Lands of Asia layouts (Eng) 26.11.21

part iii | cultural and spiritual development
were used as food for animals. The main tasks of the ‘Elect’ were to pray for the
remission of sins committed by Hearers and to preach the Manichaean religion. In
return for this, the ‘Elect’ would immediately be admitted to the New Paradise, while
Hearers had to undergo a series of rebirths, appearing on Earth in ever new bodies
before they could enter purified into the New Paradise.
The high moral standards preached by the Manichaeans and their social message:
‘He who is rich will be poor, will beg for alms and will suffer great torments’ attracted
the poor and ordinary people. With its well-organised propaganda, Manichaeism
began, still during the lifetime of Mani, to spread not only in Iran, but also in
Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and the Roman Empire and even made its way to the East
and Central Asia. Mani claimed ‘my religion is of the kind that it will be manifest in
every country, and in all languages, and it will be taught in far-away countries’.
The Manichaeans created an extensive literature, which was mainly of a religious
nature. Mani himself wrote extensively in an East Aramaic dialect and in Middle
Persian, and used the Estrangelo variant of Syriac script, which made it possible to
convey the vowel sounds of Persian (with vowel diacritics), making reading and
writing much easier. Moreover, according to many accounts, Mani was an outstanding
artist who also illustrated his works – in fact an artist who was considered unequalled
in the world. Until recently, the people of Central Asia and Iran associated Mani’s
name with great artistry.
The success of Mani’s teaching along with certain elements of social protest,
however passive, could not but cause concern to the ruling class and the Zoroastrian
priesthood of Persia. Consequently, during the reign of the next Sassanian king,
Varahran (Bahram) I (AD 273–276), Mani was imprisoned and executed, and the
followers of the Manichaean religion were brutally persecuted. Large numbers of
Manichaeans fled to Central Asia.
The Arab historian Ibn an-Nadim wrote: ‘The first of the sects in addition to the
Samanïyah [Buddhism] to enter the Land beyond the River (Transoxiana) was the
Manichaeans. The reason for this was that, after Chosroes [Bahram I] had executed
and gibbeted Mānī and forbidden the people of his kingdom to dispute about the
religion, he began to slay the followers of Mānī wherever he found them. So they did
not stop fleeing from him until they had crossed the River of Balkh [Amu Darya] and
entered the realm of the Khan, with whom they remained.’
Manichaean communities were established in Central Asia during Mani’s
lifetime. One of the most notable figures of the Manichaean Church, Mar Amo, a
highly educated man who was well versed in the Parthian language and script, played
a pivotal role in the spread of Manichaeism here. Mani himself had sent Mar Amo to
Central Asia to preach Manichaeism. Mar Amo came first to Abarshahr, then went
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