History As Propaganda : Tibetan Exiles Versus the People's Republic of China

## Abstract Debates over how Tibetan history should be construed have raged for centuries and have been particularly intense in recent years. Chinese historians wish to construct a narrative that gives them a right to be in Tibet and that justifies China’s record since its takeover in the 1950s. Tibetan historians offer a very different picture, one that excludes China and pushes it to the periphery and derives Tibet’s history and culture from indigenous sources and India. One of the main contributions of this book is its exploration of the ideology that underlies China’s concern with Tibet and its willingness to invest huge sums of money and attract worldwide criticism for its treatment of the Tibetan people. The author argues that the roots of Chinese attitudes lie in the Nationalist period (1911–1947), when public pronouncements and school textbooks declared that Tibet is the “back door to China” and that Western imperialists were plotting to conquer Tibet, which would later be a staging ground for invasion of interior China. The book looks at the key points of Tibetan history and how each side constructs them as part of a larger narrative, beginning with the marriage of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gambo in the 7th century to a Chinese princess. One important conclusion is that both sides agree on the main aspects of what happened, but disagree fundamentally on the psychological motives they attribute to historical figures. Where Chinese historians portray Tibetan historical figures as Chinese patriots seeking greater integration with the Chinese motherland, Tibetan historians tend to view them as devout Buddhists with purely religious motives. Powers Examines Works On Tibetan History By Tibetan And Chinese Authors That Have Been Produced In English For Western Consumption. He Finds Some Of Their Claims Absurd, Others Highly Implausible, Some Humorous In An Unintended Way. Both Narratives Are Fraught With Internal Contradictions And Inconsistencies. And Even The Most Ridiculous Notions, Powers Notes, Are Often Reflected In Works By Contemporary Western Academics. Powers's Impartial Examination Of The Competing Narratives Will Help Us To Better Understand The Issues Involved In Debates About Tibetan History - Why Apparently Arcane Vestiges Of The Past Are So Important To Both Tibetan And Chinese Nationalist Narratives.--jacket. Old Tibet: A Clash Of Myths -- Characters, Plots, And Motivations In Tibetan History -- Reinventing China -- Family Reunion Or Shotgun Wedding? -- Another Fine Myth. John Powers. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [189]-197) And Index. Despite Chinese efforts to stop foreign countries from granting him visas, the Dalai Lama has become one of the most recognizable and best loved people on the planet, drawing enormous crowds wherever he goes. By contrast, China's charismatically-challenged leaders attract crowds of protestors waving Tibetan flags and shouting ''Free Tibet!'' whenever they visit foreign countries. By now most Westerners probably think they understand the political situation in Tibet. But, John Powers argues, most Western scholars of Tibet evince a bias in favor of one side or the other in this continuing struggle. Some of the most emotionally charged rhetoric, says Powers, is found in studies of Tibetan history. narratives. By now most Westerners probably think they understand the political situation in Tibet. But, John Powers argues, most Western scholars of Tibet evince a bias in favour of one side or the other in this continuing struggle The adage that history is written by the victors may once have been true.