The period of the second half of the XIX - first third of the XX century was the time of the highest degree of development of Buddhism in Transbaikalia. Being a derivative and integral part of the Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhist ecumene, the Buddhist Church of Transbaikalia at the beginning of the XX century found itself in conditions sharply different from those in which other parts of this cultural and religious unity developed. The rapid pace of modernization processes in Siberia, which affected all spheres of Buryat society, also led to significant metamorphoses within both the secular and religious communities. Time itself contributed to the emergence of strong and extraordinary personalities, including those from the ranks of the Buddhist clergy. But even against this background, there is hardly a more intriguing figure known in the history of Buddhist Transbaikalia than Lama Lubsan Samdan Tsydenov , a Buddhist scholar, writer, poet, and religious figure who tried to realize his views in the field of real politics through the establishment of a theocratic state based on the principles of the Buddhist concept of power in 1919.

Unfortunately, historical science has extremely scanty, fragmented and unreliable information about the life, activities and views of this man, shrouded in a fog of hoaxes. This is not surprising, since today only a small number of sources are known, mostly containing information that is not completely objective. Thus, an unpublished manuscript by Tsydenov 2, an employee of the Anti-Religious Museum 1, states that Tsydenov was born in 1850 in the Kizhnga ulus of the Khorinsky Department. As a child, Tsydenov was sent to the Kizhinga (Kudun) monastery, where after some time he began studying at the Tsannid faculty, continuing it in the residence of the Pandito of the Hambo Lama-Tamchinsky datsan. The same document reports on Tsydenov's early learning abilities, successful completion of the gabji monastic degree, and Tsydenov's special commitment to meditation practice, including in the tradition of the so-called old tantras. In the document, Tsydenov is characterized as a closed, inclined person

1 The Anti-religious Museum of Verkhneudinsk (since 1934 - Ulan-Ude) was founded in 1923. Later it was renamed the M. N. Khangalov Museum of Local Lore (now the M. N. Khangalov Museum of the History of Buryatia).

2 The manuscript of Ts. M. Ochirzhapov "Theocratic Balaghat movement and banditry in the Khorinsky aimag in 1917-1927" is 92 pages of typewritten text. Fragments from it were published in one of V. M. Montlevich's articles. The manuscript is kept in the private collection of D. B. Dugarov. The author expresses his gratitude to the owner who provided the opportunity to use these materials in this article.

Gabzhi 3 (tib. dka ' bzhi) is one of the highest monastic academic degrees.

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to solitude, limited contact with others and abstinence in everyday life.

However, Tsydenov's extraordinary personal charisma and exceptional scholarship raised his authority among the faithful, which allowed him to take part in the elections for the position of abbot of the Kudun monastery. According to some documents that contain a reference to Tsydenov's personal diary, he allegedly dreamed of being appointed abbot of the Kudun monastery and even cherished claims to the position of Pandito Hambo Lama, the highest administrative position of the Buddhist Church of Eastern Siberia [Zhigmidon, p. 2]. However, in a competitive struggle, Tsydenov lost to another applicant who, as he claims, enjoyed the right to become the head of the Kudun monastery. Zhigmidon, with the support of the acting Khambo Lama Choynzon Iroltuev. As some moral compensation for this defeat, Iroltuev includes Tsydenov in the Buryat delegation to the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896. This was also facilitated by authoritative representatives of the Horin 4 tribal aristocracy [ibid.].

Ochirzhapov's essay also claims that the reason for Tsydenov's trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg was allegedly the plans of the organizers of this trip to arrange a dispute with the capital's Oriental scientists on occasion. It follows that Tsydenov joined the delegation because of his reputation as a learned monk [Ochirzhapov, p. 80] .5

In March 1896, a delegation on mail horses went to Krasnoyarsk, from where it continued on the Siberian Railway to Moscow. Secular and religious representatives of Trans-Baikal Buryats took part in the coronation ceremony of Nicholas Ii in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin and the subsequent lavish celebrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In addition, in the Russian capital, members of the delegation were invited to an audience with the new emperor. The manuscript of Ts. M. Ochirzhapov, among other things, tells about an extraordinary case that happened to the delegation in St. Petersburg. Tsydenov, who was present at the audience with Nicholas II, did not participate in the worship of the other members of the delegation to the tsar, which not only put them in an awkward position, but also caused confusion on the part of the palace officials and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. When Pandito Khambo Lama Iroltuev denounced Tsydenov on behalf of all the delegates, Tsydenov replied that he was like a gylun6 is not obliged to worship the Christian king, that his non-participation in this worship is not a criminal act, and that, on the contrary, the worship of Buddhists to the Christian monarch, in particular, the Khambo Lama Iroltuev as a gilun and head of the Buddhist clergy of Siberia, is a deviation from the law of Vinaya 7 and stains them with shame [Ochirzhapov, p. 81].

This incident was the reason for the proceedings with the participation of the Minister of Internal Affairs Goremykin himself. According to the text, the chief taish8 Khorinsky Buryats, Ts. D. Ayusheev, gave the following explanation for the act of Samdan Tsydenov:

"The incident of non-worship of the tsar by one of the delegates that took place during the audience is explained by the excessive patriotic feeling that caused unconsciousness and insanity when meeting the royal person, and that this incident is the result of the fact that he [Tsydenov] did not go anywhere from a remote corner and did not visit cultural centers; he himself considered the meeting with the king of rarity and the best happiness" [Ochirzhapov, p. 81].

Khori, Khorinsky Buryats -4 self-designation of one of the largest sub-ethnic groups in the Buryats. They live in central and eastern Transbaikalia.

5 In the personal fund of S. Tsydenov there is a Certificate No. 151 about his business trip to Moscow "for the Sacred Coronation of Their Imperial Majesties" [Tsvrik IMBiT SB RAS, d. 636, l. 5].

6 Refers to a gelon (Tib. dge slong), or bhikkhu-a Buddhist monk who has taken all the vows.

7 Vinaya-the canonical disciplinary code of Buddhist monks.

Taisha 8 is a title of the hereditary Buryat aristocracy. Since the 18th century, it has been called the chief official, who is elected by a certain Buryat tribal group and approved by the Siberian General Government to manage the affairs of the corresponding Steppe Duma.

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These explanations satisfied the authorities, but left Tsydenov himself dissatisfied, who was dissatisfied with the fact that Ayusheev concealed the true motives of his act. Nevertheless, like all the members of the delegation, on August 20, 1896, Samdan Tsydenov was awarded a silver medal for wearing in his buttonhole on the St. Andrew's Ribbon.

The same source also contains information about Tsydenov's alleged meeting with the well-known Russian Mongol scholar A. M. Pozdneev, who, according to Ts.M. Ochirzhapov, assessed Tsydenov's views as reformist, "aimed at developing a mystical trend based on criticism of the yellow-capers" [Ochirzhapov, p. 82].

Of course, we do not have sufficient grounds to fully trust these facts, since they are not supported by references to official documents and are given in unpublished historical essays compiled by employees of the Ulan-Ude Anti-Religious Museum in the 1930s, i.e. at least 30 years after the events described, apparently based on oral information.

Two years after his return to Transbaikalia, Tsydenov left the monastery and went into a long meditative retreat, settling in the area of Soorkhoy, in the vicinity of the village of Kizhinga, together with his followers. In meditative solitude, Tsydenov indulged in the Tantric practice of contemplating idama Vajrabhairava. Many years of contemplation strengthened his spiritual authority in the eyes of ordinary believers. The fame of Tsydenov and his followers spread far beyond the borders of the Kudun Valley. Tsydenov's significance was explained not only by religious asceticism and Tantric practice, but also by an open anti-monastic ideology. Nevertheless, in 1907, Tsydenov was appointed abbot of the Kudun monastery, but even this did not force him to interrupt his seclusion - he began to lead the monastery through assistants. Such an unusual way of managing the monastery became the reason for Tsydenov's dismissal from the post of abbot 9 years later, as evidenced by a complaint addressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia and dated March 1917. Among other things, the complaint says the following::

"The position of Shiretui 12 <proper> I did not need it, I accepted it only in compliance with the urgent request of all the people, i.e., all the parishioners of the datsan. I'm not chasing that. In this circumstance, the truth and the law and the rules of religion are important to me, violated by an unjustified whim, and therefore I appeal to Your Excellency with this complaint only in order to restore the violated truth and law and eliminate injustice "[TSVRIK IMBiT SB RAS, S. Tsydenov's Personal Foundation, 636, l. 10]13.

Apparently, Tsydenov was never restored to the rights of abbot, which could not but affect the further fate of himself and his followers.

With the beginning of radical transformations in Russia and the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, civil war broke out throughout the country, and in particular in Siberia. After a failed attempt to assert Soviet power in Transbaikalia, the regime of Ataman Semenov was established here, who concluded a strategic alliance with the Buryat national self-government body created in the fall of 1917 - the Central Buryat National Committee (the so-called Burnatskom, renamed Buryat a year later-

9 In the personal fund of S. Tsydenov, an official award certificate is kept in his name [TSVRIK IMBiTSO RAS, 636, l. 5].

10 Yellow caps are a popular name for followers of the Tibetan Gelug Buddhist tradition, founded in the late 14th century. Zhe Tsonghava and became dominant in Tibet and Mongolia in the 17th century.

Idam 11 is a Tantric meditative deity associated with a particular Tantric system. Vajrabhairava (Yamantaka) is one of the main idams of the Gedug tradition.

Siretui 12 (Mong. siregetu) - abbot of the monastery.

13 This fragment is handwritten by Tsydenov himself after the main text typed on a typewriter.

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the Russian People's Duma (Burnardum). A certain part of the tribal aristocracy, which had previously sought the restoration of traditional institutions of government of the Buryats and in the new conditions remained on the periphery of the centers of power, sought to seize power in part of the territory of settlement of the Khori-Buryats. According to K. M. Gerasimova, "the theocratic initiative of Samdan Tsydenov could not have become a phenomenon of mass social life of Khorin residents without the organizational support of the noyons of Khorin, ordinary community members and lamas" (Gerasimova, 2003, p.126). This is also evidenced by the fact that even after Tsydenov virtually disappeared from the political space, the movement of his supporters, the so-called balagats, continued to operate actively until 1929, not recognizing the authorities of the Burnardum and the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Region.

Discontent of the population with the administrative and economic reforms carried out by the Buryat People's Duma in the first months of its existence, the inability of the authorities to establish strict control on the ground made it possible for representatives of the former tribal nobility to incite anti-government sentiment. The reason for the open sabotage of the orders of the Buryat People's Duma by a number of Khorinsky aimags was the support of Ataman Semenov's demand in the last autumn of 1918 to mobilize the Buryat male population aged 22 to 25 years into the ranks of the people's militia (Sagaan Sagdaa)14.

The question of the extent of Samdan Tsydenov's personal involvement in promoting the initiative to create an independent state education in a number of Khorin aimags remains open. It seems obvious to us that such radical decisions could hardly be dictated by the position of one person, even if so extraordinary as Tsydenov. One way or another, but after February 1919. The Kizhinga Credit Association, on behalf of the Bodongut, Khalbinsky and Tsagan khoshuns of the Khorinsky aimag, appealed to it to take under its protection the population of the above-mentioned administrative units, Tsydenov declared himself the Dharmaraja of the Three Worlds and the holder of religious and civil spheres of power. His entourage launched activities to organize petitions from the population of various Khoshuns and somons to include them in the citizenship of the state created under his auspices. The petitions were accompanied by large offerings in the form of religious donations.

Thus, the new state included subjects of about 20 somons with a number of 13 thousand people. According to unverified data, residents of the Chikoy, Barguzin and Aginsky aimags, which were under the administrative jurisdiction of the Buryat People's Duma, also sought to become citizens of Dharmaraja. By order of Tsydenov, the state officially named Khudunai Erhete Balga-an 15 created a government and government bodies, adopted a draft constitution, and began to develop administrative and terminological reforms, i.e. the process of forming state institutions was in full swing, with the exception of one-the army. It was clearly stated that the state is created on the principles of nonviolence and, moreover, the reason for the creation of the state is the desire to stay away from military conflicts.

14 Protests of theocratic supporters against the involvement of the Buryat population in armed conflicts began in the spring of 1918, when the Military Revolutionary Headquarters of Transbaikalia announced mobilization into the ranks of the Red Army. The main criticism of the theocrats was directed at the policy of the Burnatsky Committee to promote this Bolshevik initiative. Tsydenov's supporters even accused the autonomists of implanting administrative units - somons, khoshuns, and aimags-that were historically of military origin. Theocrats invented the word balagat to refer to the administrative divisions corresponding to the Khoshuns. The etymology of this word remains unclear.

15 Approximate translation from Buryat - Arbitrarily separated [state] Kudun [valley].

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Already in early May 1919, Tsydenov and members of his government were arrested by representatives of the Buryat People's Duma and Ataman Semenov. Tsydenov was placed in Verkhneudinsk prison. However, a month later, he was released again. Under ataman Semyonov, Samdan Tsydenov was arrested three times, but, probably not wanting to aggravate relations with the Buryat population of the Khorinsky aimag, the authorities did not find it advisable to keep him in custody for a long time. Each release of Tsydenov was invariably perceived by his subjects as proof of his sanctity and invulnerability. During the period from the beginning of the establishment of the state and up to May 1920, the date of the last arrest of Samdan Tsydenov, the authorities of the theocratic state operated in parallel with the local administrations of the Burnardum and Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Region of the Far Eastern Federal District.

Little is known about the time and circumstances of Samdan Tsydenov's death. The manuscript of Ts. M. Ochirzhapov states that after the last arrest made by the authorities of the Far Eastern Republic, he was imprisoned in Verkhneudinsk prison, where he was held until 1922, after which, by a court decision, he had to be transferred to an unknown remote settlement [Ochirzhapov, p. 51]. V. M. Montlevich, without reference to a specific source, cites the testimony of a certain Gypsy who apparently met Tsydenov in prison, who allegedly claimed to have seen Tsydenov at the railway station in Verkhneudinsk, from where, according to him, he was traveling to Italy [Montlevich, 1993, p.35].

Undoubtedly, these testimonies hardly deserve full confidence and do not fully reflect the events related to the emergence of the "dharmic" state of Samdan Tsydenov. The nature of his personal political views remains unclear. In this situation, the only reliable source that could help reconstruct the views and motives of Samdan Tsydenov's actions is his own writings.

From the testimonies of people who knew Tsydenov and the historical documents available to us, it is known that he showed an increased interest in Western scientific achievements, world religions (besides Buddhism), and, finally, in the state structure of European countries. Thus, a curious story by the Russian ethnographer Moisey Krol, who conducted field research in eastern Transbaikalia at the end of the XIX century, mentions his unexpected meeting with Tsydenov in August 1893. For two days, the scientist answered numerous questions of the "holy lama" about Christianity, Western philosophy, and the European understanding of the world, after which he wrote in his diary:

"Who knows how many years were hidden in his soul the questions that he bombarded me with from the very first time we met. I do not know whether I have satisfied his spiritual hunger in any way, but he has learned a great deal from me, and he has become acquainted with a world view of which he had not even vaguely known before meeting me... Once again he will withdraw into himself, once again he will remove the worshipful Buryats from his ascetic cell with a single movement of his hand, but so many new thoughts have been imprinted on his mind that he will probably spend the rest of his days thinking about them and deepening them in the intervals between reading Tibetan sacred books and performing his duties spiritual shepherd... " [Krol, 2004, p. 80].

Even more unique evidence of how important the influence of Europe was on Samdan Tsydenov, we see in his lengthy poem dedicated to the enthronement of Nicholas II. The Mongolian text of this poem, titled "I Fly across the Sky" (Oytaryui-dur niystunem), was published by Tsendiin Damdinsuren in the Anthology of Mongolian Literature (Jayunbilig) [Damdinsurung, 1959, p. 541 - 547]. This edition includes only fragments of the work of S. Tsydenov. However, most recently in the Museum of the History of Buryatia named after him. The original Tibetan text of this poem was discovered in Khangalova, which, in addition to the published ones, contains fragments relating to the coronation ceremony and

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audience of the Buryat delegation with the Russian Emperor. Whether the text owes these notes to Damdinsuren, or whether the abridged text of the poem has already fallen into the hands of an outstanding Mongol scholar, we do not know.

In the Tibetan version, the poem has the lengthy title "A new song inspired by the great joy on the occasion of the final ascension to the indestructible diamond throne of the mighty Chakravartin, the deity established by heaven, Tsar Nicholas, praising the enthronement, telling in brief also about the glory of Russia, which has gained the power of two capitals, called" Repeatedly looking at the terrifying Bengal and African lions in 16. In the colophon of the manuscript, the author tells about the circumstances of writing a work that has no analogues in the Buryat Buddhist literature:

"When known as the incarnation of Tara Chintamanichakra, lord of men, the heavenly god Nicholas was enthroned in his kingdom, I prayed to the gods of longevity and performed rites for his health. When I saw his beautiful golden face and experienced great happiness, I began to compose words of praise dedicated to the feast of the accession to the throne of the powerful patron saint of all living beings and the high nobility of the court who was present there. This joyful speech, like the tree of life for the Teaching and all sentient beings who are at the beginning, middle and end of the path, was narrated by Guru Samdan Namdol in the gardens of the mighty Maheshwara, in the best of the mirage-like cities, St. Petersburg, in the Ugolnevsky district, in the southern part of the southern part of the city, in the southern part of the Liteyny Avenue, number 50, on the third floor, in apartment 47, and carefully recorded under the light of two electric lamps by a disciple Aghvan Darzhai.

The first year since the accession to the throne of the great Emperor Nicholas II on the 25th day of the sixth Mongolian month in the year of fire-the ape-man on the 15th rabzhong. This new song about the glory of Russia and the greatness of the Tsar himself, composed for worldly pleasure, was written in the golden capital of the state and, being specially adapted for understanding by all those close to the imperial court, praises the divine figure of the Tsar. And although it was presented to the Tsarevich Prince Yegoriy [?After returning to my homeland, I made some minor additions to clarify the meaning of the words in the draft with the lyrics that I brought with me. And may it, with its heavenly purity, serve as a perfect and magnificent delight for all living beings!

Not many people know me as Samdan. I am better known by other names, for example, as the Siberian master of poetry Egeshigtu Satva."

The poem is written in a very complex manner, richly filled with poetic metaphors, references to the field of classical Indian mythology, religious and philosophical lyrics, and lush pathos.17 Interestingly, in the part of the presentation of the vpe-

16 Khangalov Museum of the History of Buryatia. Temporary fund. Inv. N 422. The manuscript appears to be a copy of the original, rewritten later. The text is written on a student's notebook in a 20-sheet cell, not counting the cover, which is printed with images of Lenin and Stalin, made by the Leningrad paper factory "Svetoch". On the front of the notebook cover, the number 57 is written in simple pencil. In the same place, the following entry was made in black ink by hand:: "Theocratism" Tsydenov's manuscript. [More inaudible] Zhigzhitova and Rinchinova [the last word is crossed out by the same hand]. The city of Ulan-Ude, 1936". The title of the poem is written on page 1, the reverse side of which is empty. The next three pages are neatly cut out with scissors, but the main text starts from the beginning and occupies all the pages of the notebook except the back of the last sheet. The text of the poem is written in a simple pencil in the traditional Tibetan script. The text is written clean with some corrections made with an eraser. The colophon of the composition is located on ff. 16a-17a.

17 Different researchers have defined the genre in which the poem is written in different ways. Indeed, in the title of the work it is designated as "song" (tib. mGur), but a more detailed acquaintance with the poem indicates its extreme genre heterogeneity. The first parts of the poem create complete confidence in the reader that he is dealing with a work in the genre of religious praise (tib. bstod), then the form and content of the narrative are clearly shifted towards travel notes (tib. lam yig).

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In addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg, the author follows the style of descriptions of "pure lands" 18. For clarity, we will give the following examples from the classic work of this kind "Wise Mirror, telling about the structure of the land of Sukhavati" by Chakhar Lubsan-Tsultim (1740-1810):

"Speaking about the virtues of houses and buildings in the pure land of Sukhavati, we note the following: they are decorated with various jewels. Some have columns of red coral, arches of blue beryl, roofs of gold, walls of crystal, floors of white coral. Doors and windows are made of various jewels. Buildings consist of hundreds of thousands of floors. Fences and stairs for descending and ascending are made of precious stones. [... The people in that direction have plenty of food. One has only to think about what one wants, and their precious bowls are filled with food filled with any color, aroma and taste" [Tsvrik IMBiT SB RAS, Mongolian Foundation, collection M II, 37. Ff. 8v, 13v].

When describing Moscow and Muscovites, Tsydenov follows the same manner of presentation:

"Beautiful buildings reach up to the sky, and clouds encircle them. When I got a closer look at the city, looked more closely at the clay and stone houses, I was convinced that their essence is the five precious qualities, they are decorated with all the treasures, literally hung with them. The houses that line the mountain ranges and their towers that stare up at the sky are filled with an ocean of treasures that can rival Vaisravana's storerooms. There are no hungry families here. The word poor is just a word. The food here is made from precious grains of hundreds of flavors to suit every taste. [ ... ] High-rise buildings have doors both in the middle and on the sides, and inside [the buildings] the lifting stairs are twisted like a spiral shell, so that the sense of direction is lost. In the sky-high domes of transparent crystal that reach up to the sky, the views of the heavenly spheres delight the eye, as if at a celebration of meeting the world of deities! The floors of palaces and temples are like the surface of a mirror, in which you can see the reflections of people and floor patterns, as if you are on the shore of a lake. It is amazing how the blue of the rocky Mountains, blue jets of color melting in the sky, are used here instead of paint. All these incomparable multi-storey buildings, the surface of the concrete walls look as if they are pulled apart on many sides. Suddenly, miraculously, people's bodies begin to multiply infinitely, and it is no longer possible to distinguish where the body is and where its reflection is, and then orientation is instantly lost."

Despite the fact that the painting of the beauties of the two main cities of Russia occupy a large place in the poem, they still serve only as a background to the merits of the main character of the poem - Emperor Nicholas P. Admiration for the external splendor of the emperor and his entourage, the brilliance and power of the monarchical power of the empire is particularly impressive in the artistic representation of the coronation ritual in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin:

"Then, during the power anointing ritual, thousands gathered like the dust of the whole earth and settled down in a buzzing crowd. On a high pedestal decorated with golden nets of heavenly beauty, on a large golden path covered with carpets rivaling the splendor of the Persian ones, gathered the clergy in golden cassocks and state teachers with long hair, followers of the Self-Existent, who from the sphere of empty space with only a true word capable of reification, in six days created the whole world after which he gave birth to Adam and Eve, the progenitors of mankind, known for multiplying the human race. They carry a golden cross around, sprinkle it with holy water, and exorcise unclean spirits. At the hour when the royal head of the Mighty Cakravartin, established by the power of the eternal heaven, the god of the gods of the world, was consecrated to the kingdom, it was like a sacrificial sacrifice.

18. The author's admiration for the external side of urban civilization turns into a rather detailed description of the inner side of urban amenities: "On all streets in all directions, small depressions are dug, which are lined with boards, paved with various cobblestones on top. Concrete has been poured over all the cracks, and the surface of the ground has been leveled, where only the rumble of horse-drawn carts can be heard, so loud that it would drown out the screams of a dragon."

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the candle was surrounded by a swaying ocean under a canopy of clouds in radiance and grandeur by the nobility who entered the Assumption Cathedral, led by admiring the world and the radiance of the moon, the queen of all living things Alexandra, as well as the brave and wise ministers with their retinue and entourage floating by the moon and sun. At this moment, as a sign of victory over the enemies, the warlords fired a volley of more than 100 guns that seemed to be able to knock the spirit out of the demon army. And the whole world from top to bottom was filled with the splendor of the ecstatic cries of the ocean of priests and the loud ringing of bells, like the voice of a dragon. When the only father, the mighty Vishnu among the gods, placed the precious crown on his head and took into his hands the kingdom that controlled two or three universes, he was surrounded like planets by wise heroes, like the prince of Siam, who came from the sacred land of India, where the Tathagatas of the three times performed the twelve acts, and other illustrious figures. monarchs from different countries. And in the center of this noisy splendor, he sits, clutching in his left hand the symbol of the globe, and in his right - a scepter decorated with a vajra. And when, with the smile of a hundred thousand happy universes, he lifted up his body as a mighty protector from his enemies, his robes, decorated with the signs of happiness, glittered at the edges. When his tall body, adorned with the finest Garuda necklace encrusted with jewels, and excited like the bees of heaven in the gardens of Sankapadma, rose with the full moon over the Vindhya peaks, the clouds of the assembled people poured out a shower of cheers! And with beaming smiles on their faces, the people raised their hands in the air, holding up the crown of victory at the ends of their fingers. It occurred to me that Maheshwara himself could not compete with this one who placed lotus feet on the heads of hundreds of millions of bipeds, the most powerful and richest among the great monarchs."

In this fragment and elsewhere in the poem, the author explicitly calls the Russian monarch Chakravartin, realizing and emphasizing his non-confessional nature. As a rule, this title was used within the Buddhist ecumene, and the rulers who were called in this way positioned themselves as Buddhists. The use of this sacred title in relation to Nicholas seems to us even more important than all the other metaphors that the author uses to denote the power and greatness of the Russian emperor, such as the Indo-Buddhist ones - "Tara Cintamanichakra 19, Vishnu, Indra, Rama, the god of gods who surpasses Maheshvara", or the Mongolian ones - " established by force eternal Heaven." Comparisons of Russian emperors and empresses with deities, the Bodhisattva Tara, and their designation as Heaven-ordained are typical of Buryat Buddhist praises. about this: Frolova, 2004, pp. 29-33]. In contrast, the title "chakravartin" directly introduces Nicholas to the sphere of Buddhist ideas about power and is not found in other hymns dedicated to him known to us.

In this connection, the words expressing the author's delight in having an audience with the emperor seem equally significant to us:

The satisfaction of meeting the face of one who has established laws consistent with the Dharma (emphasis added), of meeting the happiest chance in a series of lifetimes, is like acquiring the most beautiful commodity.

The italicized characterization of a king is equal to the title of Dharmaraja, i.e., a monarch who governs according to dharma. In this case, dharma can be understood not as a Buddhist teaching, because Tsydenov understood that Nicholas is not a Buddhist, but a certain universal moral law, according to which a righteous monarch rules.

Another important point that needs to be emphasized in this regard is related to Tsydenov's alleged refusal to worship the already crowned Emperor Nicholas. What is known about this episode from Ochirzhapov's historical essay, which we discussed above, at first glance does not correspond much to that mood,

18 It is also interesting that in the text of the poem, the mention of Nicholas as the incarnation of Tara-the most famous honorary title that the Buryat Buddhists gave to the Russian emperors - occurs only once.

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with whom Tsydenov himself wrote an enthusiastic hymn dedicated to the coronation and audience. And indeed, in the poem we find a completely different description of what happened during the reception:

"Like the moon among the stars, captivating the mind at first sight, the unforgettable lord of men came to us together with his consort. [ ... ] And at that moment, as the expanse of the vast sea is covered with ripples of waves, my body was covered with golden robes of rising hairs, accompanied by tremors. After bowing down and prostrating three times, I presented things that symbolize the wish for a long and strong life - a greeting scarf and a statue of the deity of long life."

Does this mean that Ts. M. Ochirzhapov's essay is not true? This seems unlikely to us, although, of course, until documentary evidence is found for this information, it is impossible to trust them unconditionally. However, we are inclined to agree with the author of the essay that Samdan Tsydenov really could have refused to follow the ceremonial in the place of worship of the emperor, referring to the quite reasonable arguments mentioned in the essay. This is all the more likely if we take into account the well-known principled and extraordinary nature of the Kudun hermit. Nevertheless, on the pages of his poem, Tsydenov prostrates himself three times before the monarch, thereby declaring his attitude towards the emperor as a sacred figure. The poem, therefore, may reflect a certain ideal otherness in relation to what was happening in reality, which could not correspond to it in everything. In other words, Samdan Tsydenov was not ready for ceremonial worship before the emperor in a particular situation, but internally the tsar as the bearer of power fully corresponded to the object of his worship.

In any case, it seems quite natural to assume that the man who wrote such a significant and solemn work, dedicated to the splendor, splendor and grandeur of monarchical power, even if only partially related to Buddhist civilization, considered the monarchy as such sacred. The news of the execution of the royal family was spread by Russian newspapers in the summer of 1918, and it is not difficult to imagine what impression it might have made on a person who considered the emperor a divine person. Could any other government be legitimate in his eyes, be it the Provisional Government, the Soviets, the authorities of the Buryat Autonomous Region, Admiral Kolchak or Ataman Semyonov? The destroyed monarchy could only be replaced by another monarchy with direct attributes of sacredness - the power of an enlightened deity.

During the confiscation of property that followed Tsydenov's arrest in the spring of 1919, an entire library of books and magazines in European languages was discovered in his hermit's cell.20 In Tsydenov's currently available prison records, we find numerous European terms from the field of political theory and state structure extracted from the encyclopedic dictionary at his disposal. A significant place in his notes is occupied by the term "theocracy" in the following definition: "a theocracy is a model of government in which god is considered the head of the state, as if transmitting commands and prohibitions to priests; / / state management by clergy acting as if at the suggestion of a deity; / / the state itself with such a system" [Tsvrik IMBiT SB RAS. The Tibetan Foundation. Archive of S. Tsydenov, p. 128r.]. Even after the fact, Tsydenov purposefully searches in the literature for examples of hierocratic and theocratic forms of government in European countries, the theoretical justification of the form of power that he chose for his state project.

20 Cm. description of Tsydenov's arrest in 1919 [TSVRIK IMBiT SB RAS. The Mongolian Foundation. Collection M I, 516. Ff. lr-2v].

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We have at our disposal a fragment of the draft manuscript of Tsydenov's appeal to the Political Court of the Pribaikalsky region of the Far Eastern Federal District, in which he comments on the charges brought against him as follows::

"I am indeed the King of Learning (Dharmaraja) Three Worlds. This power is bestowed upon me by the deity. Since I was the savior to my followers, they also held a health service with gifts when they met me at worship. I will give an example to explain the extent of their offerings to acquire the merit collection. In ancient times, one Chakravartin Khan, who conquered four continents, by the power of the treasure of Cintamani, who fulfills desires, poured out a precious rain until it filled the continents, and presented his united khanate to the Buddhist religion. Now, to understand the extent and measure of these offerings, you need to understand them as equal to this offering. To understand this as a thirst for profit is a big misconception. The faith I lead is contained in an ocean of Tantric teaching that has reached the limits of all the Buddha's benevolent teachings. Since the source of these teachings is the container of the ten sides and three times, the Great Lord of the Buddhas Vajradhara, I will not expand on this point.

Since we have a theocracy, most of the supporters are adepts, and therefore they need to have attributes, signs, and adhere to appropriate behavior. They are bound by the prohibition of murder and other vows of purity. According to them, in no case can you serve in the army. When I founded the theocratic state, I was guided by the principle of combining religious and secular principles. It does not involve a division between religious and civil affairs. The reason for this is that the government combines religion and the state. Since theocratic politics is linked to religion, it considers politics and religion closely related. Thus, the actions associated with the "despot lama" are religious, and everything I have done cannot be considered crimes "[Tsvrik IMBiT SB RAS. The Tibetan Foundation. Archive of S. Tsydenov. Ff. 11r-12v].

In this document, which can be roughly dated to 1920, Tsydenov gives his own (albeit somewhat official) explanation of the motives for creating a theocracy, which is kept in line with the standard Buddhist concept of the state and power. As we can see, the key word in the text is the basic term of Buddhist political theory, which has its roots in the Mauryan era during the reign of Ashoka-dharmaraja.

The title "Dharmaraja of the Three Worlds", i.e., according to the Buddhist worldview, arupadhat, rupadhat and komarupadhat, began to be applied by Tsydenov immediately after declaring him the theocratic head of the created state. Undoubtedly, the semantic load here is focused on the first part of the title - Dharmaraja - the King of Dharma, the King who rules according to Dharma, which can be understood as the Buddhist universal all-encompassing dharma as a philosophical and ethical principle of being. Recently, much has been said in the scientific literature about the meaning and features of this royal title, which is widespread in almost the entire space of the Buddhist ecumene. It should be noted only that Tsydenov's quoted address is essentially a concise manifesto of a dharmic state, in which there is no place for violence in any form.

S. Y. Lepekhov notes in one of his works that the project of Tsydenov's dharmic state is a projection of the archetypal image of the Mauryan empire during the reign of Ashoka, revealing a continuous civilizational connection with the Indian model [Lepekhov, 1999, p. 57]. Supporting this point of view, we will point out only one fundamental difference between the two models. The title of dharmaraja, being a definition of the figure of a monarch, does not necessarily refer to the sacredness or divinity of its owner. As you know, in addition to the legendary archetypal patterns recorded in the early Buddhist sutras, this royal title had a practical distribution within the borders of the entire Buddhist world, being a definition of a ruler who is ideal from the point of view of Buddhist doctrine, but not necessarily sacred. However

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we see that the scheme described by Tsydenov in his" manifesto " directly indicates the sacredness of the figure of the ruler. In the above address, Tsydenov claims that the title was given to him by a deity, apparently referring to the Tantric yidam Yamantaka, to whose contemplation he devoted more than two decades of his famous solitude in Soorhoi.

At the same time, Tsydenov's inclusion in his jurisdiction of the three worlds of the Buddhist cosmological picture of the world, i.e., the entire cosmic universe, seems to us not just a typical Buddhist exaggeration, designed to emphasize the fullness of power and its legitimacy.21 The title Tsydenov used was undoubtedly of a sacred nature, which he emphasized through reference to its transcendent origin. This, in our opinion, is a significant difference between Tsydenov's interpretation of this title and its traditional understanding. He saw him as an enlightened monarch, ruling in full accordance with the Dharma, participation in which not only gives him legitimacy and strengthens his power, but also outlines its boundaries in the sphere of ethics.

Despite the undoubted uniqueness of the theocratic model developed by Tsydenov, he could not help but be inspired by the examples of Buddhist theocracies of Tibet and Outer Mongolia that operated in the political reality of that time. The Kudun theocracy, however, had significant differences from the models of the Buddhist states of Central Asia-the institutions of the Dalai Lamas or Jebzun-Damba-hutukhta. At least at the initial stage of the state's existence, Tsydenov rejected the institution of traceable reincarnation as a principle of transferring his power.

There are two possible explanations for this decision.

First, the institution of rebirths among Russian Buddhists was not developed due to the policy of the tsarist administration, which, unlike the Qing emperors, did not recognize this principle of religious institutionalization. As a result, the phenomenon of Khubilganism has not yet gained a firm place in the Buddhist tradition of Transbaikalia.

Secondly, having based his power on the idea of theocracy, Tsydenov nevertheless was greatly influenced by the idea of monarchy, as mentioned above. Declaring himself a theocratic head of state, he defined the principle of transfer of power, appointing as heir to the throne his closest disciple and associate Dorji Badmaev (Agvan-Silnam-Tuzol-Dorje), who was to take the throne of Dharmaraja after the latter's death. In this case, the heir automatically received the title of Dharmaraja of the Three Worlds, which, like, say, the title of Autocrat of All Russia, could be inherited. In order for this transfer to remain legitimate in the eyes of his subjects, the figure of Dorji Badmayev also had to receive a certain sacred status. That is why, after Badmaev's unexpected death from typhus in December 1919, Tsydenov ordered that his body be placed on display for several days as an object of worship. The particles of his body were used to make sacred pills that were distributed to the believers. In the end, Badmaev's relics were placed in a specially made stupa, which was declared a state relic [see: Zhigmidon, p. 4]. 19 - 20]. There is also great interest in how the issue of succession to the throne was resolved after Badmayev's death. In the summer of 1921, when Tsydenov himself was already under arrest, by his order, Bidyadara Dandaron, Tsydenov's young adopted son, later a well-known Soviet leader, was declared heir to the title of Dharmaraj and the throne of the theocratic head.-

21 For example, in the above-mentioned poem, Tsydenov uses similar scales to describe the space of power of the Russian Emperor Nicholas - "two or three universes."

22 From "khubilgan" (Mongolian: qubilgan), the Mongolian translation of the Sanskrit term "nirmanakaya", meaning a new incarnation of the individual after physical death.

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religious dissident, founder of the neo-Buddhist movement. Previously, Dandaron was proclaimed by Tsydenov as a rebirth of one of the Gumbum tulkus - Zhayagsen-gegen, who had strong spiritual ties with Kizhingin Buddhists [Ochirzhapov, p. 39]. It can be assumed that in this way Tsydenov tried to resolve the issue of succession to the throne on a more solid basis of the Khubilgan institute, which he had previously rejected.

The Kudun theocratic project is assessed by researchers as a reaction of conservative circles of the Khorin ancestral aristocracy and Buddhist clergy to the political instability in Transbaikalia (Gerasimova, 2003, p. 125). In this regard, however, it should be remembered that the theocratic model created by Tsydenov was not a mechanical reproduction of traditional samples of the Buddhist concept of the state. We have already mentioned the draft constitution, which was developed by Tsydenov's supporters at the beginning of 1919 and then approved by him. According to Ochirzhapov, the next institution in the power hierarchy after Dharmaraja was the Great Suglan, or Congress of deputies elected by universal suffrage, in which all citizens of the state who have reached the age of 16 must participate. Suglan deputies elected the President, Vice-President, and ministers by secret ballot. The state structure also included the judicial branch of government. However, the highest authority remained the Dharmaraja [Ochirzhapov, p. 12-14]. Thus, we can see that in his state-building Tsydenov was guided by European standards, although he reserved for himself and his heirs the position of the supreme ruler and arbitrator, in whose jurisdiction the most important state issues were located. Tsydenov's state project is a synthesis of the Buddhist theocratic model of power with the European standard of state structure.

Samdan Tsydenov's Buddhist theocracy was doomed to collapse. And the point is not so much the pacifist nature of this state project, but the fact that it did not fit into the overall political picture of that time. Its author could not fail to understand this and, perhaps, was primarily guided by the goal of protecting his subjects from the violence that accompanied the political conflicts that took place in Russia - revolutions, civil war, intervention. Historians have yet to answer many questions related to the Kudun theocracy, because in it and in its creator, the crisis of the modern era manifested itself with particular force.

list of literature

Gerasimova K. M. On historicism in historical research: theocratic and balagat movement in the Khorinsky aimag (1917-1926) / / Regional museums: present and future. Ulan-Ude Publ., 2003.

Zhigmidon B. Counterrevolution under the mask of theocratism (Balagatchina) (manuscript) / M. N. Khangalov Museum of the History of Buryatia. Temporary fund. Inv. N 422.

Krol M. Years of Exile. Visiting the Holy Lama / / Oriental Collection. 2004. N 4(19).

Filosofiya madhyamiki i genezis buddiiskoi tsivilizatsii [Madhyamik philosophy and the genesis of Buddhist Civilization]. Ulan-Ude Publ., 1999.

Montlevich V. M. Materialy k zhizneopisaniyu Lubsana Samdan Tsydenova [Materials for the life of Lubsan Samdan Tsydenov].

Ochirzhapov Ts. M. Theocratic balagat movement and banditry in the Khorinsky aimag in 1917-1927. The manuscript.

Frolova G. D." Bogdo-poslednik Nikolay " v khvalebnykh pesniakh buryat ["Bogdo-the Heir Nikolai" in the Buryat songs of Praise]. 2004. N4(19).

Tsvrik IMBiT SB RAS. Personal Fund of Samdan Tsydenov.

Tsvrik IMBiT SB RAS. The Mongolian Foundation. Collection M I, 516. Ff. 1r-2v; Collection M II, 37. Ff. 8v, 13v.

Tsvrik IMBiT SB RAS. The Tibetan Foundation. Archive of Samdan Tsydenov. Ff. 1r-12v.

Damdinsurung Ce. Mongγol uran jokiyal degeji jaγun bilig orosibai. Ulaanbaatar, 1959.

23 Refers to one of the lines of traceable reincarnations (Tulku - from Tib. sprul sku), based in the largest monastery in northwestern Tibet Gubmum Zhambaling.

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