Journal paper
| Issue No. | No. 50 |
|---|---|
| Title | Tibetans on Tibet: Tibetan perception of Tibet in the Republican Era |
| Author | Jian, Jin-sheng |
| Page | 97-154 |
| Abstract | In comparison with the numerous studies on the Western perception of Tibet in Western academic circles, there are fewer studies to explore the Chinese perception of Tibet. In the Republican Era a great deal of writings about ethnic minorities and borderland, including Tibet, were published. Authors of these works on Tibet issues are not only Han Chinese, but also those Tibetans who at that time lived in China proper. This paper examines what perception of Tibet were presented to Chinese by analysing the contents of periodicals founded by the ninth Panchen Lama and the writings of Tibetans.
Due to the resistance to Dalai Lama and Tibetan government, Panchen and Khampas claimed the Khams [Xikang] does not belong to Tibet in XikangTibetan border conflicts, which is the only thing that Tibetans living in China proper agreed with Chinese. On the other side, to stand against the Xikang warlord Liu Wenhui, Khampas referred to the political discourse insisted by Chinese and declared the slogan of Khampa Autonomy [Khams ruled by Khampas]. Chinese appealed to Tibetans’ support of “the Chinese people” [zhonghuaminzu] and claimed to sovereignty over Tibet. In response Tibetans brought forward the “Republic of the Five Races” [Wuzugonghe] and priest and patron relationship. In spite of having been received the ideology of modernization of the “Three Principles of the People” [Sanminzhuyi], Tibetans did not agree with Chinese critique of their being uncivil and reacted against the racial and religious prejudice from Chinese. However, the voices of Tibetansthemselves were faint though Tibetans living in China proper have provided different views of Tibet to Chinese. Tibetans’ own expression about Tibet in English and Chinese were diluted in translation, and were subordinated to the Tibet in Chinese and Western imagination. |
| Keyword | Tibet, The Perception of Tibet, Sino-Tibet relations, Ninth Panchen, Khampa Autonomy |
| Attached File | File download |