The Celestial Ranks

explained by ANJANG SANYSHKAP

 

Above, the Thirteen Khans are Heaven's greatest. Then, in the second rank, are the Nine. Then, if you go down, the Seven. Then, if you go down, the Five. Then, if you go down, the Four. Then follow the Khans of Heaven of the third rank, the least. And then there is nothing more.
      On the right hand side, there are Nine Khans of Heaven, and on the left hand side, there are Nine. There are Nine paghdash, sitting cross-legged, there is one Azghash, with protruding teeth. There are two Khans Surey. There is one called Mongol Khan. There is one called Chinese Khan.

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The Celestial Ranks were explained by Anjang Sanyshkap, 11 March 1911 in Sùzhou, and published in Malov, S. E. 1967. Jazyk zheltyx ujgurov. Teksty i perevody. Moscow. 148, no. 135.
      A short explanation in Russian appeared in Malov, S. E. 1912a. Ostatki shamanstva u zheltyx ujgurov. Zhivaja Starina 21. 64. Sint-Petersburg.
      The name Azghash, a deity with protruding teeth, might be a crasis of azïgh, canine tooth, and aghïs, mouth.
      The name Surey also designates the two sticks which are driven into the boiled head of a sacrificial sheep.

Another, slightly different description of the celestial ranks appears in Hermanns, M. 1940-1941. Uiguren und ihre neuentdeckten Nachkommen. Anthropos 35-36. 89. Freiburg.
      According to Hermanns, the supreme being of the Yugur was called Xan Teñre, Khan of Heaven, or Ösän Xan. He has two assistants, Ongol Xan and Solrol Xan. The former, actually On Qol Qhan, Right Hand Khan, sits on the right, the latter, Sol Qol Qhan, Left Hand Khan, on the left. Each of these three deities commands another two Khans, forming altogether nine Khans, and each of these nine Khans commands another thirteen Khans.

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