1. What does Tibet look like? Is it only high mountains?
Yes and no. Tibet is indeed home to the Himalayas, the highest mountains on the planet. Their peak, Mount Everest, reaches 8,848 meters. At the same time, Tibet is not only mountains but also fertile valleys, deserts, rivers, and lakes. All of this, however, lies at a great altitude: the average elevation of Tibet is about 4,000 meters above sea level. For this reason, geographers and travelers have called Tibet “the swelling of the Asian continent,” a “table-like mass,” or a “giant pedestal.” And for the same reason, many people think Tibet consists only of mountains.
2. Which is older: Tibet or Rus’?
It depends on what is meant. If we take as a reference point the adoption of a world religion and the formation of statehood, then Tibet is older: Buddhism was adopted there as early as the 7th century, and the Tibetan Empire emerged at that time. In Rus’, statehood began with the calling of the Varangians in 862, and Christianity was adopted in 988. Chinese written sources mention proto-Tibetan tribes that existed even before our era. In this sense, Rus’ was less fortunate, since its neighbors were not as keen on historical record-keeping as the Chinese.
3. What is Tibet: a state, a religion, or a place?
It is primarily a place. Tibet is a geographical region made up of many separate areas. These are inhabited by peoples who speak a common language. They also share a common religion, culture, and history. Today, these areas belong to different administrative regions and even different countries. Central Tibet forms the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China; the northern region of Amdo is partly within the provinces of Qinghai and Gansu; the eastern region of Kham lies within Sichuan and Yunnan; and the western regions, such as Ladakh, belong to India.
4. So is Tibet part of China?
Today, China is often used to refer to the PRC, but historically China was a state primarily inhabited by the Han Chinese. During the Manchu Empire, which established the Qing dynasty and ruled from the 17th to the 20th century, Beijing’s authority expanded over neighboring territories including East Turkestan, Mongolia, and Tibet. After the 1949 revolution, a new state, the PRC, was formed, and parts of these regions were incorporated into it as autonomous areas. In 1951, an agreement was signed in Beijing on Tibet’s incorporation into the PRC, and the People’s Liberation Army entered Lhasa. Thus, the Tibet Autonomous Region became part of the PRC. Other areas inhabited by Tibetan peoples became parts of Chinese provinces such as Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan. However, many Tibetans live outside the PRC, in India (notably in Sikkim), Nepal, and Bhutan.
5. Who governs Tibet?
The government of the PRC. It administers all aspects of life: governmental, administrative, political, economic, cultural, and others. However, there is also a so-called Tibetan government-in-exile, formed in 1959 after the flight of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and many Tibetans who followed him. The aim of this government is the liberation of Tibet. At the same time, it deals with issues of education and culture among Tibetans living in exile, numbering around 150,000 people.
6. Who lives in Tibet: Chinese or Tibetans?
Tibetans. However, they are not a single homogeneous ethnic group but consist of various local groups: Amdo people, Khampa, Sherpas, Ladakhis, and others. Today, Chinese (primarily officials and military personnel), Uyghurs (traders), and Mongols (Buddhist monks) also live in Tibet. Their interactions are largely functional: the Chinese administer, the Uyghurs trade, and the Mongols pray. Interethnic marriages are relatively rare. Linguistic studies, limited archaeological excavations, and, most importantly, Chinese written sources from the 2nd century BCE indicate that the core of the Tibetan ethnos was formed by the so-called Qiang peoples, who came from the northeast and, mixing with various Indo-Iranian, Turkic-Mongolic, and Austroasiatic groups, formed the Tibetan people.
7. Is Tibetan spoken in Tibet?
Yes. The Tibetan language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman subfamily of the Sino-Tibetan language family. A classical written form appeared in the 7th century. At the same time, different ethnic groups in Tibet speak various dialects and do not always understand one another. For example, an Amdo speaker from Qinghai may not understand someone from Central Tibet, and vice versa.
8. Are all Tibetans Buddhists?
Not all, but the overwhelming majority are. Buddhism is a true national idea for Tibetans and the foundation of their identity. However, it is not homogeneous and consists of many local traditions. In European literature, these are often called “sects,” but this is not entirely accurate: the term “sect” implies a main branch and offshoots, whereas Tibetan Buddhism itself is made up of local schools such as Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. The Gelug school, which emerged in the 14th century, became extremely influential. It reformed the church structure, religious rituals, canon, and the attire of monks and hierarchs. For example, members of the Gelug school introduced tall yellow hats, leading to its nickname as the “Yellow Hat” school. The Dalai Lama and the second most important hierarch, the Panchen Lama, belong to this school. Some Tibetans practice the ancient pre-Buddhist religion Bon. There is also a small number of Christians in Tibet.
9. Who is the Dalai Lama?
The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetans. The current, Fourteenth Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso. He is Tibetan and was born in the northeast, in the Amdo region, into a simple peasant family. Buddhists believe that people are reborn after death into other humans or animals but do not remember their previous lives. Holy individuals, however, are considered reincarnations of deities and great saints of the past. The Dalai Lamas, for example, are regarded as reincarnations of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. When a “living god” dies, as Buddhist saints are sometimes called in European literature, his followers search for the child into whom he has been reborn. A combination of signs, both mystical and physical, points to a particular infant. In the case of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, all signs indicated a boy from Amdo.
10. Are Shaolin monks from Tibet?
No. The Shaolin Monastery is located in central China and has no connection to Tibet. Shaolin and Tibet share only Buddhism: Shaolin, originally a Taoist monastery, became Buddhist nearly a century before Tibet did.
11. Why does the phrase “Free Tibet” immediately provoke controversy?
The issue of political independence for a large ethnic group that once had its own statehood is highly sensitive. After his flight in 1959, the current Dalai Lama gained great popularity and support in Western countries. This is why the northern, Tibetan branch of Buddhism is widespread in the West, rather than the southern traditions such as Thai or Burmese. This also explains why the question of Tibet’s independence is often raised more loudly than that of other groups such as the Kurds or Uyghurs.
12. Was yoga invented in Tibet?
No. Yogic practices originated in India. They came to Tibet along with Buddhism, along with many other elements such as major literary works, writing systems, the Hindu pantheon, and myths. Elements of yoga became part of the tantric practices of Tibetan Buddhists, who use physical and mental exercises to achieve higher spiritual states. However, this is not the main direction of Buddhism in Tibet.
13. Is there civilization in Tibet?
Tibet is changing rapidly. A few decades ago, it was a country where people truly lived in conditions resembling the Middle Ages. In the northern regions, pastoralists roamed with yaks and sheep much as they had ten centuries earlier. In the Tsangpo River valley, people cultivated millet and vegetables, carrying water in wooden buckets. Wealthy landowners used the labor of hired workers. Goods were transported by caravans. Polygamy and polyandry were common. The dead were dismembered and given to birds of prey. When the British carried out a military invasion of Tibet in 1904, they were opposed by people armed with bows, arrows, slings, pikes, as well as incantations and magical rituals.
Today, there are five-star hotels in Lhasa. Tibet has excellent roads, and one can reach Lhasa by train. There are power plants, universities, and publishing houses. Of course, in some regions people still live in traditional ways. Moreover, Tibetans continue to believe in magic and remain highly religious. However, this is characteristic of many societies, where faith and superstition coexist with technological progress.
