Mongush Buyan-Badyrgy (, ; 25April 189222March 1932) was a Tuvan politician and statesman. He was adopted by a noyon (chieftain) as an infant, and between 1907 and 1909 he succeeded his adoptive father in that role. He was the noyon for his kozhuun (administrative division) as the region of Tannu Uriankhai (modern-day Tuva) went from Chinese control to a protectorate of Russia in 1914, known as Uryankhay Krai. He was a leading figure in the protectorate and later chaired the All-Tuva Constituent Council in 1921, which established the region as an independent country, the Tannu Tuva People's Republic (later Tuvan People's Republic).
A top official in the ruling Tuvan People's Revolutionary Party (TPRP), Buyan-Badyrgy became the new country's head of state in 1921. Remaining in that post through 1922, he later served as head of government, general secretary of the TPRP, and held a number of other important roles in the country. Considered a skilled diplomat, he led negotiations with surrounding countries regarding various issues and helped Tuva receive official recognition from the Soviet Union and Mongolia.
In the late 1920s, the increasing promotion of Buddhist theocratic policies by several leading Tuvans including Buyan-Badyrgy drew the irritation of the government of the Soviet Union. In response, the Soviets helped several young Tuvans overthrow the government in 1929. This led to his arrest, and he was executed without trial in 1932. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Buyan-Badyrgy has become a revered figure among Tuvans. Several monuments have been built of him and the second-highest honor of the Republic of Tuva is named after him.
Early life Buyan-Badyrgy was born on 25April 1892, in , near the Ovaalyg-Khemchigesh river, in Barun-Khemchik kozhuun (administrative division), Tannu Uriankhai, then part of China's Qing dynasty. His father was Mongush Nomchug, a poor Arat herdsman with a large family. As an infant, with the consent of his parents, he was adopted by the noyon (chieftain) of Khemchik kozhuun, Khaidyp Uger-Daa, who ruled a third of Tuva's territory. There are several legends about Buyan-Badyrgy's adoption. In one, it is stated that Khaidyp had a dream that near his yurt would be born a boy destined to become the head of state. According to another, on the day of Buyan-Badyrgy's birth, Khaidyp "learned about the birth of a boy with an extraordinary destiny ... while reading sacred books." He went to see if there were any newborns among his subjects and discovered Buyan-Badyrgy, then adopted him by trading for him green tea and several cattle. Khaidyp had no children of his own and thus raised Buyan-Badyrgy as the heir to the royal noyon title.
Khaidyp provided Buyan-Badyrgy with a good education. Buyan-Badyrgy was distinguished by his intelligence as he grew up. According to the most common account, presented by Mongush Kenin-Lopsan, Buyan-Badyrgy's adoptive father invited many of the top experts in various languages to teach him and had him study numerous fields including history, astrology, medicine, mathematics, psychology and philosophy. He was taught the Tibetan and Mongolian languages starting at age five and became proficient in them from a young age; he also became a fluent speaker of Sanskrit, Russian and Chinese, in addition to his native Tuvan language. A Buddhist, he was a disciple under the lama Oskal Urjut.
Noyon and pre-independence Tuva Rise to noyon and early years
Buyan-Badyrgy's adoptive father was praised by Europeans who met him for his "noble character, deep knowledge, and [his] ability to govern." He held the title Uger-Daa, meaning "Promoter of Holiness". Khaidyp started to view the neighboring Russians unfavorably following the Russo-Japanese War, which was fought from 1904 to 1905. Between 1907 and 1909, he was invited to the city of Usinsk for negotiations with Russians. He was offered an unknown drink when he left the city and when he returned home, according to an eyewitness account, he was ill and his teeth had turned black. He died shortly after; the lama Daryn Shuluu, who examined Khaidyp, declared him to have been poisoned.
After the death of his adoptive father, Buyan-Badyrgy was given the title of gun and succeeded his father as the noyon. He was installed as the noyon in the Mongolian city Uliastai and was between 15 and 17 years old at the time. He became the second-most powerful person in Tuva, behind only amban-noyon (ruler of the entire land) Oyun Kombu-Dorzhu. As noyon, he held authority over the Khemchik kozhuun region. According to Salimaa Khovalyg, memoirs from contemporary people under his rule and kozhuun political officials depicted him as "a cheerful, intelligent, attentive person who considered it his duty to rule the people according to laws and customs. He was distinguished from other noyons by such qualities as tolerance, a desire for knowledge, [and] respect for knowledgeable people – masters of their craft."
Despite his young age, Buyan-Badyrgy is described by historian Tyntchtykbek Tchoroev as "a natural diplomat who was intelligent, self-confident, flexible, and able to make concessions." In his first years as a noyon, Buyan-Badyrgy followed his adoptive father's policy of maintaining friendly relations with China and opposing Russia: he attempted to stop trade with Russa, and created an army of 2,000 soldiers that protected Chinese trading ports in Tuva. In 1911, a revolution occurred in China which led to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, and this resulted in the question arising of the fate of the Tuva region (which was under the rule of China during the dynasty). At the end of the year, the rulers of each kozhuun in Tuva decided to hold a congress. The congress convened in January 1912, and featured varying opinions on what should be done to Tuva. The amban-noyon promoted the idea of joining Russia, with his faction arguing in favor due to the goods that Russian traders had brought, contrasting them with the Chinese who they said left the Tuvans in poverty by not providing sufficient goods.
Uryankhay Krai protectorate
Buyan-Badyrgy had initially defended China up through the end of 1911, but he changed his views after the fall of the dynasty and the independence declaration of Outer Mongolia. He began promoting the idea of having Tuva annexed to Mongolia. The congress resulted in the declaration of Tuva as the independent Uryankhay Republic. Later, the leaders of some kozhuuns petitioned for Mongolian citizenship. As the new Chinese government hoped to reintegrate Tuva and Mongolia as part of its territory, most Tuvan leaders, including Buyan-Badyrgy, decided to turn to Russia for protection. On 26 October 1913, Buyan-Badyrgy sent a letter to Nicholas II, the Emperor of Russia:
In Buyan-Badyrgy's letter, he also requested the preservation of the Tuvan titles, ranks and positions, that the Russians would not interfere with the Buddhist religion, and the exemption of the Tuvan people from serving in the military. His requests were accepted and on 17 April 1914, Uryankhay Krai was established as a protectorate of Russia. In the new protectorate, seven kozhuuns were formed, each to be led by ukherids. The amban-noyon Oyun Kombu-Dorzhu was overall head of the protectorate and was also tasked with helping Russian settlers move in. By 1917, 12,000 Russians had moved to Tuva, with most settling in the new center of the protectorate, the city of Belotsarsk (now Kyzyl). The plans for the construction of Belotsarsk were coordinated by Buyan-Badyrgy.
Although Tuva was now a Russian protectorate, some of the leading Tuvans still had pro-Mongol or pro-Chinese sentiments, and neither Mongolia nor China renounced previous claims to the region, and both continued to influence Tuvan politics. The entry of Russia into World War I saw more skepticism towards Russia among the Uryankhay Krai's elites, and emboldened figures in the protectorate who sought closer political ties with China. Following the February Revolution in Russia, the new Provisional Government continued to uphold Uryankhay Krai's status as a protectorate, and in August 1917, the Provisional Government established a series of local reorganized governments in Siberia. However, Tsarist rule in Uryankhay Krai did not last long, and the Soviets took the region in March 1918. Soon after, Soviet forces began an ambitious redistribution program in Uryankhay Krai, redistributing livestock herds and the property of prominent Russian merchants.
This decision was met with resistance among the protectorate's elites, who began deepening political and economic ties with Mongolia and China, and invited troops and diplomats from the two countries into the region. The arrival of these troops risked sparking a violent confrontation between the two countries' forces and local Red Army troops, but the Provisional Siberian Government in Omsk soon negotiated the exit of the two countries' forces, and there were no incidents. Later, anti-Soviet efforts in the region by the Chinese proved a convincing success, and the Soviet governance of the protectorate collapsed in July 1918, to be replaced by the Provisional Siberian Government led by Pyotr Vologodsky. Amid these events, Buyan-Badyrgy sought to deepen ties to China. He also was one of the leading negotiators in Tuva, conducting extensive meetings with the Russians about the future of the region. Although many Tuvan political and spiritual elites hoped for annexation to Mongolia, Buyan-Badyrgy began advocating for an independent Tuva. He organized a meeting between Tuvan chieftains which led to the drafting of a constitution for a future independent Tuva.
At a Congress of the Russians in Uryankhay Krai held in the summer of 1918, it was decided that a Soviet power would be established that would recognize the Tuvans and allow them to create their own national state. However, amid the Russian Civil War, several conflicts took place that delayed the independence of Uryankhay Krai. Chinese troops marched into the protectorate in fall 1918, occupying much of the region's southern and western portions. Mongolian troops followed suit soon after, occupying further land in the south. Anti-Russian riots, led by Tuvan officials, broke out in early 1919 which drove out the Provisional Siberian Government. This allowed China and Mongolia to take more control over the region. By 1921, the Soviets had defeated Alexander Kolchak, leader of the opposing White movement in the Civil War, and took control of the region by driving out the Chinese and Mongolians.
Role in the Tuvan People's Republic
All-Tuvan Constituent Khural In June 1921, a meeting was held between Buyan-Badyrgy, representing two kozhuuns, and a Russian delegation led by , a representative of the Siberian Revolutionary Committee. They discussed the question of independence for Tuva, with Buyan-Badyrgy stating:
The discussion resulted in plans for a later meeting in August 1921 to decide the future of Tuva. This occurred with the convening of the All-Tuvan Constituent Khural from 13 to 16 August 1921, described by Khovalyg as "undoubtedly the most significant event in the history of the Tuvan people." The congress featured 63 representatives from seven of the nine kozhuuns, 17 Russian representatives including Safyanov, three Mongolians, and one representative from the Far Eastern Secretariat of the Comintern. Considered the most literate Tuvan leader, Buyan-Badyrgy was elected chairman of the congress. The congress resulted in the declaration of the Tannu Tuva People's Republic (TRPR) as an independent nation, "a free state of a free people, independent of anyone in its internal affairs." Following after the Soviets, Tannu Tuva became a communist state, one of only three in the world in its early years.