Buddhism and post-socialist transformation in Mongolia

The paper studies the role of Buddhism and its institutions in the political process of post-socialist Mongolia. In the early 1990s after proclamation of religious freedoms in Mongolia Buddhism was regarded as the national religion. Many politicians and public figures considered the revival of Buddhism as a part of the historical justice restoration. Officials stressed the special role of Buddhism in the Mongols’ history and culture. However, despite the state support and prevalence among the population Buddhism did not become the official religion and sangha did not received the dominating status in political process. A number of factors could explain this situation. The first one is the legacy of the socialist past when sangha suffered heavy damage. The second one is that the features of contemporary political system of Mongolia based on the secular politics. In addition, there is no economic base of Buddhist church power. Moreover, not all the citizens of Mongolia are ready to recognize Buddhism as the official and their own religion. Thereby the role of Buddhism and sangha has changed significantly due to these factors.