Life and Activities of the 2nd Neiji Toyin: a Historiographic Analysis of His Namtar

Goals. The article seeks to introduce into academic discourse a biography (Tib. rnam thar) of Ngag-dbang Blo-bzang Dam pa’i Rgyal-mtshan, the second incarnation of the famous Buddhist preacher Neiji Toyin (1557–1653) who was son of the Oirat Prince Mergen Tebene. Materials. The paper provides a historiographic analysis and description of the manuscript written in 1756 by the 2nd Neiji Toyin’s disciple — Dana-Samudara, also known as Urad Nomun-Dalai. The study explores the text of the biography and reveals its structure and contents: the namtar consists of seven parts, each ending with verses that briefly summarize respective chapters. The biography finishes with a lengthy colophon. Results. The article explores the text in detail and for the first time ever provides biographical data dealing with the life and activities of Neiji Toyin’s khubilgan (Mong. ‘reincarnation’), his role in the history of Inner Mongolian Buddhism, relationship with the Manchu court, and the Qing dynasty’s policies in the region. Conclusions. The biography makes it possible to conclude that some Buddhist figures — including the 2nd Neiji Toyin ― along with many objective sociopolitical factors did play a large role in the dissemination and development of Buddhism among various Mongolian ethnic groups. Despite the insufficiency of his personal characteristics described, a maximum approximation of this Buddhist monk’s biography to the actual historical realities confirms the significance of his efforts.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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