Religion and empire : the Kalmyk sangha in late imperial Russia

Abstract

This dissertation examines how the Russian Empire ruled over its culturally diverse population through religious institutions, focusing on Kalmyk Buddhism as a "tolerated" minority religion. The study analyzes the relationships between the Kalmyk sangha and the imperial administration from 1825 to 1917. It centers on three main questions: How was Kalmyk Buddhism governed? To what extent did the sangha influence religious policy? And how were Buddhist institutions shaped by these interactions? The dissertation argues that imperial rule was not one-sided, but rather a continuous process of negotiation. The sangha made use of available space for participation, developing strategies of adaptation and resistance.