Xiaoyuan Zhang

Xiaoyuan Zhang

31 October 2023

Kun-dgav-rgyal-mtshan, Biography, Xinjiang.

Kun-dgav-rgyal-mtshan was a Tibetan Buddhist monk who was awarded the title of Deputy General of Ili and "Khutuktu" in the late Qing Dynasty for his military achievements. In the mid-19th century, Kun-dgav-rgyal-mtshan went along with history and supported the Jin Shun Western Expedition Army in recapturing northern Xinjiang. He was eventually granted the title of Khutuktu by the Qing Dynasty emperor, which also opened up the way for the development of Tibetan Buddhism dge-lugs-pa in northern Xinjiang. Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to ethnic groups such as Mongolia, Xibe, Han, and Kazakh, and all ethnic groups lived in harmony, enhancing cultural exchange and mutual unity among ethnic groups, and had a positive social effect, which had effectively resisted and punished the tsarist Russian aggressors who crossed the border, ensuring the relative stability of society in the northwest region. Reviewing history is valuing reality. The biographies of Kun-dgav-rgyal-mtshan have a reference value for dealing with the multi-ethnic issues in Xinjiang, China.

© 2023, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

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