Monument Imperial Pacification Of Xizang

The Imperial Stele Inscriptions of the Pacification of Tibet (Xizang) (Chinese: 御制平定西藏碑 Tibetan Wylie translit.: rgyal po rang nyid kyis bris pa'i bod yul bd'jags su Manchu Mollendorff: han i araha wargi dzang be necihiyeme oktobuhabe bithe. Mongol (Poppe): qayan-u bicigsen barayun tobed oron-i ubsidgentoytayaysan kosiy-e cilayun-u bicig) is located to the west of the southern gate of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Xizang Autonomous Region. It was erected in 1724 AD to commemorate the Qing army's suppression of the Dzungar Rebellion and control of Xizang.
The inscriptions are an imperial edict of Emperor Kangxi, the edict was written in 1720 AD (the 59th year of his reign). Starting from this edict, the term Xizang (西藏) was officially used to designate the region, the Tibetan term for Xizang is Bod, the Manchu term for Xizang is Wargi Dzang, and the Mongol term for Xizang is Töbed.

Introduction

In the 57th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1718) and the 59th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1720), the Qing army entered Xizang twice to quell the Dzungar Rebellion. To commemorate this victory, in the 60th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1721), Emperor Kangxi personally wrote an inscription in Manchu, Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan languages, recording the merits of the Qing Dynasty in sending troops to quell the Mongol Dzungar invasion of Xizang.

In the second year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign (1724), the cabinet scholar E Ben (鄂贲) and others carved and erected it in front of the Potala Palace. During Emperor Qianlong's reign, a pavilion with glazed tiles on the top of the mountain was added. The stele faces the imperial stele of the Ten Perfections in the east and west. In 1965, the stele and pavilion were moved to Longwangtan Park together with the imperial stele of the Ten Perfections and the pavilion. In 1990, the two steles and pavilion were moved back to the south gate of the Potala Palace.

The Imperial Stele Inscriptions of the Pacification of Tibet is well preserved. The shape of the stele is exactly the same as that of the imperial stele of the Qing Dynasty in the mainland. This stele has a square forehead with a dragon head, which is 1.13 meters wide, 1 meter high and 0.42 meters thick. The two characters "imperial construction" are engraved in seal script on the right side of the front of the stele, and 4 columns of Tibetan characters are engraved on the left side of the front; a vertical line of Mongolian characters is engraved on the right side of the back of the stele, and a vertical line of Manchu characters is engraved on the left side of the back. There are 15 vertical lines of small regular script Chinese characters engraved on the right side of the front of the stele, and 46 columns of printed Tibetan characters are engraved on the left side of the front; there are 15 vertical lines of Mongolian characters engraved on the right side of the back, and 15 vertical lines of Manchu characters engraved on the left side of the back. The stele is 1.05 meters wide, 1.84 meters high and 0.35 meters thick. There are 0.16-meter-wide cloud-band pattern frames engraved on the top, bottom, left and right of the front and back of the stele. The stele base is a stacked square base, divided into three levels: upper, middle and lower. The upper step is 1.23 meters wide, 0.45 meters high, and 0.54 meters thick, with sea water, sun, and cloud patterns carved on the front and back; the middle step is 1.44 meters wide, 0.25 meters high, and 1.47 meters long; the lower step exposed to the ground is 2 meters wide, 0.2 meters high, and 2 meters long. The total height of the stone tablet is 3.74 meters, with a tortoise-shaped base and a pavilion built to protect it.

After Emperor Kangxi wrote the Imperial Monument to the Pacification of Xizang, the term Xizang officially appeared, replacing terms Tubo (Tibetan Empire) used since the Tang and Song dynasties, and Kokham (朵甘), Ü-Tsang (乌思藏), and Ali Sankor (阿里三廓, "Nari Sugulusun" in the Yuan and Ming dynasties) in China.

In 1996, the Imperial Stele for the Pacification of Xizang was listed as a cultural relic protection site in the Xizang Autonomous Region.

According to the Records of the Kangxi Reign, Volume 293, in September of the 60th year of the Kangxi reign:https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hans/%E5%BA%B7%E7%86%99%E6%9C%9D%E5%AF%A6%E9%8C%84/%E5%8D%B7%E4%B9%8B293 蒙古王、貝勒、貝子、公、台吉、及吐伯特酋長等奏、西藏平定、請于招地建立豐碑、以紀盛烈、昭垂萬世。上允所請。御製碑文曰昔者太宗文皇帝之崇德七年、班禪額爾德尼、達賴喇嘛顧實汗、謂東土有聖人出、特遣使自人跡不至之區、經讎敵之國、閱數年、始達盛京、至今八十載、同行善事、俱為施主、頗極安寧。後達賴喇嘛之歿、第巴隱匿不奏者、十有六年。任意妄行、拉藏滅之、復興其法因而允從拉藏、青海群眾公同之請。中間策妄阿喇布坦、妄生事端、動準噶爾之眾、肆行奸詐、滅壞達賴喇嘛、並廢第五輩達賴之塔、辱蔑班禪、毀壞寺廟、殺戮喇嘛、名為興法而實滅之且欲竊據土伯特國。朕以其所為非法、爰命皇子為大將軍、又遣朕子孫等、調發滿洲蒙古綠旗兵、各數萬、曆煙瘴之地、士馬安然而至。賊眾三次、乘夜盜營、我兵奮力擊殺、賊皆喪膽遠遁。一矢不發、平定西藏、振興法教、賜今胡必爾汗冊印、封為第六輩達賴喇嘛、安置禪榻、撫綏土伯特僧俗人眾、各復生業。於是文武臣工、咸謂王師西討、曆瘴癘險遠之區、曾未半載、輒建殊勳、實從古所未有。而諸蒙古部落、及土伯特酋長、亦合詞奏曰皇帝勇略神武、超越往代、天兵所臨、邪魔掃蕩、復興蒙古向所尊奉法教坎麻藏衛等部人眾、咸得拔離湯火、樂土安居。如此盛德大業、非臣下頌揚所能宣罄。請賜御製碑文、鐫勒招地、以垂永久。朕何功焉、而群眾勤請不已。爰紀斯文、立石西藏。俾中外知達賴喇嘛等三朝恭順之誠、諸部落累世崇奉法教之意。朕之此舉所以除逆撫順、綏眾興教雲爾

See also

* Thirteen Articles for the Settlement of Qinghai Affairs

References

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Monuments and memorials in Lhasa
Tibet Autonomous Region
Chinese steles
Victory steles
Buildings and structures completed in 1724
1724 establishments in China
Tibet under Qing rule