| Transcript |
- dynasty (1368-1644). The Ming emperors regarded Tibet as a vassal state, but whether the feeling was mutual is a matter for debate. Both the Mongols and the Chinese patronized various rival religious orders in Tibet, but no order seemed to have had paramount authority.
In 1578 a significant eventtook place when the Mongol ruler, Altan Khan, met with Sonam Gyatso (1543-88), the head of the Gelukpa sect, and bestowed the title of Ta Le on him, thus beginning the concept of the Dalai Lama (meaning �ocean of wisdom�). However, it was not until the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1679) that one man became both the supreme religious leader and political authority over a unified Tibet. Thus, Tibet became a theocracy. This period ushered in a grand era for the Gelukpa sect marked by the Fifth Dalai Lama�s construction of the Potala palace (one of the most magnificent buildings in the world) in Lhasa. The title of Panchen Rinpoche (meaning Precious Great Scholar) was also bestowed on the tutor of the Fifth Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lamas also began a spiritual lineage through reincarnation.
The founder of the Gelukpa order from which the Dalai Lamas take their lineage, was a theologian named Tsong Khapa (1357-1419). The Gelukpa, meaning �those who follow virtuous works,� were also known as the �Yellow Hats� to distinguish them from their rivals, the �Red Hats.� Tsong Khapa, known as Tibet�s supreme monk, stressed the need for the discipline imposed by a rigorous monastic system. He achieved great success with his reformed monastic order and major Gelukpa monasteries (Gandan in 1409, Drepung in 1418 and Sera in 1419) were founded by him or his close disciples. The image of Tsong Khapa has become a particularly popular subject in the art of Tibet [21, 55).
Tsong Khapa�s Yellow Hat sect was the third great school of philosophy in Tibet. The other two were the orthodox order founded by Padmasambhava (eighth century) and known as the Red Hat sect, and the semi-reformed sect known as the Kagyupa school, whose main apostle was Milarepa (twelfth century).
In 1644 China fell to the Manchus, who founded the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). In 1652 the Fifth Dalai Lama travelled to their capital of Beijing and met with the first Manchu emperor, Shun Zhi (r. 1644-62). The Qing emperors confirmed the Dalai Lamas as their spiritual leaders and Lamaism as the state religion in order to prevent their new or alien rule from being sinicized. They also viewed the Dalai Lamas as crucial to their control of Mongolia.
As a result of the Mongols and the Manchus both meddling in Tibetan affairs there were three Sixth Dalai Lamas in Tibetan history. However, by 1720, Qing troops succeeded in driving out the Mongols and in consolidating their control over Tibet by stationing representatives (ambans) and troops there.
Between the years 1750 and 1895 there were a number of Dalai Lamas in power for only short periods of time under mysterious circumstances, but after 1895 until 1933 the Thirteenth Dalai Lama had a long and stable rule.
In the nineteenth century the power of the Qing dynasty began to wane and countries like Britain and Russia began to have imperialistic designs on Tibet. The British, in particular, made brutal military incursions ihto Tibet.
Shortly after the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, the Tibetans evicted the Chinese representatives who were in Lhasa. In 1913-14 the British convened the Simla conference to recognize Chinese suzerainty over an area called Inner Tibet and the Dalai Lama�s authority over an independent Outer Tibet with the agreement that
18
|
|---|
