Buddhism in Central Asia I

Buddhism in Central Asia (Part I): Patronage, Legitimation, Sacred Space, and Pilgrimage, 6-14th Centuries deals with the various strategies of legitimation and the establishment of sacred space and pilgrimage among both trans-regional (Chinese, Indian, Tibetan) and local (Khotanese, Uyghur, Tangut, Kitan) Buddhist traditions. Readership: All interested in dynamics of inter-cultural encounter and Buddhist transfer in pre-modern Eastern Central Asia

Chinggis Khan\u27s Syncretic Steppe: How Tradition and Innovation Combined to Form the World\u27s Largest and Most Diverse Nomadic Empire

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Transfer of Buddhism Across Central Asian Networks (7th to 13th Centuries)

Transfer of Buddhism across Central Asian Networks (7th to 13th Centuries), ed. Carmen Meinert, offers a transregional and transcultural vision for religious transfer processes in Central Asian history. It explores Buddhist localisations in the Tarim basin, the Transhimalaya and Tibet.; Readership: All interested in an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding religious transfer processes across a Central Asian Buddhist network, best known as the Silk Road(s)

Tibetan Printing: Comparison, Continuities, and Change

Tibetan Printing: Comparisons, Continuities and Change is the first publication that brings together leading experts from different disciplines to discuss the introduction of printing in Tibetan societies in the context of Asian book culture. Readership: All interested in Tibetan Studies, in Asian Book Cultures and the history of printing as well as in interdisciplinary approaches to the study of books as artefacts

Transfer of Buddhism Across Central Asian Networks (7th to 13th Centuries)

Transfer of Buddhism across Central Asian Networks (7th to 13th Centuries), ed. Carmen Meinert, offers a transregional and transcultural vision for religious transfer processes in Central Asian history. It explores Buddhist localisations in the Tarim basin, the Transhimalaya and Tibet.; Readership: All interested in an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding religious transfer processes across a Central Asian Buddhist network, best known as the Silk Road(s)

ESTUDOS MONGÓIS NA RÚSSIA DA SEGUNDA METADE DO SÉCULO XIX Y INÍCIO DOS SÉCULOS XX: PESSOAS E DESTINOS DO PATRIMÔNIO CIENTÍFICO

The article highlights some aspects of the development of the Russian scientific school of Mongolian studies in the second half of XIX - the beginning of XX centuries – the time of a significant contribution of the St. Petersburg center to its history, which strengthens its position in the middle of the XIX century as a result of the transfer of the Eastern Department of Kazan University in St. Petersburg one. The formation of the educational process at the Mongolian-Kalmyk Department in St. Petersburg is in many respects a noble work of the professors transferred from Kazan, first of all, Alexander Vasilyevich Popov, then his student at Kazan University and colleague at St. Petersburg University Konstantin Fedorovich Golstunsky, who brought up his brilliant students-in consequence the authoritative Mongolian scholars, among them Alexey Matveevich Pozdneev, whose life and fate connected two epochs in the history of Russia. A. M. Pozdneev had a chance to work in the post-October period, covering the period from 1917 to 1930, when the traditions of the former Imperial scientific school were still preserved with the active formation of the new Soviet science. Through the prism of the biography of one of the outstanding orientalists of the Russian scientific school Alexey Matveevich Pozdneev, the features characterizing the life and activities of Russian scientists after the 1917 revolution, many of whom tried to find themselves in new conditions of existence, are traced. The fate of most of them, as well as A. M. Pozdneev, was tragic, this was facilitated by the extraordinary historical circumstances of the revolution and the civil war, exacerbated by epidemics of deadly diseases, which put scientists in unbearable conditions of existence. For belonging to the old scientific school, many were arrested and physically destroyed, and their scientific heritage was forgotten or subjected to distortion, denial. It should be noted that the tragedy of the scientific heritage, and in general, research activities, is inherent in the Mongol scholars of the Imperial period, it can be seen through the biographies of A.V. Popov and K.F. Golstunsky, whose works were not received proper distribution. Scientific and pedagogical work of A.V. Popov was interrupted by appointment to the post of Inspector of schools, and the biography and legacy of K.F. Golstunsky is not adequately covered, although he was at the head of Russian Mongol studies for many years.O artigo destaca alguns aspectos do desenvolvimento da escola científica russa de estudos mongóis na segunda metade do século XIX - início do século XX -, época de uma contribuição significativa do centro de São Petersburgo para sua história, o que fortalece sua posição no em meados do século XIX, como resultado da transferência do Departamento Oriental da Universidade de Kazan, em São Petersburgo. A formação do processo educacional no Departamento Mongol-Kalmyk em São Petersburgo é, em muitos aspectos, um trabalho nobre dos professores transferidos de Kazan, antes de tudo, Alexander Vasilyevich Popov, então aluno da Universidade de Kazan e colega em São Petersburgo Universidade Konstantin Fedorovich Golstunsky, que educou seus brilhantes estudantes - em conseqüência os estudiosos mongóis, entre eles Alexey Matveevich Pozdneev, cuja vida e destino conectaram duas épocas na história da Rússia. A. M. Pozdneev teve a chance de trabalhar no período pós-outubro, cobrindo o período de 1917 a 1930, quando as tradições da antiga escola científica imperial ainda foram preservadas com a formação ativa da nova ciência soviética. Através do prisma da biografia de um dos destacados orientalistas da escola científica russa Alexey Matveevich Pozdneev, as características que caracterizam a vida e as atividades dos cientistas russos após a revolução de 1917, muitas das quais tentaram se encontrar em novas condições de existência, são rastreado. O destino da maioria deles, assim como A. M. Pozdneev, foi trágico, facilitado pelas extraordinárias circunstâncias históricas da revolução e da guerra civil, exacerbadas pelas epidemias de doenças mortais, que colocam os cientistas em condições insuportáveis de existência. Por pertencerem à antiga escola científica, muitos foram presos e destruídos fisicamente, e sua herança científica foi esquecida ou sujeita a distorção, negação. Deve-se notar que a tragédia do patrimônio científico e, em geral, as atividades de pesquisa, é inerente aos estudiosos mongóis do período imperial, pode ser vista nas biografias de A.V. Popov e K.F. Golstunsky, cujas obras não receberam distribuição adequada. Trabalho científico e pedagógico de A.V. Popov foi interrompido pela nomeação para o cargo de inspetor das escolas e pela biografia e legado de K.F. Golstunsky não é coberto adequadamente, apesar de estar à frente dos estudos mongóis russos por muitos anos.El artículo destaca algunos aspectos del desarrollo de la escuela científica rusa de estudios mongoles en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, principios del siglo XX, el momento de una contribución significativa del centro de San Petersburgo a su historia, lo que fortalece su posición en a mediados del siglo XIX como resultado de la transferencia del Departamento del Este de la Universidad de Kazan en San Petersburgo. La formación del proceso educativo en el Departamento de Mongolia-Kalmyk en San Petersburgo es, en muchos aspectos, un trabajo noble de los profesores transferidos de Kazán, en primer lugar, Alexander Vasilyevich Popov, luego su alumno en la Universidad de Kazán y colega en San Petersburgo. La Universidad Konstantin Fedorovich Golstunsky, quien crió a sus brillantes estudiantes, en consecuencia, los sabios académicos mongoles, entre ellos Alexey Matveevich Pozdneev, cuya vida y destino conectaron dos épocas en la historia de Rusia. A. M. Pozdneev tuvo la oportunidad de trabajar en el período posterior a octubre, cubriendo el período de 1917 a 1930, cuando las tradiciones de la antigua escuela científica imperial todavía se conservaron con la formación activa de la nueva ciencia soviética. A través del prisma de la biografía de uno de los destacados orientalistas de la escuela científica rusa Alexey Matveevich Pozdneev, las características que caracterizan la vida y las actividades de los científicos rusos después de la revolución de 1917, muchos de los cuales intentaron encontrarse en nuevas condiciones de existencia, son rastreado. El destino de la mayoría de ellos, así como de A. M. Pozdneev, fue trágico, esto fue facilitado por las circunstancias históricas extraordinarias de la revolución y la guerra civil, exacerbadas por epidemias de enfermedades mortales, que pusieron a los científicos en condiciones de existencia insoportables. Por pertenecer a la antigua escuela científica, muchos fueron arrestados y físicamente destruidos, y su patrimonio científico fue olvidado o sometido a distorsión, negación. Cabe señalar que la tragedia del patrimonio científico, y en general, las actividades de investigación, es inherente a los eruditos mongoles del período imperial, se puede ver a través de las biografías de A.V. Popov y K.F. Golstunsky, cuyas obras no recibieron la distribución adecuada. El trabajo científico y pedagógico de A.V. Popov fue interrumpido por el nombramiento al puesto de Inspector de escuelas, y la biografía y el legado de K.F. Golstunsky no está cubierto adecuadamente, aunque estuvo a la cabeza de los estudios mongoles rusos durante muchos años

The Oirad of the Early 17th Century: Statehood and Political Ideology

The early 17th century Oirad ulus represents a major turning point in the politics that dominated Central Asian during the second millennia. The Oirad rose among nomadic and settled states to take control of the Central Asian steppes and play an instrumental role as the modern world was taking shape. Following several major studies of the 17th century Oirad over the past twenty years some fundamental issues remain unresolved. One key issue is the political status of the early 17th century Oirad. Confusions arise from conflicting sources and the absence of Oirat primary texts as well as from narratives influenced by the 19th century paradigm of primitive, kinship-based societies and the so-called pre-state polities into which they were organized. This fresh examination of the Oirad reframes the context in which the Oirad polity is discussed and looks to two 17th century Oirat texts to clarify the nature of the Oirad polity and the way in which the Oirad themselves viewed the state in which they lived. It concludes with a very different narrative of the early 17th century Oirad as a group heavily invested in building alliances and creating a new Buddhist state through a decentralized process of state building. That process resulted in the formation of a 17th century Oirad State with right and left wings that in 1640 co-created the Mongol-Oirat Great State that was unlike anything to come before it. It was a state without central authority other than the rule of law, founded not by conquest but by the mutual agreement of sovereign nobles. Some of those nobles came from aristocratic lineages that pre-dated Chinggis Khan and survived more than five hundred years of Chinggisid primacy to once again stand on equal ground

Buddhist Encounters and Identities Across East Asia

Buddhist Encounters and Identities across East Asia offers a fascinating picture of the intricacies of regional and cross-regional networks and the complexity of Buddhist identities emerging across Asia.; Readership: All those interested in the history of Buddhism in East Asia and in East Asian Buddhist cultural practices, and anyone with an interest in the diffusion and transformation of Buddhism

Re-constructing the nation: struggles in portraying minority ethnic groups in Chinese mainstream history textbooks

This thesis examines the changes to the portrayal of minority ethnic groups in Chinese history textbooks since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It finds that ideological shifts in Beijing have led to minority ethnic groups being portrayed in changing and even contradictory ways in school textbooks. In the history textbooks of the 1950s, the Chinese nation was largely defined as a Han nation-state, and other ethnic groups were generally represented as non-Chinese who had historically been ‘threats’ or ‘enemies’ of the Han/Chinese. It was not until the reform era from the late 1970s that a more inclusive and multi-ethnic conception of the Chinese nationhood was adopted, with ‘minority’ ethnic groups incorporated into the Chinese historical narrative and portrayed more positively. However, as the Communist Party took an increasingly nationalist turn from the 1990s, simultaneously downplaying messages of socialist internationalism, Han ethno-centrism became more apparent once again in textbook narratives, with minority ethnic groups correspondingly marginalised. This thesis also finds that, although non-Han groups were portrayed very differently in history textbooks to match shifting political ideologies, what remained unchanged throughout PRC history was the representation of the backwardness of the non-Han in relation to the Han who were always portrayed as advanced. Based on this examination, this thesis argues that while history education has always been used by the Communist Party to inculcate a highly state-centred vision of national identity, underlying conceptions of the Chinese nationhood have been rather fluid, and there has been no consistent progress towards a more inclusive notion of ‘Chineseness’. Instead, different visions have co-existed and competed, reflecting tensions inherent in the project of constructing modern national consciousness: China has struggled (and is still struggling) to stretch the short, tight skin of the nation over the gigantic body of its empire