Research Information System
ART-SANAT, vol.9, pp.59-79, 2018 (ESCI)
After the first half of the 7th century, a different socio-cultural environment emerged in Iraq, Iran and Central Asia as a result of the diffusion of Arabs and Islam into these lands. Starting with the Iranians, communities living in these areas were disturbed by this situation. The main reasons for the discomfort were political, economic and religious. These strategically significant territories, once under the sovereign of Iranians, were now controlled by Arabs and the Silk Road was lost to them. In other words, Arabs took over the economic control of the region. The local people and rulers were worried by the fact that Islam was spreading in Iran and Central Asia which had been under the domination of Zoroastrianism. Just after the change in the political and religious dimensions, secret cults began to emerge in Iranian and Central Asian territories. The main purpose of this emergence was to give the political and religious authority back to Iranians. Although these cults seemed to be rooted in Islam, especially Shi'ism, they based on Zoroastrianism-Mazdakism beliefs. What is more, they were influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, Manichaeism, Christianity and various Greek philosophical and Materialist doctrines. This paper focuses mainly on the less unknown doctrines and rituals of these esoteric cults and their relation to pre-Islamic beliefs.