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The Tibetan manuscripts discovered in Dunhuang at the turn of the last century laid hidden in a secret cave in a forgotten Silk Route oasis for a thousand years. As authentic and unaltered records of events during the Tibetan Pugyal empire, these documents are the earliest and most reliable sources on the Tibetan dynasty, providing us with a valuable window into the social structure, politics, legal system, military and economic matters, religion, and culture of Pugyal Tibet. In addition, they contain ample material on alliances, disputes, and other relations between Tibet and her neighbouring countries and peoples.
The first survey of its kind based on ancient manuscripts from Dunhuang and told in a modern Tibetan voice, A History of the Tibetan Empire starts with an examination of the dynasty's prehistoric origins and then proceeds to trace the line of Pugyal emperors from the founder Nyathri Tsenpo in the 5th century BCE, until the empire's collapse following the assassination of the last emperor, Uidum Tsenpo (Lang Darma), in the 9th century CE. Along the way, the author presents authoritative glosses of archaic terms and renders the original texts into simple, modern language. This volume brings together full-colour facsimile images of the manuscripts with the author's commentary, in an English translation, aimed at a non-specialist audience while retaining the rigorous detail that will be appreciated by scholars in Tibetan studies. Bibliographic compilations of publications in Tibetan, Chinese, and Western languages provide a unique resource to those engaged in the study of Tibetan history. The result is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the origins and development of Tibetan history and culture.
A History of the Tibetan Empire: Drawn from the Dunhuang Manuscripts, H.H. The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Songsten Library, Hardcover, 730 pp, $125.00
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