Tibet

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Country name: Tibet. In Chinese Hsitsang.

Capital: Lhasa

Other cities: Xigatze, Gyantse, Qamdo

Regions ( seven prefectures in the Tibet Autonomous Region): Lhasa, Lhokha, Qamdo, Nagqu, Ngari, Nyingtri, Xigatse

Location:

Tibet is situated on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It has the world's highest mountains, several large, rushing rivers and many beautiful lakes. The northern part is a high plateau and a wild life reserve ( Changtang reserve, 115,500 square mile (300,000 square kilometer) , as large as Texas), the southern, eastern, western parts are valleys. Its unique culture, celebrated monasteries and its magnificent scenery make it charming and mysterious. The mountains, including Mount Qomolangma (i.e., Mount Everest), are imposing with their snow covered heights.

Much of Tibet is barren land scattered with modest neighbourhoods labouring arduously to earn a livelihood from the land. This is compensated some part however by the beautiful scenery in which these nomadic folk live. Soaring peaks bathe in cloud as colossal mountains command the horizon throughout this noble ground.

The people: About 65% are Tibetans, an East Asiatic Mongoloid people. The remainder are Chinese, many of whom have been settled in Tibet since 1950.

Many folk of Tibet are nomads and move their entire families around the country. Skin tents are popular living domains allowing easy departure should circumstances dictate. Rural life reigns in Tibet and starkly contradicts many westerners lifestyles.

Population

There are 2.1 million Tibetans living in Tibet (1.15 million square km) with 0.07 million non-Tibetans (including soldiers). The total population of Tibetans in China is 4.6 million with 0.9 million lived in Qinghai (i.e., Amdo in classical Tibetan, which has a total population 5 million) and the rest in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Gansu. There is an unknown number of Tibetans living in Sikkim, Bhutan, Northern Nepal, and Northern India. Some western writters use a figure of 6 million total Tibetans.

The history of Tibet can be seperated into several periods; 1) pre-history (pre-7th century), 2) dynasty, 7th century to 9th century, 3) feudal era, 10th century to 17th century, 4) reunification and part of Ching Dynasty, 17th century to 1911, 5) semi-independent, 1911-1951, 6) part of P.R. China, 1951 to present.

Tibetans are nomads or farmers raising barley, yaks , and sheep. Only recently have Tibetans started raising chicken, eating fish and vegetables. In the old days, Tibetans dressed in wool and sheepskins. Now they use cotton and various modern fibers. Highways opened up the transportation picture. Some parts of Tibet are electrified. Different tribes wear dresses with distinctive style.

Religion: Religion is the most important element in the life of Tibetans. The dominant religion here is Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism, a branch of Buddhism that empahsizes Tantric practices. Tibetan Buddhism is divided into 5 sects: the Yellow Hats, the Red Hats, the White Hats, the Flower Hats and the Black branch. Leader of the Yellow Hats order, the Dalai Lama, is believed to be an emanation of the Great Buddhisattva known variously as Chen-re-zig or Avalokitesvara or Guan-Yin

Tibetan marriage:

In Tibet, the marriages are of three types: (1) monogamy (2) `one husband multi-wives' (3) `one wife multi-husbands'. The prevailing marriages are monogamy with `multi-wives' and `multi-husbands' permissible.

Most marriages are monogamous. Counting in terms of family units, 90 % or more of marriages are monogamous.There is a shortage of available males. In many sparsely populated area, it is hard to find a suitable spouse. The peculiar points of Tibetan multi-wives families are: (a) marriage with step-mother, uncle's widow and widowed sister-in-law (b) marriage withwifes' sisters (c) marriage with step-daughters.

Images: Tibetan woman, Tibetan monks creating a mandala, Tibetian Village,

Invation of Tibet and it's future

The People’s Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet in 1949. Since then each Tibetan has a many a tale of oppression, forced occupancy and violation of fundamental rights to narrate. Tibet is now home of several hundred thousands of troops who forcefully manages the daily affairs of a once free nation.

The Chinese government claims that it has the right to ownership of Tibet neither because of the military conquest nor be cause of the so-called “Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet” which it forced upon Tibet in 1951. Their claim is based on historical relationships primarily between Mongol or Manchu rulers with Tibetan Lamas and Chinese rulers and Tibetan Lamas. The claimed relation existed in the 18th century at the prime period of Mongol imperial expansion when the Mongol emperors extended their political supremacy throughout most of Asia and large parts of Eastern Europe and when Manchu Emperors ruled China and expanded their influence throughout East and Central Asia including Tibet.

Tibet has been under foreign influence at different times of its history which includes the Mongols, the Gorkhas of Nepal, the Manchu Emperors of China and the British rulers. Tibet also have exercised power and influence on its neighbours including China. Comparing to the other states in the world the degree and the length of the foreign influence was quite limited in the case of Tibet. However there is no history of a union or integration of the Tibetan state with any of the rulers associated with Tibet. China’s territorial claims are highly unacceptable in accordance to international laws and practices.

The International Commission of Jurists'' Legal Enquiry Committee on Tibet reported in its study on Tibet''s legal status: Tibet demonstrated from 1913 to 1950 the conditions of statehood as generally accepted under international law. In 1950, there was a people and a territory, and a government which functioned in that territory, conducting its own domestic affairs free from any outside authority. From 1913-1950, foreign relations of Tibet were conducted exclusively by the Government of Tibet, and countries with whom Tibet had foreign relations are shown by official documents to have treated Tibet in practice as an independent State. [Tibet and Chinese People''s Republic, Geneva, 1960, pp. 5, 6]

Tibet has enjoyed forty years of independence which is in itself a valid reason to give independent status for any country in the international community. It’s an ironical fact that many members of the United Nations have enjoyed a similar or even shorter period of independence.

The Dalai Lama on the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese occupation made his stand clear that Tibet does not seek independence from China. Although the spiritual and temporal head of Tibet “The Dalai Lama” follows a middle path the local Tibetans seeks for a free Tibet. The Tibetans feel that the cultural and religious autonomy of Tibet is under threat due to the increasing presence of Han Chinese. The Han nationals occupy a wide range of administrative territory within and outside Tibet. They have taken away the opportunities of small-time Tibetan traders in the streets of Lhasa and have affected their livelihoods.

Since 1989 after some negotiations were on for granting some autonomy to Tibet the Chinese have not given any till date. The people of Tibet are more worried about the diplomacy the Chinese is following to change the demography of the region. China have pumped in infrastructural investments worth 50 billion yuan in developing road, railways, airfields, hydroelectric and geothermal stations which in turn has demanded huge inflow of labor ie the Han Chinese. Though the Chinese terms this as the steps taken for the overall development of Tibet, the Tibetans see this as a danger to their cultural autonomy. According to rough estimates of the Tibetan government in exile there are five lakh Chinese police and army personnel in Tibet.

The government in exile of Tibet starkly objects the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). They want Amdo and Kham to be an integral part of TAR which is not acceptable to the Chinese. The Chinese government always kept the stand of offering Dalai Lama an important position in the government and the condition they are demanding is that he should stay in Beijing which is not acceptable to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans.

It is during the height of tensions between Tibet and China during the March 1959 Kampa rebellion after which the Dalai Lama fled to India. Since then China has harshly brought down all protests. Though Dalai Lama was given a warm welcome in India the government in exile is not very happy with India approach in Tibet’s case.

In 1954, Jawaharlal Nehru said Tibet was part of China. In 1988, Rajiv Gandhi claimed that Tibet was an autonomous part of China. In 2003, A B Vajpayee said the Tibetan Autonomous Region was part of China. At the same time, China has always been apprehensive of India''s sympathy for the Tibetan cause, ever since in 1957 when the Dalai Lama shared the dais with Nehru. But since India shares a 3,600-km border with China, it is not expected to overtly question the latter''s control over the TAR.

India pays for the welfare of over two lakh refugees and believes that autonomy in TAR with the Dalai Lama as the head of Tibetan affairs ease the tensions and make it possible for the Tibetans to return.

The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) has been seen as one the major threats by the Chinese administration as it is categorized as a terrorist outfit. China seeks global support in the worldwide “global war on terror” by giving declaring it a terrorist outfit. Tibetans lack global support and the US is not keen in the Tibetan cause. The uncompromising attitude of the China has made the Dalai Lama travel extensively to internationalize the Tibetan cause.

The well wishers of Tibet hope that China might over time have to provide a measure of autonomy and freedom to five regions — Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Han China and Greater China consisting of Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong and the prosperous coastal regions.


	Home Travel The World Asia Tibet Travel The World Country name: Tibet. In Chinese Hsitsang. Capital: Lhasa Other cities: Xigatze, Gyantse, Qamdo Regions ( seven prefectures in the Tibet Autonomous Region): Lhasa, Lhokha, Qamdo, Nagqu, Ngari, Nyingtri, Xigatse Location: Tibet is situated on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It has the world's highest mountains, several large, rushing rivers and many beautiful lakes. The northern part is a high plateau and a wild life reserve ( Changtang reserve, 115,500 square mile (300,000 square kilometer) , as large as Texas), the southern, eastern, western parts are valleys. Its unique culture, celebrated monasteries and its magnificent scenery make it charming and mysterious. The mountains, including Mount Qomolangma (i.e., Mount Everest), are imposing with their snow covered heights. Much of Tibet is barren land scattered with modest neighbourhoods labouring arduously to earn a livelihood from the land. This is compensated some part however by the beautiful scenery in which these nomadic folk live. Soaring peaks bathe in cloud as colossal mountains command the horizon throughout this noble ground. The people: About 65% are Tibetans, an East Asiatic Mongoloid people. The remainder are Chinese, many of whom have been settled in Tibet since 1950. Many folk of Tibet are nomads and move their entire families around the country. Skin tents are popular living domains allowing easy departure should circumstances dictate. Rural life reigns in Tibet and starkly contradicts many westerners lifestyles. Population There are 2.1 million Tibetans living in Tibet (1.15 million square km) with 0.07 million non-Tibetans (including soldiers). The total population of Tibetans in China is 4.6 million with 0.9 million lived in Qinghai (i.e., Amdo in classical Tibetan, which has a total population 5 million) and the rest in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Gansu. There is an unknown number of Tibetans living in Sikkim, Bhutan, Northern Nepal, and Northern India. Some western writters use a figure of 6 million total Tibetans. The history of Tibet can be seperated into several periods; 1) pre-history (pre-7th century), 2) dynasty, 7th century to 9th century, 3) feudal era, 10th century to 17th century, 4) reunification and part of Ching Dynasty, 17th century to 1911, 5) semi-independent, 1911-1951, 6) part of P.R. China, 1951 to present. Tibetans are nomads or farmers raising barley, yaks , and sheep. Only recently have Tibetans started raising chicken, eating fish and vegetables. In the old days, Tibetans dressed in wool and sheepskins. Now they use cotton and various modern fibers. Highways opened up the transportation picture. Some parts of Tibet are electrified. Different tribes wear dresses with distinctive style. Religion: Religion is the most important element in the life of Tibetans. The dominant religion here is Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism, a branch of Buddhism that empahsizes Tantric practices. Tibetan Buddhism is divided into 5 sects: the Yellow Hats, the Red Hats, the White Hats, the Flower Hats and the Black branch. Leader of the Yellow Hats order, the Dalai Lama, is believed to be an emanation of the Great Buddhisattva known variously as Chen-re-zig or Avalokitesvara or Guan-Yin Tibetan marriage: In Tibet, the marriages are of three types: (1) monogamy (2) `one husband multi-wives' (3) `one wife multi-husbands'. The prevailing marriages are monogamy with `multi-wives' and `multi-husbands' permissible. Most marriages are monogamous. Counting in terms of family units, 90 % or more of marriages are monogamous.There is a shortage of available males. In many sparsely populated area, it is hard to find a suitable spouse. The peculiar points of Tibetan multi-wives families are: (a) marriage with step-mother, uncle's widow and widowed sister-in-law (b) marriage withwifes' sisters (c) marriage with step-daughters. Images: Tibetan woman, Tibetan monks creating a mandala, Tibetian Village, Invation of Tibet and it's future The People’s Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet in 1949. Since then each Tibetan has a many a tale of oppression, forced occupancy and violation of fundamental rights to narrate. Tibet is now home of several hundred thousands of troops who forcefully manages the daily affairs of a once free nation. The Chinese government claims that it has the right to ownership of Tibet neither because of the military conquest nor be cause of the so-called “Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet” which it forced upon Tibet in 1951. Their claim is based on historical relationships primarily between Mongol or Manchu rulers with Tibetan Lamas and Chinese rulers and Tibetan Lamas. The claimed relation existed in the 18th century at the prime period of Mongol imperial expansion when the Mongol emperors extended their political supremacy throughout most of Asia and large parts of Eastern Europe and when Manchu Emperors ruled China and expanded their influence throughout East and Central Asia including Tibet. Tibet has been under foreign influence at different times of its history which includes the Mongols, the Gorkhas of Nepal, the Manchu Emperors of China and the British rulers. Tibet also have exercised power and influence on its neighbours including China. Comparing to the other states in the world the degree and the length of the foreign influence was quite limited in the case of Tibet. However there is no history of a union or integration of the Tibetan state with any of the rulers associated with Tibet. China’s territorial claims are highly unacceptable in accordance to international laws and practices. The International Commission of Jurists'' Legal Enquiry Committee on Tibet reported in its study on Tibet''s legal status: Tibet demonstrated from 1913 to 1950 the conditions of statehood as generally accepted under international law. In 1950, there was a people and a territory, and a government which functioned in that territory, conducting its own domestic affairs free from any outside authority. From 1913-1950, foreign relations of Tibet were conducted exclusively by the Government of Tibet, and countries with whom Tibet had foreign relations are shown by official documents to have treated Tibet in practice as an independent State. [Tibet and Chinese People''s Republic, Geneva, 1960, pp. 5, 6] Tibet has enjoyed forty years of independence which is in itself a valid reason to give independent status for any country in the international community. It’s an ironical fact that many members of the United Nations have enjoyed a similar or even shorter period of independence. The Dalai Lama on the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese occupation made his stand clear that Tibet does not seek independence from China. Although the spiritual and temporal head of Tibet “The Dalai Lama” follows a middle path the local Tibetans seeks for a free Tibet. The Tibetans feel that the cultural and religious autonomy of Tibet is under threat due to the increasing presence of Han Chinese. The Han nationals occupy a wide range of administrative territory within and outside Tibet. They have taken away the opportunities of small-time Tibetan traders in the streets of Lhasa and have affected their livelihoods. Since 1989 after some negotiations were on for granting some autonomy to Tibet the Chinese have not given any till date. The people of Tibet are more worried about the diplomacy the Chinese is following to change the demography of the region. China have pumped in infrastructural investments worth 50 billion yuan in developing road, railways, airfields, hydroelectric and geothermal stations which in turn has demanded huge inflow of labor ie the Han Chinese. Though the Chinese terms this as the steps taken for the overall development of Tibet, the Tibetans see this as a danger to their cultural autonomy. According to rough estimates of the Tibetan government in exile there are five lakh Chinese police and army personnel in Tibet. The government in exile of Tibet starkly objects the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). They want Amdo and Kham to be an integral part of TAR which is not acceptable to the Chinese. The Chinese government always kept the stand of offering Dalai Lama an important position in the government and the condition they are demanding is that he should stay in Beijing which is not acceptable to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans. It is during the height of tensions between Tibet and China during the March 1959 Kampa rebellion after which the Dalai Lama fled to India. Since then China has harshly brought down all protests. Though Dalai Lama was given a warm welcome in India the government in exile is not very happy with India approach in Tibet’s case. In 1954, Jawaharlal Nehru said Tibet was part of China. In 1988, Rajiv Gandhi claimed that Tibet was an autonomous part of China. In 2003, A B Vajpayee said the Tibetan Autonomous Region was part of China. At the same time, China has always been apprehensive of India''s sympathy for the Tibetan cause, ever since in 1957 when the Dalai Lama shared the dais with Nehru. But since India shares a 3,600-km border with China, it is not expected to overtly question the latter''s control over the TAR. India pays for the welfare of over two lakh refugees and believes that autonomy in TAR with the Dalai Lama as the head of Tibetan affairs ease the tensions and make it possible for the Tibetans to return. The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) has been seen as one the major threats by the Chinese administration as it is categorized as a terrorist outfit. China seeks global support in the worldwide “global war on terror” by giving declaring it a terrorist outfit. Tibetans lack global support and the US is not keen in the Tibetan cause. The uncompromising attitude of the China has made the Dalai Lama travel extensively to internationalize the Tibetan cause. The well wishers of Tibet hope that China might over time have to provide a measure of autonomy and freedom to five regions — Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Han China and Greater China consisting of Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong and the prosperous coastal regions.