Central Asian cultural linguistics

This paper analyses New Persian words transcribed in Chinese script in huihuiguan zazi 回回館雜字, a New Persian-Chinese glossary compiled in Ming China. The analysis reveals a correspondence between the vowel contrasts of modern Tajik and those of the variety of New Persian whose words are recorded in the glossary. This paper also identifies, based on historical records, the variety as an early fifteenth-century New Persian which had diplomatic currency in the Timurid court in Samarkand.

The main goal of this paper is to put forward the hypothesis that (Dynastic) Manchu depreciating names may be relics of a well-known Tungusic(-Eurasian) naming custom. It is a common practice among many Eurasian societies to name children with derogatory terms aiming at averting evil influences or bad luck on them.

One of the oldest known traditions of the Central Asian nomads is the ‘sacrifice ceremony of gök tuğ (blue standard)’ which is today called ‘xөх сүлдний тахилга (höh süldnii tahilga)’ in modern Mongolian. For example, Kokturk and the Uighurs pass on their historical records that that they have standard bearing their own symbols and during wars they have been stood in front of the palace or tent of the kagan or army commander. It is also known that the same tradition continued in the time of the Kitans. Various sources of information about this tradition, which has not been lost during the Mongol empire, are also found in some reference works (Batsüren ve Mönhtulga, 2017: 185).
It is considered that Military strengths and achievements are among the most important features of Central Asian nomads, which are known to be shamanists, in founding their vast powerful empires, which were born and grown in this region. According to some, their beliefs lay on the basis of these achievements of the nomadic people’s armies. It is observed that the Shamanism, the old beliefs of Central Asian nomads, has become more prevalent, and shamans’ ceremonies have traditionally been performed in the same area today. One of the mentioned shamanist rituals is the “sacrifice ceremony of the blue standard.” In the past, it has been learned that in order to prepare the soldiers spiritually for war, to motivate them, to strengthen them and to increase their beliefs, the sacrifice ceremony of gök-tuğ was held in front of all the people / kamun. Again in very old times, it was recorded that like everything, gök tuğ was considered to have a spirit according to shamanistic rhetoric; to make the spirit of the gök tuğ happy, especially the hearts of brave heroes are offered as sacrifices. In this study, information related to the mentioned tradition is given.
Key words: Inner Asia, Nomads, Shamanism, Blue Standard, Sacrifice Ceremony.

Chinese Economy and Central Asia.  Academy of Taiwan Business Management Review. 11(3): 1-14.  2015.  ISSN 1813-0534.
Chinese economic growth has accompanied the rise and development of the Chinese economic model with its own types of multinational enterprises, and state owned enterprises.  Major stock market plunges in 2015 have taken away the focus from the model and the manufacturing base that upholds it.  Analyses of the system of the Chinese state, its enterprises and the private sector need to continue to understand the future of this economy and its implications for the rest of the world.  Central Asian energy markets, which China has entered a decade ago, are important in this context, as their future behaviour will have consequences for the EU, North American and Australian markets.  The Chinese state is the owner of the largest banks and sovereign wealth funds in the world. When China lost its energy independence in 1993, it began to rely on Central Asian energy markets and increasingly placed more emphasis on the region as a hub for ... . 

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