An analysis of the formation of the Altan Khan Style Tsogchins in Mayidari Juu Monastery

This paper hopes to provide a second dimension to primary sources by “reading” directly into, and from, the architecture, rather than merely following textual materials. It starts with descriptions of the earliest timber structure associated with Altan Khan in sixteenth-century Mongolia. By examining the structure, craftsmanship, and technology of the timber structures, it thus discusses what the early palace and monastery looked like in the Altan Khan era, and attempts to reconstruct the process by which Altan Khan developed his rulership through monumental architecture. It finally proposes that the Altan Khan-Style Tsogchin was not the end result of a careful design process, but instead evolved in response to political and religious circumstances.