The Сharter Bestowed by Panchen Lama Palden Yeshe upon the Kalmyks
https://doi.org/10.22162/2500-1523-2025-2-235-253
Abstract
Introduction. In the Kalmyk Khanate and among the Oirats of the Dzhungarian Khanate, there were many charters issued by the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas in different historical periods. These documents had not only important religious significance, but also represented socially significant acts. This study examines one of these letters, granted by the Fifth Panchen Lama Lobsang Yeshe (1663–1737). The purpose of the article is to introduce into scientific circulation and analyze in detail the previously unpublished original letter of the Fifth Panchen Lama, kept in Kalmykia in the family of Bogdakhn, as well as to compare it with the autobiographical sources of Tibetan hierarchs and the testimonies of Russian orientalists of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. In addition, the article proposes a reconstruction of the context of the presentation of the diploma, presumably handed over to the representatives of the Kalmyk embassy of Ayuka Khan during their stay in Tibet in 1680–1682. The following sources served as materials: (1) the original of the charter, kept in Kalmykia; (2) archival photographs taken by A. M. Pozdneev; (3) autobiographies of the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas and the biography of the Fifth Dalai Lama, containing information about the embassy of Ayuka Khan; (4) oral testimonies of modern keepers of relics. The study provides a complete translation and transliteration of the Tibetan and Oirat texts of the letter, describes its formal features, including the seals used and writing styles. The methodology includes comparative historical and textual analysis involving a semiotic approach to the study of seals used in Tibetan documents. Results. The article clarifies the role of the letters as an act of nominal citizenship and a form of institutional connection between the Kalmyk family and the Tibetan monastery of Tashi Lhunpo. Special attention is paid to the connections of the Kalmyk khurul Rashi Lhunbo with the Tibetan monastery of Tashi Lhunpo, as well as sacred relics still preserved in the Bogdakhn family.
Keywords
Supporting agencies: The reported study was funded by government subsidy ― project name "Universals and Specifics in Traditions of the Mongolian-speaking Peoples through the Prism of Cross-Cultural Contacts and the System of Relations between Russia, Mongolia and China" (state registration number: 123021300198-4).
About the Author
Bembya L. Mitruev
Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS (8, Ilishkin St., 358000 Elista, Russian Federation)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Junior Research Associate, Postgraduate Student
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Review
For citations:
Mitruev B. The Сharter Bestowed by Panchen Lama Palden Yeshe upon the Kalmyks. Mongolian Studies. 2025;17(2):235-253. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22162/2500-1523-2025-2-235-253
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