Kham in the 1950s: Transition of Power in the Peripheries

Presenter's Name(s)

Weiqing KongFollow

Conference Year

January 2019

Abstract

On October 7th, 1950, the Chinese communists launched the Battle of Chamdo, the eastern border of Tibet. No sooner was Tibet “peacefully liberated,” the Chinese reinforcements arrived. This research focuses on Kham Tibetans during the transition of power in the 1950s. The author argues that Tibetans in the 1950s did not simply fit into the binary categories: pro-Tibet or pro-China. Instead, they were in between, situated in a tangle where hope and fear folded upon individuals. Their responses to the Chinese in the 1950s, in fact, rooted a complex system of national identity and individual pursuit.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Abigail McGowan

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

History

Primary Research Category

Arts & Humanities

Abstract only.

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Kham in the 1950s: Transition of Power in the Peripheries

On October 7th, 1950, the Chinese communists launched the Battle of Chamdo, the eastern border of Tibet. No sooner was Tibet “peacefully liberated,” the Chinese reinforcements arrived. This research focuses on Kham Tibetans during the transition of power in the 1950s. The author argues that Tibetans in the 1950s did not simply fit into the binary categories: pro-Tibet or pro-China. Instead, they were in between, situated in a tangle where hope and fear folded upon individuals. Their responses to the Chinese in the 1950s, in fact, rooted a complex system of national identity and individual pursuit.