Этническая идентичность калмыков и конфессиональные связи с Тибетом (к прочтению малоизвестных источников)

Abstract

Confessional ties between the Kalmyks and Tibetan monasteries began during the shaping of the Kalmyk nation from diverse Oirat groups – Torghuts, Dorbets, Khoshuts, etc. Goals. The paper seeks to analyze peculiarities of how identity of the Kalmyks was mirrored in documents of the Buddhists compiled at different times – as compared to documents of the Russian government. Materials. The work investigates the Kalmyk identity in relation to analyses and publications of respective documents housed by the National Archive of Kalmykia, letters and credentials of the 5th Dalai Lama (late 17th century), 7th Dalai Lama (1700s – 1730s) and 13th Dalai Lama (early 20th century) housed by St. Petersburg Branch of the Archive of the RAS (a Russian translation of the letter confirming Tseren-Donduk as Khan of the Kalmyks), Russian State Historical Archive (Kalmyk Clear Script translations and Russian texts of two credentials awarded by the 5th Dalai Lama to Yogozur-Tsorji in 1681 and by the 13th Dalai Lama to monk Agvan Sandzhi affiliated to Bogdo Dalai-Lamin Khurul of Maloderbetovsky District in 1903), the original of the letter housed by a Kalmykia-based rural Buddhist temple (a letter submitted by the 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso to Kalmyk monk Samtan Rakbe from Rashi Phuntsok-Ling Monastery). Results. The analysis shows that the Kalmyk Khanate established in the 17th century was identified by the religious hierarch authorized to bestow ‘power credentials’ as Torghut Khanate, by the name of the largest Oirat ethnic group that constituted the bulk of the nation and gave rise to the ruling dynasty of Khans (ethnic Torghuts of the Kereit clan). Identity of the Kalmyks was perceived by the Tibetan hierarchs – both in the 20th century and in the 17th century when the Kalmyk people were being compiled from different Oirat groups — as Torghut, which is caused by the actual dominance of the largest ethnic group during the khanship era (mid-17th century – 1771), and by ties between Tibetan monasteries and Kalmyk clergy that often represented the ruling elites as such. The formula ’49 Mongolian banners, 7 banners of Khalkha, Dzungars, Torghuts and others’ applied by the 13th Dalai Lama in the early 20th century delineates kea areas inhabited by Mongolic peoples: Inner and Outer Mongolia, Oirat and Kalmyk territories, the Kalmyks being designated by the term ‘Torghuts’. Thus, the only survived credential of the 13th Dalai Lama names the Kalmyk monastery represented by gelong Samtan Rakba — ‘Northern Torghut Tashi Phuntsok-Ling Monastery’.