A Brief Introduction to the Gaden Phodrang Government
This workshop will start with an investigation into the historical background upon which the Gaden Phodrang Government was founded and its prosperous development in the mid 17th century. We will then look at the priest-patron relationship it established with the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty, a process that began in the early 18th century. Finally, we will consider the decline of the government and how it found itself in India due the invasion by the Chinese Communist Party in 1950. This is a 4‑hour workshop and after each class there will be time for discussion and questions.