Ebook: The Dalai Lama and the Emperor of China: a political history of the Tibetan institution of reincarnation

A major work in modern Tibetan history, this book follows the evolution of Tibetan Buddhism's trlku (reincarnation) tradition from the 17th to the 19th centuries, along with the Emperor of China's efforts to control its development. By illuminating the political aspects of the trlku institution, Schwieger shapes a broader history of the relationship between the Dalai Lama and the Emperor of China, as well as a richer understanding of the Qing Dynasty as an inner Asian empire, the modern fate of the Mongol empire, and current Sino-Tibetan relations. Unlike other pre-twentieth century Tibetan histories, this volume rejects hagiographic texts in favour of diplomatic, legal, and social sources held in the private, monastic, and bureaucratic archives of old Tibet.