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FINDING THE INCARNATION OF ÖNDÖR GEGEEN DSANABADSAR ing enough that the same year his principal wife was promoted by the new Yonzheng emperor the highest rank for a princess: guruni gunju, i.e. "the princess of the state importance." We will never know the true story about how the birth of this second Khutugtu happened. What is obvious is that being an imperial son-in-law (efiz) Dondubdorji could not have taken a secondary wife without the emperor’s approval. However, the son of Dondubdorji born by his new concubine was not immediately recognized as anew Jebtsundamba Khutugtu. A legend says that a Mongolian delegation set forth for Tibet bringing to the Seventh Dalai Lama the names of four candidates so that he decided who was the true incarnation. The Dalai Lama’s answer was ambiguous, so the Mongolian delegation went to Beijing in order to receive the emperor’s decision. The emperor was said to have been in favour of Dondubdorji’s son.’ According to the Biography of the Seventh Dalai Lama Kelsang Gyatso written by Changkya Khutugtu Rolbi Dorje, the delegation of Khalkha representatives came to Tibet in 1727 (Mong. yal gonin jil): “[The Dalai Lama] blessed [putting his hand on their heads] the envoys from Khalkha who came to request concerning the incarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutugtu: Erdeni chos-rje, Seéen noyan, [representatives of] the four Khans and the efu wang. There they also petitioned for a clear prophecy [Tib. Jung bstan] concerning the incarnation” (Mong. Oalg-a-aca rJe-btsun dam-pa qutuy-tu-yin qubilyan-u jüil-i ayiladqar-a Erdeni chos-rje: Secen noyan: dörben gad-luy-a: ebuu vang-un elci selte iregsen-e mörgül gayiralaysan büged: tende basa qubilyan-u jüil-ün lungden bayulyaqu ayimay-un ayiladgal-i niyta ayiladgaba).* A bit later the same text says that the Dalai Lama “bestowed on them a clear instruction concerning the incarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutugtu” (rJe-btsun damba qutuy-tu-yin qubilyan-u jüil-ün jarliy-i todargai ayiladuyad...).? In 1729 the Second Jebtsundamba Khutugtu Lubsangdanbadonmi was solemnly enthroned in Khalkha.'® Obviously, the Yongzheng emperor approved maintaining the lineage of the Jebtsundamba Khutugtus within the Tüshiyetü Khan’s family. It is possible to suggest that the emperor thus wanted to win loyalty and support ofthe Mongol rulers and Buddhist clergy in the wake of the events in Qinghai (Kuku Nor) in 1723-1724. The rebellion ofthe Hoshut ruler Lobsang Danjin was crushed by the the Chinese army. Many monasteries in Kuku Nor were burnt down and destroyed, monks young and old massacred. It should be stressed that these atrocities took place at one of the holiest places of the Gelugpa School — the birthplace and homeland of This information was taken from a poster containing the biography of the princess exhibited in the above-mentioned museum in Huhe Hota. Tlo3qHees, A. M.: Moneonua u Moneonvt, pp. 510-511. Ilayuysad-un erketii qamuy-i aviladuyci vcir dhar-a blöbzang bsgal-bzang rgi-a-mcö dalai blam-a-yin gegen-ti namtar-i tobci-yin tediii tigiilegsen galbaravars erdeni-yin itegelel neretü tuyuji terigün debter orosiba. Woodblock, Beijing, mid-18" cent., f. 140r. Ilayuysad-un erketti qamuy-i ayiladuyCi..., f. 140v. TlosıHeeg, A. M.: Moneonua u moneonvı, p. 512. 105
