In 1850, the British began to map the entire Himalayan mountain
range. At that time, there was no set boundary on any map to show
where Tibet ended and India began. Accomplishing this task of mapping
the territory was quite a feat: the colonial mappers climbed treacherous
mountains and covered terrain that had never before been crossed by Europeans.
In certain tribal territories that were considered particularly dangerous
for Europeans, Indian assistants performed the task instead – disguising
themselves as wandering clerics or holy men, and measuring distances using
their prayer wheels and wooden rosary beads instead of conventional tools
– all in order to hide the true purpose of their wanderings!
Tibet lies in the Himalayan Plateau on the other side of the Himalayan
Mountains from India and Nepal. The Tibetan Plateau has an altitude
of 12,000 to 15,000 feet. The air is very thin at the higher altitudes,
but people who live there are used to its thinness. However, most
people on Earth live much closer to sea level, and since they are not used
to thin air, would be likely to suffer shortness of breath, nausea, and
headaches if they visited Tibet.
Tibet is bordered by China on the North and East, India and Nepal in
the South and the mountains of Pakistan in the West. Streams from
the melting glaciers in the North are the source of rivers which irrigate
the lower valleys. Based on this fact, where do you think most people live
in Tibet? Where is the most convenient place, and why? Do you know how
people use rivers?
Almost all of the major rivers in Asia have their source in Tibet, which
covers 850,000 sq. miles. Rivers in Asia include the Yellow River, the
Yangtze the Ganges, the Indus, the Mekong, and the Bramabputra rivers.
Crops like barley, wheat and millet are grown in the valleys of the South
and East where the climate is milder. The fact that the climate is so varied
provides a clue that the lifestyles of people who reside there are also
quite varied. There are nomads who live in the northern plains, where
they herd animals such as yak, sheep, and goats, and farmers who farm their
crops in small, sometimes remote villages. There are also people
who live in larger cities such as Lhasa, the capitol, and who may be tradesmen,
shopkeepers, artisans (such as weavers and silversmiths) or tourguides.
Before the Chinese government took control of the area in 1959, Tibetan
monasteries were also home to thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns.
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