Religious Research

Religious Research

Religious Songs of the Iranian Manichaeans in Central Asia: A Textual Study Based on the Manuscripts from the Turfan Collection in Berlin

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mohammad Shokri-Foumeshi 1
Amir Amirgan 2
mahdi Elmi Daneshvar 3
1 PhD student, Iranian Religions, Faculty of Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Eastern Religions, Faculty of Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Eastern (non-Abrahamic) Religions, Faculty of Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran
10.22034/jrr.2025.461711.2188
Abstract
This article presents a quantitative and qualitative study of the religious songs and liturgical texts of the Iranian Manichaeans living in Central Asia, one of which is represented by manuscript M797. These manuscripts, discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century in the oasis of Turfan in the Xinjiang region of China, indicate that the Manichaeans in their monasteries composed songs and hymns that were sung collectively in groups. In this paper, we aim to explore the significance of Manichaean liturgical texts in religious studies: What structural features did they follow? What were their characteristics? In which languages were they produced? And how should they ultimately be interpreted? This analysis adopts a textual approach, sometimes venturing into historical linguistics when necessary. The paper seeks to answer these questions as far as the Middle Persian - Parthian fragment M797 and other available evidence allow.
Keywords
Manichaean liturgical texts
Manichaean musical system
Middle Persian - Parthian fragment M797
Manichaean religion
Turfan collection
Subjects
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