British Interpretations of Sino–Tibetan Relationships: The Genesis of Tibetan "Autonomy" and Chinese "Suzerainty"

In Chapter 7, I analysed the traditional Sino-Tibetan relationship in terms of military dependency between an imperial power (pre-1911 China) and a non-coercive regime (Buddhist Tibet).l The operation of such a relationship assumed a capacity and willingness on the part of Imperial China to provide military protection to Tibet when and if necessary. It also assumed a fairly stable regional situation, particularly around Tibet because the protector's military resources prior to the modern era were rather limited. I submit that both of these assumptions were valid until the appearance of great Western colonial powers on the Asian political scene.