Manichaeism

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Missionary success in the seventh century gave rise to Manichaeism in China, but also led to conflict with royal Buddhist officials. The success of Mani's teaching must have posed a serious enough threat to its religious competitors, for in 732 the Tang emperor issued an edict (undoubtedly under the influence of Buddhists) prohibiting Manichaeism from being taught to native Chinese; foreigners, however, were allowed to practice the faith.

Although limited in China for some time under the Tang, it was through China that Manichaeism came to enjoy the status of official state religion of the Central Asian Uighur kingdom during part of the eighth and ninth centuries. As the Tang government became burdened with internal uprisings in China, they began to rely more heavily on military assistance from neighboring Turkish peoples. In 762 the Uighur king Mou-yu helped imperial Tang forces put down a rebellion centered on the city of Loyang, during which time he came in contact with resident Sogdian Manicheans. When Mou-yu returned home at the end of the military operation, four Manicheans joined his entourage and accompanied him back to his kingdom. Within a year Mou-yu converted to the faith, and subsequently declared Manichaeism the official state religion. With the Uighur political backing, the Manicheans in China received greater freedom resulting in the construction of at least six new temples. They enjoyed this freedom for the better part of a century, until the Uighur state was overran by another Turkish group in 840, after which the religion returned to its former disadvantaged state. In Central Asia, Manichaens persisted after Uighur sponsorship, but eventually gave way to Islam and Christianity. During the Yuan (Mongol) period Manichaeism experienced something of a revival in China, only to be outlawed as a heretical Buddhist sect under the Ming legal code of the fourteenth century.

once again, JY did really study all the historical background before he wrote his novels. how I really love this old man!