Integrity Score 390
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Enter the Dragon: Chinese Invasion
of Tibet continues...
They decided that the fixed boundaries of
“China” corresponded to the size of the Qing (Manchu) Empire at its height, i.e., the present-day PRC and Taiwan, as well as Mongolia and the part of Siberia ceded to Russia, because this was the natural maximum extent that could be achieved based on cultural and economic interactions between different peoples within “China”. Of course, this argument is inherently teleological and the status of Mongolia and eastern Siberia would become tricky. But Tan Qixiang resolved the latter problem by saying that the loss of these “natural” parts of China was a result of Russian and Soviet imperialism and that China would not try to claim them back. So, according to Tan Qixiang’s reasoning, Tibet was a part of China from 1368 to 1644, even if it was never a part of the Ming Empire, since the Ming Empire did not cover all of “China”.’ (See map: Ming dynasty 1580 CE, p. 85).
In August 1947 when India became independent, Tibet was already seriously worried about Chinese intentions.
The Tibetan Government requested military help from India, and a list of the desired weaponry was given. Some weapons were eventually supplied, a pitifully small amount for such an impending task as stopping the Chinese militarily. Supplied were 144 Bren guns (.303 LMG’s) with 360,000 rounds of ammunition, 168 Sten guns (9 mm submachine guns) with a little more than 200,000 rounds of ammunition, 1,206 Lee-Enfield .303 rifles with 250,000 rounds of ammunition, and Verey signal pistols with 360 cartridges. India refused to supply the infantry mortars and anti-aircraft guns the Tibetans had requested. Supplies were on a payment basis, and the Tibetan government paid Rs. 100,000 as an instalment on the first consignment.
But the biggest problem was finding recruits to serve. No Tibetans wanted to serve as soldiers because to their Buddhism-influenced mind it was considered a dishonorable profession, little better than that of a butcher.
Raising a regiment of 1,000 soldiers was a big problem. Nevertheless, somehow or the other, the Tibetan army was somehow augmented and somewhat modernised.
To be continued...