Buddhism in Uzbekistan

Buddhist temple in Tashkent

Buddhism is practiced by about 0.2% of the population of Uzbekistan, according to the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2004. Most are ethnic Koreans. Officially only one Buddhist denomination is registered in Uzbekistan, also there is a Buddhist temple in Tashkent.^[1]

History

In the time of the rulers of the Kushan Empire Buddhism in large scale penetrated into Bactria and Gandhara.^[2][3] According to one legend, written in Pali, two merchants and Tapassu Bhallika brothers from Bactria, we hit the road to meet with the Buddha and become his disciples.^[4] Later, they returned to Bactria and built temples in honor of the Buddha.^[5][6]

The popularity of Buddhism has been linked to his understanding, as an ideology of the urban population. Kanishka confirmed as Greco-Buddhist significantly simplified "way of salvation", which contributed to its mass.^[7][8]

After the invasion Ephtalites, as well as during the Islamic expansion, Buddhism is losing the role of widespread and popular on the territory of Uzbekistan, religion, and by the 13th century disappeared almost completely as a result of the persecution of infidels during the reign of Khorezm.^[9][10]

During the composition of the Uzbek Soviet infringed the rights of local Buddhists, until 1991, when the country gained its independence.

References