Who Are the Tibetans?
The Tibetans are a people of the Tibetan Plateau, numbering approximately 7 million—6.3 million in China (Tibet Autonomous Region and adjacent provinces) and 150,000+ in exile (primarily India and Nepal). They speak Tibetan, a Sino-Tibetan language with its own script. Tibetans developed a distinctive civilization on the world's highest plateau (average elevation 4,500m), centered on Tibetan Buddhism. China's 1950 invasion and 1959 suppression of the uprising led to the Dalai Lama's exile. Today, Tibetans face cultural restrictions, demographic pressures, and political repression while maintaining identity through religion and exile activism.
Buddhist Civilization
Buddhism, arriving in Tibet in the 7th century, transformed into distinctive Tibetan form—Vajrayana Buddhism emphasizing tantra, monasticism, and incarnate lamas. The Dalai Lama institution (from 15th century) combined spiritual and political authority. Monasteries became centers of learning, art, and power; at peak, 20%+ of males were monks. Tibetan Buddhist art—thangka paintings, sand mandalas, ritual objects—is globally recognized. Philosophy, medicine, and astronomy developed within Buddhist frameworks. This civilization, sometimes idealized as Shangri-La, was also feudal, with significant social inequality—complexity often lost in both Chinese critique and Western romanticization.
Chinese Rule and Exile
China invaded Tibet in 1950, claiming historical sovereignty Tibetans dispute. The 1959 uprising's failure led to the 14th Dalai Lama's exile to India with 80,000 followers. The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) devastated Tibetan culture—monasteries destroyed, monks forced to disrobe, practices banned. Post-Mao liberalization brought partial restoration, but 2008 protests and subsequent crackdowns intensified restrictions. Self-immolations (150+ since 2009) protest Chinese rule. The Central Tibetan Administration (Dharamsala, India) maintains government-in-exile. China's policies—settlement, economic development, surveillance—transform Tibet while Tibetans resist culturally and politically.
Culture Under Pressure
Tibetan culture faces existential pressure. Mandarin Chinese dominates education; Tibetan-medium schooling has been restricted. Nomadic lifestyles are ended through resettlement policies. Religious practice is monitored; monks require political education; the Dalai Lama's image is banned. Yet Tibetan identity persists—language survives, Buddhism continues (often privately), and cultural pride remains strong. Exile communities maintain traditions—the Dalai Lama remains globally influential; Tibetan Buddhism spreads worldwide. The question is whether Tibetan culture can survive inside Tibet under Chinese policies designed to integrate (critics say assimilate) Tibetans.
Contemporary Tibet
Modern Tibet exists in two realities. In China, development brings infrastructure, economic growth, and tourism—but also surveillance, cultural restrictions, and Han migration that Tibetans fear will marginalize them. In exile, Tibetans maintain democracy (elected leadership since 2011), preserve culture, and advocate internationally—but face diaspora challenges and aging leadership (the Dalai Lama is in his late 80s). The succession question—China will attempt to control the next Dalai Lama's selection—looms. Whether Tibet can maintain distinctive identity within China, or exile becomes permanent, depends on factors beyond Tibetan control.
References
- Shakya, T. (1999). The Dragon in the Land of Snows: A History of Modern Tibet Since 1947
- Goldstein, M. C. (1997). The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama
- Smith, W. W. Jr. (1996). Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations