Historiography
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The Tang-Tibet Treaty Pillar, 823 CE
By Palden Gyal In front of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, one of the most sacred sites in the Tibetan world, a stone pillar has been standing for over twelve hundred years. It is not a decorative monument. It is a political document – carved in both Tibetan and Chinese, installed in the heart of… Continue reading
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Convicted by Monks
Reopening the Case Against Lang Darma By Palden Gyal Tri Udum Tsenpo (khri ’u dum btsan po; r. 841–842), better known to posterity as Lang Darma, remains one of the most misunderstood figures in Tibetan history. The epithet itself is telling: lang (glang) in Tibetan means ox or bull, and the image of a horned,… Continue reading
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Testament of Ba
The Testament of Ba (sBa bzhed) is a foundational narrative of the Tibetan Empire, detailing the foundation of Buddhism under Emperor Trisong Detsen. This essay analyzes the “golden casket” episode as a narrative tool used to legitimize Buddhism as an indigenous Tibetan destiny. Featuring insights from 9th-century Dunhuang fragments, we explore how early historiography at… Continue reading