The spread of Buddhism among Western Mongolian tribes between the 13th and 18th centuries : Tibetan Buddhism in the politics and ideology of the Oirat people

Unlike the majority of Mongolian scholarship, this work examines the history of Buddhism among Mongolian ethnic groups. Numerous works exist on the Oirats and their history, but most of the research has been devoted to the study of Buddhism in the Mongolian empire during its formative years. Machine Generated Contents Note: Ch. I Overview Of Sources On The History Of Buddhism Of The Oirats -- 1.1. Tibetan Sources -- 1.2. Mongolian And Other Sources -- 1.3. Oirat Sources -- Ch. Ii Overview Of Literature -- 2.1. Russian Literature -- 2.2. Foreign Literature -- Ch. Iii Religious Views Of The Oirats Before The Fall Of The Yuan Dynasty -- 3.1. Main Stages Of Early Oirat History -- 3.2. Religions And Beliefs Of The Western Mongolians. The Early Stage Of Buddhism -- 3.3. Spread Of Kagyu School Among Oirats As The Second Stage Of The Buddhist History Of The Western Mongolians -- Ch. Iv Tibetan Buddhism Of The Western Mongolians Between The Fifteenth And The Mid-seventeeth Centuries -- 4.1. Buddhism Of The Eastern And Western Mongolians Up To The Mid-fifteenth Century -- 4.2. Development Of Geluk Teaching Among Oirats As The Third Stage Of The Buddhist Influence In Nomadic Environment -- 4.3. Oirats And The Establishment Of The Geluk As The Dominant School In The Mongolian Speaking World And Tibet -- Ch. V Specific Features Of Oirat Buddhism In The Middle Ages -- 5.1. Religion In The Oirat Political Ideology -- 5.2. Buddhism And Nomad Society -- Ch. Vi Tantrism And Shamanism -- 6.1. Lama Anjja And Development Of Tantrism -- 6.2. Political Impact On Religion And Revival Of Shamanism. Baatr U. Kitinov ; With A Foreword By Lama Thupden Ngodub. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The monograph is devoted to the history of spreading of Buddhism among Oirats, the West Mongolian tribes consisting of clans of Khoshouts, Torgouts, Derbets and Dzungars, in XIII-XVII centuries. The author uses the original Tibetan, Oirat, as well as translated Chinese, Mongolian and other sources, and related literature. The Oirat political history shows the important role they played in Genghis Khan's Khanate. The author mentions the names of people, important events, and the international situation in Central Asia. The study of spreading of Buddhism among Oirats shows that, for them, Buddhism was first of all a type of ideology, rather than religion.