-
4. Contesting the Western Regions and the High Grasslands: China and Tibet
- University of Hawai'i Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
138 4 Contesting the Western Regions and the High Grasslands China and Tibet The Qiang people were early inhabitants of the Tibet Plateau, where they tilled the land and raised livestock for a living. The origins and the language of these people, however, remain unclear.1 The early history of Tibet itself is largely a mystery, though it is known that there had been thirty rulers before the seventh century who governed the present -day Zedang and Qiongjie region. When Qizong Nongzan (Khri sroṅ brtsan or Sroṅ btsan sgampo; r. 618–649)2 came to power, he inherited a state that had already extended its control to the Lhasa River valley in the northwest. In 629, Qizong relocated the seat of governance to Luoxie (present-day Lhasa). From there he transformed his state into an economic powerhouse by implementing a series of policies to promote agriculture , reclamation of arable land, animal husbandry, and handicraft industries. His Tubo (Yarlun) dynasty also developed a well-disciplined and well-equipped military force of several tens of thousands of soldiers. These soldiers used bows, knives, shields, lances, and spears as weapons. They wore superbly designed chain mail that had openings only for the eyes and offered good protection for themselves and their horses against arrows and blades. Tough and courageous, Tibetan males were warriors who carried a sword even in times of peace. On the battlefield, they dismounted before charging their enemies in successive rows. When the first row of soldiers fell, the second row of soldiers would advance to collect the corpses and to charge the enemy again. They seldom retreated. Death in battle was considered a great honor by the Tibetans. Thus, a family that lost its members in war enjoyed a higher social status. Defeat and desertion in battle was, in contrast, a great humiliation. A deserter had to wear a foxtail to admit that he was as timid as a fox. To force the soldiers to fight harder, the Tibetan court provided its expeditionary forces with neither provisions nor funding. They had to obtain supplies from booty.3 Tang-Tibet Collaboration for Subjugating the Tuyuhun Although distance and some of the world’s most rugged mountainous terrain isolated Tibet from China, the two came into contact in the elev- Contesting the Western Regions and the High Grasslands | 139 enth month of 634, when a Tibetan envoy visited Chang’an to propose an alliance against the Tuyuhun. A tribe active in the area that is now northern Qinghai province and southern Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, the Tuyuhun had been harassing Chinese borders. They had even detained a Tang envoy in 630 and had since repeatedly ignored Tang’s request for his release. The Tang court warmly accepted Tibet’s suggestion and sent an envoy to arrange a joint expedition.4 The next year, Tang forces crushed the Tuyuhun in a pincer movement. The real beneficiary of this operation was, however, Tibet. While Tang and the Tuyuhun were locked in fierce fighting, Tibet seized the northern part of present-day Qinghai province, which had been controlled by the Tuyuhun, without having to wage a single battle.5 Delighted at the outcome of the first Tang-Tibet alliance, Qizong Nongzan proposed a marriage alliance to forge even closer ties with Figure 4.1. Sculpture of Qizong Nongzan in the Potala Palace (Yin Xiaqing, Zhonghua wenming chuanzhen [Shanghai: Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe, 2001], vol. 6, p. 48) [34.201.122.150] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 23:22 GMT) 140 | Tang China in Multi-Polar Asia China in the twelfth month of 635. This time, however, Emperor Taizong gave his Tibetan counterpart the cold shoulder since he had adjusted his policy toward the defeated Tuyuhun. To stabilize the local situation, the emperor had revived the Tuyuhun ruling family, married a Tang princess to its leader, and granted him Chinese titles and military banners . The new Tuyuhun ruler was now a subject of China. With no immediate need for Tibetan help, the Tang court rejected the marriage proposal. The Tibetan envoy returned home empty-handed. Fearful of punishment for failure in completing his mission, he chose to misinform his master: “Upon my arrival in Chang’an, the Tang court accorded me preferential treatment and promised a marriage alliance. But the court lowered its level of reception for me and rejected my request for marriage after the Tuyuhun ruler also came [to the capital]. I suspect that he spoke ill of us.” This report outraged Qizong Nongzan...