Editing Manchu people (section)

==== Buddhism ====
Jurchens, the predecessors of the Manchus adopted the [[Buddhism]] of [[Balhae]], [[Goryeo]], [[Liao dynasty|Liao]] and [[Song dynasty|Song]] in the 10–13th centuries,<ref name=buddhism>{{Cite web |url=http://www.manchus.cn/plus/view.php?aid=378 |title=The Relation of Manchu Emperors and Buddhism |access-date=21 June 2012 |archive-date=21 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621061730/http://www.manchus.cn/plus/view.php?aid=378 |url-status=dead }}</ref> so it was not something new to the rising Manchus in the 16–17th centuries. Qing emperors were always entitled "Buddha". They were regarded as [[Mañjuśrī]] in [[Tibetan Buddhism]]<ref name=meng2006/>{{rp|5}} and had high attainments.<ref name=buddhism/><ref name=jin2009/>{{rp|95}}

[[Hong Taiji]] who was of Mongolian descent started leaning towards Chan Buddhism, the original Chinese form known in Japan as Zen Buddhism. Still, Huangtaiji patronized Tibetan Buddhism extensively and publicly.{{sfn|Wakeman|1986|p=203}}<ref name=cambridge>{{cite book |title = The Cambridge History of China: Pt. 1; The Ch'ing Empire to 1800 |url = {{Google books|hi2THl2FUZ4C|plainurl=yes}}|year=1978 |publisher = Cambridge University Press |isbn = 978-0-521-24334-6|pages=64–65}}</ref> Huangtaiji patronized Buddhism but sometimes felt Tibetan Buddhism to be inferior to Chan Buddhism.<ref name=cambridge/>

The [[Qianlong Emperor]]'s faith in [[Tibetan Buddhism]] has been questioned in recent times because the emperor indicated that he supported the Yellow Church (the Tibetan Buddhist [[Gelukpa]] sect)<ref name=dunnelletal>{{cite book |title = New Qing Imperial History: The Making of Inner Asian Empire at Qing Chengde |first1 = Ruth W. |last1 = Dunnell |first2 = Mark C. |last2 = Elliott |first3 = Philippe |last3 = Foret |first4 = James A |last4 = Millward |year = 2004 |publisher = Routledge |url = {{Google books|6qFH-53_VnEC|plainurl=yes}} |isbn = 978-1134362226 }}</ref>{{rp|123–4}}

This explanation of only supporting the "Yellow Hats" Tibetan Buddhists for practical reasons was used to deflect Han criticism of this policy by the Qianlong Emperor, who had the "Lama Shuo" stele engraved in Tibetan, Mongol, Manchu and Chinese, which said: "By patronizing the Yellow Church we maintain peace among the Mongols."<ref>{{cite book |title=Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West |first=Donald S. |last=Lopez |year=1999 |url={{Google books|mjUHF7kQfVAC|plainurl=yes}}|publisher=University of Chicago Press |page=20 |isbn=0-226-49310-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| title=Empire of Emptiness: Buddhist Art and Political Authority in Qing China |first= Patricia Ann |last=Berger |year=2003 |url={{Google books|BsyFU9FwCIkC|plainurl=yes}}|publisher=University of Hawaii Press |page= 35 |isbn=0-8248-2563-2}}</ref> It seems he was wary of the rising power of the Tibetan Kingdom and its influence over the Mongolians and Manchu public, princes and generals.