Buddhist Monuments of Ancient Termez

8/13/2019 Buddhist Monuments of Ancient Termez

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Termez Archaeological Museum

BUDDHIST MONUMENTS OF ANCIENT TERMEZ*

Ancient Termez played a dominant role in in spreading of one of the world religions

Buddhism and Buddhist art in the territory of Central Asia. Specialists say, that the meaning of

the word budda is highlighted in Sanskrit.

Buddihsm penetrated from Gandhara (now in the territory of Pakistan), Khindikush

mountains and northern Afghanistan into Termez, and with it came Buddhist art.

There exist a number of versions of emerging Buddhism in Central Asia. A famousacademician B. A. Litvinsky consider, that some appearance of Buddhism in Central Asia falls

into 3rd

- 2nd

cc. B.C. In the opinion of G. A. Koshelenko, in Margina (recent southern

Turkmenistan) in 2-1st

cc. B.C. B. Y. Staviskiy says, that Buddhist religion presents in Central

Asia from the 1stc. B.C.

According to the last discoveries, the emergence of Buddism in the lands north ffrom

Oxus (Amu-Darya) falls to the 1stc. A.D. Because, in Tarmita (Termez), the main center of

Buddism in Central Asia, buildings connected with this religion were erected in the beginning of

our millennium.

Buddhist monuments of Ancient Termez are the important part the town and functioned

as religious centers. These monasteries served not only for inhabitants of the towns but also for

the people lived in the villages around Termez.

Monuments as Fayztepa, Karta-tepa, and Zurmala are Buddhist monuments of AncientTermez. Fayaztepa Buddhist monastery, located out of the territory of modern Termez, located

1 km north-west from Kara-tepa. They are both situated at the countryside of Termez. In 1968-

1976 Fayaztepa was investigated by a joint expedition organized by Archaeological Institute of

Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and Surkhandarya regional Lore Museum. The monastery,

with 34 meters in width and 113 meters in length consists of 3 parts:

central part monastery;

canteen;

store house.

The yard was situated at the center, and alongside four sides were built aiwans (verandahs)

designed with wall paintings. And the rooms with doors build in front of aiwans, at two sides

of sanctuary. Here, attracts an attention square in shape praying place with beautifulornaments. Hundreds years ago this room was designed with monumental wall paintings and

sculptures.

Archaeologists found here a number of sculptures of bodhisattvas and Buddha.

Especially, a group of statuettes made on white stone is very interesting. On the surface of

this stone was carved a shape like a window-sill, you can see an image of Buddha, sitting in

squat under botkhi tree. By two sides of him stood two monks. Arcghaeologists found the

holy place in the north west part of the monument. For getting to the holy place you could

pass from the monastery part. The main part of the holy place consists of a yard with

verandah. This verandah was used by priests as a lecturing place during their teachings.

Aside monastery existed a number of rooms, used as kitchen and storehouse. The found

from the remains of this part of monastery many dishes with carved decorations, including

designed with symbolic images of Buddha. You can see on them the leaves of a holy tree

bodhi or the shapes reminding the footsteps of Buddha.

Some meters north west from the main buildings of Fayaztepa is situated one of the

holy monuments stupa.

Stupa means in Sanskrit embodiment of universe. Actually, stupas were erected on a

pedestal and they have a cylindrical for with a dome upper part. Such construction existed in

*Termiz: tarixiy tadqiqotlar, ilmiy xulosalar. Toshkent, 2001


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Fayaztepa and Kratepa. Also, stupas were built as a single buildings outside Termez. One of

these known today stupas is Zurmala, situated in the eastern part of Termez. Zurmala tower

is the most ancient relic of monumental architecture in Central Asia. It was built in the end of

the 1stcentury B.C. Its raw monolith was once faced with red brick, white marble tiles with

Buddhist sculptures and cornices of a special type. Dome was decorated colorfully.

Among the findings of Fayaztepa there are inscriptions, made on the surface of dishes.

These writings are made in the following alphabets:

-sanskrit;

- bactria;

- kushan;

- kharoshthi;

- brahma

- unknown alphabet.The biggest monastery of Buddhist period Termez is Karatepa. The first information

about Karatepa has become known in 1926. The first expedition on Karatepa was

organized and conducted by professor M. E. Masson in 1936-37. On Karatepa monastery

conducted research during many years a joint expedition of Hermitage Museum (St.

Petersburg), Museum of the Art of Eastern Peoples (Moskow), institutions of East study

and Reconstruction, under the leadership of B. Ya. Stavisky.

The formation of monastery at place of Karatepa 2nd

century AD. Kushan kingdom was

ruled by the most famous king Kushan Kanishka I. He declared Buddhism as the state

religion.

In the result, there appeared many Buddhist monastery complexes in the territory

of Kushan kingdom, including Bactria, northern India, eastern Turkistan (now Shinjan-

Uygur autonomy region).

Karatepa is one of the sanctuaries, erected during the years of reigning of

Kanishka. The total area of Karatepa is almost 3 hectares, built on a hill. Buildings

located on earth, also there are underground premises. At the center of some yards there

were built small stupas.

Sanctuary and its verandahs were decorated with colorful paintings, as well as

images of Buddha and bodhisattvas. The walls of sanctuary were designed with thefigures of men carrying presents, also with the local and Buddhist legends.

Meantime, Buddhist statues made of stone, lime and clay, capitels with the head

of an animal, many small artifacts as terracotta and ceramic wares were found and

studied by scientists.

The most important facts in Karatepa are ancient inscriptions. They are divided

into two groups. First group of writings include letters in black ink made on the surface

of dishes. They belong to the period of Karatepa was used as Buddhist monastery.

The second group of writings graffities, left by visitors, when Karatepa was

deserted.

The main part of the first group of inscriptions are the letters made in ancient

Indian alphabets kharoshthi and brahma. They are in religious content: quotations from

Buddhist relics, about presents for monastery and the persons who made these presents.

A part of writings are in Greek alphabet. Writings-graffities are in middle Persian

and Arabian alphabets.

For reading and studying found in Karatepa inscriptions contributed by linguists

V. A. Livshis, V.V. Vertrogradova, Ya. Kharmatta, Kh. Khumbakh and B. Mukerji.

Karatepa functioned as Fayaztepa, till the end of the 4th

century and in the

beginning of the 5th

century in the result of invasion Sassanid troops, was destroyed and

come to ruins.


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In the monasteries monks not only promoted Buddhism but also translated the

relics of Buddhism into the local language.

In the ancient resources, including Tibetan writings was referred to the famous

promoter of Buddhism from Termez Dharmamitra. He participated in the meeting, in

Peshavar, organized by Kanishka I. So, Buddhism played a dominant role in Termez,

until the invasion of Arabian.

Chinese traveler Suan Syan, who was in Central Asia IN 629-630 described

Termez in his works: There are 10 monasteries with 1000 monks in Ta-Mi. This meansthat at the threshold of Arabic period in Termez Buddhism saved its past importance.

Translated by O. Gulyamov.

Documents

Buddhist Monuments of Ancient Termez