A Study On Tibetan Castles And Forts In Post-Tibetan Empire

The Tsongkha Kingdom(1032?-1104),located in the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau,was established by Chio-ssu-lo(rgyal sras in Tibetan,唃厮啰in Chinese),a decendant of a Tibetan royal family of former Tibetan Empire.During the post-Tibetan Empire era,the kingdom played a significant role in both military conflicts between Song and Tangut and east-to-west trades.Given that exsiting research on the kingdom is primarily based on dynastic lineage history,this thesis focuses on the Tsongkha kingdom’s castles(mkhar in Tibetan)and forts(rdzong in Tibetan,宗堡in Chinese),providing in both general introductions concerning their classification and regional distribution as well as specific discussions regarding their designation,location,building process and structural styles.Castles and forts in the Tsongkha kingdom can be divided into three large scales and three major geographical divisions.This thesis includes four fortifications.The first one is the renowned gyi thang mkhar(101°77′E,36°62′N,青唐城in Chinese),which had close ties with the Tsongkha kingdom’s kingship,where the Western Part,Eastern part and the“Detached Part”(隔城in Chinese)altogether constitute the city’s core,indicating a political appeal to prioritise the kingship over monastic and tribal powers.The second fort,gyung drang mkhar(一公城in Chinese,102°34′E,35°17′N)developed on the original site of Bajiao Cheng(Octagonal City in English),whose super defensiveness,given by architectural design and geographical advantage,kept it under the occupation of local Tibetan tribes for a long time,making it a typical example of a Tibetan stronghold.The third fort,Miaochuan cheng(邈川城in Chinese,103°E,36°12′N)should be derived from its Tibetan name,“smad chu mkhar”,which was named after the s Mad River.The location of this fort not only determined its political evolution,but also ensured its autonomy among three forces.The last fortress presented is gnam rdzong(sky fortress in English,南宗堡in Chinese,103°15′E,36°44′N).It cannot be juxtaposed with Gugulong City’s Datong Fort,and its connection to smad chu mkhar cannot be ignored.The cultural significance of these Tibetan castles and forts could not be understated and fostering locals’ sense of engagement has become crucial in the practice of cultural heritage protection.Nonetheless,these irreplaceable cultural heritages have received limited attention.The Tsongkha Model may successfully organize the power of groups and include the majority of historic cities in its protection purview,making it a viable strategy for the protection and exploitation of these locations.