2016

Ling-wei Kung

  • Research Fellow
  • Academia Sinica
Picture of Ling-wei Kung

Project

Religion, Politics, and Multilingualism: Revisiting Qing-Tibetan Relations Through Desi Sangye Gyatso’s Complete Account of the Fifth to Sixth Reincarnations

Program

Henry Luce Foundation/ACLS Program in China Studies Predissertation-Summer Travel Grants , The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Early Career Research Fellowships in Buddhist Studies

Department

History and Philology

Abstract

This project investigates Qing-Tibetan relations during the transitional period between the Fifth and Sixth Dalai Lamas, focusing on Tibetan, Mongolian, and Manchu versions of “Elixir for the Ear: The Complete Account of the Fifth to Sixth Reincarnations”—Rna ba’i bcud len in Tibetan—by Desi Sangye Gyatso. By analyzing these multilingual texts, it explores how political, religious, and cultural exchanges were negotiated within the framework of Tibetan Buddhism and Qing governance. Utilizing philological methods, AI, and GIS technologies, the study highlights Tibetan leaders’ agency and the interplay between governance and autonomy, offering fresh insights into Qing strategies in Inner Asia.