Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism first appeared in Mongolia in the 13th century, but only became the state religion in the 16th century. Mass conversion of the population began in 1565, when a Mongolian chieftain, Altan Khan, sought to impose it in order to dethrone the Chinggis Khaan line and legitimize his seizure of power.
The beginnings of Buddhism. In 1578, Altan Khan created the title of "Dalai Lama" - "Ocean of Wisdom", in reference to the Mongolian title of Dalai-yin qan. He attributed it to Sonam Gyatso, religious leader of the Tibetan Gelugpa school of Buddhism, also known as the "yellow-cap school" because of the color of the headdresses worn by monks during their service. In so doing, the Khan recognized Sonam Gyatso as the religious leader of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, and hoped that the latter would support his policies in return. This was the first direct link between Buddhist religion and political power.
By converting himself with great fanfare, Altan Khan was followed by a large part of the Mongolian population. The two previous Dalai Lamas were recognized posthumously, the line of reincarnation continuing up to its 14th representative, Tenzin Gyatso, currently exiled in Dharamsala, India. Today, Tibetan Buddhists in Mongolia consider him one of their spiritual leaders.
The Gelugpa school. Founded in the early 15th century by Tsongkhapa, the Gelugpa school, also known as the "Yellow Cap School", is the most recent of the four great lineages of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. Faced with the laxity and dissipation of monks, Tsongkhapa reformed Buddhism by emphasizing the importance of monastic discipline, symbolized by the use of the yellow cap. To achieve enlightenment, he advocated celibacy and insisted on the need to complete profound Buddhist philosophical studies before embarking on tantric practices.
Although the Gelugpa school produced the line of Dalai Lamas, it is the Ganden Tripa - "throne-bearer" - who is its spiritual leader. Tsongkhapa's successor, Gyalstab Je, is considered to have been the first Ganden tripa.
Period of forced atheism. The establishment of communist rule in Mongolia in the early 1920s put an end to the long-standing relationship between secular authorities and Buddhist institutions. The period of Soviet occupation was marked by a radical drop in the number of monks. By 1920, monks accounted for more than a quarter of the male population, or 110,000 monks in over 700 temples and monasteries. The Communist authorities, wishing to implement their planned economy, felt threatened by such a large number of followers and sought to weaken the monasteries' economic position by eradicating all institutional Buddhism.
Massacres and purges became the lot of Mongolian lamas, who were executed, married off, forced to return to civilian life or conscripted into the army. Monasteries, which had been the gathering points of the population and had, for the most part, given rise to the country's major urban centers, were transformed into museums or destroyed. Between 1937 and 1938, no fewer than 797 temples and monasteries were demolished and burned, and 17,000 monks were executed! In the space of 15 years, the clergy lost over 92% of their numbers. After the war, monastic activity was once again authorized, for around a hundred monks, in the Gandan monastery in Ulaanbaatar. For almost 50 years, this monastery was the only one in the country able to host religious activities, albeit under strict surveillance.
Back with a vengeance. In 1991, the collapse of the USSR allowed Mongolia to open up to the Western world, marking the beginning of a religious revival. By 1992, nearly a hundred temples had been reopened, attesting to the Mongolian people's strong sense of religion. Today, there are over 5,000 monks in 200 temples and monasteries across the country, including around 20 in Ulaanbaatar.
Shamanism
This vast belief system has existed in Mongolia for thousands of years. With no doctrine or holy scriptures, it certainly has its roots in ancient nature cults. It is based on the links between man and the spirits of nature and the ancestors, and is accompanied by very strict rules and strong superstitions.
The shaman is the intermediary between man and the spirits. During his trances, he can communicate with the spirits. They are consulted for all kinds of everyday problems. There is no apprenticeship or teaching to become a shaman: you become one through hereditary transmission, or because you have certain powers.
The trance state is reached without chemical substances, to the rhythm of percussion played on a drum. This sacred object is central to shamanism, enabling the shaman to communicate with the spirits.
Suppressed during the Soviet occupation, shamanism enjoyed a revival in the 1990s and is still very much alive in northern Mongolia today. It coexists with Buddhism, the two religions exerting a strong influence on each other. Yellow shamanism, widely practiced in Mongolia and tinged with Buddhist rites and traditions, is thus opposed to black shamanism, which has not been influenced by Buddhism.
Islam
Like shamanism, Islam is practiced by around 3% of Mongolians, making it the country's second-largest religion. It has been documented since at least 1254, thanks to the writings of the Franciscan Guillaume de Rubrouck. Travelling east, he visited the court of the great Khan Möngke in Karakorum and reported that Saracen merchants and craftsmen freely practiced their religion there. At the time, the capital of the Mongol Empire was home to two mosques.
Today, there are some thirty mosques in Mongolia. Islam is mainly practiced by the Kazakh population in the west of the country. Sunni Islam is largely concentrated in the Altai region, between the Bayan-Ölgi and Khovd aimags.
Christianity
Nestorianism was one of the most influential forms of Christianity in the world during late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. It can be found in Mongolia at the court of King Möngke, as witnessed by the literary works of Guillaume de Rubrouck.
After marrying Tuluy, Chinggis Khaan's favorite son, Princess Sorgakhtani, of Nestorian faith, brought up her children in the Christian faith. Under the reign of Möngke, her eldest son, Christian worship continued to develop according to the rites of the Nestorian Church.
Today, the spread of Christianity and new religions among the population has its origins in the opening up of Mongolia in the early 1990s. The year 1992 marked the country's exit from the Soviet bloc, and was accompanied by a certain revival of local religions, as well as the arrival of religious congregations in the capital. Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Evangelicals and even Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventists and Mormons flocked to Ulaanbaatar. Christianity, now associated with the Western world, grew not only through missionaries, but also through humanitarian activities.
In November 1993, in a bid to preserve traditional religions and curb the activities of these proselytes, the authorities introduced a law imposing Buddhism as the state religion and prohibiting any religious activity organized from outside without a government invitation. Henceforth, any opening of a new place of worship is subject to the approval of local authorities and the Ministry of Justice.
In July 2016, the first Mongolian priest in Ulaanbaatar, Joseph Enkh Baatar, was ordained, demonstrating that Christianity is no longer the preserve of foreigners in Mongolia.
