Religion in Tajikistan: History and Modernity

Religion in Tajikistan occupies a special place in public life. First of all, it should be said that this country is the only one of all post-Soviet, where the Islamic party is officially registered, but for this the people of Tajikistan had to pay a very high price.

The Ancient History

The history of religion in Tajikistan goes back to ancient times, connected with the amazing period of the conquests of Alexander the Great, who brought Greek civilization, and consequently Greek religion, to these remote lands from Europe, which was bizarrely connected with local cults.

The oldest cults that existed on the territory of present-day Tajikistan were associated with the appropriation of various qualities to natural phenomena, elements and celestial bodies, such as the Moon, the stars, and primarily the Sun. Subsequently, these primitive beliefs in a highly reworked form served as a favorable substratum for the spread of Zoroastrianism in the region.

Spread of Zoroastrianism

Given the fact that the Tajik language is the closest relative of Iranian Farsi, it is not surprising that the religion of Zoroastrianism has become widespread in this country. What it is? Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions that ever existed in the world. It is believed that the role of its founder was the prophet Spitam Zarathustra, whose image subsequently received the widest distribution.

First of all, it should be said that Zoroastrianism is a religion of ethical choice, requiring from man not only external piety, but also good thoughts, sincere actions. Some researchers, discovering in Zoroastrianism both dualistic and monotheistic features, refer it to religions of a transitional type, which served as a kind of step on the way to the emergence and wide spread of monotheistic religions. The most important book of this religion is Avesta.

Religion in Tajikistan

The history of modern Tajik civilization begins in the days of the Sasanian Empire, whose rulers, together with the majority of the population, professed Zoroastrianism. The empire originated in the lll century and included territories on which, besides Zoroastrianism, Christianity was also widespread. However, Christianity in Tajikistan was represented mainly by heretical currents, whose representatives tried as far as possible to move away from the universally recognized centers of Christianity with their dictatorship and dogmatism.

Manichaeism in Central Asia

Religion in Tajikistan has always been of great importance, but in the ancient period, especially during the Sassanid Empire, a high degree of tolerance was characteristic of the territory. It is this religious tolerance that became one of the reasons for the emergence of Manichaeism - a rather bizarre religion, combining in its dogmatic basis elements of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various Christian sectarian ideas.

It was from the arid lands of Central Asia that Manichaeism began its triumphal march to the west, until it reached Rome. However, the fate of the followers of the teaching was sad - everywhere they were subjected to persecution and extreme pressure. Subsequently, Manichaeism became extremely widespread on the Eurasian continent, but it could not get rid of the stigma of the world sect.

The Jewish community

Since the history of the country has more than one century, it is not surprising that a variety of religions are represented on its territory. One of such religions of Tajikistan was Judaism, although the number of its adherents has never been greater. The few Jews on these lands were connected with the fact that the rabbis never showed a tendency to proselytizing and recruiting new supporters, confining themselves to the notion of the exclusivity of the people of Israel.

The Jewish community in Tajikistan existed under Zoroastrianism, and after the spread of Islam, it exists there even today, albeit in a very small amount, since most of the Jews moved to Israel immediately after the liquidation of the Soviet Union. Today, the overwhelming majority of Tajik citizens profess Islam, there is a political party in the country expressing the mood of religious citizens.