Rock of the East

Well being inspired by Don grey's question of Catholic Turkics I apply the same to a greater conversion of Central Asians to Nestorian Christanity. Working along with the Great Man Theory, I will introduce a non-OTL figure who will lead to a interest religious TL. Hopefully.
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"In the history of man, it is highly praised when the underdog against all odds succeeds against his stronger foes. Think of Cyrus the Great against the Median Empire, think of the Greeks against the Persians, think of the Trojans founding Rome, think of nomadic barbarians that would be the Huns, and think of Christanity from the persecution of Jesus to the widespread nature of the religion today. For it is from the smallest embers that a great wildfire can destroy forests and cities. In the history of the Church of the East and the role of Saint Ayden the Rock..."
-The Rock of the East, The Life of Saint Ayden

Some would say events that lead up to the grander of Saint Ayden started earlier with the teachings of Nestorius as well as the many background politics and social growth of his doctrine as it spread throughout Mesopotamia and into Persia along with fighting both the established Church of Constantinople and the Magi of Persia. The true beginning is with the Roman Emperor Zeno's declaration of closing the School of Edessa which would lead to a exodus of followers of the Church of the East and those unwilling to compromise with the Orthodox Church to head eastward into Byzantinum's rival of Sassanid Persia. It is also the supposed date of the birth of Ayden, the legend going that when Zeno's delcaration was heard in the church that Ayden's mother was giving birth in, the babe was born and the first thing heard was his cries.

True or not, it is ten years later when a young boy by the name of Ayden is enrolled in a semenary in Gundeshapar, in the heartland of Persia. His parents are as much a mystery as his birthdate as accounts appear to indicate he did not wish to talk about his own birth or who his father and was very hesitant to do so if ever he did. It is possible he may have been a child of one of the priests, maybe even the Patriarch Babai while others say his father was a carpenter or tradesmen which are neglected given the alluded nature to the role of Christ as a carpenter. Nonetheless he is noted for his habit to ask questions and his beligerant faith as well as to argue with his superiors. Which naturally by the age of twenty get him sent off as a missionary to the outlying bishoprics in Bactria in 509.

If hindsight was given to the unknown priest that ordered him into the area beyond even Persia one has to wonder if he would have sent the young priest there in the first place. For what does not kill a man only makes it stronger, and it is supposed that this principle applies to ideas as well.
 

Kosta

Banned

Nobody commented on this? Really? Quite frankly I believe this uchronie has the potential to be one of the most interesting uchronies out there, I really do hope you come back to this one.
 
I have...plans but I want to develop my other TLs before I can truly embark on this one. This is a great example of my now infamous "Over Reach" that plauged Alexander the Great on his march to India!
 
A note on this, be prepared to see a update sometime this weekend but I am researching still the cultural and ethnic makeup of the Sogdinia/Bactria/Transaxoina region somewhat still. Even in my "Riding the Eternal Blue Sky" TL I underestimated the level of cultural and ethnic makeup of the region which appears to be quite abit more diverse then I thought with even Hindus running around in the region! Records towards any interesting characters and cheifs are sketchy if not exsistent. Nonetheless I am still adament in moving forward with converting the region and will make up names or generalize if I can't find anyone important who stands out, after all I am one of the forums Turkophiles and I have to represent!
 
Settling of Ayden

Arriving in the city of Bukhara in late 509, Ayden as well as several dozen missionaries and workers began the efforts building a new center for the Nestorian faith in the region of Bactria. The task at hand first began with the leading church representative by the name of Karman dealing with the local city council and the various tribal leaders of the various ethnic groups that lived in the area. These efforts mostly dealt with various forms of bribes and aid promises that the church would have to give to the local community. These efforts of course came into conflict with the representatives of the Zoroastrian clergy who were in their own theological dispute were prone to take conflict between more orthodox magians and the communistic Mazdakites.

During the course of several gains and setbacks and the establishment of the Nestorian's movement into the Bukhara community Ayden began to rise as a leader in the community. Ayden took the time and effort to vigourously learn the languages and customs of the locals, in Bukhara who for the majority were Zoroastrian Soghdians but also of those living in main Bactira to the south such as the Kushans and Tocharians, and to the north Hepthalites, Guzz and Karluk Turks. He also put himself into becoming the representative of the church, where he was criticized several times for his generosity in giving the Church's meager supplies in aid to putting up Nesotrian families and pagans in need. His efforts were rewarded in a wide ranging popularity amongst the people of Bukhara and very importantly Sogdian merchants of which his personal sermons converted several to Nestorianism and helped him travel through Bactira and up north into the wider Steppe.

It would be his forays into the Hepthalite realm that would have wider, historial implications.
 
So far it sounds good to me-this is roughly analogous to how it spread IOTL, along the trade routes with Sogdhian merchants.
 
Within the Wolf's Den

In Nestorian Christanity, Saint Ayden is known by several names, the most common being his name as Ayden the Rock but also several others such as Ayden the Traveller or Ayden the Messanger. Though one of his names is Ayden the Wolf Tamer and this has to do with his conversion of the Hephthalites in Central Asia and is a fable most often told throughout Nestorian folk tales of Saint Ayden.

After arriving in Transoxiana in 509, Ayden for several years made a good name for himself amongst the people of the region as he traveled through the basin region giving advice and charity of his church. During this period he also made several enemies, the most fearsome of which being those within his own church that wished to see his downfall from position and often enough decried his mingling with heathens and the like. Though dutifully he defended his actions and remained in the region. Finally after several years of trading with Hephthalite Huns he was invited by a cheif to an annual meeting of shamans of the tribes at their sacred mountain of Khan Tengri. Joinning with the cheif, Ayden traveled to the mountain and presented himself before both Shamans and Cheifs of the various tribes and clans of the Hephthalites.

Once there he presented his faith to the Turkics and was in turn goaded into showing the power of his God, after one of the Shamans gleamed the tale of Daniel and the Lions Den from the Old Testament. In this case, it is said the Shamans hoped to do away with Ayden by locking him in a freezing cave on the mountain with a pack of hungry wolves and dogs. For three nights and three days they left Ayden in the wolves den before a party of men was sent up the mountain to retrieve his remains. Once they returned all were surprised to find that Ayden had not only survived but also that the wolves walked obediently at his feet. Upon explanation it is said that God had sent a angel to him and commanded the dogs to follow him.

It is from this that Ayden recieved the title of Wolf Tamer but also this name could also be attributed to following events in that upon his arrival to Bukhara he was accompanied by entire tribes of Turkics who had accepted Christ into their hearts and agreeded to new deals of peace and trade with the city leaders and it was Bukhara's inhabitants that called him the Wolf Tamer for swaying the normally wild nomads.

Not long after this incidnet though the Hephalites were driven out of Persia by the Sassanids and Ayden and several coverted cheifs declared it was because Persia looked after the Nestorians that they had been deefated. This soon sparked a civil war that lasted from 513-515 and ended with the toppling of the Hephalites and the formation of the new Nestorin Khanate, the so called 'Purple Huns' after the divine purple symbolism of the Roman Emperors.
 

Zioneer

Banned
Excellent, it returns! Great stuff.

So a Nestorian Turkic Khanate helped by Ayedin becomes almost.. imperial? Interesting. I like the allegory to Daniel and the Lion's Den, that's probably the most pertinent miracle in the Bible to the Turkics.

Keep on writing, this is fantastic! (Well, it has a few spelling errors, but that's okay, everyone does that).
 
Excellent, it returns! Great stuff.

So a Nestorian Turkic Khanate helped by Ayedin becomes almost.. imperial? Interesting. I like the allegory to Daniel and the Lion's Den, that's probably the most pertinent miracle in the Bible to the Turkics.

Keep on writing, this is fantastic! (Well, it has a few spelling errors, but that's okay, everyone does that).

Heh thanks, and yea kind of did this part on the fly because I REALLY should be writing my 15 page International Law paper but I just had to do this.

Ah and I forgot to mention the main religious dynamic of the Hephalites was a Tengri-Buddhist Syncreticism.
 
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Under the Purple Yurt

Despite his young age the political change wrought by Saint Ayden vibrated across the breadth of Central Asia leading to the downfall of the Hephalites and the rise of the 'Purple Huns' under christened Khagan Tomas (Thomas). The Purple Huns despite the Christian symbolism were even by this time only barely a quarter actually Christian which brought Khagan Tomas into a strained relationship with his allies built upon spoils of war and conquest. Ayden cautioned his patron that in time all would see the true faith, through the miracles worked by the Lord. Many of which would be seen through battle and victory.The sudden emergence of a Nestorian Christian (if barely) power sent shockwaves through regional politics. The Zoroastrian Sassanids were of course number one on the list of kingdoms disturbed by the sudden sprouting of yet another Christian state on their border. Initially, the fact that the Nestorians of the Purple Huns and Orthodox of the Eastern Romans had theological doctrine differences was overlooked by the Zoroastrian Persians.

The Nestorian Church in Persia was also not immune to the political implications of such a aggressive, rapidly growing segment of the Church. Especially one where growing convert members were not of the more civilized Roman or Persian heritage. Especially one not within the confines of Persia where they held their main political center as Nisbus. Especially one where such a young priest held sway over a important political figure. Especially when opposition was growing to the current Patriarch for his luxury loving ways and domination of his wife.
 
I'm also thinking of making a Nestorianwank TL, though it will involve the Magyars establishing themselves in the same spot where the Khazars were and curbstomping Kievan Rus'. Of course, this will also have a PoD way back around 454 AD.
 
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