Cultural Continuity among Uyghur Buddhists from the Thirteenth to the Seventeenth Century: The Creation of the 1687 Old Uyghur Altun Yaruk Sudur Manuscript

Kasai, Yukiyo (2026) Cultural Continuity among Uyghur Buddhists from the Thirteenth to the Seventeenth Century: The Creation of the 1687 Old Uyghur Altun Yaruk Sudur Manuscript. ACTA ORIENTALIA ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM HUNGARICAE, 79 (3). pp. 635-652. ISSN 0001-6446

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Abstract

Since the eleventh century, Buddhism played a vital role in Uyghur society in Turfan, continuing until at least the fourteenth century. After the Mongol Empire’s centre moved north, records of Uyghur Buddhist activities became scarce. The 1687 manuscript of the Altun Yaruk Sudur (Sūtra of the Golden Light), found at Mt. Wenshu in Suzhou, initially suggested a sudden revival of Uyghur Buddhist practice in Gansu. However, Chinese sources and recently published Old Uyghur wall inscriptions reveal a continuous practice of Uyghur Buddhists traditions and language despite multiple relocations from Turfan to Gansu, highlighting cultural resilience and continuity.

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