Throughout history, cultural influences have played significant roles in determining change over time as a function of cultural and societal influences. Cultural influences interact with other parameters of diversity such as race, education, socioeconomics, and gender to influence human society. Examination of cultural norms among different ethnic groups living in an urban area found differences intolerance. Social change can come from various forces both inside and outside a community, yet globalization is one thing that seems to be able to influence the culture of even the most isolated groups of people, especially through the mediums of television and the Internet. The language, traditions, and way of life of this village are struggling to survive.
According to the Science Education Standards, technology influences society through its products and processes. Changes in technology are often accompanied by social, political, and economic changes that can be beneficial or detrimental to individuals and to society. Research shows that sometimes students will impose values from their own culture upon other cultures.
In the verses of the divine texts, it attributes the development of multiple cultures to language differences that do not allow groups to communicate with one another. People can communicate effectively within their own group but not across group lines, so they grow apart into ethnic groups. Each develops unique ways of thinking, believing, acting, and understanding reality. Different groups develop their own cultural heritage in response to their unique historical experiences. This heritage changes slowly so cultural elements can persist over hundreds of years. If we are to explain cultural differences, then, we must look for explanatory variables that reflect long-term historical experience. Most attempts to explain cultural differences in the field of cross-cultural psychology have focused mistakenly, in my view, on relatively recent societal experiences. They have overemphasized the causal impact of societal characteristics like recent levels of socio-economic development, political systems, and birth rates. But such social structural and demographic factors, which are not themselves part of the culture are involved in mutually causal relations with culture.
It is very easy for modern people to think and declare that the area, in which they are living, is the center of cultural civilization. Could it be so, I think, never. Every region in the world has defiantly influenced by the uprising and revolutions of other dominions and territories irrespective of color, cast, and creed. However, several educated people in Gilgit are still of the considered opinion that the culture and civilization which are in practice are their own, derived from the ancient past form their ancestors. Such self-conceded belief is not correct and according to Dr. Mubarak Ali is the murder of history.
The cultural civilization of Gilgit Baltistan is very unique compared to other parts of Pakistan. The study of ancient history reveals that the entire region was influenced from the cultural civilization of the Chinese, Central Asian, Kashmir, and Tibetan empires and from the tribal Kingdoms of Achaemenids, Sakas, Yuezhi, Parthian, Medes, Kushan, Scythian, Sasanian and Mongol Empire etc., as evident from the rock inscriptions and carvings available in the entire region. According to the historical accounts as documented in respect of Gilgit Baltistan, the Turk Khanate under the T’ang empire of China and the Tibetan empire have Tabulate and endorsed a great impact of the cultural civilization of Gilgit Baltistan. Kao shin Shih commander of the Tang Empire defeated the Tibetan army in 744 in Darkot Yasin, despite their strong establishment over the region. Later on the Umayyad Caliphate, the first Islamic dynasty had invaded the Central Asian region of Bactria in 663, and the Tibetans allied with the Turkmen in 705 an attempted to drive the Arabs out of Bactria but failed. Later the alliance of Muslim (Abbasid Caliphate) and Tibetan had given a humiliating defeat to the Tang forces at the battle of Talas River in modern-day Tashkent in 751.
Map of the Tibetan Empire at its greatest extent between the 680s and the 840s CE
sources: http://academic.reed.edu/anthro/364/maps.html. http://unitednations4freetibet.com/unfft/wp-content/uploads/2010/11
The Silk Road: trade, travel, war and faith By Susan Whitfield, British Library http://www.tew.org/geography/historical.map1.html
http://pages.uoregon.edu/kimball/images/1294.ASA-CWA153.jpg
Author Javierfv-121
The Tibetan people in the beginning of the history were very peaceful and non-violent, but in the middle ages, Tibet was a strong, extensive and violent empire that grumbled down from the top of the world to conquer and plunder. In the Sixth Century, the Yalong Tribe at Zedong in Shannan Prefecture had developed into slavery regime. At the early Seventh Century, Songtsen Gampo surrendered the ancient Qiang people Shupi, located at southwest Qinghai and north Tibet, Yangtong at north Tibet. He moved the capital from Yiqian to Lhasa (Luoxie) and officially founded the Tibetan Empire. According to traditional Tibetan history, Songtsen Gampo was the 33rd Tibetan king. In 629, the 13 years old Songtsen Gampo became Btsanpo. He quelled rebellions and unified Tibet. He moved the capital to (Luoxie) today. Lhasa became the political,economic and cultural center of Tibet. He established political and military system from centre to local areas according to the central system and the system of government soldiers of the Tang Dynasty. And for developing economy and polity, he began to use calendar, unified weights and measures, created Tibetan characters according to Keriya and Indian characters, and also made cruel laws. After the death of Songtsen Gampo, Tibet and Tang Dynasty fought for several times. In 670, Tibet invaded to the western regions. In 675, Tang controlled the western regions, and then from 687 to 689, Tibet controlled it again. In 692, General of Wuwei Army, Wang Xiaojie conquered Tibet and got the west regions back. Then small and big wars lasted for about 200 years.
Stunning view of theSongtsen-castle /Potala Palace in Lhasa Tiber is located at an altitude if 14000 feet. Buddhist King Shri Badat was assassinated 749 AD belonged to the Potala dynasty. Photo credit: Fanghong
In the seventh century, much of Tibet was divided into small kingdoms fighting each other with no central authority. A name of a Gyelpo ruled each kingdom. Hinduism was the main religion at that time but during this period, Buddhism was originated and to replace Hinduism with Chinese science, knowledge, and technologies filtering in for the first time. During the period the rising power of the Yarlung Kingdom in Central Tibet eliminated, one by one, the independent kingdoms and established the foundation of the Tibetan Empire. An energetic warlord called Namri Songtsen started this activity. From a base near Mount Yarlha Shampo on the border of Bhutan, he fought to bring the wild and desolate tribes around his kingdom under his rule, established on the ground for a centralized kingdom. Namri Songtsen was assassinated around 620, although the recorded dates of this event vary from 618 to 627. His death caused a general insurgence in the court, which was defeated by a loyal adviser called Myang. However, a traitorous upstart named Zutse implicated Myang in a plot, and the latter was killed when aggressors stormed his castle. Zutse sought to assassinate the prince and heir to the throne, Songtsen Gampo, but failed and committed suicide. Zutse’s son brought the severed head of his father to Songtsen Gampo to prove his loyalty and was allowed to retain his family’s kingdom. In 641, Princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty married Songtsen Gampo.
In 641, Princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty married Songtsen Gampo.
Photo credit: Dr. Blofeld
In 710, Princess Jincheng of Tang Dynasty married to the King of the Tibetan Empire. Along with the increasingly close relationship between Tibet and Tang Dynasty, lots of Han people entered Tibet and some Tibetan nobles were sent to Chang'an to learn the culture of the Han people. However, the frequent wars weakened the power of the Tibetan Empire. In 821, Tibet sent ambassadors to Chang'an to ask for an alliance. The ceremonies of relationships were held both in Chang'an and Lhasa (Luoxie). In 823, Tang and Tibetan Alliance Monument was built in Lhasa, and it still stands in front of Jokhang Temple, evident of the friendship between Tang and the Tibetan Empire.
In the western region of Upper Tibet, there was once a civilized kingdom called Zhang Zhung, destroyed with the rise of the Tibetan Empire. This kingdom was the source of the pre-Buddhist Bon religion having similarity with shamanistic and mystical religion, which also links to Zoroastrianism and Hinduism involving animal sacrifice and the burning of juniper. Bon sources described that 18 kings ruled Zhang Zhung at a different time period, which could have different dynasties in a single cultural region of confederation. Zhang Zhung may have had a form of writing called “Mar,” a divine script meaning “coming from the sky.” With no extant writings from that time, our knowledge comes from the records of their Tibetan conquerors. Limigya ruled Zhang Zhung and Songtsen Gampo, who was the Tsenpo “ruler” of the kingdom of Tibet under the title “Divine Mighty One Magically Manifest.” Initially, Songtsen sought good diplomatic relations with his neighbors, hoping for a dynastic alliance with Zhang Zhung. But things didn’t go straight. Songtsen’s sister Semarkar was given to Limigya in marriage to strengthen the good relations, but she resented being politically marginalized by Limigya. Poems from the ninth-century Old Tibetan Chronicle portray Semarkar’s dissatisfaction with her new home and her scheme to have her brother conquer her husband’s kingdom. She refused to consummate her marriage, alarming the Tibetans and inducing them to send an envoy to convince her to produce an heir for the greater good. When the envoy returned to her brother’s kingdom, her poems were sung as songs to Songtsen Gampo. He received her gift of 30 pieces of turquoise, eventually understanding that he should wear them around his neck like a man, not in his hair like a woman. Songtsen invaded Zhang Zhung, killed Limigya, and destroyed Limigya’s power base. Khyunglung Ngulkhar, Zhang Zhung’s capital, became the new residence of the administrative chiefs of Central Tibet.
The Tarim Basin. Photo credit: Kmusser
Songtsen Gampo was succeeded by his grandson Mangsong Mangtsen, who began his sovereignty by conquering the ‘Azha (aka) (Tuyuhun) from Mongolia the people who had gone to war against both the Chinese Tang dynasty and the Tibetans. The defeat of the Azha forced their king, Nuohebo, to flee to China to take refuge with his remaining troops where they were resettled under China control. Mangsong was then able to expand Tibetan influence into Chinese territory into the Tarim Basin in modern Xinjiang as far as to the Wakhan Valley in Afghanistan by defeating the the Tang dynasty and established control over the oasis cities of the Silk Road, which were vital for both trade and communication in western China. The Tibetans subjugated the Western Turks and gained control by 670, thus occupied the large trade centers such as Kashgar and Khotan. The Tang sent a large and formidable army to challenge the Tibetan expansion. But the Chinese were decisively defeated by a massive Tibetan force led by General mGar Khri ‘bring at Dafeichuan, which forced the Chinese to withdraw. During this period, the chief minister Gar Songtsan had taken over much of the king’s authority. The mGar had become a real threat to royal power that had to be eliminated.
It is believed that mGar was the descendants from the Yuezhi Tribe, a powerful clan that had been driven south by the Xiongnu hordes and had resettled in Tibet around 190 BC. The name “mGar” literally meant “blacksmith” and had a great influence over 50 years, contributing several chief ministers and great generals to the expanding Tibetan kingdom, but soon got into political trouble. Thrimalo, the wife of Mangsong Mangtsen (who died in 667) and mother of the new King Tridu Songtsen, distrusted him (mGar). The clan was also targeted by some astute diplomatic chicanery by a Tang ambassador named Kuo Yuan-chen. The Tibetan general mGar Khri ‘bring had demanded that the Chinese withdraw from the Tarim Basin on the basis that the local people should be ruled by their own kings. Kuo questioned whether Tibet had designs on the local kingdoms, but mGar replied, “If Tibet lusted after territory, we would trouble your borders, and thus invade [your prefectures of] Kan and Liang; why should we wish to scheme for profit 10,000 li away?” Back in the Tang court, Kuo suggested a counterproposal for peace with the mGar, agreeing to exchange control of the Nu-shih-pi tribes for the lands of Koko Nor and the Tuyuhun. Kuo believed that the Tibetan people wanted peace and that this would weaken the mGar, causing internal turmoil within Tibet. Kuo’s calculations were correct. While mGar Khri ‘bring was defeating a much larger Chinese army at the battle of “Chinese Graveyard at Tiger Pass,” Tridu Songtsen moved against the clan, arresting and executing over 2,000 of the mGar under the guise of a hunting expedition. When mGar Khri ‘bring refused to surrender, his troops largely abandoned him rather than face a royal army, and the great general took his own life. Most of the remaining mGar committed suicide or fled to China, where they were granted official posts and titles under the Tang. Tridu Songtsen then married a number of princesses from neighboring regions but died in a campaign against the kingdom of ‘Jang (aka “Nanzhao”) in what is now modern China’s Yunnan province.
Tang Emperor Taizong gives an audience to Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, the ambassador of Tibet
Photo credit: Yen Li-pen
Despite sending peace ambassadors the Tibetans started to massacre and kidnapping of the Chinese peasantry people. In 763, two Tang envoys sent to Tibet were detained at the border as the Tibetans were preparing a massive invasion of China. The Tang emperor fled the capital, Chang’an, and escaped to the city of Shanzhou while a defeated Chinese general led the Tibetans straight into the imperial capital. The Tibetans installed a puppet emperor, the uncle of the Chinese princess who had married into the Tibetan imperial family. However, after occupying Chang’an for only 15 days, the Tibetan forces were deceived by the actions of Tang General Guo Ziyi, who used fires and war drums to make it seem like a large imperial army was approaching to besiege the city. On both sides, the ambitious generals on the frontier attempted to secure a peace treaty but failed because of distrust and dishonesty. The Tibetan imperialism can be seen from records of the Chinese city of Dunhuang, occupied by Tibet in 786. The inhabitants were forced to wear Tibetan dress, except for special occasions when they could wear their traditional Chinese clothing. The Tibetan officials were so notorious for keeping the Chinese women to be their wives until the practice triggered too many complaints. A bureaucratic hierarchy made, with the lowest Tibetan officials outranking the highest Chinese officials. The city became an important center of translation and paper-making for the Tibetans as Chinese transcribers tortured to produce thousands of Buddhist sutras under threat of the lash and appropriation of property.
In 779, Dezong rose to the throne of China’s Tang dynasty, which was struggling from internal insurgency and external pressures. Dezong hoped that an alliance with the Tibetans would reduce the dynasty’s reliance on the hated Uyghurs and help to settle the southern frontier by establishing a stable, permanent border. Unfortunately, this corresponded with a Tibet-Nanzhao attack on the Tang in the southeast, which was repulsed. Despite some difficulties in the negotiations, a treaty was eventually worked out between Dezong and the Tibetans to establish a permanent border. The treaty allowed the Tang to deploy more troops to defeat the rebels, but they had a hard time with the troops fighting under the rebel Zhu Ci and asked the Tibetans for military assistance. In exchange for their help, the Tibetans wanted the Chinese to pay them an annual subsidy of 10,000 bolts of silk and annexe the western territories of Anxi and Beiting. Negotiations broke down over these demands, so a Tang envoy forged a letter implying that the Tang would accept. Tibetan troops were sent to aid the Tang and fought a crucial battle that contributed to the eventual defeat of Zhu chi. However, the Tibetan forces withdrew before the rebel-occupied the capital. The furious Tibetans invasions through northwestern China and seizing people and livestock, the Tang reacted quickly and a Tang general had invaded Tibet forces. Under the deception of a peace offer, the Tibetans ambushed a group of Tang envoys, murdered and kidnaped most of them. Finally, the Tang established good relations with the Uyghurs, Nanzhao and the Arabs with the hope of neutralizing Tibet through encirclement.
Gilgit has a number of diversified cultures, ethnic groups, languages and various backgrounds. Despite the remoteness of the region, research has confirmed that it appears to have been settled by numerous ethnic groups, arriving from different regions. It is said that the Aryan herdsmen came to this area from the north; the Buddhist and the Tibetans came in from the region of Ladakh. Before Islam, the Tibetans held greater cultural influence on the general population. The Tibetan influence to some extent can still be seen till today in Gilgit region, but in Baltistan, more similarity can be noticed in terms of physique, facial features, and vernacular construction of local Baltis houses and indigenous homes. Likewise, similarly, influence can be comprehended in its architecture, where houses with the flat roof painted with white colors and construction of inward sloping are the common feature of the local construction. The most notable artifacts of the Balti/Ladakhi architecture include Kharpocho in Skardu, Khapolu Khar in Khapolu, Chaqchan and Shigar Khanqah, Shigar, Baltit and Altit Fort of Hunza. Construction of the old mosques and khanqahs were carried out based on the architectural design of Ladakh with a mixture of Persian and Tibetan style.
This multitude of cultures is because of the strategic location of Gilgit. Gilgit-Baltistan is home to diversified cultures, ethnic groups, languages and backgrounds. Major cultural events include the Nowroz, Polo Festival, Jashn-e-Baharan, the Harvest Time Festival, Traditional dances include; Old Man Dance in which more than one person wears old-style dresses; Cow Boy Dance (Payaloo) in which a person wears old style dress, long leather shoes and holds a stick in hand and the Sword Dance in which the participants show taking one sword in right and shield in left. One to six participants can dance in pairs. All such traditions have been derived from China, Central Asia and Tibet because of their rule over the region and frequent communication between the regions. Gilgit-Baltistan having diversified cultures, ethnic groups, languages and various backgrounds has the unique characteristic of it kind because of the geographical locations.
Baltit Fort Hunza
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| Altit Fort Hunza |
Shigar Fort Baltistan
UNESCO-protected mosque, Shigar -Baltistan
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