Effect of Non-Islamic Turks

This is an interesting question. Certainly that the Turks will be Indianized one way or another due to how strong Indian culture was (and still is), I'd say they will certainly embrace Hinduism. But will they maintain aspects of their original Tengriism faith in one way or another ?

Also, will they be able to maintain their Turkish roots and language ? I personally think that both can be the basis of identity of their caste, but how do you think ?
I actually think that depending on the evolution of Tengriism you might see a reduction in the caste system of any potential "Gangestan." If they develop a stronger religion, you'll get some sort of religious caste but the rest of Tengriism seems to be a caste demolisher. I know the Buddhists eventually caved into the caste system. So it's possible that if strongly-Tengri turks become Hinduized, the nature spirits/ancestors spirits become the Indian gods... and caste mobility becomes easier since anyone can do acts of piety. I'd say the priestly caste basically scorekeepers and when a person has done enough piety acts they can move up a caste. Thus caste could become a marker for how "pious" and "harmonious" a person is.

Just some thoughts.
 
Certainly the introduction of the Turks to the Gangetic Plains will have many social and politial swings for the I'Indians' per say. It could become the basis for a 'Gangestan'.

By "Gangestan", you mean a Turkic-speaking country in India not unlike the present day Turkey and Azerbaijan ?

If yes, then I don't think so. OTL Turks received "cultural donations" from Persia that they basically became the spreaders of Persian culture in the subcontinent. Here ITTL they shouldn't be getting much civilizings with the virtual absence of Persian influence over them, so while the Turks would still be bringing outside influences, it will be more they adopt Indian culture as much as they did in Persia IOTL, rather than comparable two-way cultural exachanges as IOTL. Since they will arrive certainly as invaders, I think the most likely result is the introduction of new martial caste of Turkic descent in northern India if they would succeed.
 
I actually think that depending on the evolution of Tengriism you might see a reduction in the caste system of any potential "Gangestan." If they develop a stronger religion, you'll get some sort of religious caste but the rest of Tengriism seems to be a caste demolisher. I know the Buddhists eventually caved into the caste system. So it's possible that if strongly-Tengri turks become Hinduized, the nature spirits/ancestors spirits become the Indian gods... and caste mobility becomes easier since anyone can do acts of piety. I'd say the priestly caste basically scorekeepers and when a person has done enough piety acts they can move up a caste. Thus caste could become a marker for how "pious" and "harmonious" a person is.

Just some thoughts.

Unfortunately I don't know much about Tengriism to really comment anything, but with the absence of Islamic influence, so would be with Persian influence, thus such would make the Turkic people less advanced compared to OTL's case, and in case of vis a vis Indian civilization. Stronger Tengriism and identity will certainly do something, but in regards to caste system I doubt Tengriism can play it down as much as Islam did, unless there would be any evidence that Tengriism can be modified into something that can do better in this matter than Islam....
 
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