Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar
The Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar (Mongolian: Жалханз Хутагт Содномын Дамдинбазар, 1874–1923) was a high lamaist incarnation in northwestern Mongolia, and played a high-profile role in the country's independence movement. He served as Prime Minister twice, 1921 in Baron Ungern's puppet government, and 1922/23 under the MPRP.
Early life
Damdinbazar was born in 1874 at lake Oigon nuur in the Nömrög district of present-day Zavkhan) aimag.
His father Tserensodnom and mother Sonom were middle-class herders. In 1877 he was inaugurated as Jalkhanz Khutagt at Jalkhanzyn Khüree, in what is today Bürentogtokh sum in Khövsgöl aimag.
From the ages of 16 to 20 he was instructed in Tibetan and Mongolian script, mathematics, astrology and religious matters and was a novice in a monastery at Ih Hüree.
Political career
Damdinbazar's sympathies for independence are said to have shown as early as during the 1900 military rebellion in Uliastai. During 1911/1912, he publicly campaigned for independence.
He was appointed to Minister for the Pacification of the Western Border Areas, and took part in the campaign to capture Khovd, together with such famous and infamous figures as Khatanbaatar Magsarjav, Manlaibaatar Damdinsüren, Togtokh Taij, and Dambijantsan.
For his merits in the campaign (he and other lamas recitated prayers on a nearby mountain), he was awarded the honorable title Samadi Nomun Khan in 1912.
He travelled several times to Beijing in order to voice Mongolian concerns and demands.
In 1919 he was part of a delegation that established contact with the American Consul in China with a letter from the Bogd Khan inviting the U.S. to open a consulate in Niislel Khüree.
Damdinbazar was an official under the Chinese Minister Chen Yi after the Chinese occupied Niislel Khüree in 1919 and the Bogd Khan was placed under house arrest.
He then served as Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior in the Mongolian government established by the Bogd Khan on 22 February after liberation of Niislel Khuree in 1921 by Baron Ungern.
Damdinbazar withdrew from public service after Baron Ungern was defeated by the Soviet Red Army and revolutionary forces under Sükhbaatar in 1921.
Later that year, however, he was contacted by Comintern agents and agreed to oppose White Russian forces in Western Mongolia. He then joined forces with Magsarjav in Uliastai in the campaign against the Whites.
Prime minister
In 1922 Dogsomyn Bodoo resigned as prime minister and was soon after executed after being accused of conspiring with reactionary enemies (including Ja Lama and the U.S. Consul in Kagan) to overthrow the government. Looking to quell resulting religious anger (Bodoo was a lama)Party leaders including Sühkbaatar asked the Hutagt, or saint incarnate, Damdinbazar to become the next prime minister. Damdinbazar died a little more than 15 months later, on June 23, 1923.
Source
Wikipedia:Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar
