SUFI CURRENTS IN EASTERN TURKESTAN: SPREAD, FEATURES AND INFLUENCE ON NEIGHBORING REGIONS

East Turkestan is located in a strategically important region of Central Asia, connecting the peoples and countries of the East and West. Ancient trade and migration routes that passed through the region contributed to the close interaction of the history and culture of various peoples. One culture replaced another, and almost all religions and cultures left their mark. The article examines issues related to the spread of Sufi movements in East Turkestan, the peculiarities of East Turkestan Sufism, its influence on the local population and the peoples of neighboring regions, which played an important role in the spiritual life of Central Asia. Events related to representatives of Sufi movements - Khojas, were one of the most important domestic political aspects that had a significant impact on the fate of the state of Mogolistan, created as a result of the collapse of the Chagatai ulus, and in general on the entire history of East Turkestan. Representatives of the Sufi movement Naqshbandiyya, which arose in Central Asia and later spread to neighboring regions, in the middle of the 16th century weakened the secular khanate in East Turkestan, and eventually conquered the entire state. They also tried to influence the neighboring Kazakh and Kyrgyz peoples. By means of a comparative analysis of sources written in Eastern languages and works of Russian and foreign scholars, the spread of Sufi movements in the region, the reasons for the strengthening of the religious and spiritual influence of the Khojas, based on Islamic mysticism, their desire for political power, the ousting of representatives of the Khan dynasty - the legitimate heirs to the throne, and their place in the socio-political life of Central Asia as a whole are studied. A detailed study of these issues is also very relevant for modern society, where religion is an important factor in the life of a society in which various religions and religious movements are actively spreading.