Lost in Tibet
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Flying 'the Hump'
First Americans in Lhasa
British Mission in Lhasa
Chinese Mission in Lhasa
Chinese invasion
The Dalai Lama
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Richard Starks
Miriam Murcutt
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Along The River
that Flows Uphill
Lost in
Tibet
by Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt
Tibet's right to be independent
In Hollywood, pre-Chinese Tibet is often depicted as Shangri-la - a tranquil haven, cut off from the rest of the world by impassable mountains, where peace, wisdom and harmony prevailed. The reality, of course, was somewhat different.
It is true that pre-Chinese Tibet was isolated. It is also true that Tibetans were Buddhist and therefore imbued with a religion that promotes love and compassion. But as Lost in Tibet reports, "Tibetans still nurtured the belligerence of the conquering warriors they once had been, as well as a streak of cruelty that was almost medieval in its ferocity."
Nowhere was this more evident than in Tibet's long struggle with its neighbor, China.
"At first," Lost in Tibet says, "it was Tibet that gained the upper hand. Its armies carved out a huge empire that not only covered Nepal and parts of Burma, but also extended as far east as the Chinese capital of Chang'an (now the city of Xi'an), which the Tibetans seized in 763. One hundred years later, Tibet was still dominant enough to impose a treaty on China that set the border between the two countries and obliged each one to respect the other's independence.
"To seal the bargain, the two nations literally had parts of their treaty carved in stone, erecting three stelae - one of which stands in the center of Lhasa today - that were engraved with an optimistic inscription: 'All to the east (of the border) is the country of Great China; and all to the west is the country of Great Tibet'."
In the ninth century, however, China retook most of the territory it had lost.
"Both countries then fell under the control of the Mongols," Lost in Tibet says, "but later emerged as separate nations when the Mongol empire collapsed. By then - the 14th century - Tibetan aggression had been subdued, and the neighboring Chinese no longer saw the country's once-feared armies as a meaningful threat."
In the 18th century, China's Manchu emperors launched four invasions of Tibet. When their armies finally withdrew, they left behind powerful agents, or ambans, who were able to exert considerable influence over Tibetan affairs.
In the 19th century, Lost in Tibet says, "during the long period of Tibet's isolation, the Chinese ambans remained firmly entrenched. But then, gradually, their authority declined. By the opening years of the 20th century, Chinese influence had all but disappeared."
However, in 1904,
Britain invaded Tibet. At the time, it was fighting the 'Great Game'
against Russia, obsessed with the idea that its holdings in India were
threatened by Russian expansion into Tibet. When the British army
reached Lhasa - and forced the Dalai Lama out of the Potala (shown here
as it looked then) - it discovered that its fears were baseless. There
was
no significant Russian presence, so after signing several
treaties, the British forces
quietly - and ignomiously - withdrew."Once again," says Lost in Tibet, "Britain had seriously misread the situation, trying to slam the front door in the face of the Russians (who weren't trying to get in anyway), while inadvertently allowing the Chinese to come in through the rear."
In 1910, China invaded Tibet yet again, forcing the Dalai Lama to flee. But one year later, the Manchu dynasty collapsed and China fell apart politically.
"Its troops were expelled from Lhasa. The Dalai Lama returned from exile in India. And in 1913, Tibet was once more able to declare itself a free and independent state with its own government, its own civil service, its own set of laws, its own army, its own currency, and its own ethnic uniformity."
China, however, continued to harbor designs on Tibet, and in 1950, it invaded again. Since then, Tibet has been denied its independence.
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Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt
Lost in Tibet
"This book will be fascinating to anyone even casually interested in the politics of my country." - Losang Gyatso, Tibetan artist and actor in Martin Scorsese's film, Kundun.
"A well-written and interesting tale. A good story that's an interesting footnote to world history." - Associated Press.
"The authors tell this engaging tale clearly, skillfully keeping its different elements in balance while keeping a focus on the plight of the airmen. An incredible story." - Midwest Book Review.
"This is a 'must-read' for mountaineers and history buffs alike. A true adventure in high and unexplored lands." - Amanda Daflos, International Mountain Explorers Connection.