What’s the deal with Tibet??
Overview
 History
 Current
situation in Tibet
 Living in Exile
 Why is this featuring at Limmud Oz
 Tibetan Jewish Youth Exchange
Where is Tibet? (Ask China)
Tibet according to Tibetans
The Golden Age
7th Century – Songsten Gampo
 Independent Kingdom
 Great military power
 Huge empire in Central Asia
 Promoted Buddhism
 Tibetan bride, Nepalese Consort and
then Chinese bride – Princess
Wencheng.
Next King
King Trisong Detsen (755-97)
 Tibetan army at peak
 Invaded China and several Central
Asian countries.
 763 – invaded Chinese capital
(present day Xian)
 Banished Chinese Buddhism from
Tibet and established Indian form.
What goes up must come down
 Warring
princes, lords and generals
contending for the throne
 Dark period from 842 – 1247.
Lest we forget the Mongols
 Mongols
invaded most of Asia and
parts of Europe, also reached Tibet.
 The ruling Khan converted to
Buddhism and invading force
withdrew.
 A Khan gave recognition of full
sovereignty over three provinces in
Tibet.
 Different lineages ruled Tibet from
1295 - 1695
Dalai Lama – The Ocean of
Wisdom
 Sonam
Gyatso, 1543 emerged as a
great scholar of spiritual wisdom.
 Founded monasteries,
mediated between warring
factions in Tibet and
converted another
Khan to Buddhism.
Priest-Patron relationship
 1642,
5th Lama assumed spiritual
and temporal authority over Tibet.
 Established present system of
Tibetan government.
 Ming Emporer received Dalai Lama
as an independent sovereign and as
an equal.
 Dalai Lama influenced Mongols to
acknowledge Emperors sway in
China.
All good things must come to an
end….again!
 6th
Dalai Lama was an
embarrassment – was not interested
in state affairs and lead a frivolous
life.
 After his death (1705), civil war.
 Struggle between various Mongols
and Manchu dynasty as to who could
exercise their influence over Tibet.
 1720 – Manchus victorious.
Manchus in Tibet
 1723
- Troops left Tibet, some
officials left behind.
 Kham and Amdo incorporated into
China
 1727 – Troops re-entered due to
killing of Manchu nominee of Tibetan
regent.
 1749 – Invasion of Tibet to increase
power of Manchu Resident.
 1786 – Ghurkas (Nepal) invaded
Tibet.
Our favourite Imperialists - the
British
 Britain
had close ties with China.
 1876 – Sino-British convention.
 Russian contacts in 1900.
 1904 – British invaded Tibet.
 Dalai Lama fled to Mongolia.
 China capitalised on the opportunity
and interfered once again!
1911-12 Chinese revolution
 Manchus
overthrown in China
 Tibetans overthrew Chinese and
expelled in 1912.
 Apology from Chinese President
 Dalai Lama declared Tibet’s
independence
The Invasion
 1950
– China invaded East Tibet.
 May 1951 – Famous 17 point
agreement.
 September 1951- 20 000 troops
entered Lhasa.
1951 - 59
Tibetan government continued.
 Liberating serfs was not a priority
 1955 – ‘Religion is poison’
 Land reform implemented in Kham and
Amdo.
 1956 – unrest due to land reform.
 1959 – Lhasa uprising,
 Dalai Lama flees
 87 000 Tibetans killed

Cultural revolution time
 Secular
education introduced
 6000 monasteries destroyed
 Estimated 1.2 million died?
Negotiations
 Early
1980’s with Deng Xiaoping –
open invitation for Tibetan refugees
to return from exile.
 1989 – Invitation to attend Panchen
Lama’s funeral in Beijing.
 Now – negotiations have receded.
 Autonomy vs. Independance
Today
 Most
religious freedoms officially
restored
 Economic reform, but not political
 PRC claims improvements from
Tibetan feudalism.
 Campaigning for improved human
rights
Today
 Demographic
change
 Schooling system
 Chinese vs. Tibetan language
 Cultural, religious and social subjects
at school.
 “patriotic re-education”
 Unemployment
Human Rights
Chinese say ‘improvements since 1950’s’
 Currently 700 political prisoners
 Block of Human Rights Organisations
 Kidnapping of Panchen Lama
 Lack of:

–
–
–
–
Freedom of Speech
Movement and travel
Expression
Assembly
Where is the Galut?
 India
= 85 000
 Nepal = 14 000
 USA & Canada = 7000
 Bhutan = 1600
 Switzerland = 1540
 Taiwan = 1000
 Europe = 740
 Oz and NZ = 220
Nationalism in Exile
Language
 Flag
 Anthem
 ‘Tashi Delek’

Dharamsala
 Little
Lhasa
 Government in exile
 Head of state – DL
 Income – voluntary
tax, business revenue
 Indian Registration
Certificates
Central Tibetan Administration
 Health
services, cultural activities
and economic development projects.
 Tibetan Children’s Villages
 Welfare services for refugees
 2001 – democratically elected PM
Refugees
1000 per year
 Via Nepal
 Illegally

Arduous journey
Now, the Jewish Connection
Destruction of
Religion
 Threat to identity
 Living in Exile
 Minority in home
land?
 Greater Tibet?

Tibetan Jewish Youth Exchange
 Aim:
Strengthen identities of Jewish
and Tibetan youth
 Formed in 2000
 Jewish model of informal education
 www.tjye.org.uk
Longsho – ‘Rise Up’
Tibetan Jews?!!
Chanichim
Israeli Friends of the Tibetan
People
Museum expertise
 Child sponsorship
 Arava project
 International Tibet
Support Network
 http://tibet.realco
mmerce.co.il/eng_
home.htm

Thank you