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CENGGUNJABA’S WorsHIP: AN ANCIENT RITUAL
IN MONGOLIA IN THE 19™ CENTURY
Odbayar Ganbaatar
University of Warsaw, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Warsaw
In this paper I would like to discuss the ancient customs, beliefs and practices con¬
cerning criminal law which are entangled with the worship of Cenggiinjaba (ca.
1705-1771, Man. Cenggunjaba, Mong. Cenggiinjaba, Khal. Tsengiinjaw, Chin.
Chenggunzhabu sk 424L 71). The bone enshrinement of nobilities in Mongolia in
19% century has a deep root with both Shamanism and Buddhism. Although the
Manchu Qing dynasty (1636-1912) introduced many new rituals and regulations
regarding the Mongols, these sometimes violated locals interest. By introducing
a criminal case, in which many questions arise, I would like to contribute to the
discussion of tradition and innovation of Mongolian Buddhism in the 19% century:
what phenomenon happened in Outer Mongolia, how a traditional ritual among the
Mongols had been changing, and how local interest of choosing ritual implementa¬
tion confronted with the Qing policy. To answer these questions I will draw attention
to a less studied part of the Mongolian aristocrats’ history in the 18" and 19" century.
The paper is based on Manchu and Mongolian documents preserved in the National
Archives of Mongolia.
The Criminal Case
In 1843 a big sensation occurred in Qing Mongolia. Then, a special minister came
to Uliyasutai where the highest Qing Governor-general (Man. Hesei taküraha hashü
ergi aisilara jivanggiyun) dwelled, in order to investigate the criminal case for the
third time. Dao Guang Emperor (1820-1850) ordered as follows when he dispatched
a minister to investigate;
[...] wang bihe ¢enggunjab-be udame aniya hisun bume faS8Saha mongyo ¢in
wang beye wajiha amala, giran hokirabure-de isinahangge Sar seme ofi Ce sei
icihiyahangge, yargiyan aqi aqtinaraqt ba bisire be boljoci ojoraqü ... ice tuSan-i
jiyangjün guisede afabufi beyideme icihiyabu [...]'
[...] the first grade prince Cenggiinjaba had been diligently serving for many
years. I am very sorry for that the honest Mongolian prince’s bone and tomb
' National Archives of Mongolia, FM—1, F-1, File 4222. Case 3. Mongyo juryan-ci wang bihe
cenggunjaba-i uju giranggi-be hilhaha bayita-be dahüme gisurefi wesimbuhede hese gisurehe songgoi
obu sehebe gingguleme dahafi benjihe bayita.
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