Religion 273 - INTRO TO MONGOLIAN BUDDHISM

Same as BUS 273.This course begins with the early contacts between Mongols and Buddhists, including Chenggis Khan and Altan Khan (who named the Dalai Lamas in the 16th century), and Gushii Khan who elevated the 5th Dalai Lama to the throne of Tibet. We explore how Mongolians explained their conversion to Buddhism and the process of cultural borrowing that created new cultural identities, institutions and individuals that make Mongolian Buddhism unique, including the continued interaction with native shamanism. We end with literature on the Stalinist purges of the 70 year communist period and the rebirth of Buddhism since the 1990’s. (E)