ON THE ISSUE OF THE EARLY INTERACTIONS OF THE MANCHU RULERS WITH TIBETAN LAMAS

The article is devoted to the study of the early connections of the Manchu rulers with the highest leadership of Tibetan Buddhism. Probably, the countdown should be conducted from the 1620s, when the Manchus intensified their interaction with the Mongolian peoples (Chakhars), where the Tibetan lamas already had strong positions. Further development of Buddhism among the Manchus happened due to the important political events: the coming of the Dalai Lama to power in Tibet in 1642, and the seizure of Beijing by a new Qing dynasty in 1644. For the new rulers of China, lamas had been of the fundamental importance, because, thanks to their support, the Manchus have had the right to claim succession of the government (the “mandate of Heaven”) from the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and at the same time, they were able to “appease” the Mongols. Apparently, after a visit to Beijing by the Dalai Lama in 1652, a new phase of the relationship between emperors and lamas began, which brought the Qing China to clashes with the Dzhungar Oirats.