Records show that Guge once made great religious and economic achievements. However, its glory was reduced to pieces when the mighty kingdom was involved in a fatal war in the 17th century. The invasion of the neighboring state Ldakah, coupled with the domestic rebellion of Guge monks, brought the kingdom to its knees.

The ruins are the only visible legacy Guge has left behind.The ruins extend from the mid-ridge of a hill 300 m high at its peak and cover an area of 720,000 sq m. It is the second largest ruin in Tibet, after the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Archaeologists have unearthed 445 earthen and wooden structures, 879 caves, 58 blockhouses (a kind of fortification building), four secret tunnels, 28 stupas (traditional pagoda-shaped Buddhist monuments), granaries and weaponry storehouses.

Guge was a rigidly hierarchical society. The residential area was compartmentalized depending on the social status of the people that lived there. Palaces and residences for the royal family sat on the hilltop, monasteries and houses for aristocrats sat in the middle of the hill and at the lowermost reaches of the hill were cave dwellings for ordinary people. The top position of the royal residence was to display imperial supremacy, and ensure military security.

 A Buddhist kingdom

Guge was established by the descendents of the royal family of the Tubo Dynasty that ruled all Tibet from about 630 to 842 AD. Tibet was called Tubo by the Han at that time. The last Tubo king arbitrarily banned the practice of Buddhism by persecuting Buddhist followers and destroying monasteries, leading to the fall of the dynasty. Being far away from Lhasa, in western Tibet, present day Ngari, proved to be a safe harbor for the persecuted Buddhists. Years later, Guge, a Buddhist kingdom, was established and was said to have a population of 100,000 at its peak.

Page:

1

2

3

4

5

6

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.