CHINA is a country composed of scores of nationalities: Hans, Tibetans, Mongolians, Uighurs, Chuangs and　many others. All of its nationalities, through long years　of co-operation, contributed to its formation as a united　country. Tibet became a component part of the motherland in the course of a long historical process.

Long Tradition of Friendly Contact

Friendly contact between the Tibetans and China's other nationalities, mainly the Han nationality, began a long time ago. By the 7th century, in the early Tang dynasty, common associations and contact were already quite extensive. Apart from economic and cultural ties, close political relationships had also been established. In 641 A.D. Emperor Tai Tsung of the Tang dynasty married Princess Wen Cheng to the Tibetan King, Sron-tsan Gampo. She took with her to Tibet a large number of Han craftsmen specializing in brewing, rice-milling, paper and ink-making. She also brought with her silkworm eggs. This played no small part in promoting the　economic and cultural development of Tibet at that time. The memory of Princess Wen Cheng is held in very high　esteem by the Tibetan people. Her statues are in the　Jokhan Monastery and the Potala Palace in Lhasa. One　of the best traditional Tibetan plays sings her praises.

In 710 A.D., during the reign of Emperor Chung　Tsung, another Han princess, Chin Cheng, was married　to the Tibetan king Tridetsogtan. Princess Chin Cheng　took with her tens of thousands of pieces of silk and　brocade, as well as Han acrobats and musical instruments. Later she asked for copies of the classic works of Maoshih (Book of Odes with the Commentary of Mao Chang), Li-chi (Book of Rites), Tso-chuan (Tso's Commentary) and　Hsiao Tung's Wen Hsuan (General Anthology of Prose　and Verse). Tibet thus obtained further access to the　handicrafts, production techniques, music, scholarship and　culture of the Han nationality.

In 729 A.D., the Tibetan king Tridetsogtan wrote a　memorial to Emperor Hsuan Tsung in which he said: "I, a　close relative of the Tang Emperor, also have the honour　to be married to Princess Chin Cheng and we are thus　members of one family, and the common people throughout the land live in happiness and prosperity."

In 821 A.D., a "Monument of the Unity of Uncle　and Nephew" was jointly erected by the Tang Emperor　Mu Tsung and the Tibetan King Triralpajian, a monument celebrating the friendship of the Tibetan and the　Han peoples. This monument, erected a thousand years　ago and still in good condition, stands in front of the　Jokhan Monastery in the centre of Lhasa.

Foundation for Unity

Throughout the Tang dynasty, Tibetan emissaries　were frequently sent to the Tang court. When a tsanpu　(Tibetan ruler) died or a new tsanpu was installed, the　fact would be reported to the Tang court, and when a　new emperor of the Tang dynasty was enthroned, greetings would come from Tibet. Besides, large numbers of　Tibetan emissaries went to the Tang court to present　tributes and ask for trade. The Tang dynasty was an　era which saw the great development of friendly contact between the Tibetan and Han peoples. This laid a foundation for the unity between the Tibetan people and the　other nationalities of China, first of all, between the　Tibetan and Han peoples, and for the Tibetan people to　join the great family of the motherland and work together with the other nationalities to build a unified　country.

At the close of the Tang dynasty, in the middle of　the 9th century, internal disturbances broke out in Tibet　as a result of the strife between the Tibetan king Langdarma and the upper strata of the lamas. Langdarma　was killed by the lamas and chaos reigned in Tibet. Some　people proposed to install a new tsanpu. A general, who　opposed this action and started an uprising, declared: "How can a new tsanpu be installed without the conferment of the title by the great Tang dynasty?" Many　of the family members of the fallen Tibetan king and his　ministers and subordinates fled to the Tang court. Tibet was then divided into many small tribes. This chaotic　situation lasted for 400 years, until the beginning of the　13th century.

Chinese Territory Since 13th Century

The chaos in Tibet was brought to an end and unity　was achieved when Mongko, Emperor Hsien Tsung of the　Yuan dynasty, sent an army to Tibet in 1253. Tibet was　then incorporated into the Yuan Empire, and it has been　a part of the territory of China ever since.

The political and religious systems were gradually defined by the successive central governments of China from the 13th to the 18th century. The present system of merging political and religious rule into one entity was first introduced in 1275. At that time Kublai Khan, in recognition of the services of King of the Holy Law Pagspa, of the Sakya (coloured) Sect of Buddhism in Tibet, in helping to introduce a new script for the Mongolian language, conferred the title "Tutor of the Great　Yuan Emperor" on him. At the same time Kublai Khan　placed the Tibet area under Pagspa's rule. This marked　the beginning of the combination of the political and　religious rule in Tibet. From then on, the successive Yuan　emperors appointed a "Peace Commissioner" to Tibet　[resembling the Resident Representative (Amban) in Tibet　appointed by the Ching dynasty]. It was his duty to levy　a certain amount of taxes and collect tributes from the　Tibetan people every year. The Yuan dynasty also set　up a number of courier stations and military posts in　Tibet, conducted a census and instituted the check-up of　the service records of the local officials.

With the fall of the Yuan dynasty, the regime of the King of the Holy Law of the Sakya Sect collapsed, and King of the Holy Law Pagmochupa of the Kagyud (White)Sect came to power. This, however, did not bring any change in the relations between Tibet and the motherland. In 1372, King of the Holy Law Chiayang, the second ruler of the Kagyud Sect, sent an emissary to Nanking (then capital of Ming dynasty) to ask Emperor Tai Tsu of the Ming. dynasty to approve his rule in Tibet. Emperor Tai Tsu conferred several titles of honour upon him and made him the Tibetan ruler. From then on, when each King of the Holy Law acceded to the throne, he never failed to send an emissary to the capital to ask for titles of honour to be conferred on him

Friendly contact between the Tibetan people and the　other nationalities of China was further developed during　the Ming dynasty. In 1409 four imperial emissaries were　sent by Emperor Cheng Tsu to Lhasa to invite Tson-kha-pa, founder of the Yellow Sect, to preach the Buddhist　canons in the interior of the country. Tson-kha-pa was　unable to go himself and sent his disciple Jamchingchuje　as his representative to Peking. Emperor Cheng Tsu　granted him a title of honour.

The statistics of the Board of Rites of the Ming　dynasty show that in the 1450s about three to four hundred Tibetans came to Peking each year to present tributes, and in the 1460s the number reached three to four　thousand.

When the Ming dynasty was on the verge of collapse　the rule of the King of the Holy Law of the Kagyud　Sect in Tibet also tottered. In 1643, the sixteenth year　of the reign of Emperor Chung Chen, the Fifth Dalai and　the Fourth Panchen, leaders of the Gelug (Yellow) Sect, overthrew the power of the Kagyud Sect with the help　of the armed forces of Gushi Khan, a Mongolian chieftain　in Chinghai. From that time on, the Tibetan people came　under the rule of the group headed by the Dalai Lama.

After the Manchu troops pushed forward south of　the Great Wall, the Fifth Dalai Lama came to Peking from　Tibet in 1652 to offer his congratulations and asked　Emperor Shun Chih to confer titles of honour on him. In　1653, when the Fifth Dalai returned to Tibet, the Emperor　conferred upon him the title of Dalai Lama which was　officially established from then on. The functions, powers　and organization of the Tibetan local government (kasha) were defined by Emperor Chien Lung of the Ching　dynasty. The Emperor laid down that the kasha was　the highest administrative body in the Tibet area and that　it was composed of four kaloons who were the highest　officials in the local government of Tibet, second to the　regent in rank.

In 1791, during the reign of Emperor Chien Lung, the Gurkhas from Nepal launched large-scale aggression　against Tibet on the pretext of a minor incident on the　Tibet-Nepal border. The invading forces pushed forward　to Shigatse. They seized the areas west of Shigatse. The　troops of the local Tibetan government were defeated by　the invaders and all of Tibet was in danger of falling into　the enemy's hands. The Dalai and Panchen then sent　their representatives to Peking to ask for help. The　Ching court immediately sent an army of about 20,000　men to Tibet. With the support of the Tibetan people, the troops of the Ching court drove the invaders out of　Tibet in 1792.

In the closing years of the Ching dynasty and the　early years of the Republic of China (founded after the　1911 Revolution), the relations between Tibet and the rest　of the motherland were seriously impaired because of the　intensified efforts of the imperialists to incite the reactionaries in Tibet to carry out all kinds of criminal activities against the motherland. However, fraternal friendship between the Tibetan people and the other nationalities of China had deep roots and they had forged a　common destiny. Under the popular pressure, the reactionaries of the upper social strata in Tibet had to　acknowledge Tibet as a part of China and maintain contact with the central authorities.

Chinese Sovereignty Maintained

In 1930, the Kuomintang government sent an official　to Tibet to contact the local authorities. In the same　year the local government of Tibet also sent its representative, Konchio Trongnier, to Nanking and set up an　office of the Tibetan local authorities there. When the　Thirteenth Dalai Lama died on December 17, 1933, the　local government of Tibet, in accordance with traditional　practice, reported this to the Kuomintang government in　Nanking on January 1, 1934. In April of the same year, the Kuomintang government sent Huang Mu-sung as a　special envoy to Tibet to express condolences. Huang　arrived in Lhasa in September, and bestowed a posthumous title on the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. He also set　up in Lhasa an Office of the Commission for Mongolian　and Tibetan Affairs.

In the winter of 1938, the local government of Tibet　found the incarnation of the Dalai Lama at Tangtsai, Huangchung County, Chinghai Province, and asked the　central government of the Kuomintang to send a senior　official to Tibet to preside over the installation of the holy　throne. In March 1939, the Kuomintang government sent　Wu Chung-hsin, Chairman of its Commission for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs, to Tibet. On February 22, 1940, the ceremony of the installation of the. Fourteenth　Dalai Lama, presided over by Wu Chung-hsin, was held　in the Potala Palace.

After the death of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Rabchen Hutuktu carried out the duties of the Dalai Lama. Rabchen was patriotic. During his administration the　relations between the Tibet region and the motherland　improved.

In the following ten years and more, although the　British and U.S. imperialists and other foreign reactionary　forces became more active in engineering splitting activities to sever Tibet from China, Chinese sovereignty over the Tibet region was maintained all along.

(This article appears on page 13, No. 18, 1959)