Bogd Khan vs Kirti Sri Rajasinha

Following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu was proclaimed Bogd Khan (Holy King) of an independent Mongolia. This established the Bogd Khanate, a theocratic monarchy that lasted until 1924.

The Bogd Khan signed the Treaty of Kyakhta, which recognized Mongolia's autonomy under Chinese suzerainty but with Russian protection. The treaty limited Mongolia's sovereignty but preserved its autonomy.

After Chinese forces occupied Mongolia in 1919 and abolished the Bogd Khanate, the Bogd Khan was restored to the throne in 1921 following the Mongolian People's Party's victory with Soviet support. He ruled as a constitutional monarch until his death.

The Bogd Khan died in 1924, leading to the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic. His death marked the end of theocratic rule and the beginning of communist governance.

Kirti Sri Rajasinha, with the assistance of the Siamese monk Upali, re-established the higher ordination (Upasampada) for Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka. This revived the Buddhist Sangha, which had declined under earlier Nayakkar and Portuguese rule, and restored Buddhism as the state religion of the Kandyan Kingdom.

Kirti Sri Rajasinha commissioned the construction of the current Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy to house the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. This temple became the most important Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka and a symbol of Kandyan sovereignty.

Kirti Sri Rajasinha successfully repelled a Dutch invasion of the Kandyan Kingdom. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) attempted to conquer Kandy but were defeated by the Kandyan army, forcing the Dutch to sign a peace treaty in 1766 that recognized Kandyan independence.

Kirti Sri Rajasinha patronized Sinhalese literature, poetry, and traditional arts. He sponsored the composition of Buddhist texts and the revival of classical Sinhalese poetry, contributing to a cultural renaissance in the Kandyan court during his reign.