Loading...
Buddhism in Postsoviet Russia
Fagan, Geraldine
Fagan, Geraldine
Author(s)
Author(s) (Additional)
Illustrator(s)
Producer(s)
Contributor(s)
Contributor(s) (Other)
Editor(s)
Advisor(s)
Contact(s)
Data Collector(s)
Collections
Files
Loading...
n29-1_009.pdf
Adobe PDF, 701.21 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
"Buddhism in Russia has been the subject of state control ever since its introduction into Transbaikalia (the Siberian region situated directly east of Lake Baikal) by Mongol and Tibetan lamas ofthe Gelug school in the early eighteenth century.' Since Transbaikalia still represented the wild frontier of Russia's expanding empire at that time, its new rulers reckoned upon an independent local Buddhist hierarchy preventing the Buryat-Mongol population from falling under the influence of China's Qing dynasty, which controlled neighbouring Buddhist Mongolia. 2 Despite local officials' unease at the spread of the alien faith, Empress Elizabeth's toleration decree of 1741 permitted 11 datsan (temples) (in fact the number then already in existence) and set the number of lamas at 150;' they were obliged to pledge their loyalty to the Russian state in return for the right to function legally.4 The same decree also created the post of shiretui, or chief lama, which was later changed to khambo lama after the emergence of rival claimants to the earlier title."
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Article
Date
2001
Identifier
ISBN
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder