1
Professor of History, Department of History & Civilization of Islamic Nations, Azad University of Tehran
2
PhD. in History, National University of Iran
Abstract
Transoxiana had been a fertile ground for growth of a variety of religious cultures such as Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Christianity (Nestorian), Jewish and even some pagan tendencies like Shamanism. Such an exceptional multi-cultural environment calls for a special consideration. The main focus of this brief survey is on the situation of this multi-cultural region during pre-Islamic periods. Its basic question is that what made it possible for this mosaic environment to tolerate such a colorful culture? From a post-Islamic point of view, it asks that what characteristics have been resulted by this coexistence of various religions and dissents in a situation of toleration and indulgence. This survey is based on an analytical research of a volume of textual data which is gleaned from different library sources and archeological findings. The results of this research show that the pre-Islamic Transoxiana has given birth to an interesting composition of religions and cultures. Due to this dynamic situation, pre-Islamic Tranxoianian civilization has been witnessed to a spectacular cultural efflorescence. These various cultural elements were mixed into a composition so integrated that distinguishing them is something impossible.
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