In the year 1715, the ruler of the Qing empire Xuanye ordered that two thousand soldiers should be stationed at the mountain pass Gas, a thousand kilometers outside the borders of the empire. It... Show moreIn the year 1715, the ruler of the Qing empire Xuanye ordered that two thousand soldiers should be stationed at the mountain pass Gas, a thousand kilometers outside the borders of the empire. It provided access to the Tsaidam basin, and thus the entire Tibetan plateau. This essay places the initial occupation of Gas in the context of the Qing policy toward Tibet by examining Xuanye's motivations for the occupation of Gas. It then argues that the occupation of Gas ultimately failed to achieve its objective. Show less
This study discusses the position of the monasteries in pre-1950s Tibetan societies and how that position was informed by Buddhist monastic ideology. The point of departure is the huge impact of... Show moreThis study discusses the position of the monasteries in pre-1950s Tibetan societies and how that position was informed by Buddhist monastic ideology. The point of departure is the huge impact of monastic Buddhism on Tibetan society, economy, law, and culture. This work examines the impact of Buddhist monastic institutions on Tibetan societies by looking at their monastic policies with regard to organization, economy, justice, and public relations. The primary sources in which these policies can be found are the monastic guidelines (bca’ yig). As this type of literature has not been studied in any detail, this study contains an exploration of this genre, its parallels in other Buddhist cultures, its connection to the Vinaya, and its socio-historical value. The textual study is supplemented with important information gained via oral history methods. It is demonstrates that the monastery was mostly guided by Buddhist monastic law and that it was averse to any societal instability. The monastic guidelines are witness to certain socio-economic changes, but also contain rules that aim to change the monastery in order to preserve it. The monastic institutions’ influence on society was maintained not merely due to existing power-relations, but also because of certain deep-rooted Buddhist beliefs. Show less
In this dissertation, I have focused on the construction of the life account of the founder of Bon Religion, Shenrab Miwo. I try to answer some key questions such as, who was Shenrab Miwo and why... Show moreIn this dissertation, I have focused on the construction of the life account of the founder of Bon Religion, Shenrab Miwo. I try to answer some key questions such as, who was Shenrab Miwo and why is he considered to have been the founder of Bon? How did the hagiography of Shenrab Miwo emerge and how did this contribute toward the development of Bon? Shenrab Miwo was designated as the founder of Bon probably during the second spread of Buddhism in Tibet, starting the 10th–11th century AD. In order to compete with the Buddhist claim that their religion was founded by the Buddha Śākyamuni, Bonpos began to claim that their religion was founded by Shenrab Miwo, and that it was much older than Buddhism. The Bonpos began to formalize their religion by appropriating Buddhist literature and adjusting it for their own purposes. The choice of Shenrab Miwo as the founder of Bon was first canonized with the creation of the mDo ’dus. Its basic narrative patterns are based on proto-narratives, such as still extant in Tibetan Dunhuang documents, on Tibetan translations of legends of the life of the Buddha, and other textual fragments that existed in Tibet at that time, and are most likely also based on stories that were passed down orally. Show less
