The Snow Lion and the Dragon
China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
Tensions over the "Tibet Question"—the political status of Tibet—are escalating every day. The Dalai Lama has gained broad international sympathy in his appeals for autonomy from China, yet the Chinese government maintains a hard-line position against it. What is the history of the conflict? Can the two sides come to an acceptable compromise? In this thoughtful analysis, distinguished professor and longtime Tibet analyst Melvyn C. Goldstein presents a balanced and accessible view of the conflict and a proposal for the future.
Tibet's political fortunes have undergone numerous vicissitudes since the fifth Dalai Lama first ascended to political power in Tibet in 1642. In this century, a forty-year period of de facto independence following the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 ended abruptly when the Chinese Communists forcibly incorporated Tibet into their new state and began the series of changes that destroyed much of Tibet's traditional social, cultural, and economic system. After the death of Mao in 1976, the rise to power of Deng Xiaoping quickly produced a change in attitude in Beijing and a major initiative to negotiate with the Dalai Lama to solve the conflict. This failed. With the death of Deng Xiaoping, the future of Tibet is more uncertain than ever, and Goldstein argues that the conflict could easily erupt into violence.
Drawing upon his deep knowledge of the Tibetan culture and people, Goldstein takes us through the history of Tibet, concentrating on the political and cultural negotiations over the status of Tibet from the turn of the century to the present. He describes the role of Tibet in Chinese politics, the feeble and conflicting responses of foreign governments, overtures and rebuffs on both sides, and the nationalistic emotions that are inextricably entwined in the political debate. Ultimately, he presents a plan for a reasoned compromise, identifying key aspects of the conflict and appealing to the United States to play an active diplomatic role. Clearly written and carefully argued, this book will become the definitive source for anyone seeking an understanding of the Tibet Question during this dangerous turning point in its turbulent history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Despite its poetically symbolic title, this slim, clearly written volume offers the general reader a concise and balanced overview of the complicated history of Tibetan and Chinese relations. The author, chair of the anthropology department at Case Western Reserve and director of the university's Center for Research on Tibet, has written over 80 articles and books on Tibet, and is eminently qualified for his task. Goldstein compares the issues surrounding the thorny question of Tibetan independence from China to sadly similar instances of conflicting nationalistic aspirations in the Middle East and Northern Ireland. Skillfully weaving together the story of Tibet's political, geographic and cultural history, the author spares neither the Chinese, whose political contact with Tibet dates back to the 7th century A.D., nor the current Dalai Lama, whose representatives seem more intent on turning him into a pop-culture icon than working toward a compromise solution. U.S. actions over the last decade have not helped resolve the Sino-Tibetan dispute either, Goldstein argues. Instead, we have unrealistically raised Tibetan expectations of U.S. involvement while refusing to exert any meaningful pressure on China that might undermine our strategic interests there. Goldstein ends his book with a carefully reasoned proposal for a peaceful compromise taking into consideration the interests of all parties. 25 b&w photos. FYI: For information on two illustrated books on Tibet see "Notes" below.
