The Liberation Aspirations of the Mongols of Xinjiang in the Mid-1920s through the Eyes of the Roerich Family

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  I. Otroshchenko

Abstract

The Central Asian expedition of the Roerich family (1925–1928) was one of the greatest achievements in their extraordinary creative biography. In 1925–1926, during their visit to Xinjiang, the Roerichs paid special attention to the Mongolian population of the province and its moods. The study is based on the diaries and travel notes of the Roerichs themselves and archival materials. The article highlights the situation of the Karashar Torguts in the 1920s and the figure of their ruler, the Toïn Lama, and the history of his reign, as well as the then spread of pan-Mongol narratives among the Mongols of Xinjiang, which the Roerichs witnessed during their expedition. Special attention is paid to the plans and attempts of the Roerich family (using the example of the Toïn Lama case) to combine the liberation aspirations of the Mongols of Xinjiang with their own discourse on the creation of a new Buddhist confederation in East Asia. The Roerichs’ interest in the figure of the ruler of the Karashar Torguts is explained both by his influence and popularity in Xinjiang, and by his Buddhist background. The Roerichs could see in him a popular tulku-ruler in the world of Northern Buddhism with his own armed forces, who would contribute to their dream campaign to Lhasa in order to restore the positions and elevate the 9th Panchen Lama to supreme power in Tibet. The presence of trusted lamas in the expedition was intended to contribute both to the dissemination of the Roerichs’ appeals in Buddhist monasteries along the expedition’s route and to emphasize the expedition members’ interest in Buddhism and their socio-political projects and ambitions.

How to Cite

Otroshchenko, I. (2025). The Liberation Aspirations of the Mongols of Xinjiang in the Mid-1920s through the Eyes of the Roerich Family. The Oriental Studies, (96), 131–170. https://doi.org/10.15407/skhodoznavstvo2025.96.131
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Keywords

Toïn Lama, Nicholas Roerich, Helena Roerich, George Roerich, Karashar Torguts, Lamas, Mongols, Pan-Mongolism, Xinjiang

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