The Diluv Khutagt of Mongolia

This book presents two fascinating, complementary, but very different versions of Diluv Khutagt's life as a reincarnate Buddhist lama in Mongolia from the 1890s until the 1930s. During this time, Mongolia's many political factions struggled to assure autonomy and independence for their country amid the geopolitical ambitions of (Soviet) Russia, China during the dissolution of Qing power, and Japan.

The first text in the book was written by Diluv Khutagt himself, and is presented in holographs of his Mongolian manuscript with an English translation following. The second are more personal reminiscences of the same period, conveyed in conversation with Owen Lattimore and his son David. While both were created in 1949, and cover roughly the same period, the two have very different outlooks. In the former, we have an account of high-politicking, diplomatic exchange, and interpersonal rivalry. In the second, we see a much more intimate view of Diluv Khutagt's early life, religious duties, and personal feelings about the figures shaping Mongolian government.