‘Noyon Khutagts of Khalkha: History of Seven Incarnations’: a Manuscript from Ts. Damdinsuren Memorial House

Abstract

The article examines a manuscript from Ts. Damdinsuren Memorial House (Ulaanbaatar) which contains precious biographical data about Ravjaa (1803–1856), a renowned Mongolian poet and clergyman. Materials. The manuscript outlines biographies of seven Khalkha Noyon Khutagt incarnations ― including that of Ravjaa ― and provides an new insight into the life of Ravjaa’s immediate predecessor whose activities had resulted in that any further reincarnations within the tulku line were officially banned. Results. The paper makes assumptions regarding circumstances that accompanied the creation of the historical and literary monument. Despite the text is short enough, the manuscript may be of great interest to researchers of Mongolian literature, history and religion. The work transliterates and translates the text, publishes a facsimile copy of the original manuscript, thus, introducing the latter into scientific discourse. The document seems to have served as a source the Academician Ts. Damdinsuren had made use of when writing his famous article ‘About the Moon Cuckoo Play’. For a long time the latter remained the only text available dealing with Khalkha Noyon Khutagts, and now there is an opportunity to examine its original source materials.