Tibet was liberated from slavery almost 100 years ago
Actually it’s more recent than most people think. The Democratic Reform in Tibet-Xizang happened only in 1959, that is less than 70 years ago. There are people still alive who remember the time before. Which is why this whole “Free Tibet” psyop has no chance in Tibet itself. People there have grandparents and great-grandparents who were serfs.
That surprised me as well when i first started learning about the liberation of Tibet. I had also initially assumed it happened concurrently with the founding of the People’s Republic. It’s sad that they had to wait ten more years, but at least they got there.
Fr, I thought it just ended along with Civil War, imagine having to live that long with slavery after the rest of the country finally achieved freedom.
In fact, the CPC actually collaborated with the Dalai Lama and Tibetan nobles at the beginning to slowly phase in economic and social improvements in a kind of proto-One-Country-Two-Systems plan. The CPC even gave the Dalai Lama a high position in the CPC.
Unfortunately, the Dalai Lama and co. got pissed at the loss of their all-powerful privileges and decided to do a CIA-sponsored revolt. Of course, they got no support from any of their serfs, who were quite happy to be free, and so they fucked off to India.
After that, the CPC had a mandate to speedily implement all the reforms.
Yes. Very important points. Even many people who know the basic history of Tibet in the 20th century are not always aware of how hands-off China was and how much they tried to work with and through the local elites in the period between the Peaceful Liberation and the Democratic Reform. Initially the local elites acted as if they were on board and enthusiastic to work with Beijing on the reforms, but secretly they were smuggling weapons from the British and the Americans.
It was not the re-integration into China that bothered them, it was the prospect of the abolition of serfdom which was a bridge too far. The few lower class people that they did get to fight for them in the uprising only did so because the elites told them all kinds of lies about the communists and used their religious beliefs to manipulate them. For most people it didn’t work, because once you have seen that it is possible to have freedom and rights it is very unlikely you will want to go back to the way things were.
Actually it’s more recent than most people think. The Democratic Reform in Tibet-Xizang happened only in 1959, that is less than 70 years ago. There are people still alive who remember the time before. Which is why this whole “Free Tibet” psyop has no chance in Tibet itself. People there have grandparents and great-grandparents who were serfs.
I was thinking almost as in 2 decades but I forgor that Tibet wasn’t liberated during 1940s.
That surprised me as well when i first started learning about the liberation of Tibet. I had also initially assumed it happened concurrently with the founding of the People’s Republic. It’s sad that they had to wait ten more years, but at least they got there.
Fr, I thought it just ended along with Civil War, imagine having to live that long with slavery after the rest of the country finally achieved freedom.
In fact, the CPC actually collaborated with the Dalai Lama and Tibetan nobles at the beginning to slowly phase in economic and social improvements in a kind of proto-One-Country-Two-Systems plan. The CPC even gave the Dalai Lama a high position in the CPC.
Unfortunately, the Dalai Lama and co. got pissed at the loss of their all-powerful privileges and decided to do a CIA-sponsored revolt. Of course, they got no support from any of their serfs, who were quite happy to be free, and so they fucked off to India.
After that, the CPC had a mandate to speedily implement all the reforms.
Yes. Very important points. Even many people who know the basic history of Tibet in the 20th century are not always aware of how hands-off China was and how much they tried to work with and through the local elites in the period between the Peaceful Liberation and the Democratic Reform. Initially the local elites acted as if they were on board and enthusiastic to work with Beijing on the reforms, but secretly they were smuggling weapons from the British and the Americans.
It was not the re-integration into China that bothered them, it was the prospect of the abolition of serfdom which was a bridge too far. The few lower class people that they did get to fight for them in the uprising only did so because the elites told them all kinds of lies about the communists and used their religious beliefs to manipulate them. For most people it didn’t work, because once you have seen that it is possible to have freedom and rights it is very unlikely you will want to go back to the way things were.