Tibet: A Legacy of Social Transformation
According to numerous Tibetan legends and histories, the first Tibetan king was descended from one of the royal Indian families in power at the time of Siddhartha. Northern India in this era was divided into kingdoms known as mahajanapadas, each ruled independently. From one of these old kingdoms, an Indian prince is said to have fled or been cast out, making his way across the Himalayas and into Tibet where he was given the ruling title of gNya'-khri-btsan-po. Prior to this time, around 247 BC, small kingdoms in Tibet had been vying for power with each other. This warring period in Tibet parallels the Warring States period of China.
As you read through the timeline, look for patterns that allow you to determine the course of history that Tibet took. Place that trajectory in a context of what was happening around Tibet. We tend to see Tibet as an isolated place, it was not historically isolated and played an important role in controlling a major part of central Asia. The role of Buddhism was significant in the history of Tibet. From about the 7th century on, Buddhism was to play an ever increasing role in Tibetan culture and history. From that time until about 300 years ago, Tibet was one of the only cultures to have turned away from militance to become a totally peaceful society. Tibet was to carry a legacy of seeking power and empire building that was shared by many cultures but it was to transform itself into a society where nearly two-thirds of its expenditures went for education in the Buddhist faith. No longer did Tibet seek to control lands but remained hidden from the world is the isolation of the Himalayas.
No where in human history did a society embark on such a dramatic transformation as did Tibet. It took hundreds of years but Tibet went from one of the most feared societies who attacked China, India, and Persia to a peaceful kingdom dedicated to altruism. This unique transformation left Tibet struggling in isolation yet with a measure of peace found withing the heart of Buddhism.
The following traces the historical development of Tibet. Signs of the social experiment that was Tibet can be found within this timeline but there is a point where we have little information on the internal affairs of Tibet. This was a choice of a kingdom, onced feared and ultimately vulnerable to outside forces.
490-449 BC Persian wars with Greece where the Greeks defeat the Persians
327 BC Alexander the Great of Macedonia invades Indian
321 BC Candragupta establishes Mauryan Empire in India
307 BC Alexandria built in Egypt as a center of Greek learning and culture
280 BC Rome begins expansion and empire building
269 BC Asoka rules Mauryan Empire in India and converts to Buddhism
221 BC Qin dynasty in China founded
150 BC First burials of kings in Tibet
147 BC Greece comes under the control of Rome
112 BC Silk Road opens across central Asia
112-115 BC Tibetan tribes attack China
100 BC - 100 AD Indian Buddhism enters China
100 BC - 44 BC Julius Caesar is Emperor of Rome
51 BC Gaul becomes a province of Rome
31 BC Egypt becomes a province of Rome
25 AD - 220 AD late Han dynasty establishes capital at Lo-yang
117 AD Roman Empire at its greatest extent
148 AD Translation center of Buddhist texts established at Lo-yang
c. 200 AD The epic poem Bhagavad Gita takes final form
200 AD Goths invade Asia Minor and the Balkans
225 AD Sassan kingdom established in Persia extending into northwestern India
268 AD Goths sack Athens, Sparta, and Corinth
285 AD Roman Empire is partitioned into East and West halves
300 A.D. Indian influences begin to reach Southeast Asia
301-589 AD China divided into many dynasties some based on Tibetan tribes while Tibet attempts to create internal and external alliances to gain stability
313 AD Edit of Milan issued tolerating Christianity in the Roman Empire
330 AD Capital of the Roman Empire moved to Constantinople
350 AD Huns invade western central Asia
410 AD Visigoths sack Rome
433 AD Buddhist text along with numerous sacred items enter Tibet and Attila rules the Huns
455 AD Vandals sack Rome
470 AD Huns withdraw from Europe
484 AD Hun Empire expands across steppes of central Asia
486 AD Frankish kingdoms founded and in 507 AD they defeat the Vandals
460 AD India defeats Huns in western India but Huns still control northwest India
c. 500-600 AD Advances in logic, astronomy, algebra, arithmetic in India
552 AD Turkish Empire established and controls the Silk trade
581 AD Tibetan script is developed and Constitution written by the King
611-628 AD Persia attempts conquest of eastern Roman Empire
612 AD Visigoths regain Spain from eastern Roman Empire
613 AD Frankish kingdoms in Western Europe unite
626 AD Bulgarian kingdom founded by Huns
641 AD Marriage alliance with China and Arab conquest of Egypt
648 AD Tibetan troops enter India
643-681 AD With the support of Tibet, kingdom of Nepal is founded
662 AD Turkish and Tibetan alliance begins
670-692 AD Tibet controls the Silk Road and empire extends into India and western China
674 AD Arab movement into the Indus River region of India
685 AD Tang support for Buddhism in China
687-694 AD Tibetan troops in Turkish territory
692 AD China regains control of Silk Road
700 AD Arab conquest of northern Africa and Tibet moves troops toward Caspian region
710 AD Formal marriage alliance between Tibet and China
711 AD Muslim invasion of Spain
715 AD Alliance formed between Tibet and Arab world
718 AD Constantinople defended from attacks by Arabs
730 AD Treaty between Tibet and China
734 AD Marriage alliance created with Turks
740 AD Shiite revolt in Persia
745 AD Tibetan allies, the Turks, defeated
747 AD Chinese drive Tibetan forces from portions of western China with continuing battles between Chinese and Tibetan armies west of Chian-ang, the capital of China. Tang Emperor expands into western central Asia
751 AD Battle of Talas ends Chinese expansion into central Asia
755 AD Internal revolts in China weaken the Tang dynasty; successive wars between Bulgars and Byzantium begins
763 AD Tibet invades Chinese capital of Ch'ang-an with further expansion in northern and western China over the next several decades
775 AD First Tibetan monks ordained
781 AD Chinese monks invited into Tibet laying a foundation for Tibetan Buddhism
783 AD Treaty with China
789 AD Alliance with Arabs ends
790-c. 850 AD Tibet again controls the Silk Road
793 AD Vikings raid northwest Europe
802 AD Angkor kingdom established in Cambodia
800-814 AD Tibet forges treaties with Turks, Indians, Persians and Chinese; Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of Rome and controls most of Western Europe
810 AD China demands return of territory by Tibet
814 AD Disintegration of Charlemagne's empire
822 AD Treaty with China allowing China to retain its own territory and cease hostilities
836-838 AD Persecution of Buddhists in Tibet begins
841 AD Burmese Empire centered on Pagan established
843 AD Treaty of Verdun divides Frankish kingdom
845 AD Vikings raid northern Germany
867 AD Decline of the papacy influence in Europe with a schism between the Greek and Roman churches
877 AD Tombs of Tibetan kings vandalized
929 AD Rebellion in Tibet
1018 AD Muslin invasion of India
1069 AD First Crusade
c. 1150 AD Mongol rulers begin to support Buddhism
1453 AD Byzantine Empire ends; Mongolian region converts to Buddhism
1642 AD Fifth Dalai Lama takes power in Tibet
1848 AD Communist manifesto by Marx and Engels
1863 AD French control of Indochina
1864 AD American Civil War
1895 AD Thirteen Dalai Lama assumes power
1900 AD Boxer Rebellion in China
1910 A.D. Mexican Revolution
1911 AD Chinese Revolution with Sun Yat-sen as President
1914 AD World War I
1917 AD Russian Revolution
1922 AD Last Ottoman ruler is deposed
1934 AD Long march of the Chinese Communists
1947 AD India and Pakistan become independent
1949 AD Communist control of China
1950 AD Chinese invasion of Tibet
1950 AD Beginning of the Korean War
1954 AD Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia gain independence
1959 AD Cuban revolution and Dalai Lama leaves Tibet for exile
1966 AD Cultural Revolution in China begins and will last for 10 years