Hidden Tibet: History of Independence and Occupation

by Sergius L. Kuzmin

Tibet is the land of mysteries. It is not only about religion and occultism: its history remains largely hidden. This book disproves some of the erroneous views on the history and religion of the Tibetans. Tibet has never been a part of China. At the time when China was an inalienable part of the Mongolian Yuan Empire and Manchu Qing Empire, Tibet was a separate country dependent on the Mongol and Manchu emperors, but never lost its statehood. A widespread view that Tibet was an integral part of neighboring empires is related to an ancient Chinese concept of the emperor’s universal power. Chinese claims to the “legacy” of the Mongol and Manchu empires are unfounded. Incorporating the name of the states into the “dynastic history” concept ties sovereign states of other nations to Chinese dynastic history.

536 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intensely well-researched history of Tibet until the present day, with loads of documentation about the details of the history of Tibet and China, especially post-1959, and a detailed discussion about China's claims to sovereignty over Tibet at the end. It is a bit tedious, but it's meant to be an answer to all questions on very detailed subjects. A little dense and not recommended to a reader approaching this story for the first time unless you're an academic; otherwise very good.