The "Tibetan Question," the nature of Tibet's political status vis-à-vis China, has been the subject of often bitterly competing views while the facts of the issue have not been fully accessible to interested observers. While one faction has argued that Tibet was, in the main, historically independent until it was conquered by the Chinese Communists in 1951 and incorporated into the new Chinese state, the other faction views Tibet as a traditional part of China that split away at the instigation of the British after the fall of the Manchu Dynasty and was later dutifully reunited with "New China" in 1951. In contrast, this comprehensive study of modern Tibetan history presents a detailed, non-partisan account of the demise of the Lamaist state.

Drawing on a wealth of British, American, and Indian diplomatic records; first-hand-historical accounts written by Tibetan participants; and extensive interviews with former Tibetan officials, monastic leaders, soldiers, and traders, Goldstein meticulously examines what happened and why. He balances the traditional focus on international relations with an innovative emphasis on the intricate web of internal affairs and events that produced the fall of Tibet. Scholars and students of Asian history will find this work an invaluable resource and interested readers will appreciate the clear explanation of highly polemicized, and often confusing, historical events.

The "Tibetan Question," the nature of Tibet's political status vis-à-vis China, has been the subject of often bitterly competing views while the facts of the issue have not been fully accessible to interested observers. While one faction has argued that Tibet was, in the main, historically independent until it was conquered by the Chinese Communists in 1951 and incorporated into the new Chinese state, the other faction views Tibet as a traditional part of China that split away at the instigation of the British after the fall of the Manchu Dynasty and was later dutifully reunited with "New China" in 1951. In contrast, this comprehensive study of modern Tibetan history presents a detailed, non-partisan account of the demise of the Lamaist state.

Drawing on a wealth of British, American, and Indian diplomatic records; first-hand-historical accounts written by Tibetan participants; and extensive interviews with former Tibetan officials, monastic leaders, soldiers, and traders, Goldstein meticulously examines what happened and why. He balances the traditional focus on international relations with an innovative emphasis on the intricate web of internal affairs and events that produced the fall of Tibet. Scholars and students of Asian history will find this work an invaluable resource and interested readers will appreciate the clear explanation of highly polemicized, and often confusing, historical events.

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Explanation of Romanization and Abbreviations
Preface
Introduction: Tibetan Society, 1913-1951

I
THE ERA OF THE 13TH
DALAI LAMA AND RETING, 1913-1941
1. The Early Years of the 13th Dalai Lama
2. Tibet and the New Republic in China
3. The Dalai Lama, the Army, and the Monastic Segment
4. The Death of the 13th Dalai Lama
5. The Fall of Kumbela
6. In Search of a New Tibet: Lungshar's Reform Party
7. The Mission of General Huang Mu-sung
8. The British, the Chinese, and the Panchen Lama
9. Reting Takes Control, Then Resigns
10. Conclusion to Part One: The Reting Years

II
THE ERA OF TAKTRA AND
THE 14TH DALAI LAMA, 1941-1951
11. The Early Years of the Taktra Regency: 1941-1943
12. Change and Confrontation in the Twilight of World War II
13. The Seeds of Rebellion
14. The Reting Conspiracy
15. The Victory Congratulations Mission, 1945-1946
16. Further Attempts at International Visibility
17. Tibet after the Fall of the Kuomintang
18. The People's Liberation Army Invades
19. After the Fall of Chamdo
20. Tibet Capitulates: The Seventeen-Point Agreement
21. The Dalai Lama Returns to Lhasa

Conclusion: The Demise of the Lamaist State
Postscript
Appendix A. Anglo-Chinese Convention of 1906
Appendix B. Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907
Appendix C. The Simla Agreements of 1914

Glossary ofTibetan Terms
References
Correct Tibetan Spellings
Index