The Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar ( mn, Жалханз Хутагт Содномын Дамдинбазар; 1874 – June 23, 1923) was a high
Buddhist incarnation from northwestern
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million ...
who played a prominent role in the country's independence movement in 1911–1912. He served as
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
twice; first in 1921 as part of the
Bogd Khan
Bogd Khan, , ; ( – 20 May 1924) was the khan of the Bogd Khaganate from 1911 to 1924, following the state's ''de facto'' independence from the Qing dynasty of China after the Xinhai Revolution. Born in Tibet, he was the third most importa ...
puppet government established by
Roman von Ungern-Sternberg
Nikolai Robert Maximilian Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg (russian: link=no, Роман Фёдорович фон Унгерн-Штернберг, translit=Roman Fedorovich fon Ungern-Shternberg; 10 January 1886 – 15 September 1921), often refer ...
, and again from 1922 to 1923 under the revolutionary government of the
Mongolian People's Party
The Mongolian People's Party (MPP) is a social democratic political party in Mongolia. It was founded as a communist party in 1920 by Mongolian revolutionaries and is the oldest political party in Mongolia.
The party played an important role ...
.
Early life
Damdinbazar was born in 1874 at
Oigon Lake in the Nömrög district of present-day
Zavkhan aimag. His father Tserensodnom and mother Sonom were middle-class herders. In 1877 he was proclaimed ''Jalkhanz Khutagt'' or "saint incarnate" at Jalkhanzyn Khüree Monastery, in what is today
Bürentogtokh, Khövsgöl. From the ages of 16 to 20 he was instructed in Tibetan and Mongolian script, mathematics, astrology, and religious matters as a
śrāmaṇera
A sāmaṇera (Pali); sa, श्रामणेर (), is a novice male monastic in a Buddhist context. A female novice is a ''śrāmaṇerī'' or ''śrāmaṇerikā'' (Sanskrit; Pāli: ''sāmaṇerī'').
Etymology
The ''sāmaṇera'' is a ...
in a monastery at Ikh Hüree (modern
Ulan Bator
Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...
).
Political career
Damdinbazar supported Mongolian independence as early as 1900 during the military rebellion in
Uliastai. From 1911 to 1912 he publicly campaigned for Mongolia's independence from Chinese rule. He was appointed Minister for the Pacification of the Western Border Areas during the
Bogd Khanate
The Bogd Khanate of Mongolia ( mn, , Богд хаант Монгол Улс; ) was the government of Outer Mongolia between 1911 and 1919 and again from 1921 to 1924. By the spring of 1911, some prominent Mongol nobles including Prince Tögs- ...
and together with
Khatanbaatar Magsarjav
Khatanbaatar Magsarjav ( mn, Хатанбаатар Магсаржав, ; 1877 – September 3, 1927) was a Mongolian general and a leading figure in Mongolia's struggle for independence. His contingent of 800 elite Mongol soldiers fought ...
,
Manlaibaatar Damdinsüren
Manlaibaatar Damdinsüren ( mn, Манлайбаатар Дамдинсүрэн, ''first hero Damdinsüren'', bo, རྟ་མགྲིན་སྲུང་།; March 13, 1871 – January 27, 1921), born Jamsrangiin Damdinsüren (), was a mi ...
,
Togtokh Taij, and
Ja Lama
Ja Lama ( mn, Жа Лама, also known as Dambiijantsan, mn, Дамбийжанцан or ''Dambiijaa'', mn, Дамбийжаа; 1862–1922) was an adventurer and warlord of unknown birth and background who fought successive campaigns against ...
took part in the liberation of
Khovd. In recognition of his leadership he was awarded the honorable title ''Samadi Nomun Khan'' in 1912.
As a representative of the
Bogd Khan
Bogd Khan, , ; ( – 20 May 1924) was the khan of the Bogd Khaganate from 1911 to 1924, following the state's ''de facto'' independence from the Qing dynasty of China after the Xinhai Revolution. Born in Tibet, he was the third most importa ...
's government, he traveled several times to
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
to voice Mongolian concerns and demands. He was part of a delegation in 1919 that established contact with the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Consul in
Kalgan
Zhangjiakou (; ; ) also known as Kalgan and by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province in Northern China, bordering Beijing to the southeast, Inner Mongolia to the north and west, and Shanxi to the southw ...
with a letter from the
Bogd Khan
Bogd Khan, , ; ( – 20 May 1924) was the khan of the Bogd Khaganate from 1911 to 1924, following the state's ''de facto'' independence from the Qing dynasty of China after the Xinhai Revolution. Born in Tibet, he was the third most importa ...
inviting the U.S. to open a consulate in the newly renamed Mongolian capital Niislel Khüree.
After the Chinese occupied Niislel Khüree in 1919, Damdinbazar became an official under the Chinese Minister Chen Yi while the Bogd Khan was placed under house arrest. He then served as Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior in the Mongolian government established by the Bogd Khan on February 22, 1921 after capture of Niislel Khuree by Roman von Ungern-Sternberg.
Damdinbazar ignored approaches made to him by Mongolian revolutionary forces in spring 1921 and withdrew from public service after Baron Ungern was defeated by the Soviet Red Army and Mongolian revolutionary forces under
Damdin Sükhbaatar in July 1921. Later that year, however, he was contacted by
Comintern
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by ...
agents and agreed to oppose
White movement forces in Western Mongolia. He then joined forces with
Khatanbaatar Magsarjav
Khatanbaatar Magsarjav ( mn, Хатанбаатар Магсаржав, ; 1877 – September 3, 1927) was a Mongolian general and a leading figure in Mongolia's struggle for independence. His contingent of 800 elite Mongol soldiers fought ...
in Uliastai in the campaign against the Whites.
Prime minister
In 1922
Dogsomyn Bodoo resigned as prime minister in the face of accusations that he conspired with reactionary enemies (including Ja Lama and the U.S. Consul in Kalgan) to overthrow the government. Soon afterwards he was executed. Looking to quell resulting religious anger (Bodoo was a lama) party leaders including Sükhbaatar invited Damdinbazar to become the next prime minister. Damdinbazar died a little more than 15 months later, on June 23, 1923.
References
*M.Nyamaa, ''Khövsgöl aimgiin lavlakh toli'', Ulaanbaatar 2001, p. 80f
*Sanders, Alan J.K., ''Historical Dictionary of Mongolia'', 1996, p. 48
*Kuzmin, Sergei L. (2011). ''The History of Baron Ungern. An Experience of Reconstruction''. Moscow: KMK Sci. Press, .
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Damdinbazar
Prime Ministers of Mongolia
Lamas
1874 births
1923 deaths
Tibetan Buddhists from Mongolia
People from Zavkhan Province
Mongolian People's Party politicians
20th-century lamas