Session One | Wednesday, October 22nd 

Session Two | Wednesday, October 29th

Session Three | Monday, November 3rd 

6:30pm - 9:30pm EST | Hybrid 

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 Drop-In Session | $30

All Three Sessions | $75 

Benefactor (Donation) Admission | All Three Sessions | $108**

Scholarships and financial assistance are available, please email natalie@thus.org with a request.

**We gratefully acknowledge those who choose to register as a Benefactor. Your support makes financial assistance possible for others.

Join us for an extraordinary three-session course focusing on the development of Buddhism, and later Tantric (Tüntirl) Buddhism, along the Jina-Tusi Caravan Road. It draws upon Oyirad-Mongolic translations of Balbal inscriptions (runiform rock carvings) produced by the lesser-known and under-researched Yelü—Buddhist nomadic intellectuals who served as key agents in the transmission of religious and philosophical ideas across the Buddhist khanates, from the Rourans (380–552) to the Uyghurs (744–840). This intellectual lineage continued through the Todo Oyirad script tradition of the Zunghars (1412–1758), the last nomadic empire in world history, preserving and extending Buddhist scholarship across centuries.

The Yelu familial lineage, translated from Mongolic by Ligeti as Cloud, stands as a testament to the epitome of Mongolic literacy and Buddhist education along the Eurasian Caravan Road. Their influence extended far beyond Genghis Khan's rule, as the Yelu educated elite, comprising both women and men, played a pivotal role in the spread of Buddhism, while legitimizing the leadership of khans.  

Yelu Chucai, a prominent figure from this lineage, holds particular significance for persuading Genghis Khan of the indispensability of a formal bureaucracy and taxation administration for effective governance. This historical episode has garnered recognition, especially in contemporary classrooms, where it serves as a lesson in Chinese governing so-called "barbarians." However, hidden within this dialogue is the fact that this frank debate unfolded between two individuals of Mongolic descent, with Yelu Chucai himself belonging to the esteemed Yelu literary tradition. This revelation raises a fundamental question: Who were the Yelu? 

The Yelu (Yelut in plural) was one of the major familial lineages among the people along the Eurasian steppe road, including the Oyirad nomads. One of the objectives of this course is to challenge the common misconception that nomads were illiterate until the time of Genghis Khan's empire by utilizing Oyirad translation. It aims to shed light on the significant contributions of the medieval Yelu intellectuals in the development of Buddhist literature, politics, and culture. By delving into their rich nomadic heritage, this course seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Yelu's role in shaping the Buddhist literati world.

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Saglar (Saga) Bougdaeva was born and raised in Kalmykia. Central to Bougdaeva’s work as a scholar of Eurasian studies is a commitment to identifying and preserving the nomadic oral and written heritage of the Great Eurasian Steppe. Before receiving a PhD in Sociology from Yale University, Bougdaeva studied Mongolian-Tibetan-Mandarin linguistics at Saint Petersburg State University. In 2023, Bougdaeva's translation of the Oyirad-Kalmyk epic "Jangar" was published by the University of California Press.