Covering the social, cultural, and political development of Tibet from the seventh century to the modern period, this resource reproduces essential, hard-to-find essays from the past fifty years of Tibetan studies, along with several new contributions. Beginning with Tibet's emergence as a regional power and concluding with its profound contemporary transformations, the collection is both a general and specific history, connecting the actions of individuals, communities, and institutions to broader historical trends shaping Asia and the world. With contributions from American, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan scholars, the anthology reflects the international character of Tibetan studies and its multiple, interdisciplinary perspectives. By far the most concise scholarly anthology on Tibetan civilization in any Western language, this reader draws a clear portrait of Tibet's history, its relation to its neighbors, and its role in world affairs.

Table of Contents:
Preface and Acknowledgments Dates in Tibetan History and Key Events in Neighboring Lands Maps Part I. From Prehistory to History 1. The Prehistory of the Tibetan Plateau to the Seventh Century A.D., by Mark Aldenderfer and Zhang Yinong 2. Some Reflections on the Periodization of Tibetan History, by Bryan Cuevas 3. History as Myth: On the Appropriation of the Past in Tibetan Culture, by Peter Schwieger Part II. Imperial Tibet (Seventh to Tenth Centuries) 4. Remarks on the Mani Kabum and the Cult of Avalokitesvara in Tibet, by Matthew T. Kapstein 5. On the Tibetan Historiography and Doxography of the 'Great Debate of Samye,' by David Seyfort Ruegg. Imperial Politics 6. The Context of Old Tibetan Inscriptions, by Fang Kuei Li and W. South Coblin 7. The Tibetans in the Ordos and North China: Considerations on the Role of the Tibetan Empire in World History, by Christopher I. Beckwith Part III. Tibetan Revivals (Tenth to Twelfth Centuries) 8. The Tibetan Tribes of Hexi and Buddhism during the Northern Song Period, by Tsotumo Iwasaki 9. Rulers of Western Tibet, by David Snellgrove 10. The Bon Religion of Tibet, by Per Kvaerne 11. The Evolution of Monastic Power, by R. A. Stein Part IV. Lamas and Patrons: Tibet and the Mongols (Thirteenth to Fourteenth Centuries) 12. The Preceptor-Donor Relation in Thirteenth Century Tibetan Society and Polity, its Inner Asian Precursors and Indian Models, by David Seyfort Ruegg 13. The Mongol Census in Tibet, by Luciano Petech 14. Sakya Pandita's Letter to the Tibetans: A Late and Dubious Addition to His Collected Works, by David P. Jackson Part V. Centers of Power and Religious Learning (Fourteenth to Eighteenth Centuries) 15. The Rise of the Pakmodru Dynasty, by Luciano Petech 16. Monastic Patronage in 15th century Tibet, by Turrell V. Wylie 17. Central Tibetan Conflict in the 16th Century, by Guiseppe Tucci 18. The He Clan of Hezhou: A Tibetan Family in Service to the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, by Elliot Sperling 19. Bon in Central and Eastern Tibet, by Samten Karmay Part VI. Modern Tibet (Seventeenth to Twentieth Centuries) Central Tibetan Leadership 20. The Dalai Lamas and the Origins of Reincarnate Lamas, by Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp 21. The Fifth Dalai Lama, by Kurtis R. Schaeffer 22. Experience, Empiricism, and the Fortunes of Authority: Tibetan Medicine and Buddhism on the Eve of Modernity, by Janet Gyatso Tibet and the Manchus 23. The Administration of Tibet during the First Half-Century of Chinese Protectorate, by Luciano Petech 24. Lobjang Danjin's Rebellion of 1723, by Kato Naoto 25. Aristocracy and Government in Tibet: 1728-1959, by Luciano Petech Trade and Commerce 26. Gold, Wool and Musk: Trade in Lhasa in the Seventeenth Century, by Luce Boulnois 27. The Circulation of Estates in Tibet: Reincarnation, Land and Politics, by Melvyn C. Goldstein 28. The Geo-History of Long-Distance Trade in Tibet 1850-1950, by Wim van Spengen Institutional Growth beyond Central Tibet 29. The Kingdom of Derge, by Lauran R. Hartley 30. Labrang: A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery at the Crossroads of Four Civilizations, by Paul Nietupski Tibet in a Global Context 31. Uniting Religion and Politics in a Bid for Autonomy: Lamas in Exile in China and America, by Gray Tuttle 32. Progressives and Exiles, by Heather Stoddard 33. The Genesis of the Sino-Tibetan Agreement of 1951, by Tsering Shakya Full References to Original Articles Bibliography Index