Oldal 94 [94]
BAATR U. KITINOV
came into conflict with powerful regent (desi) Sangye Gyatso (sde srid Sangs rgyas
rgya mtsho, 1653-1705), and in 1705, after a battle, Sangye Gyatso was taken pri¬
soner and later executed. In 1706, acting in accordance with the edict ofthe Manchu
Kangxi emperor, Lhabzang sent Tsanyang Gyatso to Beijing, who, en route to Bei¬
jing, passed away near Kukunor Lake.
Lhabzang “found” a “true” incarnation of the Fifth Dalai Lama — Ngawang Yeshe
Gyatso (Tib. Ngag dbang ye shes rgya mtsho),” who, in reality, had been a puppet
in the political plans of this Khoshut leader. The new Dalai Lama was not accepted
by both the population of Lhasa and many lamas as a true incarnation. The situa¬
tion remained uncertain until 1717, when, under the pretext of visiting of home by
Lhabzang’s son, who was husband of daughter of the Dzungarian leader Tsewang
Rabden (Tshe dbang rab brtan, born 1663, r. 1697-1727), the Dzungarian forces
marched to Tibet and in November 1717, occupied Lhasa. Lhabzang was killed, and
Ngawang Yeshe Gyatso was removed away from Potala. It is possible to assume,
that for those Oirat leaders, like Lhabzang and Tsewang Rabden, both Sixth Dalai
Lamas had been objects of their politics.
Tsewang Rabden, seems, had the special view on the role of Buddhism and lamas
in his policy. For instance, he, accusing the Sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso
in the sympathy to Nyingma stream doctrine, tried, for the sake of the “purity” of
the Gelug school, to support the Panchen Lama as the “real” Tibetan leader. The
Manchu authority accused him in usurpation of his uncle’s (Galdan’s) throne without
“permission from other khans and the spiritual ranked persons,””! in destruction of
temples in Tibet and murder of lamas. One of Tsewang Rabden’s spiritual tutors
was Kempothan lama, also known as Lobsang Puntsok, Gomang Laza Lobsang
Puntsog and the Dzungarian Noyon Khambo Luwsan Puntsog. That was a noble
person, who spent approximately 20 years in Drepung Monastery, and obtained the
title of Jhaaramba. His teacher was Ngawang Tsondu (Tib. Ngag dbang brtson ‘grus,
1648/9-1722), the famous lama, who founded the line of reincarnates of Jamyang
Zhepa (Tib. ‘Jam dbyangs bshad pa), and occupied a prominent place in the history
of the Gelug stream, also well-known as tantric master. During the Dzungarian
occupation of Lhasa in 1717-1720 Lobsang Puntsog was responsible for the
persecution of the Nyingma and Kagyii clerics and conversion of their monasteries
to Gelug teaching, thus realizing Tsewang Rabden’s orders.
Lamas at Tsewang Rabden’s court sometimes acted as those magicians, whose
might or witchcraft, as was supposed, could give the help to overcome the might of
the Manchu armies. For instance, there is the following passage in the Russian archi¬
val paper of the first quarter of the 18" century, where one could find the description
of the special magic enterprise. The event was noted by the Russian captain Ivan
Luciano Petech believed in that it was Lhabzang’s son. Cf. Petech, Luciano: China and Tibet in the
Early XVIIIth Century. History of the Establishment of the Chinese Protectorate in Tibet. E. J. Brill,
Leiden 1972, pp. 17-20.
Archive ofthe Foreign Police ofthe Russian Empire. Fond “The Relationship of Russia with China.”
List 62/1, 1723, case 1, lv. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that, for the Manchu authority, lamas
should be not subjects, but objects in the Oirat political system.
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