Integration Through Devotion: Qing Buddhist Policy toward Tibet and Mongolia (1661–1796)
Abstract
This study examines Qing dynasty policy toward Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet and Mongolia, in particular how the empire pursued frontier integration through the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. We ask why Qing rulers implemented more intrusive administrative controls in Tibet but relied on symbolic patronage in Mongolia despite a common goal of full incorporation. Utilizing existing scholarship and historical records, we comparatively analyze how the Qing maintained a unified ideological framework under the Gelugpa while tailoring tactics to local structures. In Tibet’s preexisting theocracy, the empire inserted resident commissioners (ambans), regulated reincarnations, and reformed governance, whereas in Mongolia’s dispersed khanates the state reinforced existing lamas and nobles with titles and stipends. These findings reveal the Qing Empire’s flexible yet asymmetrical religious governance. The study aims to significantly increase academic understanding in Qing frontier integration through in-depth cross-regional comparison and sheds light on broader critical questions of state–religion relations in early modern China.
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