| Arzhang | |
|---|---|
 Leaf from aUyghur-Manichaean version of a book of pictures; an iteration ofMani's pictorial teaching with theArzhang | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Manichaeism |
| Author | Mani |
| Language | Syriac |
| Period | Early Christianity |
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Gnostic sects and founders
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TheArzhang (Persian:ارژنگ,romanized: Aržang/Arzhang;Coptic:Eikōn;Parthian:dw bwngʾhyg [dō bunɣāhīg], meaning "Worthy"), also known as theBook of Pictures, was one of the holy books ofManichaeism. It was written and illustrated by its prophet,Mani, inSyriac, with later reproductions written inSogdian. It was unique as a sacred text in that it contained numerous pictures designed to portrayManichaean cosmogony, which were regarded as integral to the text.
The originalArzhang illustrated by Mani has been lost and its exact content is unknown. However, it is known that its illustrations were of appreciable quality, and copies were preserved in theMiddle East as late as 1092 AD, when it is recorded that the library ofGhazni held a copy. Since the discovery of Manichaean artwork during theGerman Turfan expeditions, scholars began piecing together the style of theArzhang and reassessed the influence of Manichaean art in general.[1]
One of Mani's primary beliefs was that thearts (namelypainting,calligraphy, andmusic) were of the same esteem as thedivine spirit (Middle Persian:Mihryazd), believing that the creation of art was comparable togod's creation of living forms, and therefore the experience of art was more of a divine act than any other in thematerial world.[2] Throughout the1400-year history of Manichaeism, didactic books of paintings were used to illustrate the religion's teachings and beliefs. From the beginning, the prophet Mani envisioned his religion (which included the teachings ofZarathustra,Buddha, andChrist) as a universal and therefore "transcultural" entity, leading to itsvast spread from Europe to Asia. The Manichaean mission employed multifaceted means of communication (including oral, textual, and pictorial) so the beliefs may adapt to the variety of cultures it entered. These picture books covered theprimary themes of Manichaeism, such as itsdualism of light and darkness, maps of a religious universe, theprocess of human salvation, as well as variousManichaean prophets and deities, and were considered principal pieces of the Manichaean canon.[3]
On the subject of Mani's original paintings,Zsuzsanna Gulácsi notes that the "paintings were created first in mid-third century Mesopotamia with direct involvement from Mani ... and were later preserved by being copied and adapted to a wide variety of artistic and cultural norms, as the religion spread across the Asian continent."[4] Gulácsi points to theYuan-era silk paintingsManichaean Diagram of the Universe andSermon on Mani's Teaching of Salvation as examples ofsinicized variations of Mani's tradition of using aBook of Pictures as a method of teaching, specifically providing insight into the cosmology of the era'sChinese Manichaeism.[4] After the discovery of fragmentary pieces ofUyghur-Manichean art in the ruins ofTurfan,Western Regions, scholars began turning to the newly uncovered remains of Manichaean book art in order to assess through the fragments what could resemble the original style of theArzhang.[5]
Following the discovery of Manichaean paintings inTurfan, art historianThomas W. Arnold suggested that the Manichaean tradition of illustrative bookmaking was the source ofPersian miniature painting style during the time of theSafavid Empire. Arnold stated: "The only other religious art that could have produced these pictures was the Manichaean, the Eastern Character of the types of face and figure, and the similarity in technical details to the Manichaean paintings that have survived in Central Asia, suggest that this is the source to which these strange pictures must be traced back."[1]Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād, the most famous of the Persian miniature painters, was praised by the contemporaneousAfghan historian Albdulkarim Khondamir, who wrote; "[Behzād's] Mani-like brushwork overwhelmed all other painters."[6] From her studies of the fragments, Zsuzsanna Gulácsi concluded that a set of the artwork come from an authentically Manichaean book of pictures, harboring elements (such as the iconography, brush style, and use of colors) that originated in Mani's originalArzhang and were turned into the traditional painting style of future generations of Manichaeans.[7] Additionally, the Turfan fragments possess a primarily Persian appearance, specifically similar to the art that has survived from theSassanid era (during which Mani lived), with such identifiable elements as the quality of the lines, the simplicity of the faces, and the exuberant amount of detail in the folds of the garments. These similarities link the Turfan fragments to what is known of art in theGreater Iran area before the arrival ofIslam.[8]
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The Buddhist practice known ase-toki (絵解[き], meaning "picture deciphering, picture explaining") was used by the JapanesePure Land Buddhists as a method of teaching, beginning inChina as early as 931 AD. Etoki performances typically filled halls with vertical scrolls that illustrated the story of theBuddha and various Buddhist principles. Like Buddhism itself, this practicespread into Japan from China. The scrolls also often illustrated the life ofPrince Shōtoku, who is credited as the founder ofJapanese Buddhism.[3] During theYuan dynasty and theMing dynasty (during which theHongwu Emperor banned Manichaeism in 1370), theMonijiao Manichaeans insouthern China became close to thePure LandMahayana Buddhists, synthesizing the tradition of didcatic illustration that began with theArzhang with the formal attributes of the hanging scrolls used ine-toki, while alsosyncretizing Buddhist and Manichaean beliefs.[9]
AnIslamic account of Mani's life described the prophet as a painter who founded a sectarian movement against theZoroastrian state religion ofSassanid Persia underShapur I. Prompted by threats, Mani fled toTurkestan, where he gained followers and painted a few temples (incidentally, a few paintings inBamyan are attributed to Mani). Mani then spent a year in the solitude of a cave after telling his followers that he was going to heaven. After the year, Mani returned with theArzhang, which he said he had brought down from heaven. After the death of Shapur, he and a large procession of followers returned to Persia. According to this account, the new kingBahram I received and favored Mani, but he was later flayed alive for his heresies.[10] In a 16th-century painting by Ali-Shir Nava'i from modern-dayUzbekistan, Mani is shown at the throne Bahram as the king inspects one of the prophet's illustrations.
In Islamic tradition (excludingIbn al-Nadim's account of Mani's life) Mani is referred to as "Mani the Painter", almost always replacing the topos of "Founder of a Religion".[11] In addition,Arzhang is the name of thedaeva (demon) inFerdowsi'sShahnameh who takesKay Kāvus toMazanderan, and whomRostam defeats in his sixth trial. The word"arzhang" meaning "worthy" inMiddle Persian is likely the reason for the shared names, although it is coincidental (ifThomas W. Arnold's theory on the Manichaean origin ofPersian miniature painting is correct) that the character of Arzhang first would've been illustrated in the style of theArzhang.
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