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| Article name | Secret Report on the Stay of the 13th Dalai Lama on Mongolia in 1904–1906: Source Analysis |
| Authors | Batunaev Eduard V., Candidate of History, Batunaeveduard@mail.ru,Institute of Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 6 Sakhyanovoy St., Ulan-Ude, 670047, Russia |
| Bibliographic description | Batunaev EV. Secret Report on the Stay of the 13th Dalai Lama in Mongolia in 1904-1906: Source Analysis No. 117 (1941–1943). Humanitarian Vector. 2026;21(2):129–136. (In Russian). https://www.doi.org/10.21209/1996-7853-2026-21-2-129-136 |
| Section | Social Interaction in Historical Development |
| UDK | 94(517.3) ББК 63.3 (5Мо) |
| DOI | https://www.doi.org/10.21209/1996-7853-2026-21-2-129-136 |
| Article type | Original article |
| Annotation | The article is devoted to a source study analysis of a unique archival document – “A copy of the secret report of a diplomatic official under the Commander-in-Chief in Manchuria… dated December 16, 1905, No. 825”, preserved in the holdings of the Economic Bureau of the Chinese Eastern Railway. The relevance of the research is due to the need to introduce new materials on the history of international relations in Central Asia during the “Great Game” period and the insufficient study of certain aspects of the 13th Dalai Lama’s stay in Mongolia (1904-1906). The aim of the work is to conduct a comprehensive source study analysis of the document, verify its data, and determine its value for reconstructing the geopolitical plans and personal characteristics of the Tibetan leader. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and systematicity, including methods of external and internal criticism of the source, and comparative analysis. As a result, the document origin and authorship (most likely N. G. Hartwig) have been established, the context of its creation has been reconstructed, and the strengths and weaknesses of the information it contains have been identified. Key subjects are analyzed: the Dalai Lama’s views on the future of Tibet and Mongolia after the possible fall of the Qing dynasty, his search for foreign policy support (Russia, England, Japan), relations with the Mongolian elite, and the daily routine during his stay in Van-Kuren. The documents of the Mission to Beijing Foundation (AVPRI, op. 761, d. 409, pp. 310–315a), the similarity of the contents of two materials is striking: secret report No. 825 of December 16, 1905, and a note by Lieutenant Colonel Khitrovo from 1906. In addition to compiling biographical data about the 13th Dalai Lama, both sources describe almost identically the route of travel through Mongolia and the Seimas of Mongolia. We concluded that, despite the subjectivity and presence of hearsay elements inherent in intelligence information, the report is a most valuable source, allowing for the reconstruction of the geopolitical perceptions of the Tibeto-Mongolian elite and Russia’s strategy in the region during a critical historical period. |
| Key words | 13th Dalai Lama, Tibet, Mongolia, source study, Russian Empire, diplomacy, history of international relations |
| Copyright holder | Batunaev E.V. Все статьи журнала «Вестник ЗабГУ» публикуются на условиях лицензии Creative Commons «Attribution» («Атрибуция») 4.0 Всемирная.
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| Full article | Secret Report on the Stay of the 13th Dalai Lama on Mongolia in 1904–1906: Source Analysis |
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