Publisher Description

Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture, and Society explores the unique elements of Mongolian Buddhism while challenging its stereotyped image as a mere replica of Tibetan Buddhism. Vesna A. Wallace brings together an interdisciplinary group of leading scholars to explore the interaction between the Mongolian indigenous culture and Buddhism, the features that Buddhism acquired through its adaptation to the Mongolian cultural sphere, and the ways Mongolshave constructed their Buddhist identity. The contributors explore the ways that Buddhism retained unique Mongolian features through Qing and Mongol support, and bring to light the ways in which MongolianBuddhists saw Buddhism as inseparable from "Mongolness." They show that by being greatly supported by Mongol and Qing empires, suppressed by the communist governments, and experiencing revitalization facilitated by democratization and the challenges posed by modernity, Buddhism underwent a series of transformations while retaining unique Mongolian features.The book covers historical events, social and political conditions, and influential personages in Mongolian Buddhismfrom the sixteenth century to the present, and addresses the artistic and literary expressions of Mongolian Buddhism and various Mongolian Buddhist practices and beliefs.

Author Biography

Vesna A. Wallace is a Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her areas of specialization include Indian and Mongolian Buddhist traditions. She has published extensively on Indian and Mongolian Buddhism, including four books and numerous articles.

Table of Contents

AcknowledgmentsContributorsIntroductionVesna A. WallacePart I1. What Happened to Queen Jönggen?Johan Elverskog2. The Western Mongolian Clear Script and the Making of the Buddhist StateRichard Taupier3. Shakur Lama: The Last Attempt to Build the Buddhist StateBaatr Kitinov4. Modernities, Sense Making, and the Inscription of Mongolian Buddhist PlaceMatthew King5. Envisioning a Mongolian Buddhist Identity through Chinggis KhaanVesna A. WallacePart II6. Establishment of the Mergen Tradition of Mongolian BuddhismUranchimeg Ujeed7. Zanabazar (1635-1723): Vajrayana Art and the State in Medieval MongoliaUranchimeg Tsultemin8. The Power and Authority of Maitreya in Mongolia Examined through Mongolian ArtUranchimeg Tsultemin9. A Literary History of Buddhism in MongoliaSimon Wickham-Smith10. How Vajrapani Became a MongolVesna A. Wallace11. What Do Protective Deities, Mongolian Heroes, and Fast Steeds Have in Common?Vesna A. Wallace12. Buddhist Sacred Mountains, Auspicious Landscapes, and Their AgencyVesna A. WallacePart III13. Criminal Lamas: Court Cases Against Buddhist Monks in Early Socialist MongoliaChristopher Kaplonski14. Transition and Transformation: Buddhist Women of BuryatiaKarma Lekshe Tsomo15. The Social and Cultural Practices of Buddhism: The Local Context of Inner Mongolia in the First Half of the Twentieth CenturyHurelbaatar Ujeed

Review

"This volume offers a thoughtful insight into current scholarship on Mongolian Buddhism. It is presented as a variable, non-unified, but yet specific form of Buddhism, which developed in close interaction with indigenous religion and culture." -- Jana ValtrovÃ! (Masaryk University), Religious Studies Review Vol. 44.1"This volume offers a thoughtful insight into current scholarship on Mongolian Buddhism. It is presented as a variable, non-unified, but yet specific form of Buddhism, which developed in close interaction with indigenous religion and culture." -- Jana Valtrova (Masaryk University), Religious Studies Review Vol.44"This volume provides readers with important evidence and ideas for understanding well the historical, cultural, and social context of Buddhism in the Mongolian world. Without a doubt, as a whole, this is an innovative and progressive work on the subject."--Khohchahar E. Chuluu, H-Net"Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture and Society is the most comprehensive edited volume detailing research on Mongolian Buddhism to date....The range of the book is impressive, especially as it relates to the heterogeneous histories of Mongolian Buddhism."--Inner Asia"With the revival of Mongol Buddhism following the fall of the Soviet Union, conditions for the study of Mongol Buddhist traditions improved dramatically. Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture, and Society well represents the new scholarship that this has enabled. The fifteen carefully prepared essays published here shed welcome new light on many aspects of Mongolian Buddhism that have been previously neglected." --Matthew Kapstein, Director ofTibetan Studies, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris"In sum, this book is an important read for everyone interested in Mongolian studies in relation to history and religious studies." --Religious Studies Review

Promotional

Explores the unique historical and cultural elements of Mongolian Buddhism while challenging its stereotyped image as a mere replica of Tibetan Buddhism

Long Description

Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture, and Society explores the unique elements of Mongolian Buddhism while challenging its stereotyped image as a mere replica of Tibetan Buddhism. Vesna A. Wallace brings together an interdisciplinary group of leading scholars to explore the interaction between the Mongolian indigenous culture and Buddhism, the features that Buddhism acquired through its adaptation to the Mongolian cultural sphere, and the ways Mongols
have constructed their Buddhist identity. The contributors explore the ways that Buddhism retained unique Mongolian features through Qing and Mongol support, and bring to light the ways in which Mongolian
Buddhists saw Buddhism as inseparable from "Mongolness." They show that by being greatly supported by Mongol and Qing empires, suppressed by the communist governments, and experiencing revitalization facilitated by democratization and the challenges posed by modernity, Buddhism underwent a series of transformations while retaining unique Mongolian features.The book covers historical events, social and political conditions, and influential personages in Mongolian Buddhism
from the sixteenth century to the present, and addresses the artistic and literary expressions of Mongolian Buddhism and various Mongolian Buddhist practices and beliefs.

Review Text

"With the revival of Mongol Buddhism following the fall of the Soviet Union, conditions for the study of Mongol Buddhist traditions improved dramatically. Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture, and Society well represents the new scholarship that this has enabled. The fifteen carefully prepared essays published here shed welcome new light on many aspects of Mongolian Buddhism that have been previously neglected." --Matthew Kapstein, Director of
Tibetan Studies, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris

Review Quote

"With the revival of Mongol Buddhism following the fall of the Soviet Union, conditions for the study of Mongol Buddhist traditions improved dramatically. Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture, and Society well represents the new scholarship that this has enabled. The fifteen carefully prepared essays published here shed welcome new light on many aspects of Mongolian Buddhism that have been previously neglected." --Matthew Kapstein, Director of Tibetan Studies,

Feature

Selling point: Offers research based on previously unexamined sources that challenge the stereotyped image of Mongolian Buddhism as a mere replica of Tibetan Buddhism
Selling point: Examines the religious, historical, political, and cultural identities of Buddhism among various Mongolian ethnic groups
Selling point: Contains previously unpublished articles on Mongolian Buddhism
Selling point: Addresses artistic and literary expressions of Mongolian Buddhism practices and beliefs

Details