32. The Blind Warrior of Nyarong ཉག་རོང་བུ་ལོང་མ།

In the mid-19th century, Gonpo Namgyel, a relatively unknown chief from Nyarong in Kham, rose to power and went on to conquer most of Kham and cause problems for both the Lhasa government and the Qing court. He has been usually depicted as a villain or a bandit in the Tibetan written and oral sources, sometimes called ten-dra (enemy of the faith) but later inducted into the pantheon of Buddhist protectors, and as 'a leader of serf uprising' by Chinese Marxist historians. Yudru Tsomu's book, the subject of this podcast, tries to resolve these contradictory narratives by locating him properly in the context of local history and cultural milieu. At the same time, it provides a useful understanding of the power arrangement that existed between the various polities in Kham and their two neighbouring power centers in Lhasa and Beijing.

Intro/Outro theme: Karachal - Alash Ensemble (freemusicarchive.org/music/Alash_Ensemble/)

Image: Ruins of Gonpo Namgyal's Caste in Nyarong

Source: http://m.zangdiyg.com/article/detail/id/14863.html

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/khyyl-gtm-khyeltam/donations