Author Description
Despite Mongolia's centrality to East Asian history and culture, Mongols themselves have often been seen as passive subjects on the edge of the Qing formation or as obedient followers of so-called "Tibetan Buddhism," peripheral to major literary, religious, and political developments. But in fact Mongolian Buddhists produced multi-lingual and genre-bending scholastic and ritual works that profoundly shaped historical consciousness, community identification, religious knowledge, and practices in Mongolian lands and beyond. In Sources of Mongolian Buddhism, a team of leading Mongolian scholars and authors have compiled a collection of original Mongolian Buddhist works--including ritual texts, poetic prayers and eulogies, legends, inscriptions, and poems--for the first time in any European language.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates the historical agency and intellectual contributions of Mongolian Buddhists, challenging the perception of Mongols as passive subjects in the development of East Asian religious history. Edited by Vesna A. Wallace, the collection presents a curated selection of original Mongolian Buddhist texts, including ritual works and literary compositions. The authors argue that these primary sources demonstrate a sophisticated, multi-lingual scholastic tradition that actively shaped regional religious knowledge and political identity.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A collection of original Mongolian Buddhist works translated into a European language for the first time.
- Diverse literary forms including ritual texts, poetic prayers, eulogies, legends, and inscriptions.
- Scholarly analysis of the intersection between Mongolian religious practice and broader East Asian historical developments.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the internal production of Mongolian Buddhist literature rather than a comprehensive political history of the region.
- It does not provide an exhaustive survey of all existing Mongolian manuscripts, but rather a representative selection of genre-bending works.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars in the field of Asian religious studies highlight this work as a vital resource for correcting long-standing misconceptions regarding the intellectual autonomy of Mongolian Buddhists. The text is recognized for its academic rigor and its role in providing accessible primary source material for researchers and students of Central Asian history.
Page Count:
544
Publication Date:
2020-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190900717
ISBN-13:
9780190900717
History
Religion
English
Buddhism
Humanities
Asian History
English & College Success
Subjects & Themes