The Chinese Revolution on the Tibetan Frontier

In The Chinese Revolution on the Tibetan Frontier, Benno Weiner explores the Amdo region during the People's Republic of China's first decade, revealing that the Communist Party aimed to build both a state and a nation through narratives and policies. However, rapid integration through violence led to communization, rebellion, and brutal pacification, leaving a lasting impact on the region.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

In his groundbreaking work, "The Chinese Revolution on the Tibetan Frontier," Benno Weiner delves into the first-hand exploration of an ethnic minority region during the early years of the People's Republic of China: the Amdo region situated in the Sino-Tibetan borderland. Through the utilization of previously inaccessible local archives and rare primary sources, Weiner compellingly demonstrates that the Communist Party's vision for Amdo in the 1950s went beyond mere state-building to encompass nation-building endeavors. This ambitious objective necessitated the creation of narratives and policies that would persuade Tibetans of their collective membership within a broader political community.

However, as Weiner reveals, initial attempts to gradually and organically transform a vast multiethnic empire into a unified nation-state were overtaken by a revolutionary fervor, demanding more immediate routes to national integration and socialist transformation. Consequently, in 1958, communization ensued, followed by a widespread and often indiscriminate rebellion that resulted in brutal suppression. Instead of voluntary integration, Amdo was forcibly assimilated through widespread and often indiscriminate use of violence, a violence that continues to haunt the living memories of Amdo Tibetans and others.

This seminal work not only sheds light on the complex dynamics of the Chinese Revolution in a marginalized region but also raises profound questions about the nature of nation-building, identity, and the use of force in the pursuit of political change. Benno Weiner's meticulous research and insightful analysis provide a valuable contribution to our understanding of this critical period in Chinese history.

Weight: 492g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501772306