By the 1700s, Tibet was under the firm control of the Chinese Empire although the Dalai Lama and his government ruled with some degree of autonomy. This arrangement would last until 1911 when as the Chinese Empire was beginning to collapse, Tibet declared it's independence. Unfortunately for Tibet, no other nation in the world recognized this and most certainly China did not. However, the turmoil that China was going through prevented her from doing anything to stop Tibet. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, a new government took over and the Republic of China was born. This new government did not recognize Tibet's independence but not much was done to oppose it.
The late 1940s saw the rise to power of the communists in China and The People's Republic of China came into being. Like the government of the Republic of China, the Communists did not recognize Tibet's independence either. Differing from their predecessors, the communist government would do something about it. In 1950 the Chinese Army invaded and soon Tibet would be under Chinese control. Certain areas of Tibet would be set aside as an autonomous region under the control of the Dalai Lama. Other areas of Tibet would be treated as if they were always a part of China and the communists treated those areas accordingly. Land was taken away from Tibetans and redistributed as the government saw fit. By 1956 armed rebellions had broken out but the Tibetans were no match for the much larger, better trained and equipped People's Liberation Army. Sadly for Tibet, China crushed the rebellions by 1959 and the Dalai Lama and his government fled to India. After these events, Tibet found itself more firmly under Chinese control than ever before.
From 1959 until the present, Tibet has been under the control of the Communist government of China. As much as the Chinese government has tried to maintain it's grip on Tibet, the Tibetans themselves have tried to maintain their own identity. And as the Chinese government prepares to host the Olympics, they are trying desperately to put on their best face for the whole world to see. And with increased attention on China, the Tibetan people, led by Buddhist monks have risen up in defiance of Chinese rule. A recent article written for washingtonpost.com and featured on msnbc.com states that, "Now, the Games -- intended to be a festive coming-out party for modern China -- could become a dramatic reminder that the Communist Party still relies on Leninist police tactics and Orwellian censorship to enforce its monopoly on power"(Cody).
It is under these circumstances that we find Tibet now. Still yearning to be freed from the Chinese yoke. My next several entries will cover different periods of Tibetan history until the present day is reached. After that, I will focus my attention on the events that are taking place today.
References:
Cody, Edward. "Fallout from Tibet takes glow off Olympics." msnbc.com. 27 Mar 2008. 27 Mar 2008
3 comments:
First of all, I have to comiserate with you on being 'technologically challenged' like me (yes, I am the other person 'of a similar age' in our class.) Rest assured; I feel your pain!
Secondly, I have to tell you that it is quite a coincidence that your subject is Tibet. One of my work colleagues and I were just discussing the recent unrest in this country because I caught a brief report on the TV in our break room. He had mentioned that some monks had set fire to themselves in protest to the Chinese government. I didn't think much more about it until you mentioned it in class last week so I did a little research; of course I was very interested to find that we 'Brits' occupied the country in 1904!
Anyway, I look forward to reading more about this intruiging little country in future blogs. I'm also interested to find out what you have in common with these people; what is your ethnic challenge?
I'll admit, a grin broke out on my face after reading your first three blogs. So I congratulate you on your ability to conquer the task of blogging! I'm new at it also, so I was able to feel your "frustration" during your first few attempts at this.
My family comes from Colombia SA, so when I think of history pertaining to other countries I gear my interests towards South America. Never has Tibet crossed my mind, and for that reason I look forward to reading your entries. From your fourth blog alone I learned an abundance of new information. I have a feeling the phrase "You learn something new everyday" will come into play as I continue to read your blogs! Good luck on your journies with Tibet and your computer!
Another great post! Your blog is really setting an example of how one can learn about issues through writing, teaching us along the way.
I think that China is going to be the country to watch over the next decade or two. Their postindustrial revolution, need for fuel, and modernization, coupled with a communist government that is dealing with both Tibet and Taiwan means that a lot of global shake-ups are probably on the horizon. I was just reading kiki's mom's post and it makes me wonder: what is happening such that people will burn themselves in protest?
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