You can say all you want, but it does not change the FACT that TIBET BELONGS TO CHINA! The following are some facts.
As early as the seventh century the king of Tibet, then Sontsen Gampo, assumed the role of a vassal ruler to the Tang Dynasty of China (AD 618-907).
Since approximately AD 842, slave uprisings and fractional infighting threw Tibet into a state of chaos for the following four centuries. Finally, the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) of China helped restore order and stability to the region as the Sakya Order of Tibet requested, who agreed to place Tibet under the sovereignty of China.
Later, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) recognized the status of the Dailai Lamas by conferring upon them various supplemental titles.
And in 1910 the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) soundly defeated the separatist factions of Tibet and warned the British Raj of India to restrict its imperialist activities.
Thus, from ancient history alone it can be evidenced that Tibet had long been under the sovereignty of China, and China's governance of Tibet was always conducted in an extremely benevolent light.
========================================
chinadaily.com.cn
Historical facts reveal Tibet as part of China
Editor's Notes: J-Yao Shen, a Chinese American born in China and having spent 40 years in the United States, wrote about his understanding of the "Tibetan issue" in the bimonthly magazine China's Tibet. The following is the first of a five-part adaptation of Mr Shen's article, entitled "Tibetan Issue: Lies vs Truth."
Tibet has become an outstanding issue. "Taiwanese independence" and "Tibetan independence," which involve territory and sovereignty, concern both China and Chinese residing overseas. Everyone is clear about the crux of the "Taiwan issue," but the truth of the "Tibetan issue" remains to be explained.
To clarify this, I have been gathering and reading materials, and, in autumn last year, I spent a week in Tibet with the aim of further understanding and verifying what was in my mind.
During this one-week stay in Tibet, I was deeply impressed by the peaceful atmosphere, with no sign of instability.
I talked to Tibetans around me and was given a chance to talk to a Tibetan leader for three hours. They answered my questions and helped disperse the mystery in my mind.
Tibetan history should not be approached with an out-of-context attitude. In talking of the "Tibetan issue," what should be clarified first and foremost is the historical aspect. Many people in the West refrain from mentioning historical relations between Tibet and China, as if such relations began only after 1950. As a matter of fact, China has maintained a close relationship with Tibet for more than 1,300 years -- a segment of history which developed in two stages:
-- The first stage, extending over 200 years, from the mid-7th century to the 9th century, extended from the early days of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the collapse of the Tubo Kingdom. Historical records show that Tang and the Tubo exchanged envoys 142 times between 634 and 851. They included 51 envoys dispatched by the Tang and 91 by the Tubo.
In 641, Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong arranged for Princess Wencheng to marry Tubo King Songtsan Gambo. This segment of history is still recorded in a fresco in the Potala Palace and also found its way into the Tang-Tubo Peace Alliance Tablet erected in front of the Jokhang Monastery in 823. In the Jokhang Monastery, there is a statue of Sakyamuni which Princess Wencheng brought to Tibet as part of her dowry.
-- The second stage spans more than 700 years from the 13th century, when Tibet remained part of China. Following the downfall of the Tubo Kingdom, Tibet fell into a 400-year period of division. This lasted until the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), when Tibet pledged allegiance to the Chinese dynasty.
From then on, Tibet was incorporated into the map of China. In the Archives of the Tibet Autonomous Region, there are dozens of archives left behind from the Yuan Dynasty. They include imperial edicts written in Pagba and Mongolian scripts, religious documents written by State Tutors in ancient Tibetan language and notices of the Pacification Commissioners. These are the only documents left behind from the Yuan Dynasty which unified China. They are important records showing Tibet as part of China.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Emperor Chengzu and ensuing emperors granted honorific titles to leaders of various sects of Tibetan Buddhism.
Nowadays, memorial tablets to Ming emperors, which had to be worshipped then, are well preserved in some Tibetan lamaseries. In Tibet, there are more than 10,000 volumes of archives left behind from the Ming Dynasty. The No 1 Historical Archive of China has a collection of 3,000 such volumes, for example. From these archives, one sees that the Ming followed the Yuan practice of exercising sovereignty over Tibet.
From 1727 to 1911, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) dispatched more than 100 High Commissioners to Tibet. They were charged with appointing and dismissing local government officials and presided over activities and ceremonies held by the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Erdeni and other grand Living Buddhas.
In 1791, when the Qing troops routed the Korgas who had invaded Tibet, the Qing imperial court promulgated the 29-article Ordinance for More Efficient Governing of Tibet, which was followed in Tibet until the Democratic Reform of Tibet in 1959. All the Qing Dynasty archives, totalling 700,000 volumes, show Tibet as part of China.
When the Republic of China was founded in 1912, the Central government promulgated the Provisional Constitutions, stating that Tibet is part of Chinese territory.
There are lots of archives left behind from the Republic of China period (1912-1949) and from the 1950s. They include the original copies of the 17-article Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, which is an epoch-making document in both Han Chinese and Tibetan languages.
The above historical records should suffice to show Tibet has been part of China for at least some 700 years.
Date: 04/27/98
Author:
Copyright© by China Daily
=============================================
chinadaily.com.cn
chinadaily.com.cn
chinadaily.com.cn
chinadaily.com.cn.net
chinadaily.com.cn.net
chinadaily.com.cn.net
chinadaily.com.cn.net
chinadaily.com.cn.net
BTW, even if the title of "Lama" was originated from Chinese Officials. |
