Mongolia

Mongolia. Despite traditions of early contacts with Buddhist teachers, the historical transmission of Buddhism to Mongolia occurred at a late date, primarily through the efforts of the Tibetans and to a lesser extent the Uighurs. Prior to the foundation of the Mongolian state by Jenghis Khan in the 12th century ce, the earliest Mongolian contacts with Buddhism probably occurred through contact with Chinese Buddhist missionaries and the flow of travellers along the Silk Road. During the 13th century, under Jenghis Khan, the Uighur script was adopted for Mongolian use and some Buddhist texts are thought to have been translated at that time. However, Buddhism did not make great inroads among the population until the Tibetan leader Sakya Paṇḍita visited the court of Godan Khan in 1244 and made some conversions. This process was accelerated by cordial contacts between Phags pa blo dro (1235–89) and Kublai Khan. In contrast to this interest in Buddhism among Mongolian aristocrats, it was not until the Dalai Lama III (1543–88) made contact with the court of Altan Khan and gained his support that large-scale missionary efforts were undertaken among the populace in general and the construction of the first monastery took place. This was further promoted by the efforts of Jaya Paṇḍita in the 17th century who was active among the western and northern Mongols. The translation and printing of the entire Buddhist canon into Mongolian from the Tibetan Kanjur and Tenjur was undertaken in the 18th century with the patronage of the Ch'ing emperors Kang-his (1661–1722) and Ch'ien-lung (1736–95). This generated an enormous impetus in the growth of Tibetan-style Buddhism in Mongolia and led to the establishment of almost 2,000 temples and monasteries in all areas of the country. The Mongolian Communist revolution in 1920 heralded a period of wholesale decline and persecution of Buddhism and resulted in the destruction of virtually all of the previously existing monasteries and temples, estimated to have exceeded 1,200 in the 19th century, as well as the execution or forcible laicization of the Saṃgha. The return to a democratic form of government in the 1990s has allowed a considerable revival of interest in Buddhism.