History of Buddhism in the Chronicle of Rabzha Sanzhiev

Abstract

Introduction. The article reviews the Chronicle of Rabzha Sanzhiev dealing with the history of Khori Buryats, written in Classical Mongolian, and housed at the Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Xylographs (IMBT SB RAS). Goals. The article attempts a source analysis into a history (historical accounts) of Buddhism from the Chronicle of Khori Buryats to be newly introduced into scientific circulation. Materials and methods. The study investigates a voluminous work by R. Sanzhiev that can be considered a continuation of the Chronicle of Shirab-Nimbu Khobituev written in 1887. Our analysis employs both a descriptive/narrative approach and the comparative historical method that make it possible to examine R. Sanzhiev’s Chronicle and other Buryat historical accounts in interrelation. Results. The Chronicle of Khori Buryats by R. Sanzhiev follows the traditions of Buryat chronicle-writing, contains new data, and is rich in factual material, in particular relating to the history of Buryat Buddhism missing in earlier texts. Messages on the history of Buddhism have been divided into three groups: history of persons, history of temples and religious objects, and history of corresponding traditions. It should be noted that such a division is conditional enough, since one and the same fragment can actually cluster within more than one group. Conclusions. The paper reveals the author did add a wide range of diverse archival and documentary materials to significantly expand the history of Aga Buryats and the history of how Buddhism had been disseminated within this Buryat ethnic group. Furthermore, R. Sanzhiev included messages about most significant late nineteenth to early twentieth century events in Russia and the world, and explained how the latter influenced the then life of Khori Buryats.