ABSTRACT
It has been argued that the concept of the existence, or former existence, of the Tibetan state is a construct of the Tibetan government in exile under the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India. Similarly, pan-Tibetan identity is considered by some to be an "invented" tradition of the post-1959 diaspora of refugees living abroad. But the reality of the "Tibetan Question" defies simplistic, reductionistic conclusions. What is perhaps more useful is to develop an understanding that several parallel, competing, and perhaps mutually exclusive paradigms have existed that work to define the notion of the Tibetan state in history. Although distinct, the three primary historical ideologies share a common trait: all are positioned to include the personal and experiential, the dreams and personalities of the political actors, and the power of religious affect in the various constructions of Tibet.
