ABSTRACT
In theory, the central government of Lhasa had complete authority over the whole of Tibet. The border of Tibet toward the South and West- India including Ladakh—though contested in some areas, had remained basically unchanged since the fifth Dalai Lama. The concept of limited government was inherent in this Buddhist system and concerned not only the question of central control but also control by regional and local governments. Aside from the central part of the country, the most important area-in population, economic development, and strategic importance-was eastern Tibet, the region known as Kham. The valley and its chief trading center, Yatung, formed the province of Dromo. Its headquarters were at Yatung, the seat of a lay-official governor. For the area below the Potala, outside the actual city of Lhasa, a second administrative office was established, and it was also managed by two officials, one monk and one layman.
