time to time in Xinjiang, but the coexistence of multiple religions following the introduction of outside religious faiths has never changed. The major religions in Xinjiang today are Islam, Buddhism （including Tibetan Buddhism）, Protestantism, Catholicism and Taoism. Shamanism still has considerable influence among some ethnic groups.
[ 本帖最后由 毕毕安入关 于 2008-4-2 18:58 编辑 ] |
发表于 2008-4-2 01:26
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发表于 2008-4-2 02:08
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