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

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.