Tibet: A History Between Dream and Nation State

(Hardback)

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The history of Tibet has long intrigued the world, as well as the dilemma of its future - will it ever return to independence or will it always remain part of China Is a 'Tibet outside of Tibet' a viable expression of self-determination How will the succession of the aging and revered Dalai Lama affect Tibet and the world This book makes the case for a fully Tibetan independent state for much of its 2,500-year existence; a great empire from the seventh to ninth centuries; in 1249, then a territory of the Mongol Empire that annexed China itself in 1279. Tibet reclaimed its independence from China in 1368. The Manchus later exerted their direct influence in Tibetan affairs but by 1840 Tibet began to resume its independent course until communist China invaded in 1950. Since that time, Tibetan nationalism has been maintained primarily by over 100,000 refugees living abroad.

Reviews

This beautifully presented and generously illustrated history of Tibet from earliest times until the present day addresses the issue of Tibetan independence with fresh eyes . . . This excellent, well researched and very readable book with its multidisciplinary approach is full of amazing details that are often entertaining, and sometimes shocking. I would strongly recommend it as a starting point for any reader with an interest in discovering more about Tibets past and her future path in the modern world. * Asian Affairs *
This engaging history of Tibet by Klieger, an anthropologist who specialized in Tibet studies from the 1980s until his death in 2019, covers earliest times to the present. The book addresses two primary topics: how Tibetans self-identity diverges from the perspectives of China, India, and the West and how "'Real' Tibet is somewhere between the dream and the cold reality of the nation state." . . . Klieger uses a broad range of both academic and nonacademic sources to support the text, which is handsomely illustrated with ancient maps, lovely thangka paintings, and photographs. Recommended. * Choice *
Kliegers Tibet is a complex, storied survey of the mountainous homeland of the Dalai Lama . . . With the epic sweep of a historical saga, Tibet chronicles . . . centuries of invasions, geopolitical intrigues, assassinations, triumphs, and defeats . . . Engrossing, detailed, and enhanced by beautiful thangka paintings, photographs, and antique maps, Tibet reveals the glories and trials of a beleaguered yet enduring land. * Foreword Magazine *
Making the case that for 2,500 years Tibet was a mostly independent state, Klieger traces the territorys history and considers its future. He asks whether it will achieve independence from China which invaded in 1950 and what the impact of the Dalai Lamas succession will be. * Survival *
At a time when China is a rising geopolitical power and the international attention on Tibet experiences a decline, Klieger provides a crucial analysis of different and often contesting narratives on the past, present and possible futures of ChinaTibet relations. * Dibyesh Anand, Professor of International Relations, University of Westminster *

Author Bio

Paul Christiaan Klieger (d. 2019) was an anthropologist specialising in Tibet and Native Hawaiian culture. He is the author of several books on the history of Tibet and the Hawaiian kingdom, including The State of Tibet: A History of a Central Asian Polity (2016) and Kamehameha III (2015).