Contents: Tibet and India
Ancient Links – Current Bonds
A Shared Spiritual Lore
The Himalayas as a Bridge
The Light comes from India
The Buddha Dharma Becomes State Religion
The Three Religious Kings
Tibet’s Relations with Its Neighbours
A Script from India
The Translation of Buddha’s Words Can Start
The Art of Healing
Tibetan Medicine and Ayurveda
The Renaissance of Tibetan Buddhism
The Second Propagation comes from India
An Indian Dalai Lama
Tsangyang Gyatso, the Sixth Dalai Lama
Tibet’s Relations with Kashmir
The Treaties with Ladakh and the Dogras
The Empire Strikes
The Younghusband Military Mission (1904)
The Thirteenth Dalai Lama in India
A Refugee in Kalimpong
The Drawing of the Indo-Tibet Border
The Simla Conference (1914)
Caravans across the Himalayas
The Transborder Trade
Searching for the Lost Manuscripts
Indian Cultural Missions in Tibet
Pilgrimages
The Holy Lands of Tibet and India
The Asian Relations Conference
Tibet Still Independent
Stepping into British Shoes
Tibet after India’s Independence
Trading with India
The Indian Trade Agencies in Tibet
Indian Presence in Tibet
Military Escort and Trade Agent
Tibet becomes a Chinese Colony
India has a New Neighbour
From Sardar Patel to Nehru
A Prophetic Letter (November 7, 1950)
The Return to the Source
The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama visit India (1956)
Nehru crosses over to Tibet
The Indian Prime Minister visits Chumbi Valley
•The Road to Exile
The Dalai Lama Arrives in India (1959)
Preserving an Endangered Culture
The Rehabilitation Starts
A War Over Tibet Border
The 1962 Sino-Indian Conflict
When Tibet Fought for India
The Tibetan Special Frontier Force
How India Considers Tibet
An Autonomous Region of China
An Honoured Guest of India
The Dalai Lama with Presidents and Prime Ministers
Meeting Indian Leaders
They had Strong Words for Tibet
The Himalayan Renaisance
The Role of the Dalai Lama
The Khaches
The Kashmiri Community in Tibet
The Nalanda Tradition
India’s Gift to Tibet
The Dalai Lama and the People of India
A Son of India
Ackowledgments
Our Gratitude for their Support, Advice and Illustrations
The story perhaps started millions years ago when the Indian island collided with the Asian plate. Without this collision, life could have continued for eternity undisturbed on the Indian island, but it was neither the destiny of Tibet to remain a sea forever, nor the fate of India to be perpetually an island.
This exhibition, using rare photos and illustrations, guide the reader through centuries of profound bonds between two ancient civilizations whose destinies have been, and still are, closely intermingled.
Cultural, religious and economic links were abruptly discontinued in 1962, but one can hope that it is only a temporary phase and the ancient links will flourish again.