Gray Tuttle
20th Century Tibetan History HSEA W4720
Email: gwt2102@columbia.edu
Tuesday 2:10pm-4:00pm
522C Kent Hall
Course overview:
This course is designed for students interested in gaining a broad view of Tibetan history in the 20th century. We will cover the institutional history of major Tibetan state institutions and their rivals in the Tibetan borderlands, as well as the relations with China, Britain, and America. Discussion sessions throughout the semester will focus on important historical issues.
Required Reading (available on reserve and at Book Culture, 112th St)
1) Tuttle, G. Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China. 2005
2) Goldstein, M. A History of Modern Tibet: The Demise of the Lamaist State. 1989.
3) Goldstein, M., Seibenschuh & Tashi Tsering. The Struggle for Modern Tibet, 1997.
4) Goldstein, M., Dawei Sherab, & Seibenschuh. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004.
5) Tsering Shakya. The Dragon in the Land of Snows. 1999.
6) Pema Bum, Six Stars and a Crooked Neck, Lauran Hartley, trans. 1999.
7) Knaus, Ken. Orphans of the Cold War. 1999.
8) Kolas, A & M Thowsen. On the Margins of Tibet: Cultural Survival on the Sino-Tibetan Borderlands. 2005.
9) Martin Mills. Identity, Ritual and State in Tibetan Buddhism: The Foundations of Authority in Gelukpa Monasticism. 2010 edition.
10) Andrew Fischer. The Disempowered Development of Tibet in China: A Study in the Economics of Marginalization. 2013.
Courseworks readings, including selections from: Hartley, L. “Contextually Speaking: Tibetan Literary Discourse and Social Change in the People’s Republic of China (1980–2000).” 2003.
Evaluation based on: Percentage of Final Grade
Participation (on-line and in class) 25%
(weekly response papers, due 5pm Monday; to be posted on Courseworks)
Mid-term paper (due March 14th or 24th, your choice) 25%
Final Paper (due May 8th) 50%
General Expectations:
As participation is such a key component of the class, attendance at all classes is expected.
Your written work for the class should be entirely your own (see, guidelines for academic integrity) with careful citation of all sources according to an accepted Manual of Style (Chicago, MLA).
Disability Support
Students with disabilities who will be taking this course and may need disability-related classroom accommodations are encouraged to see the instructors as soon as possible. Also, stop by the Office of Disability Services to register for support services.
Week 1 (1/21): Introducing Tibet: Where is Tibet? Who are the Tibetans?
Everyone: Mills, Martin. Identity, Ritual and State in Tibetan Buddhism, Ch 1, 1-26.
If you are new to Tibetan Studies, these are also useful for getting oriented:
Kapstein, The Tibetans, Chapter 1 “The Vessel and Its Contents”
Tsering Shakya, 1993 Whither the Tsampa Eaters? Himal Sept-Oct: 8-11
Melvyn Goldstein, The Dragon and the Snow Lion. (intro to contemporary Tibet)
Week 2 (1/28): Foundational Tibetan Institutions and Ideology 133pp
Goldstein. A History of Modern Tibet, Introduction, pp. 1-37.
Tuttle, Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China, Intro & Ch1, 1-33. 34pp.
Mills, Martin. Identity, Ritual and State in Tibetan Buddhism, Ch 13 & Ch 11. pp. 329-347, 263-294. 50pp. Introduces the way that incarnate lamas operate in Tibetan society.
Robert Ekvall, Tibetan Sky Lines, pp. 115-125. 11 pp.
Week 3 (2/4) Integrating Tibet into the World-system (1860s-1904) 115pp
Tuttle, Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China, Ch 2, pp. 34-43. 10 pp.
Goldstein. A History of Modern Tibet, Ch 1 & 2, pp. 41-58. 18pp.
Andreyev, Alexander. Russia Buddhists in Tibet, from the end of the nineteenth century -1930. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society [Great Britain] 2001 11(3): 349-362. 13pp.
Younghusband. Tibet and India, 1914. 149-167, 192-106, 298-303, 336-342. 44pp. This primary source was written in 1910 by the leader of the 1903-4 invasion of Tibet.
Coleman, William. “The Uprising at Batang,” Khams Pa Histories, 31-57. 27pp.
Robert Ekvall, Tibetan Sky Lines, pp139-152. 13pp.
Max Oidtmann, History, Hides and the Environment of the Gansu Frontier, pp 1-27. 28pp
Further Reading: Andreyev, Alexander. “The Tsar’s Generals and Tibet,” Tibet and Her Neighbours, 67-173.
Week 4 (2/11) The End of the Qing & the Advent of an Independent Polity in Tibet (1904-1914) 142pp.
Tuttle, Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China, Ch2, pp. 43-52, 10pp.
Goldstein, M. A History of Modern Tibet, Chs 1 (end), 2 &3: p. 58-87. 30pp.
Mills, Martin. Identity, Ritual and State in Tibetan Buddhism, Chs 9, 12, 3. pp. 233-242; 295-326, 53-82. 30pp (+skim Ch3).
Sperling, Elliot. “Zhao Er-Fang in Khams,” Tibet Journal. 10-36. 26pp.
Paul Nietupski. Labrang: A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery at the Crossroads of Four Civilizations, pp. 75-93. 19pp.
Further Reading:
Ts’an-chih Chen, “The Autobiography of Ts’an-chih Chen,” Tibetan Lives.161-195. 35pp
Narrative of a bi-cultural Chinese born and raised in Tibet, who went to India in 1912.
Donald S. Lopez Jr., The Madman’s Middle Way : Reflections on Reality of the Tibetan Monk Gendun Chopel (Buddhism and Modernity) Chicago UP, 2006. pp. 1-46. 47pp biography of famous, often considered first, modern Tibetan intellectual.
Week 5 (2/18): Tibetan Centralization & Dissent, Chinese Interests in Tibet (1914-1933) 187pp
Tuttle, Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China, Ch 3 (end), 4, 5. pp. 52-155, 104pp.
Goldstein, M. A History of Modern Tibet, Chs 3-4,. p. 87-145, 177-185 (focus on Ch 3-4 & Pandatsang Rebellion), 67 pp; skim the rest of Ch5-6, pp. 146-212, 67pp.
Goldstein, M. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004. Intro & Ch 1, pp. 1-14, 15pp..
Further reading:
Fabienne Jagou. “A pilgrim’s progress: the peregrinations of the 6th Panchen Lama.” In The history of Tibet, 419-434. London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003. About the 9th (or 6th) Panchen Lama’s life in exile in China (1924-1937)
Week 6 (2/25): New Relations with China and Britain (1934-1943) 145pp
Tuttle, Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China, pp. Chs6-7, pp. 156-220. 65pp
Goldstein, M. A History of Modern Tibet, Chs 7-10, pp. 213-368. 155pp.
Goldstein, M. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004. Chs 2-3, pp. 15-40. 26pp.
Week 7 (3/4): Troubles in Tibet (1942-1947) 170pp
Goldstein, M. A History of Modern Tibet, Chs 11-14, pp. 369-522. 151pp.
Goldstein, M. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004. Chs 4-10, pp. 41-128. 87pp.
Goldstein, M. The Struggle for Modern Tibet, 1997. Prologue & Ch1-3, 1-34., 35pp.
Week 8 (3/11): Efforts at Outreach (1945-1950) 213pp
Goldstein, M. A History of Modern Tibet, Chs 15-17, pp. 522-638. 117pp.
Tsering Shakya. The Dragon in the Land of Snows. 1999. Ch 1, pp. 1-32. 33pp.
Knaus, Ken. Orphans of the Cold War. 1999. Chs 2-4, pp. 19-82. 63pp.
Mid-term paper due March 14th or 24th (your choice) SPRING BREAK 3/18
Week 9 (3/25): Chinese Occupation of Tibet (1950-1955) 244pp
Tsering Shakya. The Dragon in the Land of Snows. 1999. Chs 2-4, pp. 33-130. 134pp.
Hartley, L. “Contextually Speaking: Tibetan Literary Discourse and Social Change in the People’s Republic of China (1980–2000).” 2003. Ch2-3,. pp. 56-104, 123-150. 75pp.
Knaus, Ken. Orphans of the Cold War. 1999. Chs 5-6, pp. 83-126. 43pp.
Recommended Reading:
Goldstein, M. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004. Ch11-17, pp. 129-215. 66pp.
Goldstein, M. The Struggle for Modern Tibet, 1997. Ch 4, pp. 35-47. 13pp.
Further Reading:
Goldstein, M. A History of Modern Tibet, Ch18-21, pp. 638-825. 287pp.
Week 10 (4/1): “Reforms,” Uprising and Resistance (1956-1960) 220pp
Tsering Shakya. The Dragon in the Land of Snows. 1999. Chs 5-7, pp. 131-211. 120pp.
Goldstein, M. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004. Chs 18-20, pp. 215-236. 22pp.
Knaus, Ken. Orphans of the Cold War. 1999. Ch 2 7-11, pp. 127-214. 88pp.
Week 11 (4/8): The Cultural Revolution in Tibet (1964-1976) 205pp
Goldstein, M. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004. Chs 21-22,.pp. 245-270. 25pp.
Goldstein, M. The Struggle for Modern Tibet, 1997. Chs 7-11, pp. 89-151. 61pp.
Tsering Shakya. The Dragon in the Land of Snows. 1999. Chs 12-13, pp. 314-371. 57pp.
Pema Bum, Six Stars and a Crooked Neck, 1999. pp. 87-148. 62pp.
Week 12 (4/15): Reforms and Resistance in Tibet (1978-1990) 203pp
Goldstein, M. A Tibetan Revolutionary, 2004. Ch 23-25, pp. 271-318. 48pp.
Goldstein, M. The Struggle for Modern Tibet, 1997. Chs 10(end)-Epilogue, pp. 152-201. 50pp.
Tsering Shakya. The Dragon in the Land of Snows. 1999. Ch 13 (end)-15, pp. 371-448. 77pp.
Wang Yao. “Hu Yaobang’s Visit to Tibet, May 22-31, 1980.” Resistance and Reform in Tibet. Barnett, Robert & S. Akiner, eds. pp. 285-289. 6pp.
Sperling, Elliot. “The Rhetoric of Dissent: Tibetan Pamphleteers.” Resistance and Reform in Tibet. Barnett, Robert & S. Akiner, eds. pp. 267-284. 19pp.
Week 12 (4/22): Cultural and Religious Revival, Rise of Modern Literature (1980-2000) 214pp
Hartley, L. “Contextually Speaking: Tibetan Literary Discourse and Social Change in the People’s Republic of China (1980–2000).” 2003. Chs 4-5, pp. 151-205, 226-242. 71pp.
Kolas, A & M Thowsen. On the Margins of Tibet: Cultural Survival on the Sino-Tibetan Borderlands. 2005. 3-93, 132-182. 143pp.
Further Resource: Tibet outside the TAR, CD. Available from International Campaign for Tibet. Browse this resource to get a sense of what things were like in the 1990s.
Week 14 (4/29): Contemporary Developments in Historical Context
Andrew Fischer. The Disempowered Development of Tibet in China: A Study in the Economics of Marginalization. 2013.