Tibetan Article

There are many Tibetan manuscripts that have been found in the city of Dunhuang, including those that were found with the manuscripts of the Anonymous Chinese monk. In 617, the Yarlung Dynasty, named after the southwest river valley from Lhasa, formed a unified Tibetan empire for the first time in history.^[1]

In the year 755, the Tang Dynasty of China lost control of the northwestern part of the empire.[1] In 768, the Tibetan language was to be accredited as an adaptation to the Sanskrit alphabet, adopting a writing system all their own for documentation of legal standings within the fairly new empire. In the same year, it is believed that the Tibetans aided the Tang Dynasty in concealing and demolishing the rebellion that was ensuing in China. The Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet was quite new to the politics within the Central Asian world. However, when the Tang rulers failed to pay the Tibetans for this service as agreed upon, the Yarlung attacked and took control over the city of Dunhuang. [1] Therefore, we see a combination between Chinese and Tibetan texts coming from the city due to the ever-changing command in power.^[1]

The 760 to 770s was the peak era for the Tibetans, as they were expanding their control in Gansu after the capture of Dunhuang and were growing in sheer strength. A dual headed administration was set in place under a Tibetan military governor. The territory was divided into districts and, from there, further divided into “units of one thousand, and these into twenty units of fifty households”.[1] Tibet would keep this control for about sixty years, allowing for an adoption of many of their customs in the Gansu provinces they resided. This included names and a complete conversion to the Tibetan alphabet, hence why we see an influx of Tibetan style manuscripts being preserved after the year 768.^[2]

Monks of Chinese, Tibetan, Uighur, and Khotanese descent all left behind documentation of their religious travels as guides to the future generations. Therefore, the spread of the Tibetan language would prove as crucial in the ability to understand and translate these manuscripts. Unfortunately, the Tibetan Empire collapsed in the 840s.[2] Although, much of their administrative body were left in office even after their demise. Many Khotanese and Chinese texts were also translated into the Tibetan alphabet if their scribes were talented in both languages.^[2]

It can be gathered that the spread of this language and the Tibetan Empire’s documentations are one of the most important commodities passed along the Silk Road. Some documents themselves even pertain information on the small-scale, local goods that were passed along the routes. It is suggested that most trade had very little impact on the economy of the heavily self-sufficient residents of Dunhuang in particular.[1] The Tibetans contributed an enormous impact on the now modern Gansu province territories they occupied during their peak era and give a large explanation through their language on the administrative and religious bearings they held as a society.^[2]

[1] Derived from: Valerie Hansen's The Silk Road: A New History with Documents 2016.