Society, power and religion in pre-modern Western Tibet

The main focus of the project will be to study the various structural and historical interrelationships between society, power and religion in pre-modern Western Tibet (primarily Purang and Guge during the period between the 10th and 17th centuries). This will be done with particular regard to processes of interaction, conflict and integration and by adopting a collaborative transdisciplinary approach characterised by combining research in the fields of Tibetology, social anthropology and art history. In the course of recent research in Western Tibet numerous historical documents, inscriptions, religious texts and sculptures were located and brought to light in various Buddhist monasteries (e.g. at Khorchag, Purang District), partly also in private houses. In addition, a significant number of hitherto unknown Buddhist cave temples dating to periods between the 11th and 16th century were discovered in various areas. Of particular importance not only due to their good state of preservation are those documented by Tsering Gyalpo at different sites in the Khartse area (Tsamda District). Together with findings made during the course of recent joint field research (Tsering Gyalpo, Jahoda, Papa-Kalantari), a notable amount of hitherto inaccessible primary sources and materials of local Western Tibetan origin (texts, paintings, objects and related oral traditions) is available that will be complemented further and studied in detail over the course of the project with the aim of publishing and making it accessible in appropriate form without delay. The main focus will be on the prevailing forms of social, political and religious organisation and the development of and changes in the religio-political order and corresponding concepts, thereby paying attention also to internal and external conflicts. This includes a profound study of the royal lineage(s) from whose ranks the power-holders and eminent religio-political leaders (such as the royal lama Yeshe Ö) came as well as of clans, aristocratic and religious lineages of local or Central Tibetan origin. Based on hitherto unknown textual evidence and a variety of new findings from the Khartse area and other sites where the Great Translator Rin chen bzang po, one of the most influential religious figures of Western Tibet, was active, it is intended to attain a better understanding of the latter`s ac-tivities and functions, also including retrospective views of later periods. Detailed analysis will also concern the cult of local and protective deities which played an important role not only within folk religion and monastic Buddhism but was also of great importance for members of the royal lineages and accordingly represents a fundamental element linking and integrating the social, political and religious spheres. A significant element for the legitimation of political power and religious authority following the foundation of the West Tibetan kingdom seems to have been the phenomenon of linking up with and appropriating the past by gathering and concentrating `symbolic capital`. This is reflected for example in depictions of royal insignia and other precious or highly valued items (including religious treasures and weapons) which occur as essential elements of paintings in Buddhist temples, often within the framework of depictions of ceremonial settings with royal, secular and religious figures, and also including protective deities. This therefore constitutes an important aspect in particular of art-historical research, which is of great importance for the interpretation of concepts and models of political sovereignty and religious authority, also from a wider comparative perspective.

Summary for public relations work Research carried out by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) project Society, Power and Religion in Pre-Modern Western Tibet (P21806-G19) resulted in various new insights which are of fundamental relevance for the understanding and reconstruction of the social, political and religious developments of the whole West Tibetan language area, in particular for the formative phases of the West Tibetan kingdom in the 10th and 11th centuries and its successor states (such as Guge, Purang). An essential basis for this were a number of successful in-depth interdisciplinary field studies at various key sites in areas of historical Western Tibet (today partly on Chinese, partly on Indian territory), for example, Tabo (Spiti), Nyarma (Ladakh), Pooh (Upper Kinnaur), Khorchag (Purang), Khartse (Guge). In addition to the analysis of the architecture, paintings, inscriptions and objects (including texts) documented in situ at these key sites featuring central Buddhist monastic foundations dating from the earliest period of the spread of Buddhism in Western Tibet, hitherto unknown or inaccessible historical texts were studied which are published in two cases in a critical edition. This relates to works by Guge Pa??ita Gragpa Gyaltsen, the Royal Genealogy of the Solar Lineage, with a chapter on the founding phase of the West Tibetan kingdom and an account of its antecedents, and the Extended Biography of the Royal Monk Ye shes od, the leading religio-political figure in Western Tibet in the 10th/11th century.The results of the research project were published so far in various publications (23 contributions in the form of book chapters or articles, one dissertation). Two monographs were submitted for publication, over 20 articles/book chapters were submitted or are in preparation for publication. Selected publications and qualification works Tsering Gyalpo, Christian Jahoda, Christiane Kalantari, Patrick Sutherland; with contributions by Eva Allinger, Hubert Feiglstorfer and Kurt Tropper (2012) Khor chags / Khorchag / Kuojia si wenshi daguan [Kuojia Monastery: An Overview of Its History and Culture]. Lhasa: Bod ljongs bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang [Old Tibetan Books Publishing House]; 2nd, rev. edition Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, 2015. Christian Jahoda (2015) Socio-economic Organisation in a Border Area of Tibetan Culture-Tabo - Spiti Valley (Himachal Pradesh, India). Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press [submitted for publication in Nov. 2014]. Christian Jahoda, Christiane Kalantari (eds) (in preparation) Early West Tibetan Buddhist Monuments: Architecture, Art, History and Texts. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press [to be submitted for publication in April 2015]. Christiane Kalantari (in preparation) The Buddhist Monuments of Khartse Valley: Studies and Catalogue. [Online publication, April/May 2015] Hubert Feiglstorfer (2011) Buddhistische Sakralarchitektur im Westhimalaya. 2 vols. PhD Thesis, Vienna University of Technology.