Письмо Убаши-хана из монастыря Лабранг в свете данных тибетских источников о связях калмыков с духовными иерархами

Abstract

Introduction. Recent years have witnessed several publications of Oirat-language (Clear Script) letters by Kalmyk khans and nobility, including ones authored by Viceroy Ubashi. However, the former have included none of Khan Ubashi’s messages written after the Kalmyk Exodus of 1771. So, the paper examines one such Oirat-language letter housed at Labrang Monastery (Gansu, PRC). Goals. The work introduces the mentioned document into scientific circulation, seeks to identify its author, addressee and period of creation, analyze its contents from the perspective of Tibet-based sources on relations between Kalmyk elites and Tibetan hierarchs after the year 1771. Materials. The study investigates an eighteenth-century Clear Script letter stored in the Grand Hall of Labrang Monastery and analyzes some Tibetan-language sources, namely: official biographies of the Sixth Panchen Lama Palden Yeshe and the Eighth Dalai Lama Jamphel Gyatso. Results. Analysis has established authorship of the letter, the time interval when it could have been written, and hypothesizes as to the addressee. So, it is presumed that the letter was submitted by Khan Ubashi to Konchok Jigme Wangpo, the Second Jamyang Zhepa, in 1772. Additional insights into other sources may attest to that the key causes behind the Kalmyk Exodus headed by Khan Ubashi included the people’s concern about retaining traditional faith.