Tag Archive: History

When Tibetan Women ruled Tibet

by

she realizes the demoness Srin, who represents the Tibetan landscape itself, is causing all the difficulties. To subdue her, they build a total of thirteen Buddhist temples, some of which still stand today in places like Bhutan (39), to pin her down on her back. Four in the inner realm of Tibet to pin her shoulder and hip. Four at the border areas, pinning her knees and elbows. Four at the boarders beyond to pin her hands and feet. And finally, one at the Jo-khang, symbolizing her heart and considered the center of Tibet (38). Thus Srin is subdued and Buddhism can reign over Tibet. Besides Buddhist domination of Srin, what is this myth really about? And why is the demoness gendered as female?

13 Comments

The Art of (China’s) Colonialism: Constructing Invisibilities in (Tibetan) History and Geography

by

What does an ethnographic discourse on the invisibility of a colonial empire in the 21st century look like? What does that invisibility contribute to, or rather take away from, the experiences of Tibetans inside and outside Tibet? In this post, I examine the historical and contemporary discourses on Tibet that frame Tibet as either not colonized or about human rights, which, I argue, silences Tibetan aspirations for Nationhood. Aside from contextualizing Tibetan subjectivities, I contribute to the ongoing discourse on how ethnographic narratives can re-construct the invisibility of existing colonial empires and justify their presence as a given right rather than foreign.

0 Comments

Mao in Tibetan disguise: History, ethnography, and excess

by

Guest post by Carole MCGRANAHAN, University of Colorado. (The original academic article with footnotes and bibliography can be found and downloaded here at http://www.haujournal.org/index.php/hau/article/view/65) What does ethnographic theory look like in dialogue with… Continue reading →