Medieval Rule in Tibet
The Rlangs Clan and the Political and Religious History of the Ruling House of Phag mo gru pa. With a Study of the Monastic Art of Gdan sa mthil
by Olaf Czaja
Paperback (Published)
(January 2014)
ISBN: 9783700172406
8.27 x 11.77 inches
Price: $198.00
In stock
The present work is devoted to a significant period of medieval history of Tibet, during a crucial spell when the noble house of the Phag mo gru pa dominated Central Tibet. On the basis of a great variety of Tibetan sources, this present study investigates the entire period from the mythical beginnings of the Rlangs Phag mo gru pa clan until the end when the noble house played no political role anymore.
The present work is devoted to a significant period of medieval history of Tibet, during a crucial spell when the noble house of the Phag mo gru pa dominated Central Tibet. On the basis of a great variety of Tibetan sources, this present study investigates the entire period from the mythical beginnings of the Rlangs Phag mo gru pa clan until the end when the noble house played no political role anymore. Maintaining a strictly chronological approach, a comprehensive study of the political and historical activity of the noble house from the 12th to the 17th century is offered. A particular focus will be placed on the period of the 14th century which saw the rise of this noble house as ruler of Central Tibet. It can be argued that the Rlangs Phag mo gru pa were a defining factor in Tibetan politics from the middle of the 14th century to the mid-16th century. The second part of this publication is devoted to a detailed study of the architectural history and the religious art of Gdan sa mthil monastery. It was famous for its commemorative stupas that were adorned with a variety of reliefs and statues of which a part has survived. By investigating and evaluating a number of Tibetan inventory texts and a number of historical photographs, an attempt has been made to reconstruct the full range of figures found on these commemorative stupas iconographically. The book is lavishly illustrated with 48 drawings and 415 plates. This study is also of great importance for museums, auction houses and art collectors. The work is finally supplemented with nine appendices on the succession of the abbots and throne holders of the Phag mo gru pa, on further noble houses and so on.
- By (author) Olaf Czaja
Other Titles in this Series
Material Aspects of Building and Craft Traditions
Spatial Programme - Building Material - Natural Environment. A Himalayan Case Study
Volume 26
Volkerkunde zur NS-Zeit aus Wien (1938-1945)
Institutionen, Biographien und Praktiken in Netzwerken
Volume 27
Exploring Himalayan Cultural and Textual Heritage
The Legacy and Impact of René Nebesky-Wojkowitz
Volume 35
The Social and the Religious in the Making of Tibetan Societies
New Perspectives on Imperial Tibet
Volume 30
Similar Books
Innovation and Medieval Communities
The Circulation of Ideas and Practices in and out of the Town (1200-1500)
Volume 63
Medieval Yeghegis, Armenia
History, Archaeology, Society. Local Multiplicities and Global Connections of a Rural Centre on the Silk Road(s)
Power and Women in Southeast and Central Europe in Late Medieval and Early Modern Period (1300-1600)
Volume 10
Women in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
Studies from Western Europe and North Africa
Volume 44
Los oficios de los diplomas latinos de la Cataluna altomedieval
Estudio de las innovaciones lexicas: XI Premio Internacional de Tesis Doctorales Fundacion Ana Maria Aldama Roy de Estudios Latinos
Volume 106
A Communication Ethic of Dialogic Reformation
Nicholas of Cusa on Care for Communities in Crisis
Volume 106
Ambiguum 10 of Maximus the Confessor in Modern Study
Papers collected on the Occasion of the Budapest Colloquium on Saint Maximus, 3-4 February 2021
Volume 97
Building the Presence of the Prince
The Institutions Responsible for the Construction and Management of the Buildings of European Courts (14th-17th centuries)
Volume 14
Byzantine Historiographical Prefaces (4th-15th Centuries)
A Study on Praxis and Culture of Writing History in Byzantium
Volume 23
Ceramics in Plain Sight: The Bacini of the Churches of Crete. “Reflections” of the Late Medieval and the Early Modern Material Culture of the Island
Volume II: The Regional Unit of Lasithi
Volume 13