the southwest 251court for one day and in 804 and 842 for three days after the deaths of
Tibetan kings. In 650, 679, 755, 804, 816, and 842, they sent envoys
to condole and sacrifice. In 680, they condoled and sacrificed after
the death of the Princess of Wen-ch’eng. In 740, they suspended the
court for three days after the death of the Princess of Chin-ch’eng.
These ceremonies were probably regular features, although they are
not recorded after the death of every king.
In spite of all these efforts, relations between China and Tibet were
bad. This is proved by the fact that covenants had to be concluded
over and over, in 726, 729, 758, 765, 783, abortively in 787, and in
- Only the last of these was successful. All others were soon broken,
mostly by the Tibetans.
It is an interesting feature that Tibetan kings “requested peace” in
729, thrice in 730, in 731, and in 761, when the two countries were
technically at peace already. The reason can perhaps be sought in the
form of Tibetan government. The kings did not control all the tribes,
and some of them looted Chinese territories on their own initiative.
This created a fluid situation, in which some kings attempted to restore
peace in the face of tribal hostility, and in which the Chinese were
frustrated by the lack of authoritative negotiating partners.
In their relations to the Tibetans, the Chinese were therefore
throughout at a disadvantage. They took recourse to their old habit
of fostering rivals in the enemy camp, which led to the titles conferred
on Lun Tsan-p’o in 699 as a possible counterweight to the king. Noth-
ing came of it. As a rule, the Tibetans had the initiative, and until 821
there always was a political distance between the two countries. The
Chinese did not even bother to recognize the Tibetan kings, and no
posthumous titles were conferred on any of them.
It is clear from the above that the Tibetan missions to the T’ang
courts had substantial matters to discuss, and that they arrived both
in peace and war. Covenants were often on the agenda, as was the
drawing of the border, congratulations and condolences. But, as always,
trade formed part of the missions, and after 821 almost exclusively
so.
According to Chiu T’’ang shu 196A:6a, the Tibetans sent annual mis-
sions after 707. Those recorded are three for 709, two for 710, three
for 712, two for 713, one for 714, and one for 716. According to T’ang
hui-yao 97:6a, the Tibetans sent eight missions from 717-722. Six are
recorded. According to T’ang hui-yao 97:7a, the Tibetans congratulated
on the New Year’s Day each year from 734. Such congratulations are