ABSTRACT
Located on the Sichuan‐Xikang border, Trokyap was targeted by local authorities after the Guomindang (G.M.D.) placed this Tibetan kingdom under Xikang jurisdiction in the late 1930s. Documents from Academia Historica shed light on the affair – including the Trokyap king’s response when faced with attempts by China’s central government to control its southwestern border. These events are analysed nationally with regard to the G.M.D., provincially concerning Sichuan and Xikang authorities, and locally for the Trokyap king. How each party pursued its own military, political, and economic goals is discussed. Control of Trokyap reveals the balance of power between the protagonists and demonstrates how a small Tibetan kingdom could have jeopardized the state‐building process implemented by the G.M.D.
