Analysis. Sakya Local Government System

Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba (1265-1360)occupyed a very important role in Tibetan history and has ever been a local executive branch which was set up for the administration of Tibet in Yuan Dynasty. Around the 13th century, a very influential religious sect, Sa-skya-ba, was founded. Sa-skya-ba was the predecessor of Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba. After the painstaking efforts of the members of Sa-skya-ba who were headed by five previous leaders,"Five Ancestors", Sa-skya-ba gradually became a very influential Power Group in Tibetan-inhabited areas. In 1247, the leader of Sa-skya-ba Sa-pan had a historical talk, Liangzhou Talk, with the Mogolia upper class. Through this talk, Tibet submitted to the authority of Mongol Khanate without any hindrance. From then on, Sa-skya-ba established its position of command in Tibetan-inhabited areas. After the unity of Mogolia, vPhags-pa and his brother returned to Tibet with the mission of Kublai Khan to establish Tibetan local administrative organization, Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba in 1265. Three years later, the administrative organization was perfected. This administration was a local administration which was dominated by the monks of Sa-skya-ba. It was composed of two systems. One was the religious sector, which was headed by dishi or sajiazuozhu .The other was the political sector, which as headed by .From then on, the head and the administrative official of Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba were the first principal of sa skya ba and dpon-chen. The formation and establishment of Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba marked the early phase of the development of the political system combining religion with politics.With the support of the central government of Yuan Dynasty and the unremitting efforts of dishi or dpon-chen after the establishment of Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba, the regime was stabilized gradually and the organizations were developed and improved. Therefore, the Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba became a very important agency to rule over the Tibetan local affairs and the leading power of all the religious denominations at that time. The Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba existed for more than one hundred years. During its administration, the Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba firmly executed all the Tibetan policies of Yuan central government and actively performed its obligations and commands as well.Sa-skya-ba regime came to its climax when it was ruled by the sixth sajisizuozu-daniqinbosangbobei. At that time, Sa-skya-ba almost took the control of the whole Tibetan weizang area. Besides, Tibet enjoyed its social stability, developed economics and flourished culture. The divided powers of Tibetan-inhabited areas under the management and coordination of Sa-skya-ba regime constructed and developed respectively. In the early of the 14th century, with the decline of Yuan Dynasty and the decreased support of Yuan central government, the Sa-skya-ba regime also declined. Its unique form of organization and its regulations were also destroyed. When daniqinbosangbobei.was old, the internal and external conflicts of Sa-skya-ba regime finally broke out…. Thus in the complicated historical background, gonggaluozhuijianzan divided Sa-skya-ba regime into four parts, xituo,renqingang,lakang and douque . And each was ruled by his half-brothers. Then Sa-skya-ba regime has been disintegrated. And finally in 1360, the late of Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Yuan Shun favored the tiger seal, chief symbol of local power, to chief of pazhu, which marked the rise of pazhu local regime and the decline of Sa-skya-ba regime.The disintegrated Sa-skya-ba regime lost its political support, but it was still an important and influential political and religious power. And it still remained the unique characteristics of Sa-skya-ba regime.In the end of Yuan Dynasty and the early of Ming Dynasty, Sa-skya-ba regime was seized by gajupai It lost its power gradually but its religious heritage has never stopped. Among the four sectors of Sa-skya-ba, only one was inherited and it remained until today.Although the establishment of Tibetan local government of Sa-skya-ba did not fundamentally integrated the diverse religious sectors and the independent political structure, it indeed started a new period for it ended the decentralized religious sectors and the lasting fighting among them. Besides, it made different religious powers develop and progress under the guidance of an inclusive and comprehensive political and religious institution. It existed for a century and played an active role in its own construction. And it exerted an immeasurable impact on the politics, religion and culture of current and the coming Dynasties. It liberated and improved the progressive development of the productive power in Tibetan areas to some extent. As the"prototype", it laid down a solid foundation to the maturity of the theocratic system. In addition, it influenced greatly the following construction of Tibetan administrative system. Admittedly, we had to admitted the positive role it played in history, but we should also be aware of its negative impact.Through the study of this historical period, it is naturally found that the establishment of Sa-skya-ba regime relied on the support of the central government. Once Ming Dynasty declined, it also suffered the same fate. This thesis employs the methods of literature citations and comparative studies to preliminarily analyze the Tibetan local Sa-skya-ba regime by employing the theory of dialecticalt materialism and historical materialism after the extensive collection of Tibetan and Chinese materials abroad and at home.