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Description:
Creator's Description: In contrast to the few anti-Tibetan Buddhist statements preserved in the Confucian-dominated historiography of the Qing court, this essay demonstrates the generosity and consistency of Qing patronage for Tibetan Buddhists at Wutai shan, as recorded in imperially endorsed Chinese-language gazetteers. From the 1650s, Tibetan Buddhist lamas (of various ethnicities) led the Buddhist community there and frequently led prayers on behalf of the imperial family. In return, the mountain’s inhabitants all received regular and generous imperial favors. I hypothesize that the imperially-sponsored Chinese language materials on Wutai shan emphasized the importance of Tibetan Buddhism on the mountain because ethnic Chinese Tibetan Buddhists represented a significant group, which the Qing court wanted to support and also over which they wished to exercise control. Only this desire could explain the efforts, which the Qing court made in the Chinese language register, to publicize and commemorate their patronage of Tibetan Buddhism at Wutai shan. (2011-12-31)
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