Bakshy

{{short description|Traditional Turkmen and Khorasani musicians}} {{distinguish|Bakshi}}{{More citations needed|date=July 2023}} The '''''bakshy''''' ({{langx|uz|baxshi}}, {{langx|tk|bagşy}}) are traditional Central Asian folk singers.

==Origin== Historically, ''bakshy'' referred to two profession: scribes literate in the Uyghur alphabet and shamans who doubled as musicians, given the role of music in healing and in celebrating weddings, births, and other important life events. When Islam replaced shamanism as the dominant religion of Central Asia, the spiritual role of the ''bakshy'' was taken over by Muslim mullahs, leaving only music and preservation of national poetry.<ref name=tkm-music14>{{citation |url= https://archive.org/details/uspenskiy-belyayev-turkmenskaya-muzyka | title=Туркменская музыка |place= Ashkhabad |date=1979 |publisher=Izdatel'stvo Turkmenistan | language=ru |last=Belyayev |first=Viktor |last2=Uspenskiy |first2=Viktor|pages=63-64}}</ref>

The ''bakshy'' may sing either a cappella or to the accompaniment of traditional instruments (primarily the dutar). The Turkmen ''bakshy'' tradition is closely related to the larger Turkic ''Ashik'' tradition.{{cn|date=January 2023}}

==Etymology== The term ''bakshy'', meaning "teacher", is of Sanskrit origin and came to the region with the spread of Buddhism. Buddhism was the religion of the ruling class prior to the arrival of Islam.<ref name=tkm-music14 />

== See also == * Bakhshi * Music of Iran * Music of Turkmenistan * Dutar * Ashik * Greater Khorasan * Turkmen National Conservatory

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:Turkmen music Category:Oral poets {{turkmenistan-stub}} {{Asia-music-stub}} {{Poetry-stub}}