Материалы по истории буддийского духовенства Калмыцкой степи XIX – начала XX вв. в фондах Государственного архива Астраханской области

Introduction. This article presents the results of a study of the collections of the State Archives of the Astrakhan Region on the history of the Buddhist tradition of the Kalmyk people in the 19th – early 20th centuries. It also lists the most significant files related to the history of the Buddhist clergy of the Kalmyk steppe and analyzes their contents. Materials and Methods. The study utilizes historical-typological, historical-systematic, and statistical research methods. The object of study was a set of archival documents from the 19th – early 20th centuries, including documents related to the history of the Buddhist monastic community of the Kalmyk steppe and its interaction with the Russian state. Results. A significant set of archival documents from the collections of the State Archives of the Astrakhan Region, related to the history of the Buddhist clergy of the Kalmyk people in the 19th – early 20th centuries, was examined and grouped. The identified files will serve as the source material for the monograph “Lamas of the Kalmyk Steppe in the 19th – early 20th Centuries in the Sociopolitical Life of Southern Russia.” Conclusions. The State Archives of the Astrakhan Region contain a significant volume of records on the history of the Buddhist tradition of the Kalmyk people in the 19th and early 20th centuries, which were identified, attributed, and systematized during the author’s research. The introduction of the State Archives of the Astrakhan Region archival materials related to the history of the Buddhist monastic community of the Kalmyk steppe into scholarly circulation will allow for the intensification of Kalmyk studies research based on previously unpublished historical materials

Buddhism · Late 19th century · Local History · Steppe · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies · Social and Behavioral Studies · Soviet and Russian History