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  • Tibet's Bon Religion: The Kingdom of Zhangzhung and Yungdrung Bon

    Tibet's Bon Religion: The Kingdom of Zhangzhung and Yungdrung Bon
    2026/06/06
    Before Buddhism arrived in Tibet, the high plateau was shaped by Bon, an indigenous spiritual tradition with a rich cosmology and institutional history. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the ancient kingdom of Zhangzhung, often called the cradle of Bon, centered around Mount Kailash and Lake Mapham Yutso. They discuss the Bon creation myth centered on the primordial being Kuntu Zangpo, the role of Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche as a legendary founder, and how Bon's organized priesthood and canon of scriptures paralleled Buddhist developments. The conversation also covers the 8th-century conflict between Bon and Buddhism during the reign of Trisong Detsen, including the Bonpo exile to remote regions like Gilgit and the preservation of manuscripts in Dzogchen caves. Lucas explains how Bon adapted after Buddhism's dominance, eventually becoming recognized as Tibet's fifth spiritual tradition alongside the four major Buddhist schools. The episode touches on modern efforts to preserve Bon heritage, including the 2018 discovery of a 12th-century Bon manuscript in Mustang. A natural mid-episode break invites listeners to support the ad-free show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. #Bon #Zhangzhung #TonpaShenrab #Tibet #TibetanHistory #MountKailash #YungdrungBon #KuntuZangpo #TrisongDetsen #Dzogchen #Bonpo #Gilgit #Mustang #GandenPhodrang #TibetanBuddhism #AncientTibet #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • Tibet's Great 8th Century: The Reign of Trisong Detsen

    Tibet's Great 8th Century: The Reign of Trisong Detsen
    2026/06/05
    In this episode of The History of Tibet, Lucas and Luna explore the life and times of Emperor Trisong Detsen (r. 755–797 CE), who transformed Tibet into a major Buddhist kingdom. They discuss his military campaigns against the Tang dynasty, including the 763 sack of Chang'an, and his patronage of the first great Buddhist monastery at Samye. The episode covers the famous debate between Indian and Chinese Buddhist schools—the Samye Debate—which shaped Tibetan Buddhism's Mahayana path. Lucas explains Trisong Detsen's role in inviting the Indian master Śāntarakṣita and the tantric adept Padmasambhava to Tibet, and the construction of Samye Monastery as a cosmic mandala. They also touch on the emperor's efforts to codify Tibetan script and translate Buddhist texts, as well as his complex relationship with the powerful noble families. The conversation highlights Trisong Detsen's legacy as a unifier who balanced military expansion with spiritual foundation, setting the stage for Tibet's unique Buddhist civilization. #TrisongDetsen #TibetanEmpire #SamyeMonastery #Padmasambhava #Śāntarakṣita #SamyeDebate #BuddhismInTibet #TangDynasty #Chang'an763 #TibetanHistory #MahayanaBuddhism #Vajrayana #TibetanScript #8thCentury #EastAsia #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • The Tibetan Army That Fought the Qing: 1917–1918 War in Kham

    The Tibetan Army That Fought the Qing: 1917–1918 War in Kham
    2026/06/05
    After the 1913 independence declaration, Tibet faced a Qing successor state in China that refused to accept its borders. From 1917 to 1918, the Tibetan army under the 13th Dalai Lama and General Lobsang Tendar launched a series of campaigns in the eastern region of Kham, reclaiming territory lost in the early 1900s. This episode focuses on the little-known 1917–1918 Sino-Tibetan War, including the battle for Chamdo, the role of British India's diplomacy, and the subsequent de facto border that held until 1950. We explore how Tibet modernized its military—with British-supplied rifles and drilled troops—and how the war ended with a Tibetan victory, only for the later People's Liberation Army to reverse it. The episode also covers the controversial figure of Eric Teichman, the British diplomat who brokered a ceasefire, and the legacy of the 1918 border in modern Tibet-China disputes. #TibetanHistory #1918SinoTibetanWar #Kham #13thDalaiLama #Chamdo #EricTeichman #LobsangTendar #BritishRaj #TibetanArmy #Modernization #EastAsia #BorderDisputes #TibetChinaRelations #1920s #MilitaryHistory #ColonialDiplomacy #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 分
  • Tibet's Yarlung Kings: From Nyatri Tsenpo to the Empire

    Tibet's Yarlung Kings: From Nyatri Tsenpo to the Empire
    2026/06/04
    Long before the Dalai Lamas, before Buddhism reached the high plateau, a lineage of warrior kings ruled Tibet from the Yarlung Valley. This episode traces the rise of the Yarlung dynasty from the mythical Nyatri Tsenpo, who descended from the sky, to the great Emperor Songtsen Gampo, who unified Tibet, built the first Potala Palace, and married Chinese and Nepali princesses—brides who brought Buddhism to the Roof of the World. We explore the legendary and historical origins of the dynasty, the reigns of Drigum Tsenpo and Lha Thothori Nyantsen, and the transformation of a chieftaincy into a regional power. Along the way, we meet new writing systems, the first Buddhist scriptures, and the fortress that would become the Potala. Mixing archeology with mythology, this is the story of how Tibet's first empire was born. #YarlungDynasty #NyatriTsenpo #SongtsenGampo #PotalaPalace #DrigumTsenpo #LhaThothoriNyantsen #TibetanBuddhism #YarlungValley #BonReligion #TibetanEmpire #EarlyTibet #NepaliPrincessBhrikuti #ChinesePrincessWencheng #TibetanKings #HimalayanHistory #TibetanMythology #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • Tibet's 1791 Invasion of Nepal and the Gurkha War

    Tibet's 1791 Invasion of Nepal and the Gurkha War
    2026/06/04
    In 1791, the Gurkha kingdom of Nepal invaded Tibet, triggering a chain of events that would redraw borders and cement Qing imperial control over the Himalayan plateau. This episode unpacks the little-known Gurkha-Tibet War of 1791-1792, from the contested salt trade and silver tangkas that sparked the conflict to the Qing army's punishing counter-invasion under Fuk'anggan. Lucas and Luna trace how the war ended with Tibet becoming a Qing protectorate, the ambans gaining new powers, and the Dalai Lama's temporal authority being curtailed. They examine the Treaty of Betrawati, the looting of Tashilhunpo Monastery, and why a Tibetan appeal to Beijing changed the region forever. The conversation also touches on the Pan chen Lama's role, the Gurkha's ambitions under King Rana Bahadur Shah, and the lasting legacy of this forgotten Himalayan war. A story of salt, silver, and sovereignty. #Tibet #Nepal #GurkhaWar #QingDynasty #Fukanggan #Tashilhunpo #PanChenLama #RanaBahadurShah #HimalayanHistory #TreatyOfBetrawati #Lhasa #Kathmandu #1791 #EastAsia #Buddhism #ImperialChina #War #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • Tibet's 1717 Dzungar Invasion: Lhasa Under Mongol Rule

    Tibet's 1717 Dzungar Invasion: Lhasa Under Mongol Rule
    2026/06/03
    In 1717, the Dzungar Mongols swept into Tibet, sacking Lhasa and devastating the Gelug establishment. This episode explores the political chaos that followed the death of the 5th Dalai Lama and the ruthless seizure of power by Tsewang Rabtan. Lucas and Luna discuss the fierce resistance at Tashilhunpo, the role of the 7th Dalai Lama Kelsang Gyatso, and the brutal massacre that shocked even the Qing court. How did this invasion pave the way for Qing intervention and the establishment of the Amban system? We look at the strategic blunders, the alliances with the Khoshut Mongols, and the legacy of this forgotten conflict that redrew Tibet's political map. #DzungarInvasion #TibetHistory #1717 #Lhasa #TsewangRabtan #Gelug #Khoshut #QingDynasty #KangxiEmperor #Tashilhunpo #KelsangGyatso #Amban #MongolRule #TibetanBuddhism #PotalaPalace #NorbuLingka #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分
  • Tibet's 1717 Dzungar Invasion: Lhasa Under Mongol Rule

    Tibet's 1717 Dzungar Invasion: Lhasa Under Mongol Rule
    2026/06/03
    In 1717, a massive Dzungar Mongol army swept into Tibet, sacking Lhasa and plunging the region into a brutal occupation that would reshape Tibetan Buddhism and Qing imperial policy. Lucas and Luna trace the invasion from its origins in the steppes to the fall of the Norbu Lingka temple, the execution of the regent Desi Sangye Gyatso's successor, and the dramatic siege of the Potala Palace. They explore how the Dzungars, led by Tsewang Rabtan, sought to purge the Gelug school and install their own puppet Dalai Lama, only to face a fierce Tibetan guerrilla resistance and, ultimately, a Qing military intervention that would bring Tibet under Chinese suzerainty for nearly two centuries. Along the way, they discuss the role of the Mongol Khoshut tribe, the legacy of the 5th Dalai Lama's theocracy, and the cultural destruction wrought by the Dzungars—including the lost library of Tashilhunpo. This episode offers a vivid, ground-level look at a pivotal turning point in Himalayan history, full of intrigue, violence, and political maneuvering. #DzungarInvasion #Tibet1717 #Lhasa #PotalaPalace #TsewangRabtan #Gelug #QingDynasty #KangxiEmperor #DesiSangyeGyatso #NorbuLingka #Tashilhunpo #KhoshutMongols #TibetanBuddhism #MongolInvasion #HimalayanHistory #FexingoHistory #TibetanHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • Tibet's 1904 Gyantse Dzong Siege: The Gola Canon and Tibetan Resistance

    Tibet's 1904 Gyantse Dzong Siege: The Gola Canon and Tibetan Resistance
    2026/06/02
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna return to the pivotal 1904 British invasion of Tibet, focusing on the siege of Gyantse Dzong and the legendary Gola canon. They explore the strategic importance of the fortress, the desperate Tibetan defense led by Depön Dapon, and the technological gap between the Tibetan matchlocks and British Maxim guns. The conversation details the Battle of Red Idol Gorge, the use of the ancient Gola canon, and the eventual fall of Gyantse. They also discuss the Treaty of Lhasa, the exile of the 13th Dalai Lama, and the long-term consequences for Tibet's sovereignty. This episode offers a granular look at a turning point in Himalayan history, emphasizing the courage of Tibetan fighters against overwhelming odds. #GyantseDzong #GolaCanon #1904BritishInvasion #TibetanResistance #DepönDapon #Younghusband #RedIdolGorge #TreatyOfLhasa #13thDalaiLama #ChumbiValley #BritishEmpire #HimalayanHistory #TibetanBuddhism #MilitaryHistory #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory #EastAsia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 分