the history of buddhism among the mongols 411
Tibetan hierarch, who reached Beijing at the end of 1652 and who
returned home two months later, was given a great reception. He was
also awarded the title “Dalai Lama” by the emperor. As was tting for
this honourable guest, a wonderful temple complex was erected: the
“Yellow Temple” (Mong. Sira Süme, Chin. Huangsi )^150 which is,
to the present day, the seat of the Pa-chen Rin-po-che in China. The
Dalai Lama and the Pa-chen Rin-po-che are the highest dignitaries
in the hierarchy of the dGe-lugs-pa school.^151
For the new rulers of China, the relations to the new power in Tibet,
the dGe-lugs-pa, were of prominent importance for two reasons. In
the rst place, it was the case that they could not realise their aspira-
tions over Tibet—which they had inherited as emperors of the Middle
Kingdom—without paying attention to religious interests. The matter
was further complicated by the fact that the overlords of Tibet were
Mongolians who, in the line of the Mongolian tradition, saw them-
selves as protectors of the religion. This religion was the religion of the
dGe-lugs-pa. In the second place, the rulers of the Qing had to take
the power of the dGe-lugs-pa into account in their policy towards the
Mongols in the Mongolian motherland, Inner and Outer Mongolia,
in the Kukunor territory, and in Jungaria to the north of present-day
Xinjiang.
8.3. “Ruling by Means of Religion”:
The Manchu Submission of Mongolian TribesThe Inner Mongolian princes had submitted themselves to the Manchus
during the rst half of the seventeenth^ century.^152 The Manchus very
soon acknowledged this respect, and promoting their religion was an
important means for them to make allies of their new subjects. Already
Nurhaci (1559–1626), the initiator of Manchu power, saw how impor-
tant it was to respect the Lamas in order for him to win the people
over. He prohibited the destruction of monasteries and granted the
clergymen exemption from taxes and from regular legislation. Nurhaci’s
successor Hûwang Taize continued this policy of ruling the Mongols
by means of religion. He even had a temple built at each of the four
city gates of the capital Mukden. He further built another temple for a
(^150) For the Yellow Temple (Huangsi), see Arlington & Lewisohn 1935, pp. 238–240.
(^151) Tucci 1949, p. 68; Úiral 1996, p. 214.
(^152) Miller 1959, pp. 2–5; Bawden 1989, pp. 46–47.