Документы архивного фонда И-42 «Ламайское духовное правление» (1836–1898 гг.) Национального архива Республики Калмыкия о даянчи

Introduction. In the 19th century, the imperial policies toward the Kalmyk Buddhist church changed significantly to integrate the Buddhist clergy into the state system of administering denominations. Goals. The study aims to examine the documents of archival collection И-42 ‘Lamaist Spiritual Directorate’ (National Archive of Kalmykia), which contain evidence of the state was seeking to subordinate the Buddhist church and limit its independence via as follows: prohibition to the clergy on participating in secular affairs; establishment of control over activities of khuruls; and reduction in numbers of khuruls and Kalmyk clerics proper. The paper is first to introduce into scientific circulation a variety of archival documents dealing with dayanchi — clerics who were revered by people but due to bad health or old age could no longer fulfill their duties and, in the mean time, could not be designated as secular individuals. The mentioned archival sources are unique material for investigating the history of Buddhism in nineteenth-century Kalmykia.