250 the southwest
On July 2, 1069, Tibetan envoys to the Liao court offered gifts
(Liao shih 22:6a; 70:20a).
On July 25, 1071, Tibetan envoys to the Liao court offered gifts
(Liao shih 22:7b; 70:20b).
On Aug.9, 1075, Tibetans offered gifts to the Liao court (Liao shih
23:3b; 70:21a).
On Nov.14, 1103, Tibetan envoys to the Liao court offered gifts
(Liao shih 27:3a; 70:26a).
On July 15, 1104, Tibetans offered gifts to the Liao court (Liao shih
27:3b; 70:26a).
The Tibetan culture was never heavily influenced by the Chinese, as
were those of Japan, the Korean states, and Po-hai. On the contrary,
Tibet was a truly alien country to the Chinese. Ssu-ma Kuang claims
that the Princess of Wen-ch’eng hated the custom of the Tibetans of
smearing their faces red and persuaded her husband, Srong-btsan-
sgam-po, to prohibit this. It is also claimed that the princess changed
the suspicious and cruel attitude of the Tibetans and aranged for
the sons and younger brothers of chiefs to study at the Academy in
Ch’ang-an and learn the Book of Odes and Book of Documents (Tzu-chih
t’ung-chien pp.6164-6165). The same text states that T’ai-tsung had
increased the student lodgings at the Academy to 12,000 units, and
that among the students were sons and younger brothers of Tibetan
chiefs (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6153). This account overlooks the fact that
Srong-btsan-sgam-po also had a Nepalese wife, and that the Indian
influence on Tibet was much greater than the Chinese.
In spite of allegations by the dynastic historians that the Tibetans
offered “tribute” and presented “memorials”, they and their kings
were not only independent but frequently at war with China. Chinese
claims of suzerainity over Tibet are therefore absurd. When a Chinese
envoy in 729 arrived in Tibet for a covenant, he supposedly ordered
the king to kowtow and declare himself a subject (Chiu T’ang shu 196A:
8b). This preposterous lie was obviously concocted in the self-serving
report of the Chinese envoy and then, via the archives, found its way
into the Chiu T’ang shu.
The Chinese did what they could to neutralize Tibet as a threat.
They conferred titles on Srong-btsan-sgam-po and perhaps also on
his successors. They twice married princesses to its kings, the Princess
of Wen-ch’eng in 641 and the Princess of Chin-ch’eng in 710. These
marriages were diplomatic coups for the Tibetans but brought no last-
ing benefits to the Chinese. In 705, the T’ang emperors suspended the