Dogsomyn Bodoo
Encyclopedia
Dogsomyn Bodoo was a Prime Minister of Mongolia
from 1921 to 1922. He had been a lama
before becoming a clerk and a founding member of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
. He became Prime Minister of the provisional parliamentary state from April 16, 1921 to January 7, 1922. He was executed in a power struggle in 1922.
He was literate in Mongolian
, Tibetan
, Manchu
and Chinese
. He became the Niislel Hüree representative of the Harbin
newspaper Mongolyn Sonin Bichig and, under the pseudonym Bold or Bo, correspondent and editor of Shine Tol and Niislel Hüreeniy Sonin Bichig newspapers.
and Khorloogiin Choibalsan, who worked as Bodoo's Russian interpreter.
Bodoo was a member of the MPP delegation, along with Sükhbaatar, Chagdarjav, Choibalsan, and Soliin Danzan
that traveled to the Soviet Union in 1920 to establish contact with the Bolsheviks.
Soon after becoming prime minister the political rivalry between Bodoo and Soliin Danzan
intensified when Danzan lost his seat as party leader to a relative of Bodoo's. Danzan, who chaffed while working under Bodoo as Minister of Finance, engineered various plans to remove Bodoo from office by convincing and persuading influential figures that Bodoo was "short-tempered and short-sighted" and that he should be removed because he was not a serious person.
(national dress) and forcing women to cut their hair short among other measures . Although the MRYU was founded in 1921 to combat counter-revolutionary activity, party rivals including Choibalsan, Danzan and Rinchino, soon manipulated it to purge their enemies.
as well as colluding with the Chinese and Americans to undermine the revolution and establish an autocratic government. Bodoo responded on January 7, 1922 by asking to be relieved of all his positions within the government for health reasons.
, was convicted for conspiring with reactionary enemies to destroy the government. Bodoo was arrested, interrogated by a Russian agent and then executed by shooting on August 31, 1922.
Looking to prevent a possible backlash from religious groups (Bodoo was a lama) Party leaders including Sühkbaatar asked the Hutagt, or saint incarnate, Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar
to become the next prime minister. Damdinbazar did not last very long in the job. He died a little more than 15 months later June 23, 1923.
Prime Minister of Mongolia
The Prime Minister of Mongolia is the highest member of the Mongolian government's executive arm, and heads the Mongolian cabinet. The Prime Minister is appointed by Parliament, and can be removed by a vote of no confidence.-Powers:...
from 1921 to 1922. He had been a lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
before becoming a clerk and a founding member of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
The Mongolian People's Party formerly the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party is an ex-communist political party in Mongolia. The party is abbreviated MPP in English and ' in Mongolian...
. He became Prime Minister of the provisional parliamentary state from April 16, 1921 to January 7, 1922. He was executed in a power struggle in 1922.
Early life
Bodoo was born in 1895 in Mandshir Hutagt in present-day Töv Province. He studied at the Mongolian Language and Literature School in Niislel Hüree (present-day Ulan Bator), became a scribe at the Shaviyn Yaam (religious affairs office) and then a Mongolian Language teacher at the Russian Consulate's school of interpreters.He was literate in Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
, Tibetan
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
, Manchu
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. He became the Niislel Hüree representative of the Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
newspaper Mongolyn Sonin Bichig and, under the pseudonym Bold or Bo, correspondent and editor of Shine Tol and Niislel Hüreeniy Sonin Bichig newspapers.
Founding of the Mongolian People's Party
While working at the Russian Consulate, Bodoo became acquainted with many Russians and learned about Russian Bolshevism. In 1919 founded the secret revolutionary organization Konsulyn Denj (Consular Hill group), which eventually joined with Sükhbaatar's Züün Hüree organization to form the Mongolian People's Party(MPP). Among the early core members of Konsulyn Denj were Dambyn ChagdarjavDambyn Chagdarjav
Dambyn Chagdarjav was one of the “first seven” leaders of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party and was later prime minister of Mongolia’s provisional government from March to April 1921....
and Khorloogiin Choibalsan, who worked as Bodoo's Russian interpreter.
Bodoo was a member of the MPP delegation, along with Sükhbaatar, Chagdarjav, Choibalsan, and Soliin Danzan
Soliin Danzan
Soliin Danzan was a Mongolian revolutionary and chairman of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party ....
that traveled to the Soviet Union in 1920 to establish contact with the Bolsheviks.
Prime minister
From March 1921, Bodoo served in the provisional revolutionary government as foreign minister, and from April 16, concurrently as prime minister, replacing Chagdarjav. On September 14, 1921 Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Bodoo signed and issued Mongolia's Declaration of Independence.Soon after becoming prime minister the political rivalry between Bodoo and Soliin Danzan
Soliin Danzan
Soliin Danzan was a Mongolian revolutionary and chairman of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party ....
intensified when Danzan lost his seat as party leader to a relative of Bodoo's. Danzan, who chaffed while working under Bodoo as Minister of Finance, engineered various plans to remove Bodoo from office by convincing and persuading influential figures that Bodoo was "short-tempered and short-sighted" and that he should be removed because he was not a serious person.
Downfall
In late 1921 Bodoo caused an uproar when he launched a campaign (with the help of the MRYU, the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth Union) designed to "modernize" the people by cutting off the cuffs of women's deelsDeel (clothing)
A deel is the traditional clothing commonly worn for many centuries among the Mongols and other nomadic tribes of Central Asia, including various Turkic peoples, and can be made from cotton, silk, or brocade....
(national dress) and forcing women to cut their hair short among other measures . Although the MRYU was founded in 1921 to combat counter-revolutionary activity, party rivals including Choibalsan, Danzan and Rinchino, soon manipulated it to purge their enemies.
Purged
Danzan, instigated by the Soviets, used the affair to accuse Bodoo of plotting with the charismatic independence leader Ja LamaJa Lama
Ja Lama ) was an adventurer of unknown birth and background who posed as a Buddhist lama, though it is not clear whether he actually was one. He claimed to be a grandson and later the reincarnation of Amursana, the Khoit-Oirat prince who led the Dzungar Khanate to its extermination in 1757...
as well as colluding with the Chinese and Americans to undermine the revolution and establish an autocratic government. Bodoo responded on January 7, 1922 by asking to be relieved of all his positions within the government for health reasons.
Death
Not satisfied with allowing Bodoo to live out his life in quiet retirement, Danzan pressed the charges against Bodoo until he, along with several other former ministers including his predecessor Dambyn ChagdarjavDambyn Chagdarjav
Dambyn Chagdarjav was one of the “first seven” leaders of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party and was later prime minister of Mongolia’s provisional government from March to April 1921....
, was convicted for conspiring with reactionary enemies to destroy the government. Bodoo was arrested, interrogated by a Russian agent and then executed by shooting on August 31, 1922.
Looking to prevent a possible backlash from religious groups (Bodoo was a lama) Party leaders including Sühkbaatar asked the Hutagt, or saint incarnate, Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar
Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar
The Jalkhanz Khutagt Sodnomyn Damdinbazar was a high lamaist incarnation in northwestern Mongolia, and played a high-profile role in the country's independence movement...
to become the next prime minister. Damdinbazar did not last very long in the job. He died a little more than 15 months later June 23, 1923.