Date of Award
Spring 4-27-2026
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Liberal Studies
Department
History and American Studies
Department Chair or Program Director
Ferrell, Claudine
First Advisor
Al-Tikriti, Nabil
Major or Concentration
History
Abstract
Devin Deweese's book Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde: Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam is a keystone work in the study of post-Mongol invasions Central Asia. He explores how Shamanism, the indigenous religion of Mongol tribes, remained culturally relevant in the Golden Horde following the widespread conversion to Islam in hagiographical narratives.
This study investigates the presence of indigenous Shamanic traditions within the post-conversion Ilkhanate and how Deweese's argument for the Golden Horde applies to other Mongol successor states. Following the widespread adoption of Islam, formerly polytheistic Mongol and Turkic tribes did not abandon their native culture; rather, they indigenized the new faith. This paper argues that the continuity of long-standing traditions—specifically ancestor worship and burial practice, is present through an analysis of funerary architecture and hagiographical literature. By examining how pre-Islamic rituals were adapted to an Islamic framework, this research reveals that conversion in the Ilkhanate was a process of cultural blending, not cultural replacement. The findings illuminate the dynamic and flexible nature of religious change in post-Mongol Central Asia.
Recommended Citation
Lenihan, Miranda H., "Islam and Acculturation: The Presence of Shamanism and Indigenous Ritual Practice in the Post-Conversion Ilkhanate," (2026). Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects. 697.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/697