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== Historical Tibet ==

== Historical Tibet ==

''According to Tibetan annals, the first king of Tibet ruled from 127 BC, but it was only in the seventh century AD that Tibet emerged as a unified state and a mighty empire under Emperor Gampo. Songtsen Gampo (born ca. 604, died 650) is the great emperor who expanded Tibet's power.''

According to Tibetan annals, the first king of Tibet ruled from 127 BC, but it was only in the seventh century AD that Tibet emerged as a unified state and a mighty empire under Emperor Gampo. Songtsen Gampo (born ca. 604, died 650) is the great emperor who expanded Tibet's power.

''Tibet's earliest religion is Bön. Buddhism flourished in Tibet in the seventh century... With the assumption of power by the Dalai Lamas in 1642, the era of "harmonious blend of religion and politics" was established in Tibet. Monasteries, temples and hermitages were found in every village and town throughout Tibet.''  

Tibet's earliest religion is Bön. Buddhism flourished in Tibet in the seventh century... With the assumption of power by the Dalai Lamas in 1642, the era of "harmonious blend of religion and politics" was established in Tibet. Monasteries, temples and hermitages were found in every village and town throughout Tibet.''  

''Tibet was an independent state in fact at the time of China's invasion. Tibetan society before the Chinese invasion was under the control of Buddhist monks headed by the Dalai Lama, a leader chosen by other monks because he was the supposed reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. No semblence of democracy existed; total control of the country and all its assets was in the hands of the religious authorities and all Tibetans were subject to rule of these authorities. The beginnings of popular Tibetan opposition to this theocratic rule was the reason why the Dalai Lama belately, and very slowly, initiated far-reaching reforms soon after he assumed full temporal authority in the early fifties.''

Tibet was an independent state in fact at the time of China's invasion. Tibetan society before the Chinese invasion was under the control of Buddhist monks headed by the Dalai Lama, a leader chosen by other monks because he was the supposed reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. No semblence of democracy existed; total control of the country and all its assets was in the hands of the religious authorities and all Tibetans were subject to rule of these authorities. The beginnings of popular Tibetan opposition to this theocratic rule was the reason why the Dalai Lama belately, and very slowly, initiated far-reaching reforms soon after he assumed full temporal authority in the early fifties.  

''The Chinese themselves view Tibet in colonial terms: that is, not as part of China proper, but as non-Chinese territory which China has a right to own and exploit, on the basis of relationship that existed 700 years ago. Resistance to the Chinese occupation started to take on organized forms as early as 1952, reached massive proportions in 1959, and has continued, primarily underground, ever since.'' <ref>[http://www.tibet.com/WhitePaper/exesum.html Tibet: Proving Truth from Facts]</ref>

 

The Chinese themselves view Tibet in colonial terms: that is, not as part of China proper, but as non-Chinese territory which China has a right to own and exploit, on the basis of relationship that existed 700 years ago. Resistance to the Chinese occupation started to take on organized forms as early as 1952, reached massive proportions in 1959, and has continued, primarily underground, ever since. <ref>[http://www.tibet.com/WhitePaper/exesum.html Tibet: Proving Truth from Facts]</ref>

== See also ==

== See also ==