A History of Modern Tibet, Volume 2: The Calm before the Storm: 1951-1955 (Philip E. Lilienthal Books)

It is not possible to fully understand contemporary politics between China and the Dalai Lama without understanding what happened—and why—during the 1950s. In a book that continues the story of Tibet's history that he began in his acclaimed A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951: The Demise of the Lamaist State, Melvyn C. Goldstein critically revises our understanding of that key period in midcentury. This authoritative account utilizes new archival material, including never before seen documents, and extensive interviews with Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, and with Chinese officials. Goldstein furnishes fascinating and sometimes surprising portraits of these major players as he deftly unravels the fateful intertwining of Tibetan and Chinese politics against the backdrop of the Korean War, the tenuous Sino-Soviet alliance, and American cold war policy. V. 1. The 'tibetan Question, ' The Nature Of Tibet's Political Status Vis-a-vis China, Has Been The Subject Of Often Bitterly Competing Views While The Facts Of The Issue Have Not Been Fully Accessible To Interested Observers. While One Faction Has Argued That Tibet Was, In The Main, Historically Independent Until It Was Conquered By The Chinese Communists In 1951 And Incorporated Into The New Chinese State, The Other Faction Views Tibet As A Traditional Part Of China That Split Away At The Instigation Of The British After The Fall Of The Manchu Dynasty And Was Later Dutifully Reunited With New China In 1951. In Contrast, This Comprehensive Study Of Modern Tibetan History Presents A Detailed, Non-partisan Account Of The Demise Of The Lamaist State. Drawing On A Wealth Of British, American, And Indian Diplomatic Records; First- Hand-historical Accounts Written By Tibetan Participants; And Extensive Interviews With Former Tibetan Officials, Monastic Leaders, Soldiers, And Traders, Goldstein Meticulously Examines What Happened And Why. He Balances The Traditional Focus On International Relations With An Innovative Emphasis On The Intricate Web Of Internal Affairs And Events That Produced The Fall Of Tibet. Scholars And Students Of Asian History Will Find This Work An Invaluable Resource And Interested Readers Will Appreciate The Clear Explanation Of Highly Polemicized, And Often Confusing, Historical Events.--publisher's Description. V. 2. It Is Not Possible To Understand Contemporary Politics Between China And The Dalai Lama Without Understanding What Happened During The 1950s. This Book Presents An Understanding Of That Period. It Furnishes Portraits Of These Major Players And Unravels The Fateful Intertwining Of Tibetan And Chinese Politics Against The Backdrop Of The Korean War. V. 3. It Is Not Possible To Fully Understand Contemporary Politics Between China And The Dalai Lama Without Understanding What Happened In The 1950's. The Third Volume In Melvyn Goldstein's History Of Modern Tibet Series, The Calm Before The Storm, Examines The Critical Years Of 1955 Through 1957. During This Period, The Preparatory Committee For A Tibet Autonomous Region Was Inaugurated In Lhasa, And A Major Tibetan Uprising Occurred In Sichuan Province. Jenkhentsisum, A Tibetan Anti-communist Emigree Group, Emerged As An Important Player With Secret Links To Indian Intelligence, The Dalai Lama's Lord Chamberlain, The United States, And Taiwan. And In Tibet, Fan Ming, The Acting Head Of The Ccp's Office In Lhasa, Launched The Great Expansion, Which Recruited Many Thousands Of Han Cadres To Lhasa In Preparation For Beginning Democratic Reforms, Only To Be Stopped Decisively By Mao Zedong's Great Contraction Which Sent Them Back To China And Ended Talk Of Reforms In Tibet For The Foreseeable Future. In Volume Iii, Goldstein Draws On Never-before Seen Chinese Government Documents, Published And Unpublished Memoirs And Diaries, And Invaluable In-depth Interviews With Important Chinese And Tibetan Participants (including The Dalai Lama) To Offer A New Level Of Insight Into The Events And Principal Players Of The Time. Goldstein Corrects Factual Errors And Misleading Stereotypes In The History, And Uncovers Heretofore Unknown Information On The Period To Reveal In Depth A Nuanced Portrait Of Sino-tibetan Relations That Goes Far Beyond Anything Previously Imagined-- [v. 1.] 1913-1951, The Demise Of The Lamaist State -- V. 2. The Calm Before The Storm, 1951-1955. V.3. The Storm Clouds Descend: 1955-1957. Melvyn C. Goldstein. Vol. 1 Written With The Help Of Gelek Rimpoche. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. ISBN-13: 9780520249417 Contents 10 List of Illustrations 12 Preface 14 Acknowledgments 20 Note on Romanization 22 List of Abbreviations 24 Glossary of Key Persons and Terms 26 Introduction: Tibetan Society on the Eve of Incorporation into China 38 Part One. The Road to a Sino-Tibetan Agreement 54 1. Chinese Perspectives: Radio Beijing 56 2. Tibetan Perspectives: Contacts with the Chinese Communists 78 3. Tibet Appeals to the United Nations 96 4. Negotiations with Beijing 119 5. The United States Intervenes 151 6. The Dalai Lama Returns to Lhasa 175 Part Two. The First Two Years: Confrontation and Adjustment 204 7. Initial Contacts and Strategies 206 8. The Advance PLA Force Arrives in Lhasa 243 9. The Food Crisis 281 10. The Panchen Lama and the People鈥檚 Liberation Army 302 11. First Steps toward Implementing the Seventeen-Point Agreement 338 12. The Tibetan People鈥檚 Association 351 13. Turning to the Dalai Lama and Removing the Sitsab 378 14. The Return of the Panchen Lama 422 Part Three. Cooperation and Change 434 15. Winds of Change 436 16. Conflict within the Communist Party in Tibet 459 17. Tibet鈥檚 First Steps toward Socioeconomic Reform 491 18. Events in India 501 19. The Dalai Lama Goes to Beijing 515 20. The Dalai Lama in Beijing 528 21. The Return 560 22. Conclusions 578 Appendix A. Lobsang Samden鈥檚 1952 Letter to Tsip枚n Shakabpa 588 Appendix B. Kashag鈥檚 1953 Edict Reforming Debts in Tibet 590 Appendix C. Agreement of the Secret Resistance Organization in India, 1954 598 Appendix D. List of Correct Tibetan Spellings 602 References 620 Index 642 Publisher:,University,of,California,Press,Number,Of,Pages:,674 This is an excellent, illuminating book, in line with Goldstein's preceding volume. It is both superbly researched and highly readable, thanks to the author's admirable capacity to weave significan not quotations and documents into his narrative. This said, a couple of issues may be raised. 1st and almost all important, in analyzing this chunk of Tibetan history Goldstein adopts a consistent approach, reflecting his views. This is fully acceptable, however sometimes1gets the impression that the author's perspective has become static and schematic, as if he had partially lost his previous sensitivity to the events on the ground. The previous volume's extraordinarily vivid image of Lhasa's life and society is no longer there and the author seems to have become somewhat estranged from Tibetan mentality. Second, while it is impossible for anyone to fully grasp the complexity of Tibetan life and culture, Goldstein's relative indifference to its essential religious dimension is quite apparent here