’Vkhor Gsum’、’Me Chas’、’Khrab Rmog’: A Research Of The Traditional Weapons And Its Culture Of Tibetan

In this thesis, methodologies of history, and cultural anthropology have been applied; according to field research and literature collection, traditional weapons in Tibetan Plateau such as vkhor gsum (blade, sword and spear), khrab (armour), phub (shield), rmog (helmet), vur rdo (sling), sga vkhor (harness), me chas (hot weapons or firearms), have been mainly investigated. Factors such as historical origins, craftsmanship as well as cultural phenomena in using process of these arms have been analyzed in detail.First of all, large amounts of historical literature in Tibetan, Chinese and English classified and analyzed in this thesis. Periods related to Tibetan weapons have been selected from these historical literatures in discussion about the process of weapons and armors evolution from Stone Age to present time.Secondly, field research has been widely conducted by the author who paid visits to many museums and monasteries in which you can see some collections of the ancient mtshon cha (weapons)or ceremony mtshon cha from the region.Thirdly, Taking a central Eurasian cultural as a whole, the author views Tibetan weapons as a part the larger cultural zone, reappearing the economical and political interactions as well as cultural spreading among Tibet, Inner China, Southern Asia, and mid-east Asia etc. According to the study of the craftsmanship, different species and pattern forms of the weapons, conclusion was drawn that ancient weapons in Tibetan Plateau has been influenced by her neighbors. Meanwhile, through the study of cultural features of the weapons in Tibetan Plateau, three characteristics of Tibetan culture, i.e., symbolism, containment and stability were summarized.The thesis is divided into two major parts. The first part includes an introduction and four chapters that mainly discuss blades, swords, spears and firearms by analyzing specially their appearance in Buddhist paintings. The second part includes three chapters and the conclusion that mainly discuss the histories, origins, species, technology of armors, shields and helmets, Slings and harnesses etc.