| This dissertation, which focuses on the relations of the early Ch'ing state with Tibet, is part of a book-length project that re-examines the rise of the Manchus against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Inner Asia.;It consists of two parts. Part one challenges the current theory that the Manchus, who were thought to be non-believers in Tibetan Buddhism, only patronized the faith to win the allegiance of the Mongols. My findings show that the Manchus were in fact polytheistic: in addition to Tibetan Buddhism, they also followed shamanism, Taoism and Chinese Buddhism. Their belief in the faith was sincere, as evidenced by their translating the Mahayana sutras into Manchu, their frequent citing from Buddhist scriptures like the Subhasitaratnanidhi in their discourses, and their receiving the empowerment (abisekha), a tantric ritual, from their gurus. Had the Manchus wanted to exploit the religion to impinge upon Mongolian politics through the Dalai Lama, it would not have happened before 1643, when the dGe-lugs-pa emerged victorious from the sectarian struggle that had long divided the lamaist oecumene.;Part two contains selective translations and transliterations of fourteen stele inscriptions written in Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian, and Tibetan, which I have used throughout Section One to support my thesis. |
