The Political History of the Guge Kingdom

Reconstructing the rise, institutional development, and political transformation of the Guge Kingdom in western Xizang (late tenth to mid-thirteenth century), this book examines how geography, dynastic rule, Buddhist revival, and external pressures shaped a borderland polity following the Tubo Kingdom's collapse. Drawing on Tibetan historical sources—particularly underutilised local biographies and regional histories—alongside Chinese and English scholarship and archaeological evidence, the author constructs a detailed chronology and resolves enduring uncertainties about Guge's rulers and territory. Central to the analysis is Guge's dual governance system, where secular authority and Buddhist spiritual power were intricately linked through complex relationships among kings, ministers, lamas, and eminent monks. These dynamics defined the kingdom's political culture and its broader historical significance. This evidence-based study situates western Xizang within Tibetan, Chinese, and Inner Asian history, offering valuable insights for scholars and students of these fields, as well as those interested in the region's dynastic and religious–political structures during this transformative period.