During the 12th Century Chinggis (Genghis) Khan conquered Central Asia with
his Golden Horde, bringing Mongolian/Siberian shamanism to this Muslim community.
It is possible that the marriage of these two traditions was responsible
for the inauguration of a Sufi Brotherhood founded in Bukhara known as the
Naqshbandi's. The Naqshbandi tradition appears to be at the core, both politically
and spiritually, of the Muslim mystical tradition of Sufism. Founded in
Bukhara in the 13th Century their members can be found throughout the Muslim
world. Their efforts have been integral to the success of many of the religious wars waged to protect Islam against outside influence. They were the only group not to be infiltrated by the K.G.B. during Communist times and are very much involved with the reinstatement of Islam in Central Asia now that the Communist period is over. Naqshbandi's are found within all of the other Sufi brotherhoods, Dervish, Chishti and Mevlevi yet they appear to have been passed over by western observers. One of the primary goals of this journey is to make contact with Naqshbandi's and to learn something of their tradition.