On Some Elements Reflecting Buddhism in Old Uyghur Law Documents

The period of Old Uyghur is undoubtedly the era when the Turks had the most intensive contact with Buddhism. During this time, the Uyghurs, who adopted Buddhism, engaged in various translation activities to learn and implement the principles of the religion. Consequently, Buddhist religious terminology and elements are found extensively in works belonging to the Buddhist canon in Old Uyghur. Apart from the Buddhist canon, elements of Buddhism are also found in legal documents, one of the non-religious works of the Uyghurs. In this study, the elements reflecting Buddhism in the Old Uyghur law documents were identified and the position of these elements in Buddhism was emphasized. In line with this aim, the following elements of Buddhism in Old Uyghur law documents were identified: EUyg. abita ~ amita = Skr. amitābha; EUyg. açari = Skr. ācārya; EUyg. bakçan = Skr. bhaktacchinnaka; EUyg. burhan, buda = Skr. buddha; EUyg. burhan uluşı = Skr. buddhakṣetra; EUyg. bursoŋ = Skr. saṃgha ~ saṅgha; EUyg. edgü kılınç, buyan = Skr. puṇya; EUyg. darm(a) = Skr. dharmā; EUyg. m(a)haraç = Skr. mahārāja; EUyg. tört maharaç teŋriler = Skr. caturmahārāja; EUyg. mantal = Skr. maṇḍala; EUyg. sadu = Skr. sādhu; EUyg. saŋik = Skr. sāṅghika; EUyg. seŋrem = Skr. vihāra; EUyg. şazın = Skr. śāsana; EUyg. v(i)rh(a)r = Skr. vihāra; EUyg. toyın = Skr. bhikṣu; EUyg. patir = Skr. pātra. The presence of Buddhist elements and terminology in nonreligious and original legal documents can be attributed to the following reasons: 1. The Uyghurs’ interaction with various languages, particularly Sanskrit, following their adoption of Buddhism; 2. The significant influence of Buddhist culture on the settled lifestyle and broader culture of the Uyghurs; 3. The likelihood that the Uyghurs adhered to Buddhism during the period when the legal documents were composed.