Tibet Research Paper

Tibet is a region on the Tibetan plateau in Asia, situated in the northeast of the Himalayas. The eastern part of Tibet marks the border of China along its mountain ranges and the lofty Himalayas of Nepal and India serve as a barrier between Tibet and India. Tibet is known as the highest region on Earth and is rightly named ‘the roof of the world’ or ‘the land of snow’. It has traditionally served as the homeland for Tibetan and other ethnic groups. Tibet is a culturally rich area with strong links to Tibetan Buddhism. The peaceful state was forced to pick up arms when its sovereignty was threatened time and again by the neighbouring states and has struggled to maintain independence since.

The Tibetan Empire emerged in the 7th century. However,

After decades of religious and political suppression, Tibet has evolved in its retort towards the Chinese rule from the violent methods of rebellion. With an expansive history of rulers, invaders and unrests in the state, Tibet now maintains an enormous inventory of weaponry and armour that serve as more than just reminders of their past struggles. Each weapon, distinct in its features and appearance, boasts of its iconography and motifs. These symbols and motifs were not only present on their weaponry but also on a lot of other Tibetan art such as furniture, ritual implements, sculpture, and paintings. These sets of motifs and iconography are studied to a great extent even today. Although their weapons and armour have evolved and changed over time, the decoration on these have remained very similar throughout history.

A large part of Tibetan culture has been documented and has helped us get a sense of Tibetan culture. This includes the documentation of the weapons and armour. The overall idea of Tibetan weaponry is brought to us primarily through 2 sources: the samples of weaponry and armour actually brought from Tibet constantly since the 1880’s, most of which is still unstudied and unpublished, and photographs taken in Tibet in the first half of the twentieth century showing weapons being

A few also wear coats of chain-mail. The iron helmet of the cavalry was distinguished from that of the infantry, who have a cock’s feather on the top. The high officers sometimes clothe their horse in armour, a new set of which was captured. The clothing of the horses and saddlery of the leaders was artistic and full of colour, with good carpet saddle-cloth, throat-tassels, and massive bits and stirrup-irons, silver or gold inlaid, mostly from Derge in Eastern Tibet… The weapons of the Tibetan warrior are numerous and picturesque. On his back is slung a matchlock or a modern rifle; in his hand he clutches a long spear; from his belt hangs an ugly long sword, one edged, with a straight heavy blade. When guns are insufficient to go round, the remaining men carry bows and arrows, the latter of bamboo with barbed iron heads 3 inches long, also slings, and heavy shields, wooden or wicker-work, or hide with iron